Carolina Brew Scene - Fall 2022

Carolina Eagle (Red Oak)

Carolina Brew Scene

Staff, Credits, & Contributions

Down by the Riverside

Welcome back, yall! We’re on a journey to destinations old and new for this issue, and quite by accident, we ended up with something of a river motif, and us being made how we are, we decided to roll with it.

We start where the Tar and the Pamlico meet with a look at the growing craft scene in little Washington. From there, we take a trip along the Cape Fear to check in with friends old and new in that region, which has seen a boom in new breweries over three counties (with more to come). And then we make for a new port of call due west along the Yadkin to pay a call to Winston-Salem to take in some of their history and check in with their collection of breweries. We’ll also take in the creeks and rivers of Moore County as we take in the Sandhills Pour Tour in between a few rounds on the links, and just to prove we can’t get too far from the water, we stop in at the Rocky Mount Mills for a little fun at River & Twine.

ON THE COVER

We’re also inaugurating a new feature with this issue that we hope will be very popular: Draft Lines. The success of the “brewing through the pandemic” article inspired us to create a permanent forum where members of the craft beer industry can let us know what’s going on down their way in their own words. We’re very happy with the responses we got for this first edition and we’re eager for you to meet and get to know these folks, and we are eternally grateful for their cooperation and their generosity in sharing their stories, because we’ve always felt that Brew Scene is very much a vehicle for sharing those stories and getting across the unique vibe every one of these places has, and we are humbly grateful for their contribution, and investment in the magazine in this way, because we very much want it to be your magazine, as well. And whether you contribute advertising, editorial content, pictures, or even just enthusiastically read our magazine, you’re part of this too, and we’re on this journey together.

So–c’mon along! There’s a lot to see.

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.

Lewis Smith Editor

BREWING ico ON THE

By

JJust a short drive from Greenville, NC is the charming town of Washington. Nestled on the banks of the Pamlico River, it’s a popular destination with its downtown Harbor District, farmer’s market, quaint shops, restaurants, and a variety of activities to enjoy year-round in a family-friendly atmosphere. Over the last two years, the craft beer scene in Washington has expanded, with the opening of several

breweries in the area: Two Rivers Alehouse and Pitt Street Brewing Company on the Pamlico. Both are excited to bring their local brews to the community and beyond, with roots in the town’s past and an eye towards creating a fruitful future.

Pitt Street Brewing Company on the Pamlico, located at 307 West Main Street, began nearby in downtown Greenville, and

opened their satellite taproom in downtown Washington this summer, overlooking the Pamlico River. Pitt Street selected Washington as a second location, because of the ideal location, a desire to contribute to the growing craft beer scene in Little Washington, and their drive to support local businesses, working in concert with organizations like the Chamber of Commerce and the Harbor District Alliance.

Christina Ruotolo

Photos by Peter Ramirez and Bubba Summerlin

“We also couldn’t pass up the location! We are situated squarely on the Pamlico River and it has been a blast so far watching everyone enjoy the space,“ General Manager, Brianna Long says.

According to the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form compiled by Emily Rebert, the building they selected was used as a hay storage facility for the John Havens Moss Mill in the early 1900s. Most recently it was used by the Pamlico Rowing Club, and afterwards sat vacant for some time before H-D Holdings of Washington, LLC acquired the property.

“We began construction in March of this year and opened to the public at the end of June,” Long says.

Pitt Street Brewing Company on the Pamlico provides a diverse selection of tap— both favorites that earned their reputation at the original location as well as special releases exclusive to the Pamlico location. While they’re just getting their feet wet in Washington so far, their future plans are to

contribute to the Washington community in meaningful ways and become a staple to the Beaufort County community.

“We plan to keep a flavorful and intriguing mix of craft beers on tap and expand activities at the boathouse to include trivia, live music, community events, and more,” Long says.

Pitt Street Brewing Company on the Pamlico hosts a run club every Tuesday evening at 6:15pm, with one and three mile run routes. They will have live music on October 22, 2022 and a Halloween party on October 29, 2022. They are open MondayWednesday 4-10pm, Thursday 2-10pm, Friday-Saturday 12-11pm, and Sunday 1-7pm. For more information, visit their website, www.pittstreetbrewing.com, or call 252-2274151.

Another brewery that calls Little Washington home is Two Rivers Alehouse located at 186 East Main Street which opened July 31, 2021. Two Rivers Alehouse is managed by partners Tim and Heather Jackson and Bubba and Belinda Summerlin. Before the

brewery was born, the managing partners, all locals to the area, were looking for a location to open a brewery in a town that offered a family-friendly atmosphere and good foot traffic. Washington, NC fit the bill.

“We loved the small town feel, being close to the waterfront, and felt Washington was

We loved the small town feel, being close to the waterfront, and felt Washington was the best place to set our anchor.

the best place to set our anchor. We received tremendous support from Washington locals, patrons, the City Manager and other businesses, who were so welcoming,” Summerlin says.

Two Rivers Alehouse brews 14 different beers, eight of which are on tap at any given time. Among their most popular brews are Grandpap Island, named after a small island and historical landmark that used to be a short distance away in the Pamlico River, but now is no more than a clump of cypress trees sticking out of the water.

Other crowd favorite brews include an IPA, Channel Marker 16, and a brown ale called the Pamlico Mustache. Many Pamlico boat owners who have navigated the river long enough have noticed upon pulling their boats out of the water, they have a noticeable brown ring around the sides that looks like a brown mustache, hence the name.

You can pair your beer with a variety of coastal themed menu items from their pub menu from pretzel sticks smothered with

crab dip and melted cheddar cheese, stuffed mushrooms, an assortment of sandwiches as well as tailored meat and cheese planks.

Before Two Rivers Alehouse bought the location in the spring of 2021, the building has sat empty for over twenty-five years. In the 1940s and 50s, the location housed KuglerNicholson Sporting Goods, which serviced the community for many years. While Bubba and his crew were starting construction on the location, a man in his 70s came in and reminisced about when he was a kid coming into to Kugler’s to buy his baseballs, baseball gloves and Chuck Taylor tennis shoes.

“It was so great listening to this man talk about his memories here and it just solidified our plans to keep so much of the integrity of the space from the exposed brick walls and high ceilings” Bubba Summerlin says.

