Charleston City Paper: 2021 Cooper River Bridge Run Official Fun Guide

O F F I C I A L F U N G U I D E • S E P T. 2 5 , 2 02 1

COOPER RIVER BRIDGE RUN

— A publication of —

AFTER THE RUN

OPEN FOR THE BRIDGE RUN THIS SATURDAY AT 10AM

The Chart Group

Cooper River Bridge Run

Not just a race.

It’s an experience.

Cooper River Bridge Run Fun Guide 09.22.2021

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elcome to the 44th annual Cooper River Bridge Run. Our community thrives on the new challenges and opportunities that keep our race fresh and exciting. These innovations are why our race has lasted through generations and contributed in so many ways to the economy and well-being of the Lowcountry and state of South Carolina. The Bridge Run’s commitment to promote a healthy lifestyle through nutrition and exercise is a goal to which we will forever aspire. We look to the youth of our community to help us perpetuate this worthy endeavor so that it remains a solid foundation for a healthy tomorrow.

Many of you have witnessed the growth from 700 to 40,000 participants, and we couldn’t have done it without you. We’re in this together!

We kickoff our event with the ever-growing Health and Wellness EXPO on Sept. 23 and 24 at the Charleston Area Convention Center. Our Health and Wellness Expo has over 200 vendors with cutting-edge fitness attire, exercise equipment and demonstrations, nutritional information, and product sampling.

The Cooper River Bridge Run begins at 8 a.m. Sept. 25. Our spectacular harbor views and beautiful architecture will amaze and inspire you while crossing the bridge from Mount Pleasant to Charleston. We have one of the only races in the country that provides free transportation (250 buses) before and after the race for any participant wearing their race bib. Cross the finish line and receive a Finisher Medal and then enjoy our Finish Festival in Marion Square, the heart of beautiful historic downtown Charleston.

We are very honored to have Harris Teeter and Benefitfocus as our presenting sponsors. Our heartfelt thanks go out to all our wonderful sponsors and vendors for their continued support.

We couldn’t begin to have this event without the tremendous job done by our volunteers, local police and our community partners. Above all, our board of directors and staff thanks the people of our wonderful community who are the heart and soul of the Cooper River Bridge Run. Let’s get over it!

Irv Batten, Race Director

charlestoncitypaper.com

Official sponsors

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Cooper River Bridge Run Fun Guide 09.22.2021

The route

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Photos by Rūta Smith

Cooper River Bridge Run Fun Guide 09.22.2021

Run clubs lead to accountability, social interaction and sometimes, marriage

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By Parker Milner

tep out your door any day in most corners of Charleston and you'll see someone out for a jog. And at least six days a week, local runners convene in at least 10 different organized run groups ranging from serious training runs to a few drinks after a couple labored miles around a brewery.

Locals join Charleston area running clubs and groups for a multitude of reasons, but the majority show up on a weekly basis for two main reasons: accountability and social interaction.

“When you get more people together, everybody’s encouraging everyone else,” said Steve Griffin, who leads Jimp Running Club.

“And sometimes, when I run by myself, I may talk myself into cutting the run short.”

The weekly cadence Charleston running groups stick to allows runners to get into a routine, and for most groups, signing up is as easy as showing up.

Several local groups like the Park Circle Pacers cater to all types of runners by hosting different-format runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays each week. Pacers co-founder Virginia Clauser calls the kidand pet-friendly “Thirstday” 1-mile or 5K jaunt that starts and ends at Commonhouse

Aleworks a “fun social run.”

“A big part of why I go to the clubs is for the social aspect,” said Erin Atkinson, a College of Charleston graduate who regularly runs with the Pacers on Thursday evenings.

“Especially since the pandemic, I work from home, so it’s just kind of nice to get out of the house and see people’s faces.”

You don’t have to sign-up to join a Pacers run, but the group’s Commonhouse sponsorship provides members who pay an annual $25 fee with shirts and discounted rates on local races, a focal point for members who attend the group's two other runs — a Tuesday track workout and a Sunday morning long run.

