Carolina Brew Scene - Fall 2019

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Carolina Brew Scene

Staff, Credits, & Contributions

PUBLISHER

Kyle Stephens

EDITOR

Gene Metrick

CONTENT

& PHOTOGRAPHY

Lewis Smith

Dave Tollefsen

Sarah Louya

Don Rowell

Paul McDermott

Karen A. Mann

Jenny White

Jessie H. Nunery

John H. Walker

William F. West

Kevin Flinn

Bart Williams

Paul McDermott

Kesha Williams

Daniel Hand

Kaycee Ingram

Stephan Pruitt

ADVERTISING

Bryan Wilson Lewis Smith

DESIGN

& LAYOUT

Becky Wetherington

CONTACT

bwilson@rmtelegram.com lsmith@rmtelegram.com

carolinabrewscene.com

ON THE COVER

Aaron Avery of Big Game Brewing in Kinston, NC

Welcome to Carolina Brew Scene’s 2019 Top Flights Special Awards Edition.

Once again, Brew Scene readers have spoken through their votes on our website and Facebook page to tell us who their favorites are across a range of categories covering North Carolina’s burgeoning craft brewing industry.

Whether it was the Best Brewery, Best Homebrew Club, Best Beer or even the Best Beard, the voting revealed the rich diversity of offerings and offshoots that craft brewing continues to spawn and the rich environment of craftsmanship and fellowship behind the endeavors of everyone involved.

Some results came as no surprise to our staff, who continue to traverse the state to discover the latest developments and trends among the state’s breweries, brewpubs and bottleshops, which continue to prosper and expand thanks to the patronage and support of people like you.

Others pointed us in new directions, offering a glimpse into special people, places, events or activities that reflect the everexpanding social, cultural, economic and philanthropic impact and influence that this once-niche industry continues to exert as it expands across North Carolina.

But most of all, it all comes down to people — the people whose dreams, desires, dedication and drive are responsible for the creation, expansion, evolution and ongoing success of the craft brewing industry in North Carolina.

So here’s to them, with a hearty thank you from the rest of us who get to enjoy the fruits of their labors of love.

Metrick Editor

Carolina Brew Scene is a publication of the Rocky Mount Telegram and Adams Publishing Group. Contents may not be reproduced without the consent of the publisher.

Gene

Photo by Sarah Louya

Best Beer Town

It won’t come as a surprise to those who follow the brewing industry in North Carolina to learn that Asheville takes home this year’s Best Beer Town award.

Jeff Anderson, COO of Nantahala Brewing in Bryson City, says that Asheville and its surrounding areas have for decades fostered a sense of entrepreneurship. He’s seen “creative types and makers” in fields like beer, food and the arts flock to the mountains of western North Carolina because “the freedom of expression is alive and well.”

“Asheville has its own feel,” Anderson says. “It’s a unique, welcoming environment.”

As for the beer?

He partially credits that, at its literal source, to the water. His analogue is New York City pizza — how there’s just something about the water that goes into the dough in the five boroughs. Even with the same basic ingredients, pizza made elsewhere just wouldn’t be the same without NYC water.

Asheville

STORY BY KEVIN FLINN PHOTOS BY STEPHAN PRUITT

So it goes with Asheville.

Anderson notes that not only are Asheville brewers getting water closer to its natural source in the mountains, but there’s also an abundance of protection for those sources and springs within the community.

That community is, arguably, the most important factor in Asheville’s success as a beer town.

Anderson also serves as marketing chair for the Asheville Brewers Alliance, a trade and membership organization dedicated to promoting western North Carolina craft beer and breweries. Since 2009, the ABA has worked to support brewers big and small, and Anderson calls it the perfect organization for the Asheville area: “It puts us all in the same room to enjoy each other’s company and help each other out.”

He relayed a story about a brewery that had an issue with a keg washer, he said “before we knew it, the phones were ringing, people were stopping by to help,

to do whatever they could do.” Anderson says that community spirit permeates the culture of Asheville and is a primary reason for the success of the brewing industry in and around town.

This collaboration has ultimately helped brewers as well as other industries in western North Carolina. Anderson notes that some folks who might have come to the mountains to see the changing leaves or hike the mountains discover some great breweries, while beer tourists often discover something else unique to the area — nature, food, crafts — and the cycle continues.

Some breweries have even partnered with local restaurants, food trucks and other providers to bring them in-house, thereby offering customers opportunities to sample even more Ashevillemade fare.

“People care about where their food comes from, the same as with their beer,” Anderson says. “A lot of restaurants are moving in this more personalized direction.

People know that the products are made well because they’re made by a member of the local community.”

Because of this focus on community, the Brewers Alliance has begun working in tandem with the state ABC and Alcohol Law Enforcement boards to strengthen relationships between lawmakers and creators so that the industry can continue to grow. Anderson cites meetings in which the ABC and ALE invites ABA members to ask and answer questions about North Carolina laws and policies as steps in the right direction.

He says that the ABC and ALE “see what the (brewing) industry has done for the community ... they see that the makers not only live here but they care about the place where they live. It’s all a conscious effort. And it makes a lot of money for the community.”

2nd - Wilmington, NC

3rd - Raleigh, NC

Carolina Brew Scene readers are in good company in selecting Brewgaloo as Best Beer Festival, as earlier in 2019 USA Today named the festival the best of its kind in the entire country.

While North Carolina can lay claim to some of the best barbecue and college basketball in the United States, this is certainly a feather in the Old North State’s cap.

The festival, which celebrated its eighth year in downtown Raleigh this past April, featured over 100 North Carolina breweries as well as local food trucks and music, making it a must-attend for any serious North Carolina craft beer enthusiast.

Jennifer Martin, executive director of Shop Local Raleigh, which puts on the festival each year, says that the effect of seeing residents from 44 other U.S. states attending Brewgaloo is energizing:

“Seeing the people continuing to make plans and travel to Raleigh for the event — they are the stimulators of our economy,”

she says.

Best Beer Festival

Brewgaloo

BY KEVIN FLINN

Martin sees Raleigh as the perfect site for an event like Brewgaloo because of the Capital region’s massive population growth over the last decade. This expansion, she says, “has created a community, a culture and some incredible craft beer.” This community atmosphere is what

drives Shop Local Raleigh — a nonprofit merchants group that’s been around since the 1940s under various names — to create positive change for the Raleigh business community.

“I’m consistently in awe of how fast the state’s craft brewing scene has grown,” Martin says. “The quality and sustainability of what’s being produced, and how the brewing community show love and support for each other” is what makes an event like Brewgaloo possible.

She notes that while brewing in North Carolina is undoubtedly a competitive space, working with brewers to put on the festival means she sees them come together and work as a team to help each other.

The quality — and quantity — of beer available at Brewgaloo is undoubtedly what keeps attendees coming back and opens the eyes and palates of newcomers. Shop Local Raleigh

brings in out-of-state beer writers for the festival, which Martin sees as an investment back to the breweries, helping them gain exposure on a larger scale through the event.

“The bloggers in the beer industry are continuously impressed by the beer and the large availability of what they see and taste at Brewgaloo,” Martin says. “They go back home and tell others about what they saw, tasted and experienced.

“For us, Brewgaloo is a way to drive people to taste North Carolina that helps achieve the goal of creating a national awareness and buzz about the talent that’s brewing — literally — in our state.”

2nd - Lighthouse Beer & Wine Festival (Wilmington, NC)

3rd - Live & Local Tryon Palace Beer Festival (New Bern, NC)

Best Live Music

New Bern’s BrÜtopia takes home the award for Best Live Music. The brewery, which will celebrate its fourth anniversary next February, is at the center of a burgeoning beer community in Eastern North Carolina.

BrÜtopia co-owner and brewer Tim Dryden explains that the growth of the craft beer industry in North Carolina is dependent on brewers “bringing something different to the table.” He cites other like-minded local outfits such as Brewery 99, Crystal Coast, Fishtown, Mill Whistle, Shortway and Tight Lines as helping craft beer flourish: “Put us all in the same space and you truly will have a great experience.”

In BrÜtopia’s case, that experience is predicated on patrons not only enjoying a finely-crafted beer, but also

BrÜtopia

BY KEVIN FLINN

entertainment.

Bringing in that entertainment, however, might not be as easy as it is in a larger community.

“Charlotte, Raleigh and Wilmington all have their own beer cultures due to the size of their populations,” Dryden says. “We really hope to grow (New Bern’s beer culture) with events and local festivals. We strive to support local musicians the best we can.”

While Carolina Brew Scene readers clearly appreciate BrÜtopia’s live music offerings, Dryden points out that it’s not just a music venue.

“Our industry services a very large age group. What our 24-35 year old patrons like our 55-65 year old group may not. We try to add several things (like trivia) to our week to support everyone’s desires.

BrÜtopia began as a homebrew store in early 2016, and Dryden notes that he and co-owner/brewer Bryan Conway quickly added a bottle shop and then the bar.

