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MARCH 2022
BREWERY VISIT
MEET THE CHEMIST AT EDMUND’S OAST
BOWEN’S ISLAND RESTAURANT’S annual Oyster Stout Pl us
APRIL DOVE
is taking Charleston’s brewing scene by storm Rūta Smith
A Charleston City Paper publication
Vol. 1, Issue 2
NEW! 843 SERIES RELEASE: RASPBERRY REWIND
March 2, 2022
CONTENTS
MONDAY $4 CORE BRAND PINTS TUESDAY TRIVIA 7-9PM WEDNESDAY $3 SELECT PINTS
From the Editors Know where the line is on inappropriate behavior.............................. 4 Craft Brew Profile April Dove is the Traveling Hoptista........... 6 The Hops Master List Where to find breweries in the Charleston area..................................... 7 Profile Bowen’s Island Restaurant........................... 12 Weekly Brewery Calendar Events throughout the week ....................... 13 Brewery Visit Edmund’s Oast and the chemistry of beer................................................................. 14
LIVE MUSIC
FRI SAT SUN
843.937.0903 • 289 Huger St. • Downtown • PalmettoBrewery.com
Hops is a joint venture publication by Brew Hop CHS and the Charleston City Paper to connect the Lowcountry to all of the area’s breweries.
For brew news tips, send an email to: info@brewhopchs.com To learn more about advertising opportunities offered through Hops, contact our advertising team at (843) 577-5304 or send an email to: sales@charlestoncitypaper.com Founding editors: Tarah Gee and Kyle Wallace Publisher: Andy Brack
SALES
Advertising Director: Cris Temples Account team: Hollie Anderson, Kristin Byars, Ashley Frantz, Gregg Van Leuven, Melissa Veal National ad sales: VMG Advertising More info: charlestoncitypaper.com
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Art Director: Scott Suchy Art team: Déla O’Callaghan, Christina Bailey
DISTRIBUTION
Circulation team: Chris Glenn, Robert Hogg, Stephen Jenkins, David Lampley, Spencer Martin, John Melnick, Tashana Remsburg © 2022. All content is copyrighted and the property of City Paper Publishing, LLC. Material may not be reproduced without permission. Charleston City Paper P.O. Box 21942 • Charleston, SC 29413 • (843) 577-5304
KEEPING
Spirits Up CHARLESTON’S FOR OVER
50 YEARS!
HOPS 03.02.2022
CELEBRATING WHAT WE ALL SHARE IN COMMON
WINE • APERTIFS/CORDIALS • BOURBON • BRANDY • COGNAC • GIN MIXERS • RUM • SCOTCH • TEQUILA • VODKA • WHISKEY AND MORE!
2
418 Meeting St. (Corner of Meeting & Reid) • 843-723-0077 • burrisliquors.com
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BEHIND STORE
DRINK LOCAL CHARLESTON’S LOCAL LOW CALORIE IPA BREWED IN THE HEART OF PARK CIRCLE 4831 O’HEAR AVE | NORTH CHARLESTON COMMONHOUSEALEWORKS.COM @COMMONHOUSEALEWORKS
WEEKLY
EVENTS
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48 DRAFTS INCLUDING OVER 25 LOCAL BREWS
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FROM THE EDITORS
Know where the line is on inappropriate behavior When we decided to take on the project of creating a publication in which the local community and the tourist community could find a list of all the breweries in the Charleston area, we made the distinct decision that the publication would include interesting positive stories and commentary. Well, that quickly changed when Tarah’s employment situation was uprooted in the face of an acquisition. How can one report on a community that is without fault and is constantly changing? We are, after all, human, aren’t we? Would we be prudent to not comment on various industry shake ups and shake downs?
WEEKLY EVENTS
VIEW OUR MENU
MONDAY: 4-9 PM BUY 2 PINTS, GET 6 WINGS BEATS, BREWS & BINGO, 6:30 PM
TUESDAY: 4-9 PM SHOW YOUR JOE!
SHOW YOUR TICKET STUB, SEASON TICKETS OR RIVERDOG APPAREL AND RECEIVE $1 OFF EVERY PINT!