“That’s actually one of our most popular runs right now,” said Clauser, referring to the Sunday 5- and 8-mile sessions.

“That just goes back to the reason why we started the running club — misery loves company. By providing these three weekly runs, we give everyone the chance to come run with someone.”

Fleet Feet also offers runs for folks with varying goals in mind, said Amy Minkel, who owns the running store’s three local locations in Mount Pleasant, Summerville and Carnes Crossroads.

Park Circle Pacers meet Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays “From the time we opened our first location in the Charleston area eight years ago, we had a run club from the beginning, starting from folks who were just looking to get off the couch to those who were training for marathons,” she said.

Runners can show up to Fleet Feet’s three locations on Monday evenings for a 3- or 5-mile run, and this fall, the store’s “Fall Pub Run Series” will feature routes that start and end at specific venues like Holy City Brewing, the location for the next 3-mile pub run Sept. 29. In addition, those looking to train for longer distances like the Bridge Run can get special training pro CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

“

When you get more people together, everybody’s encouraging everyone else. And sometimes, when I run by myself, I may talk myself into cutting the run short.”

—Steve Griffin, leader of Jimp Running Club

Schedule

RELAX AFTER THE BRIDGE RUN UNDER THE LIVE OAKS

SHOW

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Bridge OUR R Numberun FOR A $ VOUC 5 HER

WEEKEND WINE DOWN

The Finish Festival is open to all Bridge Run participants The Chart Group

OFFICIAL EVENTS BRIDGE RUN EXPO Thurs., Sept. 13 12-8 p.m. and Fri., Sept. 24 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Charleston Area Convention Center 5001 Coliseum Drive North Charleston

COOPER RIVER BRIDGE RUN FINISH FESTIVAL Sat., Sept. 25 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

Marion Square Downtown (Participants only)

SEPTEMBER 25 • 10AM-5PM BRING BLANKETS AND CHAIRS TO WINE DOWN FROM THE WEEK. ENJOY OUR WINES BY THE BOTTLE OR GLASS, WINE SLUSHIES, MEADS ON DRAFT, MIMOSA FLIGHTS, AND BLOODY MARYS

UNOFFICIAL EVENTS

SEPTEMBER SOCIAL: BRIDGE RUN BREAKFAST Sat., Sept. 25. 8:30 a.m.

Charleston Running Club Marion Square Downtown BIERGARTEN BRIDGE RUN BASH Sat., Sept. 25. 10 a.m.

Bay Street Biergarten 549 E Bay St. Downtown BRIDGE RUN POST PARTY Sat., Sept. 25. 4-6 p.m.

Tradesman Brewing Co. 1647 King St. Extension Downtown

BRIDGE RUN AFTER PARTY AT THE ROOFTOP Sat., Sept. 25. 10 a.m.

The Rooftop Bar at The Vendue 19 Vendue Range Downtown BRIDGE RUN CRAWL Sat., Sept. 25. 12-8 p.m.

LOCATION TBD Downtown UNOFFICIAL BRIDGE RUN AFTER-PARTY Sat. Sept. 25. 12 p.m.

Revelry Brewing Co. 10 Conroy St. Downtown ARE YOU A RUNNING MACHINE? See page 15 for our calendar of coming area runs

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PRE-BRIDGE RUN SPAGHETTI DINNER Fri., Sept. 24. 4-10 p.m.

Holy City Brewing 1021 Aragon Ave. North Charleston

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Run clubs CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

ATTORNEY

Cooper River Bridge Run Fun Guide 09.22.2021

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grams for $115 (including the race fee).

“If there’s a local race that we can encourage them to participate in, that’s typically what we do. It’s another way to also have that accountability,” said Minkel, who brings in local experts to make the programs. “For the bridge run, everyone is typically training for a 10K. It’s just a great way for us to support such a great local race.”