“After two years of buying other peoples’ beer, we decided to try our hand at brewing our own,” Dryden says.

BrÜtopia put out its first beer on tap in February 2018 and produced 112bbls that first year. This year, BrÜtopia is on pace to brew between 130 and 150bbls of 25 different beers.

Part of this variety — both in beer and entertainment — is due to New Bern’s location and BrÜtopia’s clientele. People want local, emphasizes Dryden.

“They want to talk with brewers,” he says. “They look for

that one-on-one experience. Going to a distributor to buy beer that was brewed on the other side of the country and then served by a person that doesn’t know beer” isn’t an authentic experience.

Dryden foresees even further growth for BrÜtopia and for the brewing industry in the eastern part of the state.

“I think we’re on the right path,” he says. “The state is making changes and the industry is growing. We love how (BrÜtopia’s events) build friendships and make our little spot feel like home.”

2nd

3rd

- Highland Brewing Company (Asheville NC)

- Pisgah Brewing (Black Mountain, NC)

You need both music and other entertainment.”

Best Craft-Friendly Restaurant

BY JENNY WHITE

If you like a little food with your award-winning craft brews, our 2019 Top Flights winner for Best Craft-Friendly Restaurant is Beer Army Burger Company in downtown New Bern.

It’s located in a super-cool historic and remodeled bank building. Menu items are available for lunch or dinner, Tuesday through Sunday.

The two-story restaurant is all about the burgers. Beer Army Burger Company’s flagship burgers are a half-pound of certified Angus beef and have built a reputation in eastern North Carolina as must-try beef sandwiches for burger connoisseurs. Burgers are always made fresh and never from

Beer Army Burger Company

frozen beef.

The menu features a military theme with appetizers listed as “Basic Training” and salads as “Non-Combatants.” Side dishes are dubbed “Side Arms.” If beef burgers aren’t your thing, you can sub a grilled or crispy chicken breast fillet, turkey burger or veggie burger for the beef patty. Each sandwich (priced at about $12) comes with a choice of fries, sweet potato fries or homemade chips.

There’s a small dessert menu and a kid’s menu as well.

Beer Army Burger Company offers a few of its own house beers and a changing menu of craft beers from around the country — with an emphasis on North Carolina breweries. At the time we wrote this story, you could choose brews from Double Barley Brewing located in Smithfield, Highland Brewing Company in Asheville, Firestone Walker Brewing Company in Paso Robles, Calif. and Triple C Brewing

Company in Charlotte. Typically, you can choose from a menu of 16 beers on tap.

You may notice while you’re there a wall dedicated to their Beer Snipers — enterprising souls who took the challenge and drank at least one beer a day at the restaurant for 30 days. It’s a test of dedication and discipline, and if you feel like joining them, there’s plenty of room on the wall.

Beer Army also founded a nonprofit group called Bravo Alpha that supports community outreach for veterans and

residents of eastern North Carolina. Bravo Alpha Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and its mission is to support veterans and first responders in their efforts to recover from Post Traumatic Stress and prevent Self Destructive Actions.

The restaurant is located at 220 Pollock St. in New Bern.

2nd - Raleigh Beer Garden (Raleigh, NC)

3rd - MJ’s Raw Bar (New Bern, NC)

TASTY DAYS ON THE BREW & ‘CUE TRAIL Another hidden gem

Your adventure begins on the Pitt County Brew & ‘Cue Trail. Discover the birthplace of Eastern North Carolina BBQ with mandatory “pit stops” at B’s, Skylight Inn and all the places that put whole hog ‘cue on the map. Hungry for more? See one-of-a-kind art sculptures, attend an outdoor jam at Town Common or lose yourself in the Uptown District. NC’s Emerald City is filled with countless hidden gems.

Find yours at VisitGreenvilleNC.com

Best Atmosphere

BY JENNY WHITE PHOTOS BY CORY BURTON

Aaron Avery said he used to see the cabin-like building next to Neuse Sports Shop in Kinston when he worked at the big outdoor outfitter store when he was in high school.

“I always thought it was a cool-looking building,” Avery said.

Today, that cool building is site of Brew Scene’s Top Flights 2019 Best Atmosphere winner, Big Game Brewing — and Aaron Avery is one of the owners of the bustling winning taproom.

Avery and his partners Hampton Peterman and David Houston opened the taproom in March.

“It’s pretty interesting that after admiring the building for so long — here I am,” Avery said with a laugh.

The taproom, located at 225 E.

Big Game Brewing

New Bern Road in Kinston, has 15 craft brews on tap.

Avery, Peterman and Houston brew their craft beer at a facility in Trenton. They currently brew about 10 recipes for their label, in addition to numerous brews they manufacture for other labels.

While Avery, Houston and Peterman believe Big Game Brewing craft beers are a big draw to the many people who choose their taproom as a favorite gathering locale, they believe the rustic, mountain lodge like atmosphere at the Kinston taproom attracts people as

“The building itself is beautiful with the cedar plank walls, exposed beams and rustic floors,” Avery said. “It makes you feel like you’re tucked into a mountain cabin, but you’re in the middle of

“But the outdoor Beer Garden and outdoor deck is what really makes this place special. There’s a beautiful lake out back with all kinds of wildlife and room for everyone to find a great spot and enjoy a brew — and the view.”

In addition to the view, there are fire pits, horse-shoe pits, cornhole equipment, a pergola and lush vegetation.

While the taproom doesn’t serve food, Avery said they try to have some kind of food service available, especially on the weekends.

Avery said the winning

atmosphere at the taproom is probably because most of the taproom space is outside.

“You just can’t beat it out here,” he said. “It’s beautiful.”

The taproom is open from noon to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The taproom has 15 beers on tap; ten are Big Game Brewing varieties, five are guest brews. They also serve wine.

2nd -Crooked Lotus (Snead’s Ferry, NC)

3rd - Eleven Lakes Brewing (Cornelius, NC)

Best Beer

Typically, spouses appreciate when their significant others take notice of their likes and dislikes.

In the case of Frank and Lili Bacon, a little creativity, patience and the expansion of a daily habit has led to a product a community of beer lovers can enjoy.

Lili’s Breakfast Stout, named Carolina Brew Scene’s 2019 Best Beer, was an idea created by Frank Bacon after he took notice of his wife’s continuous morning habit.

Lili Bacon always had coffee (creamer and sugar) and yogurt (with granola and add-ins) to start her mornings, especially those Saturdays before the couple began running a business.

“I thought, ‘I can make a stout out of that,” Frank Bacon said.

A few years later, the Bacons are owners of The New Village Brewery, located in Oriental, and Lili’s Breakfast Stout is a household name.

Frank Bacon had a great idea, but he soon found out that translating it into a strong drinking product wasn’t as easy.

He tinkered with the right amount of ingredients, and most important, worked on gathering the proper yeast strand.

Making his job even more difficult once he found the right mix was translating it from a home

Breakfast Stout Lili’s

BY JESSIE H. NUNERY

brew to a commercial operation after the couple opened The New Village Brewery in 2017.

“There were growing pains,” Frank Bacon said. “We dumped the first three batches, which is never a fun day.”

Lili’s Breakfast Stout has been a favorite of locals and those visitors for the past two years who flock to Pamlico County just for a sip.

Frank Bacon said he hears differing opinions on what makes the 6.1 ABV stout stand out among others. Some like the maltiness over the sweetness. Others romanticize about the background of the idea. Frank

Bacon, who delves into the scientific makeup of brewing, said he believes a combination of the dryness and residual lactose taste makes him want to have that next sip.

The Bacons are from Oriental, and they are fiercely loyal to their home. New Village Brewery doesn’t distribute its popular beer. Those wanting a sip will have to, at the very least, visit a surrounding county to have a sip of the popular brew.

New Village operates on a one-barrel system, where the Bacons can touch, smell and put their best into beers like Lili’s Breakfast Stout.

“Every village needs a baker and brewer,” Frank Bacon said. “For us, it’s not about the sales or technology. It’s about producing a beer that inspires production of the next beer. We brew for the folks of Oriental, and we appreciate when people make a pilgrimage to try our beer. This is one of the best communities I’ve ever lived in.”

Best Brewery

STORY BY JESSIE H. NUNERY PHOTOS BY BRIAN LANTZ

Michelle and John Savard were once just college kids with a dream.

The Wilmington natives both went to the opposite end of the state to attend UNCAsheville, but even with degrees in hand — Michelle in mass communications and John in business administration — neither was impressed with the job market upon returning home.

“There were really no jobs to be had,” Michelle said. “We decided to go for it. We took our savings and ordered homebrewing supplies.”

Now, the married couple has two children, and in just five years, their start-up, Wilmington Brewing Company, has been named Carolina Brew Scene’s 2019 Best Brewery.

If the Savards had thought too long and possibly convinced

Wilmington Brewing Company

themselves to change their minds, perhaps they wouldn’t have been a success.