WEDNESDAY: 4-9 PM BURGER NIGHT! BURGER & BEER, $15 TRIVIAL TRIVIA, 7 PM
HOPS 03.02.2022 4
aka Barefoot Beertender
Brewers Association brewersassociation.org/association-news/ a-community-call-to-action
(because there are enough Taco Tuesdays)
5 for $10
2200 HERIOT STREET DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON
Tarah Gee
Define the Line definethelinecomic.com
THURSDAY: 4-9 PM TACO THURSDAY
BREWLAB
Just as in the entertainment industry, the food and beverage industry has seen its share of the movements across the country to hold the people in charge accountable for inappropriate and bad behavior. Misogyny and abuse of power in the food and beverage industry, breweries included, is far and wide. We would like to acknowledge the current upheaval in the system and the brave women (and men) coming forward with their stories. We hear you. We see you. And we stand beside you. With that being said, we created this publication as a place where one could view a map of all of the breweries Charleston has to offer as well as introduce you to some of the cool folks who work in the industry. We do not condone inappropriate behavior rooted in misogyny, racism, homophobia or the like. We encourage anyone feeling harassed or abused in this industry to seek guidance and help. Here are some places below where you can reach out to have a conversation and receive support.
Red Flag Reporting redflagreporting.com Victim Services (803) 777-6472 FOLLOW US
Kyle Wallace
aka Charleston Brewery List
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HOPS 03.02.2022
Featured lists
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-Crawlable -Weekday Brews & Bites -Ultimate Wine Bars
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CRAFT BREW PROFILE
April Dove Traveling Hoptista By Tarah Gee
T
ahitian Treat and Bradford Watermelon Wheat are just two of the concept beers you will see coming out of this rising star in the brewing community this year. Meet April Dove, also known as the Traveling Hoptista. She’s taking the Charleston brewing community by storm with an approach not yet seen. Dove is not creating a brewery. She’s creating an experience. She’s creating an education. She’s creating a movement. “The black community isn’t comfortable walking into a brewery and ordering a beer. But why? Well, there’s several reasons. And I want to change that through awareness and education,” Dove said. “I believe there’s a beer for everybody.” After a trip to Stuttgart, Germany, and spending some time in the Northeast, Dove decided to invest in furthering her education in beer. After attending American Brewer’s Guild in Vermont, Dove completed an eight-week internship at Rusty Bull Brewing Company in North Charleston, followed by an apprenticeship at LowTide Brewing to further solidify her presence in
the Charleston brewing community. Why is this so important? She was the first black woman to do it.
Tha CommUnity
So what is next for Dove? Well, here comes why she’s different. Dove has created the label Tha CommUnity, a multi-brew initiative in which she will create collaboration brews with various breweries for draft and can sales. Eventually, Tha CommUnity will be a taproom, featuring these collaborations, where Dove will continue to educate and spread the brewing industry with the black community. In October 2021, Dove created her first canned product, an American lager, which almost sold out at the launch party at Holy City Brewing Company in Park Circle. The rebrew can be found currently on shelves and in draft at Holy City. You can also find April Dove on March 3 at the Charleston Food and Wine Festival event called Craft for the Culture. More: charlestonwineandfood.com/events/craft-forthe-culture
94 Stuart St., Downtown 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily
Bevi Beni Brewing 1859 Summerville Ave., Downtown Opening soon.
Brewlab Charleston 2200 Heriot St., Downtown 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday 12 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday 12 p.m.-10 p.m Saturday 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
Charles Towne Fermentory 809 Savannah Hwy., West Ashley 2 p.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday 2 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 12 p.m.-7 p.m. Sunday
Chucktown Brewery 337 King St., Downtown Closed Monday 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday 11 a.m.-12 a.m. Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday
Coast Brewing Co. 1250 2nd Street North, North Charleston 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Thursday and Friday
Amenities Key Patio Occasional live music Occasional food trucks or pop-ups
Commonhouse Aleworks 4831 O’Hear Ave., North Charleston Closed Monday 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Thursday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday
Cooper River Brewing Co. 2201 Mechanic Street B, Downtown Closed Monday-Wednesday 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Thursday 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday 2 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturday 2 p.m.-7 p.m. Sunday
Edisto River Brewing Co. 209 Main Road Suite B, Johns Island Closed Monday-Wednesday 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Thursday 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday 2 p.m.-8 p.m. Saturday 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
Edmund’s Oast Brewpub 1081 Morrison Drive, Downtown 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Sunday
Edmund’s Oast Brewery 1505 King St., Downtown 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Sunday
Estuary Beans and Barley 3538 Meeks Farm Road, Johns Island 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Thursday 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
In-house kitchen CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
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Baker and Brewer
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ALT
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Baker and Brewer
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Bevi Beni Brewing
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Brewlab Charleston
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Charles Towne Fermentory
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Chucktown Brewery
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Coast Brewing Co.