Like the pub runs, many local group runs end with a shared beer or cocktail with fellow runners, adding a social element to the exercise. The Charleston Beer Runners start at Hampton Park before finishing at a different bar or brewery every week, while breweries like Frothy Beard, Low Tide and Estuary Beans & Barley host their own runs.

For runs that conclude with a cold beer, make sure you pack a large water, and some may want to consider bringing along a spare shirt to change into (this City Paper writer recalls a muggy outing with Charleston Beer Runners that ended at Recovery Room).

A little perspiration didn’t stop Amy Embry from meeting her future husband, Aaron, at Taco Boy after a 2017 Charleston Beer Runners meetup. Amy, an O.G. member of the 7-year-old group, says joining “was one of the best things I ever did.” “[Aaron] started running with us every week, and then he proposed to me during a run,” Amy recalled. “I think back then there were maybe 10-15 people in the group — other than that, I’ve never been in a running group before. I used to be a very shy person. I didn’t like to run.”

Now married, the couple still attends Charleston Beer Runners regularly, and Aaron works as the point person for the group’s cultural and community initiatives.

He says CBR makes a concerted effort to make the group a place for everyone.

“Because so much of running is about community, I think running groups need to make sure that they’re diverse and inclusive,” he said. “It’s all about community, and it’s all about building each other up.”

The local running community has, of course, been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, said Griffin, who has yet to restart Jimp, which normally runs a 5-mile route that starts at The Aquarium parking garage.

For now, Griffin meets a group of four at 5:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Colonial Lake. They run the bridge once a week, and Griffin plans to complete the Bridge Run. He looks forward to restarting Jimp when the time is right.

“It was always fun meeting new people.

Every time we’d meet, we would never know who was showing up, so it was always good to introduce Charleston running to them,” he said. “I miss that for sure.”

Charleston area run clubs THE OUTSIDERS! Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 6 a.m.

This new group meets three times a week at a location disclosed the day before the run. Follow The Outsiders! on Instagram @outsiders.charleston.

JIMP RUNNING CLUB

(temporarily suspended)

Mondays and Wednesdays, 5 p.m.

When the group restarts Monday and Wednesday runs, it will meet at the Aquarium parking garage.

FLEET FEET RUNNING CLUB Mondays, 6:30 p.m.

Meet at stores in Mount Pleasant, Summerville or Carnes Crossroads every Monday night for a 3- or 5-mile route.

FROTHY BEARD GET FIT RUN CLUB Mondays, 6:30 p.m.

Frothy Beard’s Get Fit Run Club is free, and no sign-up is necessary. Go at your own pace and stay for a beer or two at the West Ashley brewery, where runners will get $1 off each pint.

PARK CIRCLE PACERS Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:15 p.m.

Sundays, 8:30 a.m.

Park Circle Pacers meet twice weekly for runs hosted by Commonhouse Aleworks.

The group’s Thursday beer runs feature 1-mile and 5K routes, and on Sundays, the Pacers meet for longer runs (5- or 8-miles). The Pacers meet Tuesdays for speed workouts at the Danny Jones track.

CHARLESTON RUNNING CLUB Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m.

The Charleston Running Club meets outside Bar Mash at the Cigar Factory on East Bay Street. There’s a walking group, pace jogging group and 9-minute pace run group up the Ravenel Bridge and back.

AD ASTRA ENDURANCE PROJECT Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m.

Ad Astra Endurance Project hosts a Wednesday night run with 2- and 3-mile options at Low Tide Brewing.

ETHOS ATHLETIC CLUB Thursdays, 5:30 p.m.

Owner Joey Welling organizes a weekly run that starts and ends at 311 Huger St. CHARLESTON BEER RUNNERS Thursdays, 7 p.m.

All-levels of 21-and-over runners meet at the Hampton Park gazebo, running 3-5 mile runs to different bars.

OUR SUNDAY RUN Sundays, 9 a.m.

Meeting in the Hampton Park parking lot, the 8-mile route loops the peninsula.