Not only did they get to hear first-hand about the history of the building, but they were able to find out one of Mr. Kugler’s daughters, Reid Kugler Solomon was still alive and living nearby in Bath.

“We decided to brew a special hazy IPA called Kugler’s Victory in honor of the family and it went over extremely well with the community and a great way to keep the history of this location and family alive,” Summerlin says.

The future looks happy, or we should say “hoppy,” and the brewery is excited to keep brewing delicious new beers for their patrons to enjoy, and looks forward to growing along with Washington’s community. October is finally here and Two Rivers Alehouse will have Oktoberfest festivities through the entire month, including food specials, seasonal beers and more. Two Rivers Alehouse is open Wednesday-Thursday 4pm-9pm, Friday 3pm-10pm., Saturday 12pm.-10pm and Sunday 1pm.-6pm., They are closed on Mondays and Tuesday in order to brew. For more information, call 252-339-5245 or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ TwoRiversBrew.

Cape Fear Craft Charting New Courses: is Moving Forward Beer Alliance

by Lewis Smith

SSince 2016, the Cape Fear Craft Beer Alliance has been working to unify the breweries, bottle shops, restaurants, and other beer related business in the Cape Fear region into a collective whole, From those modest beginnings six years ago, the Alliance has expanded to encompass three counties with a substantial clientele of members, and Wilmington and the surrounding area has become a prime mover in the North Carolina craft beer scene.

We sat down with Ellie Craig, the head of the Cape Fear Craft Beer Alliance to chart the course they’ve been on for the past 6 years and get a glimpse into what the future holds for one of North Carolina's most vital craft regions.

Photos contributed by the Cape Fear Craft Beer Alliance

What is the Cape Fear Craft Beer Alliance and how did it start? What are the general month in & month-out activities that the Alliance does with local breweries? What non-profits do you work with?

The Cape Fear Craft beer Alliance is a registered 501(c)6 non-profit league of beercentric business in the tri-county region of New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties. We formed the CFCBA in 2016 as we began to see the rise in local craft breweries, taprooms, bottle shops and craft beer tourism. We hoped to establish a central line of communication for our breweries, create collaboration over competition, and craft beer events that would aid in marketing our region as a craft beer destination. Over the course of the past 6 years, we have accomplished that and so much more.

With over 20 local breweries and more currently under construction, several bottle shops, taprooms, and craft beer bars, and local brewery tours, the Cape Fear Region has a thriving craft beer scene that continues to grow.

SmartAsset.com has listed Wilmington, NC as a top city in the nation for craft beer drinkers for the past 5 years based on our number of breweries per capita and price per pint. We have also had several other North Carolina breweries opening taprooms and extending distribution to our coast, as well.

CFCBA hosts membership socials throughout the year, like our annual Oyster Roast and Chili Cook-Off, to engage our membership, discuss our initiatives, and network with one another. We also host Cape Fear Craft Beer the last week of March and Halfway There: a celebration of locally crafted beer and the halfway mark to Beer Week in September. Cape Fear Craft Beer Week will take place Friday, March 24th through Sunday, April 2nd, 2023. CFCBW is a celebration of locally craft beer in coastal North Carolina. This week will feature craft beer related events throughout the Cape Fear Region. Highlighted events are The Ultimate Brewing Championship on Friday, March 24th at the Hannah Block USO Building in downtown Wilmington and Cape Fear Craft and Cuisine at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher

on Saturday, April 1st.

The Ultimate Brewing Championship is a friendly, wrestling-themed beer competition. Brewers select two ingredients in a draft to brew a beer with. The blind-tasting competition winner is decided by people’s choice and the winner takes home the coveted championship wrestling belt. Tickets are $25 and will be available online.

Cape Fear Craft & Cuisine is Saturday, April 1st. This event pairs local craft brewers with amazing local chefs to create a featured beer and a paired dish. With 20-25 tasting stations, this event has become a premier culinary experience that sells out annually. Tickets are $100, BUT early bird stocking stuffer tickets go on sale Black Friday, November 25th through Christmas Eve.

CFCBA has worked with several nonprofit organizations, like NourishNC and Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry, to raise funds through craft beer sales and events. We also brew a collaboration beer during Cape Fear Craft Beer Week that benefits NourishNC and their efforts to help feed children in our immediate area.

During the pandemic shutdown, CFCBA took funds that would have been utilized to host Cape Fear Craft Beer Week and coordinated a Free Grocery Program for those that lost their jobs in the service industry. We had over 250 families sign up for Free Groceries during that time. That program lasted several months and helped hundreds of families in need. We also worked with New Hanover County Health Department and the City of Wilmington to create a vaccination program at local breweries called “A Shot and A Beer”.

We recently coordinated a Brewery Recycling Program through UNCW that reduces the environmental footprint of our industry substantially. We are now recycling woven polyester malt bags and shrink wrap used in shipping products used for brewing.

UNCW Hospitality Management Department is also in the process of doing an economic impact study on our Craft Beer Industry, indicating that our growth is having a large impact on our local tourism and economy.

How does the Cape Fear Region compare with other craft beer hotbeds like Charlotte, Asheville, and Raleigh?

While Charlotte and Ashville have more breweries than Wilmington in terms of sheer number, our breweries per capita fall in line with those craft beer scenes but with a completely different feel. Not only do visitors

get to experience some amazing breweries, but also, they get to do that with coastal Carolina as a backdrop. Our area beaches, historic downtown, and coastal climate are the perfect backdrop for craft beer tourism. The craft beer scene in Wilmington is very much about collaboration over competition and that, combined with the southern hospitality you find in this region, makes for a great weekend beach trip even in the offseason.

How are Pender and Brunswick counties developing their craft beer scene, and how do they interact with the breweries in New Hanover County?

Salty Turtle Beer Company up in Pender County has an awesome footprint that they have developed. They are distributing all over the area and have expanded with an event space, The Cove. They are very active in our

craft beer community in conjunction with the CFCBA. Topsail Brewing Company is slated to open this October. Brunswick County currently showcases Makai Brewing Company with 5 new breweries and a cidery opening soon. These include Brunswick Brewery & Cidery, Leland Brewing Company, Cape Side Brewing Co., and Solar Brewing Company to name a few. Lonerider recently opened a taproom in Oak Island, as well.

