Charleston City Paper: Hops - March 2023

Does Charleston have TOO MANY BREWERIES?

Meet the partners behind the new craft brew concept URBAN

ALCHEMY

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BREWERY VISIT INDIA PALE ALE IS THE KING OF SPRING

Brew lovers unite!

Sláinte, fellow Charlestonians and those visiting our lovely city. Our favorite drinking holiday is officially among us, St. Patrick’s Day! This kicks off spring and summer. “Sláinte,” for those who don’t know, is the Irish (and Scottish) Gaelic toast to good health. We wish you all good health in 2023!

In this first edition of HOPS in 2023, we’ve got some special articles for you. In this edition, we broaden the term “craft brew” by introducing you to a new, local cold brew company just in time for Charleston Wine + Food. Why limit brew to just beer? You will definitely want to check this out.

Next, we polled and spoke with several local craft brew lovers around Charleston. You may find the results surprising. While all opinions are subjective, we do acknowledge the variety and look forward to sharing them with you. There are several online communities dedicated to the joy of craft beer. Thoughts and opinions may vary but one thing is always consistent: they all love beer.

And lastly, we discuss the King of Spring: India Pale Ales. This polarizing frothy beverage has many faces — ahem, flavors.. From the “West Coast” style to the “East Coast” style, and from milkshakes, doubles and everything in between, let’s get our dry hop (or wet hop) on! Where will the trends lead next?

As always, we enjoy bringing you every edition of HOPS and appreciate your continued support. If you’d like to see us cover something or someone in particular, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Kyle is on Instagram at @chsbrewerylist and Tarah is on Instagram at @barefootbeertender.

But back to St. Patrick’s Day and your good health. Here are a few events around town to chase down a pot of gold. They’re also great spots to find a delicious Irish or English Stout, Porters & Ales.

• 19th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Block Party & Parade , Park Circle

Saturday, March 11, all day

Park Circle Breweries: Commonhouse Ale Works, Holy City Brewing, Wind and Waves Brewing

• 6th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Crawl, Bay Street Biergarten

Friday and Saturday, March 17 and 18, all day

• Victor Go Bragh! Brewlab Charleston, Live music, $3 Irish Stout pints, $5 Irish cocktails

Friday, March 17, all day

• Irish Stouts, English Porters and Ales around town

Munkle Brewing Evening Post Porter (cans and nitro)

Brewlab Charleston St. Victor’s Stout (cans and draft)

Charlestowne Fermentory Pub Ale Nitro

Commonhouse Ale Works Broad Path Brown English Brown Ale

Fam’s Brewing English Bitter Pub Ale

Frothy Beard Brewing Tides of Galway Red Irish Ale

Indigo Reef Brewing Dublin Drought Dry Irish Stout

Tideland Brewing Paddy’s Proper Pint Dry Irish Stout

Kyle Wallace aka Charleston Brewery List

Tarah Gee aka Barefoot Beertender

BEST DRAG SHOW

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

BEST LATE NIGHT BAR

BEST CBD SHOP

BEST FLORIST

BEST REALTOR

BEST BOOKSTORE

BEST WOMEN’S CLOTHING STORE

BEST YOGA STUDIO

BEST OB-GYN

BEST LOCAL CAUSE AND MANY MORE!

VOTE FOR YOUR LOCAL FAVES!

BESTOF.CHARLESTONCITYPAPER.COM

BREW PROFILE

Urban Alchemy

A new craft brew concept

By Tarah Gee

Chic. Funky. Inspirationally designed. Who knew cold brew coffee could be so cool? What … you didn’t think we’d only ever talk about beer in a column titled “Craft Brew Profile?” No, that would be a disservice to amazingly talented folks advancing the world of coffee, also technically a craft brew. Meet the creators of Urban Alchemy, Rachael James and Andrew Miller. As lovely in person as they are in photos, these two entrepreneurs set forth to create more than a product. They wanted to create a ritual, an experience, a lifestyle. And like the ink written on Rachael’s hand, the result is magic.

Rachael is also the founder of Wild Alabaster, a fair-trade small crystal shop in Park Circle that offers ethically sourced crystals and stones, as well as customcurated boxes and classes. This mother of four also is known for her following and influencing like-minded individuals from her instagram account, @wildjamesclan. And she isn’t slowing down!

Rachael and her Urban Alchemy partner, Andrew, connected over a chance to bring something they felt was missing from the Charleston market — a groovy, delicious cold brew in a can.

“The story of our brand is similar to the trajectory that many small businesses are founded on, the search for something better than what is offered,” said Rachael.