THE FUN STARTS IN

Mount Pleasant

PATRIOTS POINT. Tour historic ships, the Medal of Honor Museum, and the only replica Vietnam Naval Support Base Camp in the U.S. BOONE HALL PLANTATION & GARDENS. Explore colorful gardens and the area’s rich Gullah history.

SWEETGRASS BASKET PAVILION. Don’t forget to stop along the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor

ExperienceMountPleasant.com |

to enjoy demonstrations of the community’s 300-year-old basket-making tradition.

GOLF. Take a swing at one of Mount Pleasant’s several gorgeous coastal courses.

LOCAL EVENTS. Come back to enjoy our Sweetgrass Half Marathon, Blessing of the Fleet & Seafood Festival, Holiday Market, Christmas Light Parade and more!

@ExperienceMP |

@ExperienceMountPleasant

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Nestled on the Charleston Harbor, Mount Pleasant is a waterfront wonderland with a world of seaside escapes. From awesome coastal sunsets to exquisite creek-to-table seafood dishes, you will experience Mount Pleasant at our fine restaurants, along boardwalks and while paddling alongside dolphins in our tidal creeks.

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THE FUN CONTINUES IN

Cooper River Bridge Run Fun Guide 09.22.2021

Charleston

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Historic Charleston is your playground for eating, shopping and enjoying life. Celebrate Charleston’s art scene at festivals, poetry readings, markets and more from now through December. And then, come back for more.

MOJA ARTS FESTIVAL (Sept. 30 to Oct. 10) Celebrate African American and Caribbean arts in Charleston during this special festival with dance, music and the MOJA Juried Arts Festival at the City Gallery. MojaFestival.com FREE VERSE (Oct. 1 to Nov.15) Hear poets Ciona Rouse, Geffrey Davis and Tammaka Staley plus enjoy Open Mic Poetry, Poetry and Pancakes, and a Poetry Slam finale in Charleston’s annual poetry festival. FreeVerseFestival.com

CHARLESTON FARMERS MARKET Every Saturday morning in Marion Square and Wednesday afternoon in West Ashley’s Ackerman Park, visitors and residents get fresh food, local crafts and more at fun weekly markets.

CharlestonFarmersMarket.com HOLIDAY MAGIC December is filled with warmth and charm with lots of opportunities for visitors and residents to celebrate the holiday season throughout the Holy City.

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@CannonStreetArtsCenter

5K Training with Catherine Hollister

Rūta Smith

Blue Sky Endurance owner Catherine Hollister can help you get ready for your first run or triathlon Blue Sky Endurance’s Bridge Run program implements a schedule with two days of speed running and one longer, endurance-focused run each week in addition to personalized “homework” for training days.

Hollister emphasizes a training program for a 5K is inherently unique to each person, but offers a sample training guide and tips to help beginners get a sense of the routine, though she encourages new runners to seek out coaches and groups to individualize their program and help with motivation. —Samantha Connors MORE: Official Bridge Run training program: bridgerun.com/training

CONGRATS BRIDGE RUNNERS!

Sample 5K Training Program STAGE 1: WEEKS 1-4 Focus on building up your endurance and strengthening specific muscles (core, knees, hamstrings, etc.) to prepare for quicker speed runs.

Run at least three times per week with rest days or cross training in between.

Hollister says at least one rest day per week is required. She recommends crosstraining on non-running days to build muscles in other areas of the body that will help with running. Cross training can include any other physical activity from cycling to weight training.

Example Day 1, Week 1 Start by running for 5 minutes. Walk for 1 minute. Repeat three times.

Then, add 1 minute to your running time on each run day but continue to walk for 1 minute following your run. Repeat three times. Once you reach 10 minute runs, replace three repetitions with two.

STAGE 2: WEEKS 5-10 As you build stamina and become more accustomed to regularly running with walking intervals, incorporate longer run days.