What is the vision for the Alliance and the Cape Fear region as we move into 2023? We're post-shutdown, and there are a lot of challenges still before us, but what does the future look like in the Cape Fear Craft Beer scene? Do you see CFCBWeek becoming a larger regional event that becomes a tourist destination for craft beer tourism?

Cape Fear Craft Beer Week continues to gain momentum. This celebration of locally craft beer takes place the last week of March each year and the events, collaboration, beer releases, and excitement are all heightened with new breweries, taprooms, and bottle shops opening around town to support this vibrant craft beer scene. Beer Week gives us another reason to work together as a team to create something special for people visiting our region and locals alike. Our hope is that Cape Fear craft beer will become synonymous with craft beer travel nationwide.

"The craft beer scene in Wilmington is very much about collaboration over competition ."

GOLF

IN MOORE POUR& W

S tory & P hoto S by P hil W erz

hen you hear “Pinehurst,” thoughts immediately race to a destination dripping in golf history, U.S. Open championships and a Payne Stewart fist pump. All true of course, but while the destination is recognized as the undisputed Home of American Golf, the Sandhills region of North Carolina is becoming known for more than just golf.

As of 2021, Moore County is now the tenth highest tourism economy in the state, based on visitor spending. While tourism, specifically golf, is the major attraction, the Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen area is known for its burgeoning local foodie scene, unique shopping experiences, growing live music culture and a craft brewery craze, among other attractions and businesses sprouting up like the tall longleaf pines that adorn the area.

One of the newest things to do for residents and visitors is the Sandhills Pour Tour. The tour was created by the local convention and visitors bureau and takes participants on an adventure throughout Moore County and to an assortment of breweries, a bottle shop and a cider house.

You can pick up a passport at any of the participating stops along the tour including Southern Pines Brewing Company (at the main brewery or

their Pennsylvania Avenue location), Hatchet Brewing Company, or the Southern Pines Growler Company, Pinehurst Brewing Company, Railhouse Brewing in Aberdeen, or at the James Creek Cider House in Cameron.

Then the fun starts: stop by all seven participating locations and with any purchase you will receive a stamp for that location. Add it to your passport and head to the next location of your choice. There’s no time limit, so feel free to enjoy the locations and take some time to explore the charm of Moore County’s small towns that are full of great restaurants and unique places to shop.

When you have earned all of the stamps for your passport, simply stop by the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau in downtown Southern Pines (right across the street from the Southern Pines Growler Company) and get your prizes. The prizes include a 16 oz. Sandhills Pour Tour mug, and while supplies last, also receive a special commemorative and limitededition 150th anniversary Donald Ross challenge coin.

For more information on the Sandhills Pour Tour Passport program, visit HomeofGolf.com/ SandhillsPourTour.

DRAFT LINES

We here at BrewScene are inaugurating a new feature for this issue where we get the latest news and notes from our friends in the NC craft scene in their own words, as a way to convey the unique flavor of their corner of the Old North State!

All Sevens Brewing (Asheville, NC)

Dirk Hillegass, Head Brewer

All Sevens Brewing, located in the heart of west Asheville has a thriving energy and a loyal community that keeps us prospering in our current economy! Located just five minutes from downtown Asheville North Carolina, we have everything under one roof: an amazing staff with a full menu restaurant, bar, and tasting room attached to our brewery. It’s a one-stop shop for locals to catch up with friends and neighbors old and new, and for out-of-town visitors to feel welcome and immediately at home.

We pride ourselves on our unique staff, progressive menu offerings, an outstanding line-up of beers made onsite at All Sevens Brewing.

We are excited for fall and winter at All Sevens Brewing! We’re releasing a seasonal Belgian Strong ale that we aged in two Jefferson Bourbon barrels for 3 months and added 50 pounds of coconut to the finished beer. Coming in at 10% ABV, this Bourbon Barrel Aged Coconut Belgian Strong Ale is sure to keep you cozy during the holidays.

Our kitchen has been hard at work staying innovative with new menu items consisting of a pub style ‘beer cheese’ made from our in-house Porter, a classic fish and chips served with in-house malt vinegar made onsite from our brewery, and as always, we still have the freshest bread in town from our local bakery, WHISK.

During uncertain times, do yourself a favor: come to an establishment that is consistent, reliable, and innovative!

Brew & Feed (Charlotte, NC)

Robert Moreland, Owner

Brew and Feed is a craft beer and sensible eating lifestyle brand founded by home-brewer/ home chef and all around good guy Robert Moreland that grew from a fusion of backyard farming, home cooking and home brewing craft beer.

In addition to publishing regular videos on craft beer tourism and cooking, Brew and Feed also hosts craft beer/ food pairing events and markets. Most of all, Brew and Feed sells FLAVOR. On our website, you can find spice blends, rubs, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, infused olive oil, infused balsamic vinegar for every taste, and so much more. We also brew, market and distribute our own line of craft beer in the Charlotte, NC area.

Visit us at brewandfeed.com to learn more about our offerings!

AB Bottle Co. (Atlantic Beach, NC)

Holly Riggs, Owner

Our shop developed when 5 of us joined together to make AB Bottle Co. the best bottle shop around. We have over 300- 400 beers, mead, ciders, seltzers and wine. We have 8 taps which rotate frequently, and we have a friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you find something we know you’ll like, either at the bar, or enjoyed at home. We have special events and open mic every other Wednesday. We believe craft beer builds a better community and brings together the best people, and we carry that through by being active in our communities with fund raisers as well as popups, as well as supporting, visiting, and enjoying all the local breweries. Come check us out and see what we have to offer!

Nash Hot Chicken (Greenville, NC)

W. Ryan Griffin, Owner & Founder

Available right now: A collaboration between Nash Hot Chicken and Uptown Brewing is on tap ONLY at Nash! We proudly present ‘JUICY GROOVES-- a session IPA, brewed with locally grown North Carolina malt from Carolina Malt House and a blend of American and New Zealand hops. It was heavily dry hopped for a juicy fruity aroma. This light bodied easy drinking session IPA is 5.8 ABV and very refreshing but still packs the flavor of the best hazy IPAs around!