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Commonhouse Aleworks
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Cooper River Brewing Co.
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Edisto River Brewing Co.
Summerville
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36
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Goose Creek Ladson
Hanahan
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10 Edmund’s Oast Brewpub
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11 Edmund’s Oast Brewery 12 Estuary Beans and Barley 13 Fam’s Brewing Co. 14 Fatty’s Beer Works
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15 Freehouse Brewery 16 Frothy Beard Brewing Co.
North Charleston
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17 Frothy Beard Off World
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20
6
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18 Ghost Monkey Brewery 19 Hobcaw Brewing Co.
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20 Holy City Brewing 21 Indigo Reef Brewing Co.
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22 LO-Fi Brewing 23 Low Tide Brewing
West Ashley
24 Munkle Brewing 25 New Realm Brewing Co., CHS
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26 Oak Road Brewery 27 Palmetto Brewing Co. SC 28 Revelry Brewing 29 Rusty Bull Brewing
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Charleston
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30 SNAFU Brewing Co.
HOPS 03.02.2022
31 The Hold by Revelry Brewing
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32 Tidelands Brewing
Johns Island
33 Tradesman Brewing Co. 34 Two Blokes Brewing
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35 Westbrook Brewing Co. 36 Wide Awake Brewing Co. 37 Wind and Waves Brewing
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James Island 13
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Downtown Charleston
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Meeting St 33 24 11
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Mount Pleasant 35
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Drum Island
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Sullivans Island 5
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Breweries CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
Fam’s Brewing Co. 1291 Folly Road, James Island 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Sunday
Fatty’s Beer Works 1436 Meeting St., Downtown 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday 12 p.m.-10 p.m. Saturday 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
Freehouse Brewery 2895 Pringle St., North Charleston Closed Monday 2 p.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
Frothy Beard Brewing Co. 1401 Sam Rittenberg Blvd. Suite 1, West Ashley 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Wednesday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday
Frothy Beard Off World 117 South Main St., Summerville Closed Monday 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
HOPS 03.02.2022
Ghost Monkey Brewery
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522 Wando Lane, Mount Pleasant 1 p.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday 1 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday 12 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturday 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday
Opening a new brewery? Let us know! Email us at info@brewhopchs.com
Hobcaw Brewing Co. 496 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant Closed Monday and Tuesday 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday 3 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday 1 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturday 12 p.m.-7 p.m. Sunday
Holy City Brewing
1021 Aragon Ave., North Charleston 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Sunday
Amenities Key Patio
2079 Wambaw Creek Unit 1, Daniel Island Closed Monday 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday 3 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday 12 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday
LO-Fi Brewing
2038 Meeting St., Downtown Closed Monday 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Thursday and Friday 2 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturday 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
Low Tide Brewing 2863 Maybank Hwy., Johns Island 3 p.m.-10 p.m., Monday-Thursday 12 p.m.-12 a.m. Friday and Saturday 12 p.m.-10 p.m. Sunday
Munkle Brewing
1513 Meeting Street Road, Downtown Closed Monday 2 p.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday 1 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday 1 p.m.-8 p.m. Sunday
New Realm Brewing Co., CHS 880 Island Park Drive, Daniel Island 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday 11:30 a.n.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
36 Romney St., Downtown 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Sunday
Occasional live music Occasional food trucks or pop-ups In-house kitchen
Oak Road Brewery Indigo Reef Brewing Co.