Tourism-type venues open all the time in their hometown. Wilmington Brewing Company has not only survived since its inception, but Michelle says the business has been fortunate enough to continually expand from its first days as just a homebrew store.

John, who became a homebrewer and learned from some of Asheville’s professional and homebrewers while in college, is now surrounded by a strong brew team that churns out popular drinks including a Tropical Lightning IPA and Blair’s Breakfast Stout.

Wilmington Brewing Company is located in the heart of the city, not far away from UNC-Wilmington. Michelle said WBC attracts a wide variety of visitors — young, old, families. Music is played on a record player donated by one of WBC’s first

customers. There’s a giant Jenga set along with board games to enjoy while you sip a beverage.

“We’re not very shiny and polished,” Michelle said. “Everything happens pretty organically here. The beer is excellent, and that’s the No. 1 priority. We’re very familyfriendly and pet-friendly. The taproom is laid back.”

Wilmington Brewing Company has 18 staff members and is in the process of expanding a lot next door into outdoor space for public and private use.

They’re doing this while continuing to churn out a new release every other week or so -- 15 beers stay in rotation — and showcasing their products at food truck events on the weekends. Their beer is also distributed throughout the city and to those who drive down to purchase the products.

The couple’s Wilmington Homebrew Supply is still going strong for those interested in

learning and purchasing tools for the trade.

“We felt like one day we’d do this,” Michelle said. “There has not been a quiet moment. I feel like we’re riding the wave and hanging on. John made smart business decisions as far as business goes. He is the big picture guy, and I handle day-to-day. Wilmington keeps making spaces for different types of things, even though there are a lot of restaurants. I think breweries were needed, and I’m thankful we took a shot at it.”

2nd -New Village Brewing Company (Oriental, NC)

- BrÜtopia (New Bern, NC)

Best Homebrew Club

BY JESSIE H. NUNERY

Dick Weiss was on to something special when he founded the HomeBrew Hause in 1999.

Twenty years later, Weiss is the founder and a lifetime member of ATF Home Brew Club, which is in its 20th year, has been named Carolina Brew Scene’s 2019 Best HomeBrew Club.

Located in New Bern’s hub of brewing activity, ATF (Alcohol Through Fermentation) has taken on the role of helping homebrewers learn and become educated about the craft.

ATF has also partnered with Craven Community College’s beer brewing program where members can talk to students and give them another avenue of

ATF

information and insight.

“We’ve shifted our club toward education and taking in new brewers under our wing,” Brutopia Brewing Company Operations Manager Dawn Jones said. “It’s a great place to ask different questions. Brewing is like cooking, and there is no one way to do it.”

Every month, approximately 50 members meet and share

their creations. The talks range from the development of flavors to trading ideas.

Along the way, ATF meets for a Stouts and Stogies event, Christmas parties, potlucks and many other gatherings where the group can socialize.

There’s an event held once a year allowing new brewers to purchase equipment at an affordable rate that isn’t being used.

ATF’s Facebook page is filled with posts by members who want to share something they’ve found about the brewing process. There are also plenty of posts letting others know about extra ingredients they can have if they choose.

“There’s endless knowledge, which is first and foremost important,” Jones said. “Some are young, some are old, and some are just getting started. It’s mostly

education, and a lot about being together. It’s family-friendly and something we like to do.”

The owners of BrÜtopia were both homebrewers with ATF prior opening the business in 2017. Much of that beer was born out of homebrew recipes.

It’s in that spirit that ATF finds itself a place for camaraderie, beer development and a signature brand that the community can support.

The formula lends itself to at least another 20 years of good beer and good times.

“We’re educating each other, adding new members and they’re learning from each other,” Jones said. “And around we go.”

2nd - Down East Alers (Greenville, NC)

3rd - Beer Alchemists of Coastal Carolina (Jacksonville, NC)

Best Homebrew Supply Store

BY WILLIAM F. WEST

The old saying in business about wisely not putting all of the eggs in one basket can certainly apply to a brewery, homebrew supply store, bottle shop and tap room located along the beach route in the New Bern area.

BrÜtopia opened for business in 2016 just off a busy stretch of U.S. 70 in James City, opposite the Neuse River from the picturesque Craven County seat. BrÜtopia began mainly by emphasizing homebrew supply, but quickly expanded.

BrÜtopia Operations Manager Dawn Jones describes the location as a place offering a little bit of everything.

“They can buy a beer, drink it here, get a box of bottle shop items, get their grain bills filled,” Jones said, noting she believes customers appreciate having everything in the same spot.

And Jones is upbeat about the location’s future, saying, “New Bern is growing a lot in every direction. I’ve been here 25 years and it has grown up a lot since I’ve been here.”

Technically, the BrÜtopia location is home to two separate businesses.

One business is the BrÜtopia Homebrew Supply Store, which

BrÜtopia

is in the front and sells the ingredients and kits needed for one to make beer at home. The front includes the bottle shop and the tap room.

The other business is BrÜtopia Brewing Co. The brewery is in the back and provides beer to sell in the front on tap and also distributes beer to other establishments in the New Bern area and along the beach to sell on tap.

BrÜtopia Homebrew Supply Store is the 2019 Readers Choice Award Winner in the category of Best Homebrew Supply Store.

As for the ingredients supply part of the BrÜtopia operation, Jones said, "There are a lot of home brewers, not just in New Bern, but in the surrounding areas. There’s a local home brew clubs here in town. There’s one in Greenville. There’s one in Jacksonville.

“And they all kind of converge and get their supplies, either from us or from Atlantic Brew Supply,” which is in Raleigh, Jones said.

While Jones is excited about the honor, she also emphasized BrÜtopia is much more than a

home brewing supply business.

The BrÜtopia location was established by Tim Dryden and Bryan Conway in what had previously been a tattoo shop.

“They (the previous occupants) needed less space,” Jones said. “We needed a lot of space. “So they had moved down two doors and that opened up this spot — and Tim and Bryan were able to secure it pretty quickly, which was awesome."

Jones, Dryden and Conway had been in a home brew club together.

“And we just got to know each other that way,” Jones said.

As for the BrÜtopia name, she said that dates back years before the location became a reality.

Specifically, she said she, her husband and Conway came up with the name one night while enjoying a campfire.

“It just sat on the back burner until Bryan and him (Conway) were able to open this business,” she said.

Jones said the history of the location can be traced back to

when the owners of the thennearby New Bern Homebrew Supply decided to bid farewell to the Tar Heel State and move to California.

Jones said Dryden and Conway at the same time were looking to open a shop to provide for the needs for the many homebrewers in the New Bern area.

The place, upon opening in 2016 in homebrew supply, includes the bottle shop offering containers of varieties of beers brewed elsewhere and the tap room.

The location is open from noon to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, noon to 10 p.m. on Fridays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

The location can be reached by phone at 252-631-5142 or online at http://www.brutopiabeer.com.

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Best Bottle Shop

S Crooked Lotus

BY JOHN H. WALKER

tarting a new business is tough enough, but two months after opening the doors of the Crooked Lotus Craft Beer & Wine in Snead’s Ferry, Nicole Schmidt had to deal with the arrival of Hurricane Florence and the damage the storm left behind.

Nicole and her husband, U.S. Marine Brandon Schmidt, had done their homework. They knew what they wanted to do and what they wanted to create when they finally opened their bar.

But Nicole said the actual manner in which The Crooked Lotus came into being wasn’t quite as direct.

“I had played roller derby and broke my ankle and lost my job,” she said. “I went on interview after interview and no one wanted to hire someone in a walking boot. Finally, I interviewed at a mortgage company and he asked, ‘What are your goals?’

“I told him my husband and I wanted to open a bar and shared my vision. He told me he wasn’t

going to hire me, but that I should just jump off the mountain and do it,” she said.

Fast forward a week to the time when Brandon was deploying.

“He got in-country and called and asked me what was going on,” she said. “I told him I was going to open the bar we had talked about. He said, ‘Why don’t you wait until January, when I’m back’ and I told him I couldn’t, He wanted to know why and I said because I just signed the lease papers.”

Brandon was still deployed when the doors opened … when Florence hit and when the doors reopened post-Florence … and Nicole never missed a beat.

The end result? The Crooked Lotus is the winner of the Best Bottle Shop category in the 2019 Carolina BrewScene competition.

“It’s surreal,” Nicole said of the award. “I didn’t think that many people loved us like that … I mean, the magazine goes all over.”

Nicole, who has a background in interior design, said, “I didn’t want it to look like any of the other bottle shops.”

It doesn’t.

“I wanted it to have a wow factor,” Nicole said.

It does.

A floor of polished concrete and subdued lighting set the stage for a bar that stretches along the left side of the room. Elevated on the wall behind the bar are three screens, with a pair of digital menu boards flanking an HD television.

As in other bars, the menu board lists the beer by name with its ABV and IBU. It also includes name and location of the brewery and, of course, the price.

In the middle of the bar, and on the wall at the end of the bar, one spots the business end of the house — the beer taps.

At Crooked Lotus, there are 18 and Nicole says the mechanics of rotating brews is “a really good system.”