Nash has been providing great food, good music, and the best vibes to the community since we opened and now we get to add a great partnership to the mix with Uptown Brewing! Come jam with us and taste Juicy Grooves!

Paddled South Brewing Company (High Point, NC)

David Nissen, Head Brewer

Paddled South Brewing Co. is a small, locally owned brewery with an inviting, relaxed atmosphere and great beer. Decorated with the intent of bringing the serene comforts of the outdoors inside, the brewery boasts a beautiful mural the length of the taproom, rock climbing rope lighting, gabion bar walls, a rustic concrete tap tower, and locally harvested, live edge wood bar tops.

Nestled in downtown High Point, a block away from the Rockers baseball stadium and the new food hall, Stock and Grain, Paddled South is a 3bbl brewery which maintains a rotating, sometimes seasonal, selection of 10 different beers, all made in house. We also offer cider seltzer, wine, and Capri-Suns for the kids (both big and small)! We pride ourselves on having a welcoming and safe place for all to gather while drinking great beer.

Our commitment to the revitalization of downtown is built on our foundational belief that for a community to be successful, small businesses need to be an active part of that community, investing not only physically, but emotionally as well. Make sure you come check us out the next time you are in High Point!

Drumtrout Brewing Company (Wilmington, NC)

Joe Bagwell, Owner

Joe and Ali Bagwell met and began dating in their freshman year at UNCW. Joe found a passion for beer and brewing, trying his hand at homebrewing while the couple lived in Wrightsville Beach. They also developed a love for being on the water, spending as much time as possible on their trusty skiff, the DrumTrout. As life progressed, marriage and parenthood soon followed, and Joe and Ali had a vision for a family-friendly neighborhood brewery, where locals and out-of-towners alike could gather over a thoughtfully crafted beverage. They wanted the space to reflect their passion for craft beer, as well as their love of life on the coast.

Memorial Day weekend 2022 marked the opening of DrumTrout Brewing Co. Since then, Joe has created over a dozen brews of all different varieties, as well as hard seltzer, on the facility’s 3bbl system. Operating on such a small scale allows for experimentation and variety in the taproom’s offerings, so there’s always something new to try.

OHANAFY (Wilmington, NC)

Davis Bryson, Co-Founder

Friendships, a love for the community, and the economic impact of our local breweries drove friends and Ohanafy co-founders Ian Padrick and Natalie Waggett into creating the only Craft Beverage Operating System built on Salesforce.

“We’ve spent decades working in enterprise-level organizations and are excited about the opportunity to bring our expertise to the hard-working entrepreneurs in the craft beer industry.” - Ian Padrick, Ohanafy Cofounder and Chief Technology Officer.

Ohanafy is purpose-built software designed for brewers by brewery owners and investors looking for ways to optimize their operations, increase their margins, and drive their market-share while maintaining the quality of the products they are known for.

“We are so excited to partner with our customers to help grow their businesses. The value we add goes way beyond technology!” - Natalie Waggett, Ohanafy Cofounder and CEO

Founded in Wilmington, NC, Ohanafy is the only craft beverage operating system built on the world’s leading platform, Salesforce. com. Utilizing Salesforce enables us to iterate and innovate at rates often 10 times faster than those of other companies and we work really hard to solve craft beer operators’ pains as quickly as we hear about them!

When we aren’t developing disruptive technology solutions you can find us celebrating at our favorite breweries, shooting each other with paintballs, lasers, or shooting hoops at a nearby basketball court. We need

ideas for fun activities that don’t include “shooting”!

Get to know us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok @ohanafyinc We are incredibly transparent and would not operate any other way!

If you’re a brewery, bottle shop, distillery, homebrew supply store, restaurant, or otherwise connected to the craft beer business and want to tell your story in future installments of Draft Lines, please contact us through or email or social media channels. Contributions are generally 100-200 words and 3-4 pictures would be ideal as well. Submissions may be edited for clarity, content, and brevity. There is a maximum of ten contributed stories per issue-first come, first served. Submissions may not be consecutive.

Community Brewing

Beer in Bethabara

By Erin Lawrimore and Richard Cox (Well Crafted NC)

other nefarious acts that may or may not have contributed to sin and shame of the sort to which Brother Feldhausen fell prey. In fact, disturbances at the tavern were a big factor in the 1769 decision to appoint a constable for the settlement.

By 1775, the original tavern building was in bad shape, and the community replaced it with a new structure. Shortly after the relocation, the original 1756 building collapsed. A new two-story distillery and brewery building was constructed in 1777, but its fate was even more cruel than the original tavern. At about 5:30 on the afternoon of December 2, 1802, fire broke out and the building burned to the ground.

In 1753, a small group of German-speaking Moravian settlers - fifteen “Brothers” - crossed the Yadkin River after walking south from Pennsylvania. The initial Moravian settlement in North Carolina, named Bethabara (located in what we now call Winston-Salem), consisted of 65 buildings by 1756 and had become something of a commercial magnet for the entire surrounding area. Among these buildings were the first brewery and the first tavern. In 1756, a license was issued for the Bethabara community’s tavern, and it opened that same year.

Beer was considered by the Moravians to have both nutritional and medicinal value, and a variety of herbs were added to the brew. Proscribed lunches for workers in the community included “a little beer” for those who were doing hard physical labor. Brother Heinrich Feldhausen was placed in charge of the brewery and distillery. Brother Feldhasuen was by all accounts very well liked and good at his job; proceeds from the operation totalled

£114 in 1759. Bethabara was crushed when Feldhausen was expelled from the community in 1762 after he “yielded to carnal desires and fell into all kinds of sin and shame.”

Throughout its existence, the tavern was the site of major community gatherings, from funerals to traditional Moravian love feasts, which featured buns from the settlement’s bakery and beer from the brewery. Located as it was in the only settled area for miles in any direction, the tavern was also popular with travelers and visitors from the hinterland, some of whom could be troublesome. Diaries of daily life in Bethabara record numerous instances of attempted forgery, fights, and

The brewery was so important to Bethabara, though, that it was quickly rebuilt. The community also added a new home, created specifically to house Bethabara’s brewer. Herrman Buttner was the first occupant of the new brewer’s house, but he only occupied it for five years. The Moravian community of Salem had been established just a few miles away, and brewing (and most of their other commerce activities) became less important in Bethabara.

