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Presented by
BREW BREW H H P P
S S H HS S S C C CH H HS C C CH
JUNE 2022
The new brewing kid in town,
ROB TESMER
LOCAL WOMEN WHO SIZZLE in a male-dominated industry
BREWERY VISIT
THE RISE OF LAGERS IN CHARLESTON BREWERIES
A Charleston City Paper publication
Vol. 1, Issue 3 CONTENTS
From the Editors Celebrating our “Best of Charleston Beer Awards”...................................................... 4 The Hops Master List Where to find the breweries in the Charleston area..................................... 7 Craft Brew Profile Rob Tesmer is the new brewery kid in town......................................... 11 Profile Four local women sizzle in male-dominated brewing............................. 12 Brewery Visit The rise of lagers in Charleston breweries..................................... 14 Calendar Upcoming beer eventse................................ xx 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.
June 15, 2022 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
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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
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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
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48 DRAFTS INCLUDING OVER 25 LOCAL BREWS
3
FROM THE EDITORS
An unofficial Best Of — for beer SUMMER HOURS!
STARTING MONDAY, JUNE 6TH MONDAY-SATURDAY 12-10PM SUNDAY 12-8PM
Greetings from your friendly beer lovers! We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Charleston City Paper for making our dream a reality. We recently celebrated with the City Paper at the Best of Charleston party so we thought what better way to kick off this edition by providing our “Best of Charleston Beer Awards.” We put in our answers first and talked about the “whys” after. We kept it simple and chose five categories to give our awards.
Favorite Lager Tarah Gee: Munkle Brewing Munk Pils Kyle Wallace: Munkle Brewing Munk Pils Tarah: Ha! This is funny. We both chose the same one. Kyle, why did you choose Munk Pils? Kyle: It is a great example of this style of beer, how about you? Tarah: Honestly, there is nothing from Munkle that I don’t enjoy and I agree that the Munk Pils is a great example of the style and it’s refreshing year-round. A good pilsner never goes out of style.
Favorite IPA Tarah: Edmund’s Oast Brewpub Bound by Time Kyle: Charles Towne Fermentory Sungazer with Nelson Sauvin hops Tarah: I chose Bound by Time because I personally think it is one of the more consistent IPAs on the market in Charleston. If I see it on draft while I’m out, I get it. And it’s delicious every time. Kyle: I am a huge fan of Nelson Sauvin hops. I think its secret is the passionfruit profile it imparts. Tarah: Sounds like these Nelson Sauvin hops are something special. I’ve heard a lot of people talk about these.
HOPS 06.15.2022
Favorite Sour
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Tarah: Brewlab Charleston This Sour Slaps Peach Sour Kyle: SNAFU Brewing Bananakin Skywalker Milkshake Sour
open 7 days a week, full-service kitchen weekly specials, 32 taps 2200 heriot, downtown Charleston
Tarah: So I have to give my brewer some props on this sour. It drinks like a
Tarah Gee
aka Barefoot Beertender
smooth, juicy peach Julius. What’s ironic is that there is no lactose but it’s still creamy… or frothy, I should say. And it’s gotten better with age. We tapped it in April and it gets better every week. Kyle: Scott Koon and the crew at SNAFU continue to push the sour envelope here in Charleston, and this brew sets the bar a little higher. Tarah: Maybe we should do a whole HOPS edition on sours?
Favorite Dark Tarah: LOFI Chocolate Deluxe Kyle: Coast Brewing Blackbeerd Imperial Stout Tarah: Have you had the LOFI Chocolate Deluxe? I don’t care if it’s summer now, but this beer is so legit. Like it really is decadent. Kyle: While the Deluxe is excellent, to me Blackbeerd shines just a little bit more. This stout has been a mainstay of the Charleston craft beer scene, and continues to impress me every time I enjoy it.
Favorite Overall Tarah: Munkle Brune Noir Kyle: Revelry Brewing Rice Lager Kyle: Revelry’s Rice Lager is my anytime, anywhere beer. Tarah: I’m actually a little mad at Palmer Quimby and Joe Bowden for making a beer so good and it being a special edition. It’s my favorite beer of the past year. Hands down. There were six volumes and I had every one. It was amazing.