A College of Charleston alum, Andrew’s past experiences are with Vermont’s Magic Hat Brewing and Virginia’s champagne maker Claude Thibaut. He also spent several years with the U.S. Geological Survey, which led him to leap into cold brew. Andrew spends nearly all of his

time linked in some capacity to the water. Teaching surf lessons, volunteering for Charleston Water Keeper and Charleston Surf Rider, Andrew said, “This cold brew is for pleasure seekers, like me.”

The team’s bright, vivid cans boast a 1970s nostalgic design. Boring, they are not.

“We leverage ingredients sourced with intent, distinct techniques, dialed-in flavor, and eye-popping design because life is too short to drink boring liquids from boring cans,” Rachael said.

Once initial logistics were in place, the pair decided the best opportunity to launch Urban Alchemy would be Charleston Wine + Food 2023. You can find them at the Culinary Village at Riverfront Park. You can also find Urban Alchemy on nitro draft at Brewlab Charleston, which has created a cocktail and mocktail list to complement the cold brew. It will also be sold at Cold Shoulder Gourmet in West Ashley.

WEEKLY CALENDAR

Monday

4-5 p.m. Munkle Brewing Co. Happy Hour, $2 off pours

6 p.m. Snafu Brewing Company

Name that Tune Trivia

6 p.m. Low Tide Brewing, Bingo

6:30 p.m. Brewlab Charleston

Buy two pints, get six wings!

Plus, Beats, Brews, & Bingo

6:30 p.m. Estuary Beans and Barley, Trivia

7 p.m. Baker & Brewer, Trivia

Tuesday

All night Brewlab Charleston

Better Call Sal-Sa - 5 tacos for $10

4-5 p.m. Munkle Brewing Co.

Happy Hour, $2 off pours

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

4-5 p.m. Munkle Brewing Co.

Happy Hour, $2 off pours

7 p.m. Brewlab Charleston

Burger & Beer Night - $15 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 night Brewlab Charleston

BOGO 50% off sushi, $4 core pints

4-5 p.m. Munkle Brewing Co.

Happy Hour, $2 off pours

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

6:30 p.m. Sanfu Brewing Company, Bingo

Friday

3 p.m. Revelry Brewing

Sun-sets with Sparkbox

4-5 p.m. Munkle Brewing Co.

Happy Hour, $2 off pours

Saturday

1-9 p.m. Charleston Brewery District Free trolley

Sunday

11-3 p.m. Commonhouse Aleworks

Sunday brunch

CRAFT

HOP-ON HOP-OFF

FREE LOCAL BREWERY SHUTTLE!

EVERY SATURDAY 1PM - 9PM

:00Tradesman Brewing Co.

:03 Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co.

:07Brewlab Charleston

:10Cooper River Brewing Co.

:20Palmetto Brewing Co.

:25Baker & Brewer

:30Revelry Brewing Co.

:35Fatty’s Beer Works

:40LO-FI Brewing

:45Bevi Bene Brewing Co.

:50Munkle Brewing Co.

PARTICIPATING BREWERIES

Charles Towne Fermentory

Co.

Indigo Reef Brewing Co.

LO-Fi Brewing

Rusty Bull Brewing

Low Tide Brewing

Rusty Bull

Munkle Brewing

New Realm Brewing Co., CHS

Stone’s Throw

Wind and Waves Brewing

Editor’s Note: If you know of a new brewery headed to the Charleston area, please let us know at: info@brewhopchs.com.

Co. SC

Does Charleston have too many breweries?

By Kyle Wallace and Tarah Gee

Later this year, High Score Brewing plans to open just off of Ashley Phosphate Road in North Charleston. Owners

Tony Williams and Chris Shelley announced that it will be a retrogaming-themed brewery that features arcade games and consoles. The opening of this brewery will bring the total back up to 37 operating breweries and brewpubs in the Charleston area. Which leads to the question: when are there too many breweries?

HOPS informally polled and spoke with local craft beer fans and owners to get their takes. Via Charleston Beer Enthusiasts, a local Facebook group, just 8.6 percent of respondents said yes.

Out of the 70 respondents, 64 said there are not too many breweries in Charleston. And while the results speak for themselves, people’s comments tell another story.

“Every time a new brewery opens, I figure that this is the one that will burst the bubble,” said Dave Florio, a local beer enthusiast. “But, somehow, pretty much all of them have managed to stay afloat. Yeah, a few have shuttered, but not as many as I’ve expected.”