The Hold by Revelry Brewing
108 East 3rd North St. Suite C, Summerville Closed Monday and Tuesday 3 p.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday-Friday 12 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturday 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
Palmetto Brewing Co. SC 289 Huger St., Downtown 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday 12 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 12 p.m.-7 p.m. Sunday
Revelry Brewing
10 Conroy St., Downtown 12 p.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday 12 p.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Rusty Bull Brewing
3005 West Montague Ave. Suite 110, North Charleston 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday 12 p.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday 12 p.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday 12 p.m.-8 p.m. Sunday
SNAFU Brewing Co. 3280 Industry Drive, North Charleston 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Wednesday 3 p.m.-9 p.m. Thursday and Friday 2 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturday 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
Tidelands Brewing
4155 Dorchester Road, North Charleston Closed Monday and Tuesday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday
Tradesman Brewing Co. 1647 King Street Extension, Downtown 12 p.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday 12 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
Two Blokes Brewing 547 Long Point Road Suite 101, Mount Pleasant 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Wednesday 3 p.m.-9 p.m. Thursday 2 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday 12 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturday 12 p.m.-8 p.m. Sunday
Westbrook Brewing Co. 510 Ridge Road, Mount Pleasant Closed Monday 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Wide Awake Brewing Co. 101 Button Hall Ave., Goose Creek 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday and Tuesday 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Wednesday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Thursday 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday 12 p.m.-9 p.m. Sunday
Wind and Waves Brewing 4427 Spruill Ave., North Charleston Opening late summer/early fall 2022.
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charlestoncitypaper.com
PROFILE
Bowen’s Island Restaurant and its oyster stout
Hope Barber and Lee Lipman, the chef at Bowen’s Island Restaurant, enjoy a beer while making the Oyster Stout at Holy City Brewing.
By Kyle Wallace
HOPS 03.02.2022
Oyster. ( ' o·i-stər ). The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes this tasty morsel as “any of various marine bivalve mollusks (family Ostreidae) that have a rough irregular shell closed by a single adductor muscle and include commercially important shellfish.”
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Most Charlestonians just describe oysters as delicious. In 1946, on a small 13 acre island only accessible by boat at high tide, Bowen’s Island Restaurant opened its doors. Defying the odds of hurricanes, recessions and a fire in 2006, it has been serving up seafood to the Lowcountry for almost 80 years! Each January, Hope Barber and a select crew from Bowen’s Island team up with Holy City Brewing to create a very unique style of beer, the Oyster Stout. Luckily, we were in the right place at the right time this year and joined the crew in the North Charleston brewhouse at Holy City. A damn good time ensued. Combining the delectable flavors of rich, salty oysters and the sweet maltiness of a rich stout, the Bowen’s
Island Oyster Stout comes to life. This oyster stout uses the oyster meat and the shell during the boiling process to capture the briney, mouthwatering slurp of a Lowcountry oyster. Fun fact: Did you know that in the late 1800s, oysters were used to clarify beer because they are full of calcium carbonate? History doesn’t tell us when oysters were first used as a beer ingredient but some say it was in the 1930s. The January Oyster Stout brew day has become something of a winter tradition. Holy City co-owner and brewer Chris Brown is always an excellent host for the Bowen’s crew. “It’s always a party when
they are here.” said Chris. “and we look forward to it.”
Generations in business
Hope Barber is the great grand-daughter of Jimmy and May Bowen. At an early age, she moved up north to pursue her education and love of ice hockey and cross-country skiing. While studying in Massachusetts, she worked part-time in the restaurant when she was back in town. But soon the calling of the Lowcountry drew her back and in 1998, she joined the family business full-time. The Bowen’s Island family is more than a restaurant. It is an institution where the Barber family owns all but two lots on the island. Hope said she now enjoys living and working on the island that her family has called home for almost a century. In 2006, a fire burned down the original structure. Four years later after a lot of planning and organizing, Bowen’s Island Restaurant opened in a new building that
Photos by Rūta Smith
boasts a huge covered patio and entertainment venues, inside and out. The gorgeous view of the Folly River waterways doesn’t hurt either. The restaurant continues to
A strong conservation ethic
In keeping with tradition, Bowen’s Island is heavily involved in conservation efforts. It recycles all of the oyster shells is uses in the restaurant and and contributes to the care of the local oyster beds. It has partnered with local fishermen to create a sustainable seafood harvesting environment with people like like Richard Singleton, an an employee of Bowen’s Island, as well as a multi-generation oyster farmer. He has been harvesting oysters for over 20 years, and works alongside his cousins and oyster pickers Jamie White and Adrian Wallace. “People come into town, harvest up to 100 bushels a day, then get the hell out,” he told Hops. “Our family has a ulture permit. That means we replant and reseed the areas we harvest, making sure there are oysters there to eat tomorrow. Some that we harvest on our lease are as big as your hand. They may have been there five or 10 years.” Richard and his family learned their trade from their fathers, uncles and grandfathers. Their association with Bachman Seafood Company and the community of Sol Legare Island stretches for generations and continues to be a part of the seafood community today. Bowen’s Island has also hosted Charleston Outdoor Adventures (COA) for the last 11 years. COA is dedicated to educating locals and guests about the value of the natural wonder that is the South Carolina coast. Whether it’s kayaking, paddleboarding, boat tours or fishing, it offers year-round opportunities to join in stewardship of the waterways. You can find COA on the dock at Bowen’s Island Restaurant — just look for the colorful line up of kayaks. Whether you are a local or a visitor, don’t miss the chance to take the drive down Folly Road to Bowen’s Island. Get the fried shrimp and a bucket of oysters. Grab a local beer — an oyster stout, when it’s available. And take a Sharpie to write your name on the walls. But mainly, take time to relax and enjoy the view and the restaurant’s 76 years of service to the community.