By 1805, the Bethabara facility was operating at a loss, and the brewery’s operations were reduced around 1807. Johann Christian Focke took over the operation at that point, but it seems to have closed for good by 1814. The tiny settlement was no longer the center of activity for Moravians (or for anyone else) in the area.

In 1999, Bethabara was named a National Historic Landmark. Today, the remaining buildings - including the brewer’s house that Herrman Buttner occupied - are part of an open-air museum and park managed by the City of Winston-Salem.

Beer was considered by the Moravians to have both nutritional and medicinal value, and a variety of herbs were added to the brew.

WAY OUT WEST Winston-Salem Craft Beer

Story By Michael Breedlove

One of the cities of the Triad, nestled along the Yadkin River, Winston-Salem is a place of contrasts — keeper of a storied past, an innovative present, charting the course to the future. Winston-Salem has also cultivated a lively craft beer scene with a unique character and feel all its own. Carolina BrewScene, working in concert with our friends at Visit Winston-Salem, are pleased to offer some introductory profiles for the craft breweries that have made The Dash one of the most exciting craft beer destinations in the entire state.

Fiddlin’ Fish Brewing Co. was founded in 2017 by cousins Stuart Barnhart and David Ashe, who shared a common dream to create a destination for locals to gather and enjoy great beer. The name comes from their mutual experience in the Blue Ridge mountains and memories of long hikes, mountain music, and fishing. At their facility on Trade Street, in the former Big Winston tobacco warehouse, their 15-barrel system produces both traditional styles and an eclectic parade of seasonal and specialty beers, all of which can be enjoyed in a lively atmosphere at their dog-friendly taproom, featuring murals done by local artists, big screen TVs, live music, and friendly folks just waiting to bond over a beer.

Photos by J Sinclair Photography, Joe Kelley, JB McCabe, Andrew Cebulka, Brittany Butterworth Photography (provided courtesy Visit Winston-Salem)

One of NC’s great success stories since it opened in 2005, Foothills Brewing is a longtime favorite of not just locals but — as evinced by the anticipation and demand for their annual February release of their longtime favorite Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout — craft beer drinkers all over the state. You can enjoy other year-round favorites such as Jade IPA and People’s Porter at their original downtown brewpub (638 W. Fourth St.), or their expansive brewing facility and tasting room outside of downtown (3800 Kimwell Drive).

Sinking roots deep into Winston-Salem’s history for going on nine years now, Hoots Beer Co. draws a lot of inspiration from the culture of the Camel City. The original brewery is located in the Hoots Roller Mill, which produced flour from the 1930s-1950s. In 2019, the brewery opened a second location (Hoots Satellite) along Trade Street in the city’s Arts District. Both places serve up classic and flavorful brews that cater to the blue-collar heart of Winston-Salem as well as the diverse and adventurous palate of the curious craft beer drinker.

The mission of Joymongers Barrell Hall is elegant in its simplicity — spread joy, a pint at a time. Already a success in nearby Greensboro, Joymongers renovated a 90-year-old garage in Winston-Salem’s West End neighborhood in 2017 and brought their commitment to quality beer to the Camel City. However, instead of creating a carbon copy of their Greensboro brewery, the owners added a new wrinkle to their formula, determined to create a unique vibe and variety for their Winston-Salem location. Brewery goers can enjoy more than a dozen beers on tap — including IPAs, lagers, and stouts (many of which are exclusive to this location) — as well as daily food trucks, live music, fun trivia, and more.

Incendiary Brewing, located within the renovated Bailey Power Plant, also honors the industrial legacy of Winston-Salem while recognizing the value of a brew with a view. At its location at Innovation Quarter, you can find an endlessly creative and ever-changing selection of beers while enjoying their weekly trivia contests and live music in a pet and family-friendly environment.

One of the newer breweries to set up in the city, Radar Brewing Company wasted no time creating its own distinct identity. The brewery opened in 2021 along the northern edge of downtown in an area now known as Industry Hill. Visitors to the brewery and beer garden will find an eclectic, pet-friendly ambiance and allinclusive experience. They’ll also find a friendly and knowledgeable staff who can guide you through their wide selection of beers, wines, and ciders and help you uncover a new favorite.

Some breweries in WinstonSalem favor quality over quantity, and Small Batch Beer Co. has made that approach the whole of their identity, or as they would put it —

“Superiority comes from simplicity.” Located in the former Kopper Kitchen site (a beloved local eatery), Small Batch selects its beers, wines, and spirits with a discerning eye and a local focus, often rewarding the curious palate, who might do well to relax with a pint over Sunday brunch or watching a Premier League match. (Small Batch has become the city’s unquestioned hub for Premier League soccer.)

A Ph.D., a chemist, and a lawyer walk into a centuries-old warehouse downtown with the idea to open up a craft brewery. It might sound like the start of a joke, but it’s actually the beginning of the story of Wise Man Brewing, one of Winston-Salem’s most highly decorated breweries. Featuring 20 craft beers and seltzers on tap — many of which are national award winners — along with a mix of food trucks, trivia, art, and a great outdoor space, Wise Man is always a smart choice.

We hope you enjoyed our round-up of Winston-Salem’s beer scene. There’s plenty to delight every palate, and each stop along the way provides ample chances to find new favorites and make new friends. Next time you’re lucky enough to pay a call, tell them you read all about them in Carolina BrewScene. Cheers!

Brand new to Winston-Salem’s craft scene is Lesser-Known Beer Co., which recently opened just south of downtown in the West Salem neighborhood. With a focus on traditional brewing practices and continental styles, the brewery is the dream project of two transplants from Richmond, Virginia — Will Loring and Ryan Gramlich — who settled on Winston-Salem after a statewide search. Lesser Known aims to create a different experience for local brewery-goers by focusing on beers inspired by Czech and German traditions. They employ unique brewing techniques — such as their open fermentation process — and dial down the amenities and decorum. You’ll find no TVs or live entertainment inside the brewery, which helps keep the focus on the beer and the socialization. (As they like to say, “More beer, less noise.”)