She said the kegs are numbered, as are each of the taps. On the tap, the little piece of paper with the number also carries the date.

“It makes it easier on my girls,” she said.

Like cookies on a website, Nicole says she makes buying and inventory decisions based on customer feedback.

Like cookies track your keystrokes, Nicole tracks her customer feedback.

“The customer is the most

important part of this business,” she acknowledged.

“When we started, I told them (customers) that this wasn’t my place … but that it was their place. We wanted them to be comfortable and we wanted them to tell us what they liked and didn’t like.”

Apparently, it is working.

The Crooked Lotus is located at 1283 NC-210, Unit G in Sneads Ferry, just down the strip center from the huge shark in front of Shark Attack, a local tourist shop. It is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information, call 910-741-0692.

Best Beard in Brewing

BY JOHN H. WALKER

R Rob Jones

ob Jones says he’s had a beard “Ever since I could grow one.”

Well, he grew a good one, because readers of Brew Scene have named his beard as the “Best Beard in Brewing” in the latest Reader’s Awards competition.

“That’s great,” Jones, who is multimedia coordinator at New Bern’s Tryon Palace, said with a chuckle. “Really, there have been very few times in my adult life when I can remember not having a beard.”

Jones said that on his wedding day, his then-future wife, Dawn, told him she wanted him clean shaven.

“So I did and that was that,” he laughed, adding that the beard soon started to grow again.

Jones has a full, reddish-color beard that can’t be missed. It is neatly trimmed and even.

“I trim it every week, once a week,” he said. “I work for the state, so it’s a requirement of the job, but I want it to be neat and trimmed. I don’t want to look like a Saturday night hobo.”

He said he trims out the longer hairs as well as stray hairs and curly ones.

“There was a time when I went to the barber to get it trimmed,

but that got expensive,” he said. “So I learned how to do it myself.”

Jones said the most common question he gets is, “How long did it take (to grow)?”

He said he really couldn’t answer that, because he started growing his beard about four years ago and that the effort is more a work in progress than anything.

And just like bad hair days, there are bad beard days as well.

“Those days, I just try to keep it in check and keep it trim.”

Jones said he makes his own beard oil to help with grooming.

“I have sensitive skin, so I messed with several different oils that work,” he said. “It’s good on my skin and it eliminates dandruff, too.”

That’s right. A beard that is not maintained well can result in dry, itchy skin as well as dandruff.

Jones said he began making his own mixture because, just like the trims at a barber shop, the costs add up.”

Jones said he would advise someone just starting to grow a beard to be patient.

“Don’t touch it for three months, as it is growing to grow at different speeds at different spots on you face. Give it a chance to fill in before you decide you don’t like it and cut it off.”

When he’s not brewing his own beer or working at Tryon Palace, Jones might be found spending time with his wife and their four children, coaching baseball or teaching newbies how to brew their own beer.

Jones, who has been brewing for 25 years, teaches the Introduction to Home Brewing class with Brutopia Brewing owner Tim Dryden at Craven Community College at part of Craven’s Workforce Development department.

“I wanted to share the knowledge that I have gained over the last 25 years of brewing,” Jones said in a Craven Community College news release. “When I

started brewing, information was garnered from brewer to brewer in person. Today, there is a wealth of information on the web, but can it totally be trusted?”

Jone said he tells people the difference in purchasing a beer from a microbrewery, such as Brutopia and from a megabrewery is that instead of the money going to buy another vacation home or yacht for the CEO, it goes to help pay for braces or dance lessons.

“It’s buying local, and it really does make a difference and it really does impact people and their lives.”

Finishing in second place was Aaron Avery of Big Game Brewing in Kinston while Jones’ teaching partner, Tim Dryden of BrÜtopia, took third.

2nd - Aaron Avery (Big Game Brewing, Kinston NC)

3rd - Tim Dryden (Brutopia, New Bern, NC)

Mari’s Hella Fat Food

A

nyone who visits breweries and bottle shops has seen a food truck or two in the past.

It’s actually a common occurrence since most of them do not have kitchens and it’s easier to have a variety of food trucks come to their location.

The food truck that has made a mission out of traveling around to breweries and bottle shops throughout North Carolina.

Mari’s Hella Fat Food is just one year old has already setup and served food at dozens of breweries and bottle shops since starting. Mari’s is based out of New Bern, but you’ll rarely see them there because they are always on the road to places like Raleigh,

BY DANIEL HAND

Wilmington, Greenville, Surf City and Roxboro.

Mari’s thinking is that they never want to be in one place too often, because people have a tendency to get burned out on the same thing over and over. They decided to branch out and travel to a variety of places instead of staying local. The response has been overwhelming with over 125 “5” star reviews on Facebook, not to mention Yelp and Google reviews. They are booked through all of 2019 at this time and is booking for 2020 already.

Mari says there are always breweries and bottle shops inquiring about their availability but unfortunately right now they are booking many months out, so last minute booking are next to impossible to do.

Why Mari’s Hella Fat Food? Mari is a craft beer junkie and has visited tons of breweries and bottle shops and attended numerous beer festivals, to include The Great American Beer Festival in Denver a couple of times over the years.

This resulted in eating delicious food from a variety of food trucks.

“I have a passion for food and obviously beer,” she said, “so when we link up with these killer breweries, it’s a match made in heaven.”

Mari said she wanted a menu that spoke to everyone. Good food you can eat, and not some theme that focuses on a sole style that would exclude some people. Mari’s Hella Fat Food settled on sliders. Everything is hand made from the hamburgers hand pattied, slow cooked pulled pork, bacon jam and crisp slaw. The only items they say they can’t take credit for are the tots and the buns, though “not for lack of trying.”

They were approached by Salty Turtle Beer Co. to come out and serve brunch. What is better than Nutella pancakes or bacon grease biscuits paired with STBC’s Breakfast Stout? A few other places have caught on and now Mari’s has added brunch items to the menu.

On top of serving food, Mari’s Hella Fat Food also focuses on giving back and has done so in a variety of ways, such as providing

Best Food Truck

free food during Hurricane Florence to residents of New Bern, Pollocksville and Trenton. Mari’s also gives a portion of all proceeds to a select charity each quarter.

The first choice was a nobrainer because the team recently lost family members to Parkinson’s, so they hooked up with Bethany Richards and Pedaling for Parkinson’s The Bike Box Project to help her cause fighting against Parkinson’s disease.

The second quarter of 2019 was Eastern North Carolina Stop Human Trafficking and last quarter was the Colonial Capital Humane Society.

“Yes we are a business, but it’s important to remember there are those in need and we want to do our part whenever we can”. Mari’s also has given a portion of all proceeds during events when they are supporting a local cause.

You can visit Mari’s Hella Fat Food at www.MarisHellaFatFood. com and click on “Events” to see where they will be next.

Fishtowne Brew House

B y K aren a . M ann

There was a time when people who inhabit the coast of North Carolina wouldn’t dare eat a green gill oyster. According to local lore, a green gill, which gets its distinct color from algae in local waters, would almost certainly make the consumer sick. All the while, the same species of oyster was eagerly sought after across the ocean in France, where the bivalve’s distinct, briny flavor made it a delicacy.

Joey McClure, one of the owners of Beaufort’s Fishtowne Brew House, was among those Carteret County natives who were taught not to eat green gills, but changed his mind after a local marine biologist, who had created a company selling the “Atlantic Emerald” oyster, told the oyster’s story and explained why they are actually the cream of the crop of local shellfish.

“I was fascinated because I grew up thinking they were

inferior,” McClure says.

Next thing you know, the lowly Green Gill was the starring ingredient in the brewery’s “Atlantic Emerald Oyster Stout.”

“We power washed them, got them all nice and clean. Of course you put them in boiling water so it’ll kill whatever’s in there anyway,” says brewer Schuyler Munden. “We separated them out into three onion sack bags and put them in the last 10 minutes of the boil. You just ease them down in there.”

The result is a balanced beer with a good mouthfeel that’s not overly roasty and a nonaggressive salinity. It’s guaranteed to impress craft beer afficionados while satisfying the random tourist who finds his or her way into the tiny brewery, centrally located in America’s favorite small town.

Fishtowne came to life after McClure and Munden, two local homebrewers who got to know each other over Facebook, took first prize at the annual Mill Whistle Home Brew competition with their “Love the One You’re Wit.” Mill Whistle, of course, was the first brewery in Beaufort, and its annual competition has become an eagerly awaited showcase of local homebrew

a brewery for years,” says McClure, who owns the restaurants Aqua and Clawson’s in town. Then McClure’s business partner found out that the owners of a local seafood restaurant had decided to sell their centrally located building and get out of the business. After crunching some numbers and realizing they could rent two-thirds of the space to Turner Street Market, the group decided that the idea was viable. For McClure, there was only one choice for a brewer.

“It was natural to have Schuyler be the brewer,” McClure says about his partner. “That’s what he wanted to do. We still do things together but Schuyler is the one who brews and runs the brewery.”