Kyle Wallace
aka Charleston Brewery List
5
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Featured lists
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CRAFT BREW PROFILE
Rob Tesmer is the new brewing kid in town By Kyle Wallace
I
n the rapidly changing brewing industry, it’s not uncommon to go through growing pains. Between supply chain issues, inflation and a lot of competition, Brewlab was in the hiring process for a head brewer only a year and a half after opening. “The brewery was in the final stages of choosing a new head brewer when Rob Tesmer’s resume came in,” said Tarah Gee, general manager of Brewlab. I initially overlooked it seeing all of his experience was in Chicago and assuming he was still living in Chicago. But luckily, he reached out again and clarified that he in fact was a recent transplant to Charleston.” “Hard-working” and “dedicated” are just a couple of words used to describe Tesmer. He’s dedicated to his craft and knew in college that this was the career path he wanted to take. “I was finishing up my junior year of college at Eastern Illinois University and for my 21st birthday, my parents signed me up for a home brew class. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to make beer for a living. I finished up college and spent the next few years trying to get as much experience as I could so I could get my foot in the door,” he said.
Before moving to Charleston, Tesmer spent time at Church Street Brewing and RAM Brewery. He also was a craft beer consultant for Benny’s Beverage Depot. After Tesmer’s parents relocated to Summerville, the young brewer found himself itching for a change and followed them here three years later. And that’s when Brewlab scooped him up. “Joe Evans (Brewlab’s owner) and I were impressed with his knowledge, work experience and his overall vibe,” she said. When asked what he’s anticipating this year at Brewlab, Tesmer said, “I’m looking forward to brewing more Belgian-style beers. I don’t know how many Brewlab has brewed in the past, so I hope it could be something new for our customers.” It’s clear Tesmer will bring a lot to the Charleston beer community. He’s already created some great brews for Brewlab and even cleaned up some of the original basics that the brewery has to offer. “For me, it’s the slow shift of breweries and customers enjoying more subtle traditional beer styles,” he said. “The number of crazy flavors we can put in beer is a lot of fun, and it’s great to see how excited customers get them, but I think for a lot of brewers. it’s nice to see traditional styles get some love, too.”
94 Stuart St., Downtown 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily
Bevi Bene Brewing 1859 Summerville Ave., Downtown 1 p.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday 12 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday 12 p.m.-8 p.m Sunday
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
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
Charles Towne Fermentory
Edmund’s Oast Brewpub
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
1081 Morrison Drive, Downtown 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-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
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
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
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
Ghost Monkey Brewery 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
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
Fam’s Brewing Co. 1291 Folly Road, James Island 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Sunday
CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
Amenities Key Patio
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
Occasional live music Occasional food trucks or pop-ups In-house kitchen Pet friendly
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Baker and Brewer
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ALT
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Baker and Brewer
2
Bevi Bene Brewing
3
Brewlab Charleston
4
Charles Towne Fermentory
5
Chucktown Brewery
6
Coast Brewing Co.
7
Commonhouse Aleworks
8
Cooper River Brewing Co.
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Edisto River Brewing Co.
Summerville
52
176
37
26
Goose Creek Ladson
Hanahan
30
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 15 Freehouse Brewery
526
16 Frothy Beard Brewing Co. 17 Frothy Beard Off World
North Charleston
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18 Ghost Monkey Brewery
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20
6
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19 Hobcaw Brewing Co. 20 Holy City Brewing
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21 Indigo Reef Brewing Co.
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22 LO-Fi Brewing 23 Low Tide Brewing 24 Munkle Brewing
West Ashley
25 New Realm Brewing Co., CHS
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26 Oak Road Brewery
526
27 Palmetto Brewing Co. SC 29 Rusty Bull Brewing 30 SNAFU Brewing Co.
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28 Revelry Brewing
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17
Charleston
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31 The Garden by Charles Towne Fermentory
HOPS 06.15.2022
32 The Hold by Revelry Brewing
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33 Tidelands Brewing
Johns Island
34 Tradesman Brewing Co. 35 Two Blokes Brewing
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36 Westbrook Brewing Co. 37 Wide Awake Brewing Co. 38 Wind and Waves Brewing
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700
700
James Island 13
22
Downtown Charleston
26 2
Meeting St 34 24 11
14
8 3
21
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Mount Pleasant 36
35 19
Drum Island
1
526
17
27
St ng Ki
18
28
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St un o h l Ca
Sullivans Island 5
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Cla rk Pk w
t gS Kin
St ing r p S
t gS etin Me
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Se pti ma
Daniel Island
e Ave Rutledg
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Breweries CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
Holy City Brewing 1021 Aragon Ave., North Charleston 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Sunday
Amenities Key Patio Occasional live music
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
HOPS 06.15.2022
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
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Oak Road Brewery 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
by Revelry Brewing 36 Romney St., Downtown 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Sunday
Occasional food trucks or pop-ups In-house kitchen
Indigo Reef Brewing Co.