Weekly Brewery Calendar Monday
6 p.m. Low Tide Brewing Bingo 6:30 p.m. Brewlab Charleston Buy two pints, get six wings! Plus, Music Bingo 6:30 p.m. Estuary Beans and Barley Trivia
Tuesday 6:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.
Estuary Beans and Barley Music Bingo Palmetto Brewing Co Two Fer Trivia Tuesday Fatty’s Beer Works Phish Nights
Wednesday
7 p.m. Brewlab Charleston Burger & Beer Night - $14 Plus, Trivial Trivia 7 p.m. Charles Towne Fermentory Trivia 7 p.m. Low Tide Brewing Trivia 7 p.m. New Realm Brewery Name that Tune Trivia 7 p.m. Rusty Bull Brewing Trivia (first Wednesday only) 7 p.m. Tidelands Brewing Music Bingo 8 p.m. Fam’s Brewing Co. Trivia
Join me for
BUYERS & BREWS! 3/20 1-3pm at Brewlab
Thursday
All day Brewlab Charleston Taco Thursday, 5 for $10 6 p.m. Ghost Monkey Brewery Brewery Bingo 6 p.m. Hobcaw Brewing Co. Team Trivia 6:30 p.m. Indigo Reef Brewing Co Music Bingo 7 p.m. Baker & Brewer Trivia
Friday
3 p.m. Revelry Brewing Sun-sets with Sparkbox
Saturday
1-9 p.m. Charleston Brewery District Free trolley
Sunday
11-3 p.m. Commonhouse Aleworks Sunday brunch
For brewery locations, see our guide starting on page 7.
contact us 843-577-5304 COMING APRIL To advertise sales@charlestoncitypaper.com
charlestoncitypaper.com
thrive in this location today, drawing in everyone from locals and Citadel cadets to visitors from nearby and far away. One reason, we’ve chosen to highlight this Lowcountry institution is because all that it has done to give back to the community, including the beer community. With 16 draft lines, Bowen’s Island is always stocked with local brews. It started serving draft beers when only Holy City Brewing, Westbrook and Palmetto Brewing offered kegs. “We have always had a connection with local industries, and we love working with them,” said Hope. One very special connection is being with Holy City Brewing. That afternoon as we talked, we enjoyed fresh local oysters (with a little lime, hot sauce and crackers). “I’m pretty sure we were the first local oyster stout, and we love brewing it with Chris and the guys every year.”