Example Week 5 Day 1: run 20 minutes, walk 1 minute, run 5 minutes Day 2: Rest/cross-train Day 3: Run 15 minutes, walk 1 minute.

Run hard for 2 minutes, walk for 2 minutes. Repeat three times.

Day 4: Rest Day 5: Run 25 minutes Day 6: Rest/cross-train Day 7: Rest STAGE 3: WEEKS 11-12 In the final weeks leading up to a race, runners should begin re-introducing quick repetition runs again and taper back distance while still practicing good running form.

Doing a short, easy run the day before a race is recommended to keep muscles loose yet prepared for run day.

Training for a 5K is dependent on the individual’s strength, endurance and experience, which is why training with a pro or a running group can help runners to identify individual areas of improvement and strengthen overall form and stamina prior to the race itself.

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Catherine Hollister has been running in some form since she was 18, but discovered a love for triathlons later in life. Now 52, she's the owner of Blue Sky Endurance in Mount Pleasant.

“I had run the Boston Marathon, and I was looking for the next hard thing, and I thought a triathlon would be a challenge,” she said.

“So I started training for my first triathlon in my early 30s, and I just got hooked.”

After participating in several triathlons since, Hollister realized Charleston did not have a one-stop store where triathletes could buy all their gear. She opened Blue Sky Endurance in 2015, selling running, biking and swimming equipment and offering training programs — including a 12-week Bridge Run program designed for runners of all experience levels. Though the program is a group activity, it’s very much individualized based on peoples’ experiences and running challenges.

Her biggest advice to first-time 5K runners? Identify your barriers and find a solid solution to overcome them. “I think you have to be really honest with yourself,” said Hollister. “Usually people know why they haven’t trained for a 5K before, whether it’s because they don’t have enough time or don’t have the discipline to get out the door.

Ask yourself why you don’t like running, then find the solution to help you get there.”

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AFTER THE RUN

What’s driving 10 years of growth for Charleston’s beer industry?

Cooper River Bridge Run Fun Guide 09.22.2021

By Parker Milner

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harleston’s craft beer industry continues to grow, with breweries consistently opening, and old standbys like Palmetto and Holy City Brewing expanding operations.

In fact, the industry that accounts for $905 million in economic impact is affecting all levels of the state’s three-tier system, as breweries, distributors and retail shops small and large try to get a sip from the growing growler.

Today, the tri-county area counts 37 breweries, according to South Carolina Brewers Guild executive director Brook Bristow.

“If we go back to 2011, that was the year Westbrook and Holy City opened,” he said. “Before them, all we had were Coast and Palmetto.”

The last decade’s growth is due in part to changes in state law that enabled breweries to sell and brew more beer. Perhaps the biggest shift came in 2017 when it became legal for brewpubs like Edmund’s Oast to distribute through wholesalers, a change that has helped newcomers grow fast.

“Based on our run rate this year, we’re going to sell 6% out of our taproom — everything else is out the door,” said Edmund’s Oast operations director Timmons Pettigrew, referring to the group’s King Street Extension brewery, which

opened in 2017. “Our physical footprint here in the facility is large, so we always knew that distribution would have to be a huge part of the puzzle.”

The 2017 shift allowed local brewpubs — places with a permanent food service provider — to utilize the three-tier system.

Essentially, Edmund’s Oast, for instance, must sell its beer to a wholesaler, who distributes it to retail shops for sale to consumers.

According to Pettigrew and brewing director Cameron Read, Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. has brewed over 100 beers since opening in 2017, and it now distributes in eight states. Producing 90 barrels of fruited sours each week — amounting to about 29,760 12-ounce cans — beers in this category are currently Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co.’s top seller.