Saloons in Winston-Salem

By Erin Lawrimore and Richard Cox (Well Crafted NC)

IIn the mid-1800s, the City of Winston was established as the county seat for the newly created Forsyth County and served as a commercial counterpart to the Moravian settlement of Salem. While it stayed a relatively quiet community for its first few decades, Winston’s population boomed around the turn of the twentieth century, growing from 443 residents in 1880 to over 13,000 in 1900. Most of this growth was due to the growing tobacco and textile industries in the region. In response to this growth, numerous saloons began popping up around town.

By 1895, Winston boasted fifteen saloons - one for every thousand residents - and there was considerable oversight and taxation. Saloon licenses cost $1000 per year and had to be renewed every six months. Licenses could be revoked for many reasons. Bars and saloons were required to post signs barring entry by minors. Additionally, the saloon entrances had to face on a public street rather than an alley. Ten years later, the city implemented a $5.00 fine for loitering “in the front, rear or side of any saloon in the City of Winston for the purpose of passing away the time, discussing the topics of the day or for any other purpose.”

The area around the intersection of Third Street and Main Street quickly became the hub for saloons in the town. In 1879, C.A. Winkler’s “lager beer saloon” was licensed and, in 1882, it opened for operation in this area. Chap Bodenheimer opened the Upto-Date Saloon at 9 East Third Street, near the corner of Main, sometime before 1903. Bodenheimer and H.R. Douthit, his partner, operated the saloon until Prohibition.

Nearby, Samuel Shermer and Josiah Phillips operated two saloons - one on East Second Street and another on Depot Street (now North Patterson Avenue). In 1905, one of their employees had what was described

in the newspaper as a “peculiar” accident. As reported in the Western Sentinel, “while tapping a keg of beer the wooden stopper flew out, striking him on the nose and kocking (sic) him down. Mr. Warren was unconscious for an hour or more. The accident was caused by an accumulation of gas in the keg, which, after the stopper being loosened, came in contact with air and exploded.”

A more serious incident occurred in 1906 at the saloon on East Third Street operated by Max Kobre and his brothers Henry and Sam. On the night of January 21, 1906, 20-year-old Sam Kobre returned to the room he shared with his brother Henry and was startled to find Henry lying on the floor of his room in a pool of blood, wearing his nightclothes. Sam immediately ran across to the Hotel Phoenix at Fourth and Liberty and phoned his brother Max before going to the police station to report the crime. Two officers accompanied Sam back to the room, where Henry was placed on the bed to await transport to TwinCity Hospital. Fifteen minutes after arriving at

the hospital, Henry was pronounced dead. He never regained consciousness.

Sam Kobre suspected robbery, noting that his brother always carried a substantial amount of cash in his purse, none of which was found at the scene. But on March 5, police arrested Sam and a second man on suspicion of murder. A 16-year-old woman named Sallie Stewart came forward with testimony claiming that Sam had coordinated and carried out his brother’s murder. At trial, however, her claims were contradicted by numerous people who saw Sam at the time of his brother’s attack. After only a two-day trial, Sam was acquitted by the jury. Older brother Max, however, was not allowed to renew his saloon license.

The saloon era throughout Winston-Salem was also coming to an end. The nearby city of Greensboro voted itself “dry” in 1904, and vocal opposition to alcohol sales throughout the state grew thanks to organizations like the Anti-Saloon League and the Temperance Reform Club. A statewide referendum in May

1908 brought the saloon culture in North Carolina to a halt, as Tar Heel citizens voted overwhelmingly in favor of Prohibition. With the vote, North Carolina became the third Southern state to implement statewide prohibition and the first in the country to adopt prohibition by a direct vote of the people.

A statewide referendum in May 1908 brought the saloon culture in North Carolina to a halt, as Tar Heel citizens voted overwhelmingly in favor of Prohibition.

ThirsT in FlighT Rainy Day Delight

As the poet says, “into everyone’s life, a little rain must fall.” This being North Carolina, of course, it’s never just “a little rain,” and longtime denizens of the Old North State spend many an hour stuck in traffic trying to find the one setting on their windshield wipers that will get rid of the rain, yet won’t drive them crazy from the scraping of the wipers on the glass. It’s just one of those things you learn to live with, as with the heatwaves in the great deserts, earthquakes in California, or random moose attacks in Canada.

In these moments of adversity, however, lurk quiet tests of character. What to do, when the skies open up and give well-laid plans a precipitous drenching? Such a test led me down Fort Macon Road after a fruitful beer

run in Atlantic Beach one recent rainy day, eyes peeled for a safe harbor out of the splishsplash and splosh.

There is no greater enemy of the summer beach visitor than the prolonged rain squall. In those times, the beach is a write-off (no one likes wet grit, unless you’re a sandblaster) and everyone else down there for the summer has hunkered down anywhere that offers shelter and the odd diversion. Presented with these facts, the challenge is to find a place with the right vibe and good beer to better wait out the Great Wettening.

And so I found The Growler, a chill, relaxing, oasis out in Atlantic Beach, only a little ways from the water. One of two taprooms and bottle shops that grew from the much-missed

Goose Creek Growler Company (the other location in Emerald Isle shares its laid-back and welcoming ambiance and I recommend getting down that way as well), the Growler is an intimate yet welcoming place, full of lively music and knowledgeable people behind the bar offering great conversation, and, most importantly for our purposes, a good flight of 4 great beers for a good price. Given the variety of their selection and how carefully they’d curated it, I could have easily done two and never repeated myself, but for the purposes of our experiment, I stopped at one flight.

Everything in moderation after all. So let’s get right to heart of this thing:

The FlighT

Seven Saturdays Modern IPA (R & D Brewing, Raleigh NC)

Seven Saturdays Modern IPA (R & D Brewing, Raleigh NC)-

-Ordinarily I’m not much on IPAs, but I’ve been willing to be surprised and have my assumptions about the style challenged from time to time (the addition of fruit seems to help, and there’s a few notes of that in amongst the citra and mosaic hops) and this one sure surprised me. It lacked a lot of the piney taste I’ve come to expect from straight-up IPAs and was really pleasant and drinkable. I was really impressed by this one.

Hey Zay New England IPA

(Salty Turtle Beer Co. Surf City, NC)

Check your watch—it’s juice bomb diggity time. There was a lot of that signature IPA pine in the aroma, the initial taste, and the finish, and you’d think that would be a turn-off for me, but I was quite impressed by the beer the more of it that I drank. I found my palate picking up on the notes of fruit and juice as the pine taste faded into the background. I rather liked the flavor shimmering over the palate like that.