McClure, for his part, helps with the recipes.

A large part of Fishtowne’s success can be attributed to the camaraderie many North Carolina brewers feel toward each other.

“The whole process of us opening up was like this brotherhood of brewers,” says McClure, noting help from Deep River Brewing, Mother Earth Brewing, Atlantic Brew Supply and Crystal Coast Brewing. At one point, the Fishtowne team road

MundenandMcClure.

camper and helped brew a 15-barrel milkshake IPA.

Though the brewery has only been open since May 2018, they’ve already built a solid following. Business climbed over the winter, signifying a strong local following. Meanwhile, the brand new Beaufort bridge and a new upscale hotel down the street are bringing tourists into town to tour the sights and sample the beer. Signature brews include the Munden Fog, a hazy New England style IPA and the Three Sheets tripple. Even people from outside the county are beginning to notice. The Oakwood Pizza Box and Daily Pint in Raleigh are carrying the brewery’s beers. Having the beers available to an outside audience is especially meaningful to McClure.

“Being in the restaurant business, people come and eat and enjoy your food, and that’s neat,” McClure says. “It’s different when people are like, ‘I want to take your product and sell it in my business.’ It’s just different — not only do you want to come and have something, but you want to take it and showcase it in your business. That’s kind of special to me.”

Atlantic Emerald Oyster Stout

By Lewis Smith

Once a series gets to the third installment, one is tempted to get a little adventurous with the format in an effort to keep interest. Either that, or they just do it in 3D.

Since the latter option isn’t available to us, we here at Carolina BrewScene decided to pivot a little for our third time round. After our first installment of Ales from

THE CANDY: Candy Corn

I’ve always felt like candy corn is one of those dividing lines between childhood and adulthood. When you’re a kid, you can’t get enough of it — you eat huge handfuls of it at a time and stick them on the ends of your teeth to pretend you have fangs, etc. Then, at a certain age, you eat a single piece of it and you’re asking yourself why you’re chewing a sicklysweet Yankee Candle. I can’t say your hair immediately starts going gray once you experience this moment, but I’m also not not saying that.

the Crypt detailed horror icons, then followed with ghost stories, this time, we’re doing things different: we’re bridging Halloween fun from the realm of childhood to the realm of adulthood. That’s right — this time we’re pairing six classic Halloween candies with six beers. Spooky fun will, no doubt, ensue!

THE BEER: Surf Wax IPA (Burial Beer Company, Asheville)

From North Carolina’s much-beloved Burial comes this West Coast IPA, which is … not bad. It’s hoppy as hell, of course (comes with the territory) but has a gentler, sweeter finish, which makes for a more pleasant drinking experience, and a welcome break from my usual experiences with hyper-hoppy IPAs, where it feels like I’ve tried to chug an entire Douglas fir tree. I don’t think I’ve found the perfect Burial beer for me just yet, but I found this eminently crushable.

THE CANDY: Smarties

Smarties were some of the most highly-prized Halloween candy back in the day because they’re basically 99 percent sugar and 1 percent some vague tart flavoring. A kid who’d gotten particularly lucky on Halloween could use a surplus of Smarties to barter for higherticket candy from a sibling or a friend and also prepare themselves for a career later on in life as a commodities trader.

Either that, or just hoard all of them and go around with a sour face and a sugar high that lasts until Thanksgiving.

THE BEER: Margarita Gose (Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Boone)

This was far too perfect a match to pass up. This selection of AMB brings the tartness, with a hint of the sharp flavor you’d expect from something named after margaritas, but finishes out with a nice sweetness that makes it very crisp and pleasant to drink.

A nice refreshing beer perfect for late summer, or any time really. This was my first taste of AMB’s offerings, but this was a solid start from them, for sure.

THE CANDY: Atomic Fire Balls

For those of you who wondered what we did before “eat the ghost pepper” challenges, meet the Atomic Fire Ball. The great thing about Atomic Fire Balls comes in big bags for cheap. A few bucks gets you a lot of long lasting cinnamonny mouth-burning fury that you can hand out one or two at a time to unsuspecting trick-or-treaters.

THE BEER: Hot Pistol Chocolate Raspberry Habanero Stout (Noda Brewing, Charlotte)

This was an utterly crazy mixture that if you had told me prior to starting I would have imagined would be a disaster on the palate, but it’s quite amazing. A rich sweet initial chocolate taste yields a little tartness, followed by the peppery fire of the habaneros, finishing with a little sweet and savory chocolate at the end. It’s amazing how perfectly Noda managed to hit every note, but it’s a very impressive effort from them. It’s not what I’d call crushable (unless you have a cast-iron gut, of course), but if you like intricate tastes, this is worth a look.

THE CANDY: Mary Jane

No, not the ones you get from the CBD store — those are actually edible. Mary Janes are — well, if there’s such a thing as candy that doesn’t try very hard, Mary Janes is candy that doesn’t try at all. They were basically an inedible lump of glop that can only be chewed by those with much grit and determination. Despite this, I’m told people enjoyed these, and when they tell me this, I usually stare at them for a good long time as if to determine where and when their lives went so badly wrong.

THE BEER: Chapel Hill Toffee Stout (Carolina Brewery, Chapel Hill)

Well, it wasn’t quite the toffee overload I imagined it would be, but this special offering from our pals at Carolina Brewing was quite a ride all the same — there’s a roast flavor all the way through it, with a sweet finish. You can get notes of toffee (along with some caramel and chocolate) flavoring through the sip, and the overall flavor feels somewhere between a coffee porter and Crunch N’ Munch.

It’s not bad at all, but don’t go in expecting something overly gooey and sweet. In this, it is much like the Mary Jane. But far easier to chew.

THE CANDY: Hershey's Miniatures

If ever you despair for the state of democracy, I ask you to consider the beautiful plurality of the Hersey's Miniature's bag. An assortment of the most popular candies in the Hershey chocolate galaxy, the Miniatures contain, plenty of plain ol' chocolate for the middle of the road folks, a few Mr. Goodbar's for those that like nuts in their chocolate, a couple Krackles for those eccentric souls who like a little crispy in their cocoa, and about four Hershey's Special Darks, for those highbrow discerning types who want nothing but the best. The point is, there's something for everyone, assuming everyone at least loves some kind of chocolate.

THE BEER: Midnight Brue Stout (Bruprint Brewing, Apex)

Robert Frost was acquainted with the night, and I am wellacquainted with the powerful dark magic that is Brueprint’s Midnight Brue. A magnificent American Stout that pours dark and has rich, roast flavoring throughout before finishing with some syrupy sweetness.

It’s a perfect stout for those times when you want big stout flavor, but maybe you have plans for the rest of the day and can’t afford to sit out the next few hours while you recover from your brain feeling like someone clubbed it with a Volkswagen.

THE CANDY: Candy Necklace

The candy necklace was like the winning lottery ticket on Halloween night. Sure, the candy was hard and barely flavorful, but in terms of sheer candy-to-treat-volume ratio, the candy necklace was some high-tier stuff, even if it was more for show than for feasting upon.

Should you find the concept of a candy necklace to be ostentatious and inapplicable to a craft beer magazine, I invite you to count the number of pretzel necklaces at the next beer

THE BEER: Sticky Situation Cinnamon Bun Stout (Legal Remedy Brewing,

S.C.)

Interesting little beer, this. Not QUITE the sugary overload promised by the name, but there is a through-line of sweetness from the first sip to the finish, but there’s also some hints of roast flavor and a hint of malt and nuttiness was detected as well. I can’t say the effect was a one-to-one match with eating an actual cinnamon bun, but it wasn’t bad enjoyed on it own merits, really.

Legal Remedy’s become a favorite brewery of mine thanks to their deftness with flavor profiles, and this was no exception. I’m looking forward to sampling more of their beers.

And there you go — a well-filled pillowcase full of candy and beer to close out this hallowed evening, and not a hidden razor blade in the bunch! Join us next time, when we cast yet another hex (in that there’s six of them. We’re not witches — we don’t have the hats for that) on your pure brewing satisfaction!

By Daniel Hand

People who live in this charming little town on two rivers actually call the location James City. Everybody seems very excited at having a new place to hang out on “this side of the bridge.”

The Garage actually is a garage. It was originally Township 7 EMS and used to be Convalescent Transports Ambulance service and most recently, a car wash. A lot of hours went into transforming the spot by the small staff. Have you ever experienced walking into a taproom or seeing someone else walk into a craft beer place asking for a Coors, Miller or Budweiser? You can literally hear a pin drop. You’ve seen it. You’d think said person killed your little sister. The bartenders faces can’t hide the disgust, the other patrons are scoffing. “You drink beer that isn’t craft? What is wrong with you?”

The Garage realizes you’re a grownup and can drink whatever brings a smile to your lips. There are 10 craft beers on tap, three macro beers and an amazing wine selection. Cans and bottles of beer and wine are chilling in a cooler for on premise drinking, the prices are

very reasonable as well.