The Hold
Pet friendly
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
The Garden
by Charles Towne Fermentory 1331 Ashley River Road, Charleston Closed Monday and Tuesday 2 p.m.-10 p.m. Wednesday-Friday 12 p.m.-10 p.m. Saturday 11 a.m.-8 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.
NEW ON THE SCENE Bevi Bene is ready to go Bevi Bene Brewing, located on the upper peninsula of Charleston, opens June 25 as one of 11 breweries in the Charleston Brewery District. The project has been long-awaited and owners Clay and Marissa Carlisle are excited to see their dream come to fruition. Their primary focus will be lagers, sour, and hard kombuchas. Industry alum, Alexis AugustScriven will be the tap room manager of the new brewery. You might recognize her from slinging beer over at Charles Towne Fermentory for many years. Stop by and say hello! And speaking of Charles Towne Fermentory…
The Garden is now open! Charles Towne Fermentory recently opened The Garden, a large deck and courtyard style brewpub with live music, games and rotating food trucks. Find all your CTF favorites at this satellite brewpub, located off Highway 61 in West Ashley. Our own Kyle Wallace helped bring this dream to reality working on it for almost a year. “It feels good to sit back and enjoy a beer at something that I had a hand in building. I’ll be having many a beer here.” Imagine that … Kyle having many a beer … we too hope you enjoy a beer here!
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.
Opening a new brewery? Let us know! Email us at info@brewhopchs.com
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PROFILE
women sizzle Four local
in male-dominated brewing
T
By Kyle Wallace and Tarah Gee
he sun comes up over the Atlantic making its way over the Charleston landscape and it's not long before the temperature climbs. While most consider late August into September the “dog days of summer,” in the brewing community — especially, the breweries that don’t have a full air-conditioning system — the dog days seem to start earlier and earlier. For four area women, each in different areas of the brewing business, the days might look different, but they are all long and hot nonetheless. We sat down with these women to discuss their lives and experiences in this male-dominated industry over a beer and brunch at Holy City Brewing.
HOPS 06.15.2022
Daisy Crater
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Packaging lead at Commonhouse Aleworks “8 a.m. is hello and safety, 8:30 is grain in.” It’s noisy, wet, and slightly chaotic. There are bags of grain lined up at the mill and hot water is already running in the mash tun. This is the start of the day at Commonhouse Aleworks for Daisy Crater. She is hosting the Pink Boots Society to brew an IPL (India Pale Lager) for its charity. A South Carolina native, Daisy grew up in Gaffney and found beer at a young age. While studying accounting at Clemson University in the late 1990s, she was also
waiting tables at Keith Street Bar and Grill. This was where she discovered a vast selection of beer. “They had the best selection of bottled beer. If you could drink one of every beer, you got your name on the wall. And boy, I tried to fill that card.” After she got her degree, she started working in the banking industry. “I love numbers. I love the math of accounting. But if you aren’t fulfilled with your work, you aren’t fulfilled.” Several years later, she was watching a news report about the Cicerone program. This struck a chord in her, and she started home brewing as a hobby. Soon that hobby became a passion and that passion became a career. “I walked away from banking, and never looked back.” First, she started busing tables at Newgrass Brewing. It was there she met cofounder Jordan Boinest. Boinest founded the Asheville and Charlotte chapters of the Pink Boots Society (PBS), and was instrumental in helping Daisy expand her craft beer knowledge. PBS offers Cicerone classes, internships and scholarships to women in the craft beer industry. It wasn’t long before Daisy moved into front of the house management at Newgrass. But her heart had a desire to work on the production side of a brewery. “I wanted to be in a brewhouse. I wanted to build the recipes, to smell the beer brewing.” In 2019, Daisy took a leap of faith and
Kim Berly and Daisy Crater enjoy 2021 Beer Week festivities. moved to Charleston. Her first stop was South Carolina’s oldest brewery, Palmetto Brewing. From there, she began developing relationships around town. Her resume now boasts stints with Rusty Bull and Pawleys Island. Now after years of experience, Daisy not only works in production, but she runs the Wild Goose canning line and does cellar work at Commonhouse Aleworks. If you see her, ask her about her love of low D.O. (dissolved oxygen). “One of my favorite things is stepping out the door next to the keg washer. There are these Carolina Wrens, the fellows with the white eyeliner. They play among the pallets, in the sunshine, with the smells of the brewery. It makes my heart happy.” We think it’s safe to say that Daisy has a long, promising career in brewing. The Pink Boots Society is available in the Commonhouse Aleworks taproom. More: pinkbootssociety.org