As a whole, the industry’s impact is up 28% from $650 million in 2017, and while 2020 was a down year for most independent breweries, the state is becoming an attractive investment opportunity for bigger brewers looking to focus on wholesale distribution. In November 2020, Mark Anthony Brewing — producer of White Claw Hard Seltzer — announced a $400 million investment to build a production facility in Richland County. Locally, the area’s oldest independent brewery got

Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. operations director Timmons Pettigrew (left) and brewing director Cameron Read

Photos by Rūta Smith

Charles Towne Fermentory’s Adam Goodwin focuses on quality over quantity

Middle men

The local craft beer industry’s growth is being fueled by distribution, which makes sense, given only a limited number of people can stop by a single brewery taproom on a given day.

For small wholesalers which handle distribution, it’s an uphill battle to compete with bigger operations deeply ingrained in the market. But, Low Country Craft Distribution co-founder Greg Montieth told the City Paper there’s more market share now than in 2016 when the company opened with two breweries.

“It was a lot of cold-calling at first, but we started having breweries reach out to us,” he said. “A big turning point for us was during the pandemic last year.”

The shift occurred when Advintage Distributing, one of what Montieth described as “the big three” distributors, purchased Low Country Craft’s main competitor. The other two widely known Southeast distributors, Southern Eagle Distributing and Lee Distributors, combine to represent a mix of smaller craft breweries like Palmetto and Commonhouse Aleworks as well as Anheuser-Busch, Molson Coors and other domestic and international conglomerates.

State Sen. Sean Bennett of Summerville,

who sponsored two 2017 bills that made it legal for breweries to sell liquor and participate in nonprofit events, says the power of those multinational brands can be felt within the S.C. market due to the three-tier system.

“The distributors themselves get a lot of push from the big manufacturers that almost treat the distributors like the distributors sometimes treat small brewers,” said Bennett, recognizing that the three-tier system is something the state is committed to for the foreseeable future. “We have distributors that have invested hundreds of millions of dollars over the years, and I recognize that it is an important piece of the economy.”

Low Country Craft now services 30-plus breweries, most of which are the small businesses in danger of getting swallowed up by the three-tier system.

“The demand is incredible. We had an explosion in breweries that we represent,” Montieth said, describing why smaller breweries turn to Low Country Craft.

“Sometimes they get lost in the shuffle, just because they’re such an insignificant part of their overall business.”

Southern Eagle and Crown Beverages merged in 2018 to form Southern Crown Partners, a company that distributes an average of 47,000 cases daily in South Carolina and Georgia. Southern Eagle is one of Anheuser-Busch’s oldest continual distributors in the country, a profitable partnership that helps fund other divisions of the company, craft brands director Matt Galentine told the City Paper.

The wholesaler represents five craft breweries in Charleston, and Galentine’s division is broken into three groups: onpremises (bars/restaurants), grocery stores and convenience stores. When it comes to finding space for products at big box grocery stores, Galentine said it’s their job “to get all this beer out there, and then the customer makes the decision on what they want to purchase.”

“Retailers are open to making room on the shelf. [Product placement] is decided at CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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an infusion of outside cash from North Carolina-based Catawba Brewing Co., which purchased Palmetto in 2017.

Catawba co-owner Billy Pyatt said the company “immediately put $1 million of equipment in” for a new brewhouse and tanks, with another $500,000 spent on a new canning line during the pandemic.

“Today, there’s much Pyatt more beer being made in that building than was ever before,” Pyatt said. “We’ve become a real integral part of [the distributors’] business plan.”

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How well do you know your Charleston-area beers and breweries? Draw lines to match the beers with the breweries, then visit charlestoncitypaper.com to see how your local beer knowledge stacks up to the rest.

(We even got you started.)

DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON

Anheuser-Busch Baker and Brewer Brewlab Cooper River Brewing Company Edmund’s Oast Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. Fatty’s Beer Works The Hold by Revelry Brewing Lo-Fi Brewing Munkle Brewing Co. Palmetto Brewing Co. Revelry Brewing Co. Tradesman Brewing Company

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

DANIEL ISLAND

Indigo Reef Brewing New Realm Brewing

• •

JAMES ISLAND

Fam’s Brewing Co.