Limetown Lager

(Deep River Brewing Company, Clayton NC)

Been a long time since I had a Deep River brew, and this was a good one to get back on the bike for. It hits hard and tarty, but then has a curveball that comes around and finishes sweet and savory. Very refreshing and a great beach beer, as well as just being a rewarding pour in general for the beguiling flavor profile.

Muffin Top Stout

(Koi Pond Brewing Company, Rocky Mount, NC)

Starts off thick and kinda malty and finishes very sweet and syrupy. I couldn’t detect much of a banana bread hit in it, but that could just be my unrefined palate. While most of the stouts I enjoy have a hit of sweetness here and there in the flavor notes, this one was pretty sweet all the way through and it gave the stout an overall lightness I found kind of intriguing. I’m always intrigued when people are doing interesting tinkering with the style and finding new wrinkles.

While rainy days and Mondays may always get us down, good beer with good folks on the beach can knock that right out, or at least make you not mind so much. I can’t recommend The Growler (either location) enough—there’s a great, intimate quirky vibe to the place that puts one at ease and relaxes you even before you start in on the beer, and absolutely feels like one of those buried treasures you discover on the beach that don’t beckon you with a lot of flashy come-ons, but you’ll walk out of their after being mighty glad you stopped in, and I suspect it’ll become one of your regular stops when you’re feeling the call of the waves, no matter the season. Until next time—may your favorite flavors be found in flight!

By Lewis Smith

Movie Madness

Hey all y’all—it’s fall! The days are shorter, there’s pumpkin-spice stuff almost everywhere and Spirit Halloween stores everywhere else, and they’re the telltale signs that once again, it’s the spookiest of seasons (after Arbor Day) That’s right--it’s Halloween, and since BrewScene has recently been resurrected, it seemed a perfect time for Ales From The Crypt to creep out of its tomb as well in true “zombie apocalypse” fashion.

We are nothing if not on-brand here. For this little sip from the sinister side, we’re looking at six horror movies filmed in North Carolina, from beloved genre staples, to cult classics to local curiosities, and we’ve paired those with six delicious beers, all for your education and delectation. And now, let’s turn down the lights and get things nice and dark--the show is about to begin. . .

The Movie

Maximum Overdrive

(1986, filmed in Wilmington)

From the mind of Stephen King, based on a short story by Stephen King, directed by Stephen King with a rockin’ soundtrack by AC/DC. Maximum Overdrive is the heartwarming tale of how, after Earth passes through the tail of a comet, machines decide they’ve had their fill of humanity and go on a killing rampage. As this is a modestly budgeted movie by a first-time director it’s not the global apocalypse one would imagine, just a bunch of people at a Wilmington gas station getting bugged by trucks to fuel them up so they can keep killing humans; or as Wilmington residents would say, “Tuesday.” It’s not exactly The Terminator, Duel, or even Killdozer, but it does have a big rig that looks like the Green Goblin, which is kinda rad.

The Movie

AXE (1974, filmed in Charlotte, NC)

Straight from the drive-in theaters of the 1970s (aka America’s Brownest Decade) Axe is a gruesome tale of murder and revenge that is positively brimming with early 70’s sleazy grindhouse energy. Mobsters hole up at a farmhouse, and having not seen many horror movies, fail to realize that maybe you shouldn’t attack the creepy lady in the farmhouse that you’re essentially holding hostage, especially not in a movie called “Axe”. This goes as you’d expect it would, and she exacts grisly revenge on them all. It’s gritty stuff in that early70’s mode, and there’s less “characters you root for” and more “characters you hate slightly less than the other characters,” which can make it tough to relate to anyone in the film, but the Venn diagram for “serious character study” and “grindhouse slasher film” is two separate circles, honestly. Also, because I knew the title is a little vague, there is an axe involved in the movie at one point. I hope that’s not a spoiler.

Crying Won’t Help You

(New Anthem Brewing Co, Wilmington NC)

From local legends New Anthem comes this interesting brown ale that I found very interesting and rather challenging to the palate. Whereas most darker beers that I’ve tried try to downplay the malt and roast to create a smooth drinking whole, this had a real confrontational quality with the malt and roast flavors aggressively right in the foreground. It’s an interesting aggressive flavor posture, but I admired the full-on take-noprisoners audacity of it, and it was a very interesting drinking experience overall.

Hatchet Coffee Porter (Booneshine Brewing Company, Boone, NC)

In another perfect example of subject/beer pairing, we have this delightfully sweet and chocolaty elixir with a steady sweetness from start to finish, a couple notes of malt and roast here and there that finishes off with a lovely dark chocolate-esque finish. Even better, the more sips you take, the richer and more vivid the experience is, which means this beer rewards the longer pour to a great extent. This is basically like drinking dark chocolate coffee and I am all the way here for that.

The Beer The Beer

The Movie

EVIL DEAD II (1987, filmed in Wadesboro, NC)

Yes, this is the one right before ARMY OF DARKNESS, the Monty Python and the Holy Grail for horror fans. Ash Williams is having a bad weekend: His plan to romance his girlfriend went terribly wrong, they unleashed a group of evil demons hungering for souls who won’t stay in the basement, his girlfriend doesn’t have a head and is all bitey now, one of his hands goes evil, and the entire room keeps laughing at him.

You see what we had to deal with before Air B&B was a thing?

The Movie

TRICK OR TREAT (1986, filmed in New Hanover County, NC)

Featuring guest appearances by Gene Simmons AND Ozzy Osbourne (playing a televangelist--this movie is so 80’s it almost hurts) so throw up the metal horns now, everyone! A perfect film of its time, Trick Or Treat takes the then-current panic about heavy metal music and spins a whole movie out of it. Skippy from “Family Ties” is a picked-on nerd (and who knew he had that kind of range?) who idolizes metal maven Sammi Curr, who dies in a hotel fire, but who doesn’t let that stop him from speaking to Skippy from beyond the grave via backwards messages on a record and zaniness ensues. It’s not exactly shredding “Master of Puppets” in the Upside Down, but really, what is?