When you enter The Garage, you’re inside the virtual reality and arcade area. Here you might see the local CrossFit members playing VR all egging each other on, laughing at all the antics. You might even see a set of parents and kids playing Pac Man or a couple on date night engaged in a pinball war. Up a short set of stairs you walk into the bar itself. The bar-top and floor are absolutely stunning.

They’ve only been open a short period of time but already have their regulars. Friendly bartenders are pouring ladies monster-sized glasses filled with Quilt. Guys are throwing darts enjoying their macro beers. Beer geeks are chatting about some Hi-Wire Salted Maple 10W-40 or Maneater IPA. There are four big screen TVs behind the bar.

You’ll find the “Beer It Forward” sign with a slew of names that friends have purchased their beer in advance, kind of like paying it forward. The board stays full of names and it’s awesome seeing someone’s face light up when they realize someone has prepaid for a beer for them.

When you get your beverage of choice, you’ll receive a ticket to place in one of two charity jars. Quarterly, a portion of proceeds will go to the charity with the most tickets.

Go out back and get away from the highway traffic in the nice yard. Play some giant Jenga or Yard Yahtzee. Or simply just enjoy a nice day under the shade of the giant pine tree with the family or friends. The Garage is trying to bring people together through beverages, virtual reality, arcade games and other events on a monthly

rotation like Sunday Reggae Yoga, friendly cooking competitions, Robes & Mimosas. They have planned a long drive contest for Father’s Day. Dads only with the winner getting a really sweet prize.

They host food trucks on the weekends and Wednesday nights. Live music is starting to fill up some weekend days on the calendar. They are starting up a jam session night as well as Hymns & Beers. The Garage also recently agreed to sponsor the New Bern Rugby team.

Make sure next time you’re headed to or from the beach to stop on in. Have something refreshing to drink, grab food from a food truck and enjoy yourself in an atmosphere that is beer geek, beer snob, family- and dogfriendly. You can’t miss them. They’re right underneath their own giant billboard.

You can visit The Garage at www. TheGarageNC.com

TheThe Garage is New Bern’s brand new taproom.

Everyone Has An Opinion

By Dave Tollefsen

Back in the day when the NCBeerGuys first started, there were only 56 breweries in North Carolina. We thought we would do a weekly series of North Carolina beer reviews to enlighten our audience to the beers that were available.

Since our scope was limited to only beers in our state, it didn’t seem like a big daunting task with the exception of actually getting the beers. There were already beer review sites, blogs, podcasts and videos out there but it wasn’t overwhelming — yet — and we figured we’d join the ranks to offer our opinion.

We decided to create a “unique” rating system for what we liked: A Growler meant the beer was exceptional and worthy to enjoy a full growler; a Pint meant the beer is OK — passable but didn’t really reach our expectations; and then the Trash Can, which was obvious that we weren’t pleased with the beer.

We had our own opinions on each of them and weren’t afraid to say what we thought. We got to around our 150th review and we started to think about what we were doing. Everyone has a different palate and we felt that reviewing a beer — dissecting it based on the brewery’s description — was a little bit too subjective. Now, if a beer has an off-flavor or other issue, that’s a different story but even

then we weren’t cicerones or BJCP certified judges so who were we to be an authority on that?

There were so many beers that we tried that claimed “this or that” was in it yet we couldn’t taste it. Does that make it a bad beer?

If we broadcast that out and then viewers try it and think the flavor was prominent, what are they going to think of our reviews? We have all the respect in the world for people who are blessed with amazing palates. They can detect off-flavors we’ve never heard of and if a beer had 10 different hops, they could probably deduce which hops and when they were added during the brewing process. That’s great to make sure the beer is the best quality but can they tell you what you like? A master cicerone or master BJCP judge can rate an IPA as flawless and superior and then you run out to get it but think “well, it’s OK”

We saw the growth of social media apps regarding beer reviews and the reliance upon them. Everybody now has an opinion they can post instantly and some really should have thought a little bit more before hitting the “submit” button. When there are a lot of reviews for a beer, it eventually averages out good or bad, letting you get a good idea of the beer, but there are some reviews that just shouldn’t be and all the breweries have seen them.

Unfortunately, it’s the early consensus that may be damaging to a beer’s reputation if it gets off to a bad start. The NCBeerGuys created a beer that is at NoDa Brewing called Hot Pistol, which is a chocolate raspberry habanero stout — there’s a lot going on but it’s awesome. It had a lot of good reviews though we saw reviews for one star because one person didn’t like pepper beers, another thought it was too hot yet another thought it wasn’t hot enough. That follows along with one star reviews for IPAs because they’re bitter or not bitter enough.

It’s like seeing a beautiful sunset in Key West and you hear “ooohs and ahhhhs” from the crowd yet one person says “I’ve seen better.” It brings back subjectivity because everyone is unique, with their own opinions, likes and dislikes.

We took lessons learned and our next few hundred videos were all about informing our audience about a beer and the brewery that produced it. We still pursued beers from all over the state, discussed what we thought about them but emphasized that the viewer should make their own opinion when they try it for themselves. Use reviews as light suggestions — but the best judge for a beer is the person drinking it.

By Don Rowell & Paul McDermott

YOU USUALLY PAY

FOR THAT DOUBLE COTTON

Part 2

In the last article we discussed how to get more variety out of your brew day. In this segment we will focus on getting more volume out of your brew day.

This can be achieved one of two ways. One takes more time and the other takes more money. For homebrewers, time is cheaper than equipment, so most people will think more about taking the time route. As with most of our articles, this can be applied to both extract and all-grain brewing.

After you’ve been brewing for a while, you quickly learn that five gallons of beer really isn’t that much beer. By the time you give bottles away to family and friends to show off your brewing skills, you might be lucky to have a case (24 bottles) left for yourself. Seeing that it takes at least a month to produce a new beer, a case of beer is not much beer for you after all the effort you’ve put in.

The first and easiest way to get more volume out of your brew day is to obviously do bigger batches. This is the money route. Other than using your current fermenters, you will have to buy or make a new larger brewhouse and get additional fermenters. If you have the money, this is the way to go. Keep in mind that as you go bigger, you may also need to change your setup by adding pumps to your brewhouse. It’s not as easy picking up large vessels of 10+ gallons of water, wort, etc. to drain into another as it was at five gallons.

Time is on your side when it comes to saving a little cash. The other way to get more volume is to simply brew more batches. Before you put that equipment away on brew day, do a second batch. You don’t need a new brewhouse for this, but you will still need to get more fermenters. Good thing is, fermenters are a lot cheaper than a new brewhouse unless you are able to build a

brewhouse out of other vessels (see Fall 2018 issue).

If you’re like most homebrewers, you do a deep cleaning of all your equipment after you’re done brewing for the day. When you do back-to-back brewing on the same day, you just need to do a quick rinse of the equipment and brew the next batch. There is very little added cleaning to your process. If you’re an all-grain brewer, you can have your second mash going as your boiling and cooling your first batch. The advantage of this route is that you can do two completely different beers on brew day. You could do a light beer and a dark beer, hoppy beer and a wheat beer, etc.

In time you may be able to do both routes and achieve even more volume. As with most things homebrewing, you get and add things to your home brewery over time to absorb the cost. We started off doing five-gallon batches, moved to 10-gallon batches and now do double 10-gallon batches. We have a very small brew space and have to completely set up and tear down all the equipment on brew day. Start to finish it takes us at our very best five hours to do a 10-gallon batch of an all-grain beer. We are now doing 20 gallons in about seven-and-a-half to eight hours consistently by brewing two batches.

As you can see with a little extra time, you get twice the volume. If we combine both parts of how to get more out of your brew day (parts 1 and 2 to this article), we could have up to four different beers in an eight-hour brew day. If you are doing five-gallon batches, it will take even less time because it takes less time to heat and cool five gallons. Extract brewers could do it at a fraction of that time. We’ve heard of extract brewers doing as many as four five-gallon batches in one brew day.

Now keep in mind that with more volume comes more bottling. This is where kegging becomes more practical and just another added benefit to why a lot of homebrewers eventually move in that direction (we’ll discuss kegging in our next article).

Getting more volume out of your brewing is kind of a no-brainer, but we believe a lot of people may feel they don’t have the time to put into it. As you can see from this article, the time is minimal compared to the results you get and more importantly, the more beer you get to keep for yourself.

We hope you enjoyed this two-part series and we thank you for your support. Til next time … keep the burners lit, the spoons stirring and most importantly, remember the words of the great homebrewing pioneer, Charlie Papazian, “The best beer in the world is the one you brewed.”

Cheers!

DECEMBER 8, 2019

BY KESHA WILLIAMS

MILL CHILL

December is just a few calendar pages away. Michael Forrester is focused on the second Sunday, Dec. 8, when hundreds of visitors and locals will gather at Rocky Mount Mills for the Mill Chill.