•

Cooper River Bridge Run Fun Guide 09.22.2021 14

• • • •

MOUNT PLEASANT

Ghost Monkey Brewery Hobcaw Brewing Company Two Blokes Brewing Westbrook Brewing Company

• • • •

NORTH CHARLESTON

Coast Brewing Co. • Commonhouse Aleworks • Freehouse Brewery • Holy City Brewing • Pawleys Island Brewing Company • Rusty Bull Brewing Co. • Snafu Brewing Co. • Tideland Brewing •

WEST ASHLEY

Charles Towne Fermentory • Frothy Beard Brewing Company •

SUMMERVILLE

• Lefty Loosey • Glitter Pony • Downtown Door Knocker • Parrotfish • Chatty Cathy • Business Lunch • Yard Flamingo • Peanut Butter & Jelly • Liquid Aspiration • Pout House Pale • Michelob ULTRA • Hopping ’Round the District • One Claw • Toad Prince IPA

JOHNS ISLAND

Edisto River Brewing Company Estuary Beans and Barley Fat Pig Brewing Co. Low Tide Brewing

BEERS • Lazy Hazy

Oak Road Brewery • Wide Awake Brewing Company •

• Cereal for Dinner • Circuit Breaker • Synthetic Orchestra • Banana Canoe • Doomsday Hound • Wit’s End • Air is Salty • Hop Art • Purple People Eater • Hugh Hefe • Citra Over Grits • Sublime in the Coconut • Sungazer • Pluff Mud Porter • Big Sandy Beaches • Little Nug • Francis Marion • Ausfahrt • Sip Sip Pass • Ice Ice Baby!

• BellyItcher Ale

Hopped CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

more of a corporate level within the chain, and then when they do that, that’s typically set for a year,” he said.

For smaller retail shops like Park Circle’s Brew Cellar, the increase in breweries has led to more variety, allowing co-owner Ryan Hendrick to better serve regular customers.

“There are a lot more Hendrick options now, that’s for sure. The odd thing is we’ve gone to mostly seasonal stuff from the local breweries because they’re out there a lot more,” he said. “We can’t compete, necessarily, with grocery store pricing, so we specialize in rotating seasonals.”

Each week, Hendrick receives emails from distributors “listing what is interesting.” Bigger breweries have representatives, but others do not, so Hendrick stays up to date by checking social media.

“We tend to jump at whatever their newest releases are because those are more readily available than they were seven years ago,” Hendrick said. “It makes it more interesting for a shop like us that has repeat customers.”

Trickle-down?

Well-established businesses with deep pockets stand to gain from the craft beer industry’s growth, but what about small breweries in the area?

Indigo Reef Brewing Company was relying on taproom sales at the start of 2020, but that all changed after the pandemic.

After closing for 61 days, owners Chris and Nicole Ranere talked to their distributor, Low Country Craft, to arrange for a mobile canning line to come to the brewery to help sell more beer through distribution.

“We worked with them to get those cans out, and it really worked well,” Chris Ranere said. “We found that it worked so well that we did it again, so we actually looked at canning lines of our own.”

When the couple opened Indigo Reef in June 2019, a canning line was in their three-year plan, Chris Ranere said, but a Small Business Association loan helped them purchase one just before their first anniversary in 2020.

Looking back to February 2020, Indigo Reef had $4,469 in sales from distribution — that number dipped to just $450 in April due to bar and restaurant closures. But once they added the canning line, the Raneres started to notice a shift. In March 2021, Indigo Reef made $12,500 from distribution, which now accounts for about 50% of sales, Chris Ranere said in July 2021.

But taproom sales are still key for small breweries like Charles Towne Fermentory, where 70% of the sales take place on-

premises, founder Adam Goodwin said.

Fermentory can produce between 120-130 barrels in a given month, about a third of what Edmund’s Oast produces over the same period in sours alone.

“Selling it direct-to-consumer helps us handle the increase in cost of producing beer right,” Goodwin said. “We obviously have a small space, so we’re limited on what we can actually produce here. That limitation for volume production creates more of a situation where we want to create this space so we’re attractive to the community.”