“In my opinion, each brewery has to carve a certain niche to make up for not having a stellar beer program — a great kitchen. Great spots for families with kids and/or dogs. A lovely vista.” Dave said he makes it a priority to visit all the breweries and examine objectively.

As the craft beer scene grows, brewery owners continue to search for ways to pay the bills, stay relevant and produce a quality product. Many times, brewery owners overshoot what a taproom will monetarily bring in on a weekly basis. Distribution can offset some of these shortcomings, but not always.

Are there too many breweries in Charleston?

HOPS asked people if they thought the Charleston-area had too much of a good thing.

Frothy Beard Brewing is an example of an establishment that learned how to grow and adjust with the times. It moved from the original location to a larger building, opened a second brewpub,

added mixed drinks to the line up, and offers an in-house food option. This allowed for a more diversified customer base, but some craft beer drinkers say it takes away from the “brewery” feel and changes it to a restaurant that makes beer.

Michael Biondi, co-owner of Frothy Beard, said things have changed through the years.

“I believe in a free market though so you really can’t stop people from going after their dream, but the rate of places that open, close and change hands or concepts here in Charleston is quite quick and the fact that the city is still recovering from a shortage in skilled labor shows that we may have opened up too many places

without the infrastructure to support it,” he said. Infrastructure includes public transportation, parking and easily accessible locations.

The Beer Can Professor, Paul Roof (above), and his Chucktown Follicle Brown from Holy City Brewing (right) Photos

“As far as breweries are concerned, I also think the culture has shifted a lot since we opened in 2013,” Biondi added. “We were the fifth brewery in Charleston and you could have a lot less to offer your clientele then and still be able to survive. We had a tap room, no food options most nights and were very limited on what we could actually serve our customers. With the law changes over the years, breweries can now serve food and drinks other than beer, such as liquor and wine.”

Are traditional breweries waning?

These are now the basic requirements from most customers when they visit any establishment and now especially breweries. Non-alcoholic options, wine and hard liquor are all now part of the package. Is it safe to say that the traditional brewery has died?

“If you don’t offer regular food options, entertainment, inside and outside seating, and other drink options, you limit yourself when it comes to customers’ choice,” Biondi said. He also said he believes that areas where there is only one brewery, the business will compete with peoples’ choices based on the brewery’s beer selection and the neighborhood’s restaurants. “So food is a big factor if you are in that situation.”

Beer enthusiasts Steve and Jennifer LeGrand-O’Brien visit breweries on a weekly basis.

“In my opinion you can never have too many breweries. They’re all different, with a different vibe and different beers,” said Jennifer. “You go to them based on what you’re looking for.”

Steve has a slightly different opinion. ”I think we may be at a little bit of saturation, but many of these breweries cater to locals. Summerville has Oak Road and Frothy OffWorld, for example. I know people who go to those two and no others,” he said. Therefore, it’s safe to say that for most beer drinkers location matters — what’s nearby, is convenient and has quality. True craft lovers seem to agree however, they will travel for good beer.

“I started going to Munkle Brewing because I love Belgian-inspired beers,” Steve said. “But now I also go because I’m comfortable there. I think the atmosphere and product quality will ultimately weed out some of them.”

Paul Roof, also known as the “Beer Can Professor,” has been a part of the local craft beer community almost since its beginning. Beer drinkers can find his likeness on Holy City Brewing’s Chucktown Follicle Brown.

“I personally think more choices is better and we have to think that many of these breweries are spread out from Summerville, to Mount Pleasant and everywhere in between,” he said.

But like the others, location does matter to him. “I am typically on James Island so the new Odyssey bottle shop is definitely my

new spot to go get beers in-house or to go.” While Odyssey bottle shop is not a brewery, it’s a hotspot for beer drinkers who like quality and variety.

Too many average breweries?

The overall consensus within the Charleston Beer Enthusiasts’ Facebook group is there are not too many breweries, but too many average breweries. They seem to mostly believe that the addition of more breweries into the community has not created a friendly competition to produce an excellent product, but has created an environment where breweries are forced to participate in ideas that they initially didn’t think they would need. Enter in trivia nights, bingo nights and endless specials to gain customers.

Most also agree that service and atmo sphere are highly important.

“I will go to a brewery with better service and atmosphere with average beer before a brewery with above average beer and crappy service,” said Travis Zeiset, a partici pant in Charleston Beer Enthusiasts.

Glassware and kid/dog friendly are also factors considered by avid brewery goers.