Kim Berly
Lead brewer at Frothy Beard Kim Berly says she’s learned that sometimes you have to put a smile on your face and walk away. “It’s hard to understand how someone who was enjoying the hell out of a beer, [and then] questions the same beer when they find out a woman brewed it.” Lead brewer at Frothy Beard Brewing in West Ashley, Kim hails from Brookfield, Conn., and began her career in the beauty business. First, she studied at Oxford Academy of Hair Design. Then she worked as a stylist for many years before becoming an instructor back at Oxford Academy. When asked about how she chose
Charleston, she replied. “I just kind of ended up here.” As a bartender at Frothy Beard, every employee gets a brew day. “They (Frothy) feel it is important for everyone to know what everyone else does in the brewery. And I loved my brew day. I wanted to know how everything worked. What this did, how to do that. How do I get to work back here?” First, she began by volunteering to help on canning days. In her downtime, she began reading. “So many books,” Kim said. “Books by John Palmer, anything I could find about beer, online classes, but mainly I learned by doing.” This led to her being offered a full-time job in production. After a few years, she became the head brewer. “I’m short, and I don’t weigh more than the kegs I move, but you figure it out. Platforms and determination help. And hand carts are your best friend.” “I’ve been asked, ‘where’s your beard?’ and told ‘you make pretty good beer for a girl.’ That’s when the smile comes in. Everyone here has my back. This industry is a big family. I want it to see the whole craft beer community grow.”
Sara Gayle McConnell
Co-founder, owner/operator at Tradesman Brewing “I always said, when it stopped being fun or I knew it all, it was time to get out.” Sara Gayle McConnel is the vice president of operations at Tradesman Brewing but she was referring to her career as a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit of MUSC. “I was a nurse, a patient advocate, a nurse educator. And after 25 years, I knew it was time to move on.” Scott McConnell, her husband, was
Sara Gayle McConnell knows good beer.
Find Keli Barfield behind the bar at Revelry Brewing and the camera.
a longtime home brewer. He and Sara Gayle decided to open a brewery to pursue their craft brew dreams. And in 2014, Tradesman Brewery opened on James Island and their dreams became reality. It was one Charleston’s eight breweries at that time. Four subsequent breweries also opened in 2014: Freehouse Brewery, Edmund’s Oast Brewpub, and Frothy Beard Brewing. It was clear that this community was growing fast. “My official title is VP of operations.” Sara Gayle said. “This is a fancy way of saying I do everything inside while Scott runs the production outside. But sometimes our jobs overlap.” While juggling the many aspects of the business, she also founded the Brewster Program, a series of female-led brew day events for women to learn about the brewing process and to help create beer. It’s designed to get more women interested and involved in the brewing process. “Every day I hear women asking more questions about beer,” she said. “Questions like, what hops are in this, what is this style, how was it made? Every day, there are more opportunities for women to join the industry, whether it’s front of house, production, or in the business of beer. This industry is a family, a community. The bigger the family, the better the community. I want to use our spot (Tradesman) to give back to the community, and watch it grow.”
Mandi, our neighborhood dog in a backpack.” Keli has spent the past four years holding down the front of the house fort at Revelry Brewing. Keli made her way to Charleston from Orangeburg after most of her family moved here in 2009. She’s worked in the food and beverage industry for most of her life but has larger ambitions to pursue a career in the booming Charleston film industry. Lagunitas Brewing on Bay Street (originally Southend Brewery) brought Keli into the craft beer world. “I got excited to see new beers, to find out what was coming out next.” The innovation and consistent new releases kept Keli coming back to try more and more. Keli described how each shift is a chance to catch up with customers. “I love working at the brewery, it allows me to step away from the craziness. The regulars contribute in their own way to keeping me sane.” Relationships are built over time. Each familiar face is a way to connect. Each new face is a chance to connect. I love being busy, but not slammed. That way I can catch up with the person, not just the open tab.” Connections are key in the industry and Keli sees the big picture of how this will help her future. While working at Revelry, Keli is also pursuing a degree in film media at Trident Technical College. “It started with a class in filming, which led to a class in editing, which led to a class in production. I want to do everything and keep adding to my knowledge.” Through those connections and education, Keli is excited for future promotional work and commercials. She even wants to tackle documentaries. Maybe even one about Chalreston’s craft beer scene.
