On Tap

Ginger Griffin and her husband, Larry, have created a little bliss oasis with their brewery in Denver.

Finding Your Beer Bliss

Royal Bliss Brewing Co. in Denver Can Help You Find Yours

by Lori Helms photography by Lisa Crates

Opening a new business is never a cakewalk and virtually always unpredictable, but there are ways to plan for last-minute hurdles and hiccups. You have extra staff on hand, maybe stock a little more inventory than you would need and always — always — stay on the balls of your feet to be ready to change direction at a moment’s notice. But when your planned grand opening occurs five days into a global pandemic lockdown, what page in your operations manual do you flip to for instructions on dealing with that? Royal Bliss Brewing Co. owners Ginger and Larry Griffin weren’t sure, but they did know one thing.

Left, Royal Bliss boasts seating for around 600, with trivia nights on Thursday and regular live music offerings. Right, ciders and seltzers add to the brewery’s 15-barrel system.

Royal Bliss Brewing Co. is at 7532 Royal Bliss Court, Denver. Learn more about the brewery at www.royalblissbrewing.com or call them at 704.951.8388.

“You have to do something with that beer,” Ginger says, thinking back about that time in March 2020. “It doesn’t last forever.” Brew master Chris Wertman (or as Ginger describes him, “employee number one” as their first and most critical hire) and his small staff at the fledgling Denver brewery had been brewing heavily leading up to that day in March almost three years ago, and Executive Chef Bobby Lamby had a small but eclectic menu ready to roll out for the big opening. After throwing “Plan A” out the window, Ginger says thanks to their ability to can their own crowlers (essentially a 32 oz. canned growler) and Lamby’s creativity with an impromptu take-out menu, they still opened their doors to Lake Norman’s curious craft beer fans — and have survived to tell the tale.

But it’s a tale that starts well before that crazy time in early 2020. Ginger says after Griffin Brothers Tires in Cornelius was sold in 2016, Larry found himself with more time on his hands. As she tells it, that’s not a good thing for someone who enjoys being busy. At about the same time, their children were getting older and required (okay, preferred) less of their parent’s time and attention, so Ginger and Larry began to explore the area’s craft breweries. They found they enjoyed the relaxing, comfortable vibe at most of them, and an idea began to take hold in Larry’s active imagination.

“I think we could open a brewery,” he said after about a year of drinking in what all of them had to offer. Ginger, who had her own marketing agency at the time that kept her quite busy (and managed to sell it just weeks before the pandemic shutdowns hit), began to question her husband’s sanity.

“You’ve lost your mind, why would you say that?” she asked him. “We don’t know anything about the beer business.” But he remained undeterred, insisting that between his business acumen, her marketing expertise and by hiring the right brew master that they could make quite the go of it.

Nearly three years later, Royal Bliss has become an award-winning presence in the ever-popular craft brew industry. Their products can be found in more than 220 locations in a footprint that stretches from Denver to Charlotte to Boone and Blowing Rock to WinstonSalem. They’re enjoying a great measure of success, but beyond that, they’re enjoying the experience of that success.

“In our industry, one thing I love about it is that it’s very friendly,” Ginger says. Although Royal Bliss was the first craft brewery to open locally, she says other breweries in the Lake Norman area were very supportive when it came to helping them get started. They even collaborated closely with the brew master at Eleven Lakes Brewing Company in Cornelius, who Ginger described as “an open book” when it came to answering their questions as new brewery owners.

Outside of their fellow brewers, the Griffins and Royal Bliss have connected with their community as well. In their first year alone, they donated approximately $26,000 to area charities, including the Coalition Against Domestic Violence, United Way, local veteran’s groups and animal shelters. Ginger says these connections are their way of giving back to the community that have continued to show the love — from the beginning of the pandemic to now.

“We are so fortunate and blessed, because the community has really supported us,” she says. “When we were open just for take-out at the beginning, we had people who would come every day just to get a sandwich. They would say, ‘We want y’all to make it.’ Some of those same people are still coming every week — we’ve made really lasting friendships.”

When asked if the idea of growth is brewing, Ginger is a bit philosophical in her take on that, quoting the Royal Bliss approach to craft brews.

“In life and beer, balance is bliss. And I want to live by that,” she says. “If we’re going to grow, Larry and I have to have that balance. If we can find the right formula, we’ll see.”