“The brewery district is one example in my opinion where competition is more fierce based on the amount of breweries in the area and what you offer your clientele and not exclusively on the beer you pro duce,” Biondi said.

“Overall, I guess the customer gets to decide whether there are too many of us and they vote with their choice of where they go based on what they like and what we offer.”

UNCOMMON BEER COMMON GOOD for the

We didn’t build Commonhouse to brew and sell beer. We did it because we love and believe in great beer - and great beer is brewed with purpose. We believe great beer strengthens social ties and gathers folks to enjoy better friendships, better experiences, and maybe even a better society. Commonhouse is beer brewed with purpose. A beer, if you will, for the common good.

Schmitt

Walker Architects

Entrance to & from Reid St.

“

… the rate of places that open, close and change hands or concepts here in Charleston is quite quick and the fact that the city is still recovering from a shortage in skilled labor shows that we may have opened up too many places without the infrastructure to support it.” —Michael Biondi

India Pale Ale is the king of Spring

By Tarah Gee and Kyle Wallace

For this edition, we decided to mix things up and not choose just one brewery, but a few that capture the essence of spring in Charleston. At this time of year, the skies are illuminated with the warm glow that lasts just a little bit longer. The chilly wind from the west turns warmer with each passing day. And for some reason, our favorite craft beer gets a tad more hoppy. And so, it is time to celebrate the King of Spring, the India Pale Ale, or IPA for short.

What makes an IPA different from other styles? Generally, it’s the hops. And boy, are there a lot to choose from! With roughly 150 species of hops worldwide, they are the spice of life … when it comes to beer, that is. Let’s look at some styles of IPAs and where to find them in Charleston.

Whether you are an IPA drinker, this style of beer is ever-growing and changing, thus producing fans of even the most skeptical beer drinkers. So before you start to say, “IPAs are too bitter” or “IPAs are too strong,” hear us out.

First, let’s tackle quick vocabulary. Here’s some buzzwords you might hear your beertender say include:

Session = Low AB (alcohol by volume)

Imperial = High ABV

Dry-hopped = Hops added during fermentation; can be double or triple dry-hopped

Wet-hopped = Moist hops added usually before fermentation or during the boiling process

With that out of the way, let’s move on to styles and where HOPS (the magazine) suggests finding them.

West Coast IPAs

Tropical fruit notes and a lower IBUs (international bitterness unit) are what defines a West coast-style IPA. Clean with higher carbonation, this style tends to be the introductory IPA.

HOPS recommends: Coast Brewing, one of the first breweries in Charleston, located on the old Navy Base in North Charleston, is well known for its HopART IPA. First brewed in 2007, HopArt is an IPA staple on the Charleston scene. Brewed with Nugget, Millennium and Cascade hops, this IPA clocks in at a banging 7.7% ABV.

With massive grain bills and a boundless variety of hops, this style led to an IPA revolution. Enter the double (DIPA) and triple IPA. Starting around 8% ABV, these heavy hitters can range up to 11% ABV. A double (DDH) or triple dry-hopped IPA is one that has had double, or triple, the amount of hops added during the fermentation process. So yes, you can have a DDH DIPA. (Double dry hopped double IPA). Phew … that’s a mouthful, literally.

HOPS recommends: Charlestowne Fermentory two locations in West Ashley, “the Ferm” as we call it, is crushing the hazy game. Try its Sungazer IPA, brewed with citra and motueka hops. It is soft but dry at 6.8% ABV.

New England/East Coast IPAs, aka Hazy IPAs

Perhaps you’ve heard, but New England and Imperial IPAs are currently all the craze.

Milkshake IPAs

This is a hazy brew with added lactose (milk sugar) and other adjuncts, such as fruits, candies and even cereals.

HOPS recommends: Westbrook Brewing, located in Mount Pleasant is

nationally known for many of its classic cores. And the Strawberry Shake IPA, 7% ABV, is a crowd-pleaser. Creamy and brewed with five different hops and three adjuncts, you suck this down like you’re a kid in a diner.

Sour IPAs

Combining two of the hottest styles on the market, the sour IPA is exactly how it sounds, a kettle-soured IPA.

HOPS recommends: Holy City Brewing, an all-encompassing Park Circle destination, offers an ever-evolving menu and rotation of craft brews. Sparkly Princess, brewed for the Charleston City Paper ’s 2017 Best of Charleston awards, is tart and juicy-brewed and dry-hopped with El Dorado hops. Easily crushed at 6.6% ABV.

Photos provided Holy City Brewing’s Sparkly Princess combines a sour with an IPA