Keli Barfield
Front of house bartender at Revelry Brewing “I love seeing our regulars,” Keli told HOPS.. They know everyone’s birthdays and will bake them treats for it. And
charlestoncitypaper.com
Photos courtesy CHS Beer Week; provided
13
BREWERY VISIT
The rise of lagers in Charleston breweries By Kyle Wallace
HOPS 06.15.2022
Charleston had three craft breweries in 2007. Availability of styles were limited. The only to-go option was glass growlers. The yearly output of brewpubs was capped at 2,000 barrels. And the Stone Bill, which eventually passed to loosen state beer laws for on-site consumption, had not yet been created or passed. This time essentially was the Dark Ages of Charleston craft beer. Fast forward 10 years and the sun shone brightly on the bounty of beers in the Holy City. Now there were 24 breweries and brewpubs in operation. Hazy India
14
Pale Ales were king and packaged beer in 12-ounce and 16-ounce bottles was readily available at most locations. Local bottle shops began to pepper the landscape to offer a wide selection of just about any style. Now, slushies sours with fruit and cereal are a thing. Pastry stouts at 13% ABV (alcohol by volume) can be found year-round. And it’s not uncommon to see obscure ingredients in beers not just from the area but from around the world. Heck, Charles Towne Fermentory even made a beer with dandelions. Yet, one brew has remained popular throughout the decades. LAGERS. Before we jump into mash (brewery slang), here’s a brief, bulleted lesson on lagers. They are produced and fermented at a lower temperature than usual, which slows the metabolic pace of yeast. This allows the beer to produce less of a flavor profile versus an ale. And this yields a clean,
Images provided
Lcoal brands continue to exceed expectations.
Brandon Plyler
Edmund’s Oast Brewing’s recent Land of Lagers Festival brought in breweries from around the country. crisp palate. Some styles of lagers that you might be familiar with include Helles, Dunkel, Marzen and Pilsner to name a few. Our first stop is Edmund’s Oast Brewing. It recently held the Land of Lagers Festival. Not only was this the first use of its event space, but it was also the first event of this kind in Charleston. “What’s cool about this layout is it’s perfect for beer events,’’ said Brandon Plyler, a manager at Edmund’s Oast. His love of lagers led to the development of this festival. “When brewers get together, they drink lagers. So we thought it would be great to have an event that showed off these beers. Nothing super rare. Just good beer to drink and talk about.” Breweries from all over the country signed up to participate. It even had some German imports on hand. “You don’t have to be a hardcore beer drinker to enjoy lagers. They are a great way for beer drinkers to get interested in craft beer. Very approachable.” Our next stop is Munkle Brewery. Located in the Charleston Brewery District, it has been known for their Belgian and German inspired beers since it opened, particularly the Munkle Helles, Cerveza Contigo, Munkle Pils and Vienna Lager. Swing by. Enjoy the rotating food trucks, live music and sip on one by the fireside. The last brewery stop is Oak Road. Years ago, Oak Road Brewery brought its Lager Life slogan to Charleston. “We always tell people to live their best Lager Life,” CEO Benjamin Bankey said. “That’s because we want them to do what makes them happy, and hopefully having an Oak Road lager with them while they do it.”
Robert Donovan
Pull into this Summerville brewery for a German Pilsner. A mild 5.6% ABV, it is an easy drinker and refreshing as a dip in the Ashley River. “Lagers are such an underrated beer by most people when it comes to the craft beer scene, but we all grew up with them!” Bankeyn said “ People have many fond memories with friends, community, college, etc.” So if you are looking for a departure from the run-of-the-mill domestic lagers on the shelf, here are a few of the local lagers with which you can make some memories: • Holy City Brewing Pilsner • Revelry Brewing Gold Standard Lager • Charles Towne Fermentory Yacht Party American Lager • Freehouse Brewery Premium Lager • Brewlab Charleston Surface Tension Lager • Estuary Beans and Barley Cabrinha Drifter Coast to Coast Lager • Commonhouse Aleworks Helles • Fatty’s Beerworks Italian Pilsner
Weekly Brewery Calendar 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 7 p.m. Baker & Brewer Trivia
Tuesday
6:30 p.m. Estuary Beans and Barley Music Bingo 7 p.m. Palmetto Brewing Co Two Fer Trivia Tuesday 7 p.m. Fatty’s Beer Works Phish Nights 7 p.m. Wide Awake Brewing Trivia
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
Thursday All day 6 p.m. 6 p.m. 6:30 p.m.
Brewlab Charleston Taco Thursday, 5 for $10 Ghost Monkey Brewery Brewery Bingo Hobcaw Brewing Co. Team Trivia Indigo Reef Brewing Co Music Bingo
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
ON STANDS NOW
For brewery locations, see our guide starting on page 7.
A Charleston City Paper publication
Spring 2022 // Free
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