This year marks the fourth year the event has drawn participants for a day of friendly competition and benevolence. Some participants will opt for the 1.5 mile walk/run while others will select the fourmile race. That four-mile trek will lead them through the scenic route of Rocky Mount’s Battle Park. Prizes are in store for the winners of the four-mile race that include runners from the teen years and runners over age 70.

Forrester, coordinator of the event, said proceeds will again benefit the Greater Carolina Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Forrester’s wife, Ursula, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2014 but has maintained an active lifestyle that included multiple races and marathons. She remains his inspiration and will assist as event coordinator.

“I love to do this event. We are passionate about this and raising awareness of multiple sclerosis. The funds we raise contribute toward the research and hopefully one day a cure for MS,” Forrester said. “Right now the numbers (of registered participants) are about where they were this time last year. People tend to register over time and more will register nearer the date of the event.

“It’s good to know many of the

breweries who come to this event bring some of the runners needed to form teams for the race. Other runners will come on their own or in small groups.”

The breweries bring a refreshing blend of craft brews to soothe thirsty runners after the race and the fans who come to support of the event. Forrester notes a luscious selection of craft brews is just the fundraiser bait needed to lure a crowd of Carolinians who have witnessed an increasing number of breweries rise across the state. Twenty guest, craft breweries will complement the selection of beers served daily by breweries located at Rocky Mount Mills. The chance to sample craft beers is a simple, but measured pleasure after the race.

“I make it clear that it is not our objective for people to come here and get drunk. People can go elsewhere and find beer fests where they will drink rounds of beer. With this event, we show that people can run then responsibly drink and celebrate,” Forrester said. “It’s common for breweries to have running clubs associated with them so having breweries sponsor the race brings more people to the event. Some breweries attending this year are new to the Mill Chill. We’re looking forward to a crowd of hopefully 600 to 800 people that Sunday.”

The race begins at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 8. Forrester said he expects to see some runners returning to the event after participating in past years. The minimum number

of people needed to form a team is five girls, five guys but it is not uncommon for teams to include more than 10 runners.

Forrester estimates 80 percent are not residents of Rocky Mount. They come from Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Roanoke Rapids and many other communities where runners are active. Some run for exercise and enjoy a few events per year. Others are building on a career of races that began in their in their high school or college years. Participants in this race receive a Mill Chill race shirt, a customized race number and a commemorative glass.

Although competition churns the wheels of the Mill Chill, the thrills of the day aren’t limited to walkers and runners. Forrester is confident the restaurants of Rocky Mount Mills and two, guest topnotch food trucks — Wandering Moose and CockADoodleMoo — will win more fans to this event. The band of the day, Matty Begs, has roots in Wilson and Rocky Mount. They will entertain the crowd from 2 to 5 p.m.

All registered runners have free access to the post race celebration. Guests come for free or can become a supporter. For $18, donors age 18 and over, will receive an event shirt, a commemorative tasking glass and two craft beer samples. Registration for the competition is underway and will continue through Oct. 31. Visit https://www.millchill.com for all the details.

Bravo Alpha Initiative

There is more work to do

By Jessie H. Nunery

Bravo Alpha has done so much good in the New Bern community and beyond, but founder and retired Marine Dustin Canestorp cannot bring himself to settle on the past.

He knows there is more work to do.

Bravo Alpha started as a beer idea, grew into sharing tasty beverages with those in Canestorp’s circle and ultimately has become a nonprofit entity that has grown into sending kids to college, helping public citizens and organizations and bringing together communities through beer, physical fitness and more.

“We have been hugely successful, and our events have represented the best of what New Bern is — but I honestly had lost some fulfillment,” Canestorp said.

Originally started as Beer Army, the 501c(3) took shape when Canestorp served in the Marine Corps in Iraq and dealt with the loss of his friend, Capt. Todd Seibert.

In a YouTube video listed on bravoalpha. org, Canestorp talks about leaving Iraq in pursuit of his “American Dream,” which was enjoying the beer brewing process and doing something impactful with it.

The outcome of following Canestorp’s dream has been measurable. According

to bravoalpha.org, the Bravo Alpha Foundation has awarded 54 scholarships, nearly $300,000 in aid and support to charitable causes and has helped with nearly $5 million in economic impact.

Bravo Alpha has done it through community engagement that has included its Pathfinders program that uses physical activity events such as running and biking to bring together people and communities. It also raises funds through beer festivals and a commercial beer competition named Beer Wars.

Beer Army’s beer has been featured in events across the state, the region and the United States. Beer Army Burger Company

houses the beer, trivia nights and donates to a variety of charities.

Even with all the success, Canestorp has his mind on greater things. He is an open book when it comes to discussing his battle with Post-Traumatic Stress.

He refuses to use the word “disorder,” saying that it is an injury. He doesn’t want to do a disservice to those, who like himself, who have put their lives on the line for the country.

But this isn’t about Canestorp, so he and Bravo Alpha Director Cristi Smith are redirecting the organization’s mission to do more for veterans, first responders and othrs.

The statistics that show 22 military veterans per day take their own lives is something that will now push the Bravo Alpha Foundation.

Yes, they will smile and celebrate during events where beer is served, but true satisfaction will come in aiding those who literally have put their lives at risk.

“I really don’t need any affirmation,” Canestorp said. “I like to see people pay it forward. I’m more concerned with making things better.”

Goldsboro Girls Pint Out Goldsboro Girls Pint Out Goldsboro Girls Pint Out

By Kaycee Ingram

Girls Pint Out is a national craft beer organization for women. Our mission is to build a community of women who love craft beer and who are an active, contributing part of the greater craft beer community. Through social media, blog posts, and local events hosted by chapters, Girls Pint Out offers a forum for discussion, education, and fun. Events are educational, charitable, and/ or social. The majority of events are womenonly, but sometimes men are invited. There is no membership process – just join us for a pint!

Girls Pint Out originated in Indianapolis, Indiana in early 2010. The Girls Pint Out movement quickly spread to Arizona and Texas. Today Girls Pint Out has more than 100 chapters in over 30 states and Washington D.C.

The Goldsboro Girls Pint Out Chapter was founded in October 2019 by Kaycee Ingram. Ingram first became involved with Girls Pint Out through the Greenville chapter while in graduate school at ECU. Girls Pint Out had provided her the opportunity to meet new friends and to share her love of craft beer, so it only seemed right to bring this same opportunity to the women of Goldsboro!

Their first event was held in November at Well Travelled Beer in downtown Goldsboro with over fifty women in attendance. This event featured beer from Bombshell Brewing Company, to highlight the only all female owned brewery in North Carolina, with an added bonus of a pint glass giveaway. January's event was back at Well Travelled Beer and featured a can recycling drive. Women were asked to bring in any cans for recycling or make a donation. All money

earned from the recycling of the cans and from the donations went to benefit Cures for the Colors. Through this event, Well Travelled Beer and Goldsboro Girls Pint Out raised $300 for Cures for the Colors. Cures for the Colors is a non-profit organization which supports eastern NC cancer patients and their families in the form of assistance with food costs, rent, and transportation costs. February featured a Galentines Day event at Goldsboro Brew Works and March was a private event R&R Brewing in Mt. Olive. The event hosted at R&R was a private event for the ladies, which included a tour of the facility to learn more about the story behind the brewery and the brewing process. Just this past weekend we wrapped up our latest event at Well Travelled Beer, which was a women's consignment sale. During the month of March, Goldsboro GPO collected gently used women's clothing, shoes, and accessories, for a clothing sale, where everything was sold for $1. All remaining clothing donations and the $320 raised from the clothing sale will go to benefit the Wayne Uplift Resource Association Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program. This association offers domestic violence, sexual assault, and rape crisis services that promote safe, health families and communities. Services include but are not limited to a domestic violence/ sexual assault shelter, a 24 hour hotline, court and victim advocacy, and counseling. Goldsboro GPO is looking forward to our upcoming scheduled events, which includes a fundraising event at Brewmaster's of Goldsboro and a Wine & Design Mother's Day event at R&R Brewing.

Compass Rose Brewery

Compass Rose Brewery is a craft brewery in northeast Raleigh featuring an 11,000-square-foot space with half of the footprint dedicated to a beautifully unique taproom and the other half serving as production space for operation of the 10-barrel brewhouse.

Compass Rose opened its doors for business in May 2015 and began producing beer on site roughly six months later. Owners Jose Luis Martinez and Gary Kohake have a background in agricultural trading — with operations for Mercator Inc. based in Wake Forest. Years ago, they saw an opportunity to fill a demand for local craft beer in the northeastern side of the city.

Since opening, Compass Rose’s spacious taproom — adorned with industrial décor, long beer hall style wooden tables and large windows opening into the brewery — has served as a gathering place for the area neighborhoods surrounding it.

Head Brewer Justin McConkey began homebrewing as a senior at Florida State University in 2003. Brewing at home slowly developed into a passion for McConkey, but it would take years before it led to a professional role.