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BREWERY VISIT
Edmund’s Oast and the chemistry of beer By Kyle Wallace
A
brewery can be a physically demanding place to work. Between the taproom in the front of a business, and production in the “back of the house,” there is always some heavy lifting to do. A single keg or half barrel, as the industry calls it, weighs 160 pounds when full. So whether you are stocking the cooler or filling these beasts, a day at the brewery offers a workout. Most breweries build out open concept spaces, especially the smaller ones. An open concept space allows the consumer to see interesting things in the production area of a brewery. While not all beer drinkers will inquire, a true craft beer patron will generally want to know stuff like, “What do Citra hops taste like in a beer” Rūta Smith or “Why is there lactose in this sour” and “How can I take this beer Nicole Steinhilber is the in-house chemist at Edmund's Oast Brewing. to go?” Craft beer lovers want to know more than the average consumer. And nothing makes a beertender work harder than a party of six, all of whom order flights. Standard Reference Method (SRM) is to be a pediatrician, Nicole fell in love with If you work in production, everything chemistry and eventually switched her the method for color assessment of wort you deal with is heavy, wet, dangerous — or major to biology. or beer as published in the recommended all three. Days are filled with brewing beer, I wanted to give other After her two sisters attended the methods of the American Society of filling kegs, and packaging bottles and cans. University of South Carolina, they encourBrewing Chemists. And then there’s cleaning. Always, every breweries access to aged her to move to Charleston with them IBU is an abbreviation for the day, cleaning – the tanks, the floors, the science. It gives me in 2015. While working as a bartender International Bitterness Units scale, a parts. Show up early, stay late. Weekends at Locals in Mount Pleasant, she became gauge of beer's bitterness. and holidays? Most undoubtedly. the chance to do what We told you we’d teach you a thing or two! enamored by the local craft beer scene. The Brewer’s Association recognizes 79 At Locals, she met Ryan Coker, one of the styles of beers in 15 style families. Each I love. I get to build owners of Revelry brewing. A couple of person has taste buds and have their own How chemistry programs for quality conversations later, she started working opinions. While I might love Oak Road full-time in 2017 as its brewery chemist. Brewing’s lagers or Hobcaw Brewing’s checks and procedures makes great beer We sat down and talked with The Lady of Her work included yeast management and Hazy IPAs, you might prefer Charles Towne to improve beer.” the Lab, Nicole Steinhilber, and learned propagation, along with research and develFermentory’s Banana Foster’s Imperial how chemistry makes great beer. opment in Revelry’s lab. This was a first for Stout or Brewlab’s Mayfield Brown Ale. —Nicole Steinhilber Originally from Massachusetts, Nicole a brewery in Charleston. Revelry’s yeast Each and every beer has its own flavor began her chemistry career in medical mar- development flourished under her care and palate, SRM, IBU and ABV. But what is ijuana, specializing in growing operations. helped create award-winning beer. SRM, IBU and ABV? And how does a brewery determine these She checked for impurities, such as fungus In November 2019, she left Revelry to metrics? These terms are basics in the beer community but give a lot of depth to a beer’s profile if you understand them. and heavy metals. Although she intended start her own consulting business. “I wanted
HOPS 03.02.2022
“
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here at Edmund’s. Once a week we sit down and discuss the beers, what we should and shouldn’t be doing. Our goal is to always work towards improvement.” She is clean and neat in her work, and even while chatting, she carefully monitored the timer and fluid level of a rack of test tubes. Jack worked behind her in a vacuum hood heating a probe and creating bateria samples. They had a magazine open on the counter. “It’s the American Society of Brewing Chemists journal.” Nicole said. “I keep up on current research with them and the hot topics in the Masters Brewer’s Association.” When we left the lab, it was with a deeper understanding of the science of craft beer. We also ran into some familiar faces along the way. We chatted with Brandon Plyler, Edmund’s public relations director and resident Level 3 Cicerone and caught up on upcoming events. Basically, he’s almost an expert in beer. We stopped by the brewhouse and got a hug from the best brewer/hugger in town, Clint Vick, and then we were convinced by General Manager Devin Marquardt to grab a couple of samples. We tried to catch a glimpse of craft beer star Timmons Pettigrew, but missed him somehow. The chemistry of beer is a chemical romance. It ebbs and flows but with the right amount of ingredients and tender loving care… magic is made!
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to give other breweries access to science.” That business is called Craft Solutions. “It gives me the chance to do what I love. I get to build programs for quality checks and procedures to improve beer.” She continues to do freelance work around the state. She also works with Grist Analytics, analyzing “Key performance indicators.” Translation? She tells brewers when there are areas that can be improved chemically with their beer. In May 2021, Cameron Reed approached her about working full-time as the in-house chemist at Edmund’s Oast Brewing. She accepted this opportunity and now works along with Jack Delanty, a Clemson graduate in biochemistry. “It’s great having someone to bounce ideas and problems off of.” A typical day for them starts with gathering samples from 24 fermentors. After checking gravity, acidy (ph) and temperature, she starts with the production schedule for each tank. Then they move on to the bigger stuff like checking the microbiological stability of the beer at the canning line, beer specification documents to establish a quality baseline and monitoring yeast as it metabolizes carbohydrates to create ethanol. We spent a little time with Nicole in her lab, and watched her go through the process of checking for diacetyl in beer samples. “I am very detail oriented. I love the science of what I do. It’s great working with Cam
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