Goodwin would like to see some legislative changes to give small breweries more control over sales and distribution.

“As soon as a brewery sells the beer to the wholesaler, it becomes the property of the wholesaler, and at that point, we don’t have a whole lot of influence on where it goes,” Goodwin said. “I think if you create laws that are beneficial for small breweries, you’re going to make the state more attractive for out-of-market brands.”

Fermentory’s West Ashley neighbor Frothy Beard Brewing Company recently opened a second location in Bennett’s Summerville district, but the three-tier system means it must use a distributor to transfer beer between locations, Bennett said. While the senator views distributors as essential parts of the industry, he thinks some small changes are in order.

“I look at it from a small business standpoint — the small business guys are the ones hindered by the distributors,” he said.

“The problem is every time you try to do those small incremental things, it’s perceived by the distributors as your ultimate goal is to destroy their livelihood, and that’s not the case.”

This story origianlly ran in the July 28 issue of City Paper and has been updated since.

Rūta Smith

Indigo Reef owners Chris and Nicole Ranere added a canning line to increase sales

Run calendar

N U R E G D I R B

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Y A D N FU

@10AM OPEN EARLY

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Whether you’re running the bridge and you’re ready for your next challenge or you think jogging around downtown wearing reindeer antlers sounds fun, we’ve got everything you need to know. From now through next spring, here are local runs you can start training for right now.

BEER-MOSAS

Isle of Palms Connector Run

GOBBLE GOBBLE

Avondale 5K Run and Walk Sat. Oct. 9. 8 a.m.

Triangle Char and Bar 828 Savannah Highway West Ashley avondale5k.com

Lowcountry Trail Half Marathon & 5K Sat. Oct. 9. 8 a.m.

Johns Island County Park 2662 Mullet Hall Road Johns Island ccprc.com

Cooper River Bridge Run Kids Run and Family Fest Sun. Oct. 10. 2-6 p.m.

Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park 360 Fishburne St. Downtown bridgerun.com

James Island Connector Run Sat. Oct. 16. 8:15 a.m.

James Island Connector (Downtown side) Downtown jicrun.com

Holiday Festival of Lights Fun Run Sat. Nov. 10-Sun. Nov. 11. 6 p.m.

James Island County Park 871 Riverland Drive James Island ccprc.com

BREAKFAST

Thurs. Nov. 25. 9 a.m.

Marion Square Downtown turkeydayrun.com

HUGE COURTYARD + INSIDE SEATING

Reindeer Run

Sat. Dec. 10. 8 a.m.

Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Stadium 360 Fishburne St. Downtown reindeerrun.org

Kiawah Island Marathon & Half Marathon Sat. Dec. 11 8 a.m.

West Beach Village Kiawah Island kiawahresort.com

SANDWICHES

LIVE Unofficial Official After Party

MUSIC 11am-2pm Run River Run • 3-6pm John Custasis 843.937.0903 • 289 Huger St. • Downtown • PalmettoBrewery.com

Charleston Marathon Sat. Jan. 15, 2022 Location TBA Downtown capstoneraces.com/charleston-marathon

Hippie Dash 5K Sat. March 5, 2022 James Island County Park 871 Riverland Drive James Island palmettogoodwill.org/hippiedash

Swamp Fox Adventure Race

Sat. March 19, 2022 Francis Marion National Forest kandoadventures.com/swamp-fox Brought to you by

ON THE COVER Photo by Ruta Smith. Runners: Jessie Lipscomb, Kayla Edwards, Connelly Hardaway.

Arm models: Avery Brack, Ellie Brack. Product: Courtesy of Southern Eagle Distributing for Michelob Ultra.

charlestoncitypaper.com

Sat. Oct. 2. 8 a.m.

IOP Connector (IOP side) Isle of Palms ioprun.com

Turkey Day Run and Gobble Wobble

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2.6 95 CARBS

CALS