After graduating with a degree in information technology, McConkey changed course and began working in commercial kitchens, building upon a longstanding love for cooking since growing up and working in kitchens for beer money as a college student. Several sous chef positions and one head chef position later, he transitioned to the world of B2B sales, pushing IT products, copiers and printers and document-management services.

It was through networking as a salesperson that Justin eventually connected with Jose and Gary, which led to a job offer. At the time, the decision to leave the relative security of a white collar sales job for a blue collar job

in manufacturing with lower pay and less benefits was one of the toughest choices he had ever faced — though it was quickly simplified upon realizing the rarity of the opportunity and the certainty of living life regretting the unknowns, if he were to let it pass by.

Justin joined Compass Rose Brewery as general manager in August 2016, overseeing the taproom and working to build an outside sales program then transitioned into the role of head brewer in April 2017.

The spacious and rustically decorated taproom is managed by Bryan Grace — the company’s longest-tenured employee. Bryan started at Compass Rose as a bartender shortly after the opening in 2015 and moved into the role of taproom manager in early 2018. One of Bryan’s main focuses each week is maintaining a constant flow of events to keep the regulars entertained — there’s a constant rotation of food trucks on site, and weekends are often packed with live music, oyster roasts, wing eating competitions and other seasonal festivities drawing large crowds to fill the communal tables.

The brewery’s production volume has continued to climb steadily, and Scott Andujar joined the team as assistant brewer in December 2018 to support that growth.

Compass Rose reached a milestone in late May of this year as its released its first cans of the three flagships in 16-oz four-packs: Crema de Coa cream ale with agave nectar, Scott’s View Scottish export ale and Tidal Break west-coast IPA. More can releases are planned for the year and beyond — and the brewery sells to-go 32-oz crowlers of its draft releases at the taproom.

The company’s next goal will be to expand its brand by opening smaller taprooms around the Triangle and beyond — beginning as early as 2020.

CPower hordsNOWYOU’REPLAYINGWITH

THE STORY OF

Metroid Metal

WHAT WERE YOUR INFLUENCES MUSICALLY, AND HOW DID THEY LEAD YOU TOWARDS METROID AS A FOCUS FOR THE PROJECT?

I’ve definitely had video-game-band influences and regular band influences. The Minibosses, The Advantage, and The NESkimos were the reasons I considered doing a video game cover project to begin with. With regular band influences, it was a lot of the same metal bands that people were enjoying in the early 2000s: Opeth, old Meshuggah, etc. I was inspired by a lot of strange 90s space rock bands like Failure and Hum, so they were a big influence with my chords.

HOW DID THINGS EVOLVE FROM A ONE-MAN PROJECT TO A LIVE ENSEMBLE?

Right after I finished the arrangements of the original NES Metroid, I moved from a cassette 8-track setup to recording on the computer. That allowed me to bring in contributors, and one of my favorite people and biggest Super Metroid fans was my buddy Dan Taylor. We were playing music together, and he lived just outside of Asheville NC where I was. We have collaborated on every song from that point on.

Once we visited MAGFest up in Alexandria VA in 2008, we realized there were other amazing players that were also video game fans. We put the work in and built out a live version of Metroid Metal to perform at the next MAGFest and later at PAX and other conventions. We have been playing live on and off ever since and threw a 15th anniversary show last summer in Houston.

Spinning out of the early 2000s, bands like The Minibosses and The Advantage carved out a unique genre--giving a harder rock and metal sheen to the beloved bleeps and boops of a beloved touchstone of generation X: the Nintendo Entertainment System. This movement grew and matured, generating events like MAGfest, the remix websites Overclocked Remix and Dwelling of Duels, and, in one corner of western North Carolina, a project called Metroid Metal.

Beginning in 2003 as a modest attempt to remake the soundtrack to the NES classic with a fierce, bone-crunching edge, in the 16 years since, Metroid Metal has yielded multiple albums, an all-star touring group, and an enduring fanbase, and led its creator to a long and varied career of creating game music and playing guitar on the Emmy-nominated show Steven Universe.

We sat down with Grant Henry aka Stemage, the guitarist and originator of the project, to talk about the connections between craft beer, classic NES music, North Carolina, SR-388, and cask-strength heavy metal.

And, if he has time, maybe tell us where we can find the Spring Ball, because that’s been driving us nuts.

WHEN THE RETRO-GAME MUSIC REVIVAL CAUGHT FIRE IN THE 2000S, IT WAS HAPPENING CONCURRENTLY WITH THE RISE OF CRAFT BEER, ESPECIALLY IN ASHEVILLE. DID MM LIVE PLAY A LOT OF CRAFT BREWERIES AND RELATED VENUES?

We’ve played a number of local places that served craft brew, but a lot of the nerd music in the mid 2000s had not made its way into local places in smaller cities. Much of the celebration took place at gaming conventions and larger sanctioned events.

The Asheville Comic Expo has always been good about throwing after parties that include nerd bands, and we have enjoyed those a lot. Video game music nerds are the most fun people to drink beer with.

PHOTOS BY ADAM LYON

DO YOU DRINK A LOT OF CRAFT BEER, AND WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE?

I adore craft beer, but my tastes have tapered off over the years. I am sort of waiting for the “hopsplosion" to die off just a bit in the hopes people will experiment with more refreshing and chill beers. The high gravs are great in small amounts, but the 40-year-old headache ain’t the same as the 21-year-old one. Ha!

I’ve been enjoying hoppy pilsners the most recently. I’m a west coaster now, and there are a number of good breweries out here. Northcoast Brewing has some great stuff. Their Scrimshaw is the most refreshing thing you could ask for after a work day, and their Rasputin will knock you over. Deschutes Brewery has some tasty ones including their Fresh Squeezed IPA and Black Butte Porter. Discretion Brewery is right down the street here in Santa Cruz, and I enjoy their Shimmer Pils.

Dogfish Head has made its way out here, and while expensive on this side of the country, I still enjoy a good 90-minute IPA. I was in Asheville when Highland Brewing was just underneath a pizza place. It’s crazy to see what has happened since then.

AS METROID METAL AND MM LIVE BECAME A SUCCESS, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES HAVE OPENED UP FOR Y’ALL?

Well, now I make music for video games, so it has come full circle. Other band members have started other projects, and we have all gotten better at what we do. We have met a number of prominent figures in the game industry, and our music has made it into the hands of Hip Tanaka, the original composer of Metroid. It’s been a wonderful experience. When you’re taking music made for a system with a handful of sound channels and fleshing it out to a full song, what are the challenges you face, and what are you trying for with the final product?

I think everyone that does this has a different goal. Some people try to perform them as close to the original as possible. Some completely eviscerate them and make something new. For the Metroid Metal songs, I try to take the melodies and write something else underneath them. You end up with a mashup of what people find familiar but also some original songwriting as well.

Some people don’t appreciate that method, but I’m doing this project for me and the band, so we don’t care. It’s fun, and we all celebrate game music in our own ways.

SIXTEEN YEARS ON, WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED THROUGH DOING THIS, AND WHAT ARE YOU MOST GRATEFUL FOR?

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

I am really looking forward to the new Devin Townsend and Town Portal albums. Both of those hit in just a few weeks, and it’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited for new albums from bands!

I’ve veered into strange territory regarding my taste. I love funky, superhuman stuff like Vulfpeck, but I also love vaporwave electronic music and a lot of really tasteful metal bands. I love guys like David Maxim Micic and Plini - two super talented guys writing what I call “elevator djent”. I love music that captures rhythmic complexity but ends up being catchy. I’ve also been listening to a band called Aeges that reminds me a lot of the 90s bands I still love.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR METROID METAL?

I think we’ve fallen into the same category as the Minibosses, where we just play when we want or can. We are spread across the country, so it takes an event to get us together. I’m not doing a lot of new Metroid arrangements, but I hope to. We did one show last year, and maybe we’ll do one this year? We’ll see. Hopefully the venues serve good beer.

I think you can draw a direct comparison between video games in music and video games in beer. With music, a bunch of musicians grew up! Now we have a chance to use our craft to honor something we are super fond of. With beer, it’s the same thing. We have a chance to use that craft to honor and appreciate fond memories and entertainment that we hold dear. It’s great, because not only do music and beer bring people together, but so do old video games. It’s the perfect synergy.

I owe a lot to Metroid. Where I live now, my wife, my best friends - I can trace it all back to the first Metroid Metal track some how. I’ve been meaning to get that Metroid tattoo, but I haven’t gotten there yet! I’m grateful for everything.

You can find Metroid Metal on Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp, and most especially at their website, MetroidMetal.com.

You can follow Grant Henry’s work at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Bandcamp (search for Stemage) and at his website, stemagemusic.com

WE'VE SEEN MANY A TAPROOM WITH VIDEO GAMES, AND EVEN MORE BREWERIES WHO HOMAGE CLASSIC GAMES WITH THEIR LABEL DESIGNS AND RELATED SWAG. WHY DO YOU THINK THERE'S AN ABIDING LOVE FOR OLD VIDEO GAMES?