Skull Splitter Scotch Ale (Orkney

Brewery)

Initially I picked this one for the name, but it was quite an interesting bit o’ wee heavy that I found quite fascinating after a few sips. Initially there’s a lot of malt, with a little hint of sweetness in the middle before a savory finish, but as you keep drinking it, you’ll also pick out some notes of fruit start to come to the fore. It hits hard, but the complex flavor profile is really interesting, and there’s something quite rewarding about discovering different flavors as you go along. Gotta try more of these, I think.

Trooper: Day of the Dead (Robinson’s Brewery)

C’mon. It’s an 80’s movie about heavy metal music being evil; really it was not a question of would I pick one of the Iron Maiden beers, but which one. And this, another installment of the Trooper series, is a worthy inclusion. This ESB has a warm, roasty initial hit that smooths out to an insistent, though not unpleasantly malty finish. It’s very different to the previous Maiden beers I’ve sampled, which isn’t a bad thing at all. It’s not a style I have very much experience with drinking, but I found it eminently drinkable.

The Beer The Beer

The Movie

THE

MUTILATOR

(1984, filmed in Morehead City and Atlantic Beach, NC)

“By sword, By pick, by axe--Bye bye!”--so goes the tag line for The Multilator, a movie that whatever else, does exactly what it says on the video box. A group of coeds head out to Atlantic Beach for fall break and—stop me if you’ve hard this before—get brutally picked off one by one by Big Ed, a man who is, as his name implies, very large and probably named Edward. Unless you want to spend all your time laughing at how people dressed in 1984 (so many ugly sweaters and it ain’t even Christmas!) or pick up familiar Atlantic Beach and Morehead City landmarks, there’s not much new here, however, I will say that thanks to this movie I know what a flounder gig looks like, so there’s some educational value to be had.

The Movie

THE EXORCIST III (1990, filmed in Wilmington, NC)

Tuna Teaser West Coast IPA (Crystal Coast Brewing Company, Morehead City/Atlantic Beach NC)

I guess styles I had little experience with ended up being a theme this time, because here’s another one. I haven’t had many West Coast IPAs, but this surprised me. There’s a gigantic pine aroma coming off this one as it pours, but surprisingly little in the taste, as any bitterness is balanced expertly by clean, slightly dry, juicy flavor. This was a really crushable thing—not as hoppy as basic IPAs, nor as juicy as the NEIPA haze-bombs. It’s astoundingly well-balanced and I found it quite delightful, and this is coming from someone who’s a really hard sell on IPAs, usually.

BTheeer The Beer

The third movie in the Exorcist trilogy and the second one that’s actually any good, Exorcist III gets weird and stays there. Wisely pretending the second movie never happened, the detective from the first movie is investigating a series of horrific serial killings which are kinda like the Zodiac Killer but legally distinct and also have some connection to one of the priests who did the original exorcism and in the meantime, loads of crazy stuff happens, all of which really seems to annoy George C. Scott more than anything. Also, Patrick Ewing is apparently an angel, which makes sense. I mean, he was on the Dream Team, after all.

From the piratical crew at Edward Teach comes this fantastic brew—a real find. Rich and thick, with a hint of roast, a lot of smoke, and an easy finish that belies the taste. It’s a really astonishing bit of misdirection—everything about this beer feels like it should be heavier, like a porter or stout, and it has those characteristics, but it’s light and doesn’t sit heavy. If crushable dark beer wasn’t a thing already, I guess you could say Edward Teach just invented it. Quite a beguiling creation!

And there you have it, my children of the night—your own personal Halloween film festival, complete with a cold six, served with a soupcon of snark, as you’ve naturally come to expect. I hope you enjoyed this night flight to the dark side. And until next timetry to enjoy the daylight!

Black Spot Lager (Edward Teach Brewing, Wilmington NC)

By Lisa Parker

NC Beer Month, presented by Lowes Foods, is a time for North Carolinians and tourists alike to explore the independent craft breweries of our state and savor a pint of finely crafted local beer. From big cities to small towns, North Carolina has more than 400 breweries and brewpubs –the most in the American South – making independent craft beer an essential part of our state’s experience.

From locally malted grains to expertly crafted lagers and ales, North Carolina has gained international recognition for craft beer excellence. Known as “The State of Southern Beer”, North Carolina has award-winning breweries from the coast to the mountains. Check out our list of the

2022 NC Brewers Cup medalists at www. ncbeer.org, and celebrate #NCBeerMonth by sampling some award-winning beers!

This October for NC Beer Month, beer fans can check-in their North Carolina brewery visits using the popular “drink socially” smartphone app, Untappd. Accumulate check-ins to unlock limited edition NC Beer Month passport badges, and earn entries into the NC Beer Month

Passport Sweepstakes. One lucky winner will receive the NC Beer Month Passport Sweepstakes Grand Prize - an exciting “Beercation” exploring the award-winning breweries of Charlotte, graciously provided by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA),

Road Trip To The River’s Edge

By Daniel Hand

TThis is our second year taking a road trip to Rocky Mount Mills, and we brought some friends this time. Over 20, in fact, all of whom came for a stay and a chance to take in the many delights at the Rocky Mount Mills. If you’ve never visited the Mills, you have no idea what you are missing. It’s full of great breweries, tap rooms and restaurants, picturesque scenery, and friendly faces.

We spent a few days at the Mills this time, visiting places like Hopfly, Koi Pond, Mythic Brewing, TBC West, Space Way, Goat Island, Books and Beans, Tap at 1918, Tipsy Tomato. I’m sure I missed a few—after all, there’s a lot to do and see.

What is great about staying at the Mills is the River & Twine tiny house motel. They’re spacious, very clean, and within walking distance of all the fun stuff at the Mills. There’s nothing better than checking in, taking a walk across the parking lot, and having a cold beer. Towards the evening there was live music

both nights we stayed there. Then, when you decide to call it a night, right behind the tiny houses you can have the fire pit lit up, and sit around enjoying the evening. The next day, you wake up and see your tiny house neighbors sitting on their little decks enjoying their coffee getting ready for another day. It’s an amazing place!

Best of all, you don’t need to drive when you get there—everything is within a short walk. You can go for breakfast at Books and Beans, walk across the bridge, and take the nature trail along the river. There’s also a great farmer’s market about a mile away that makes a nice fast trip as well. If you feel like heading further down the road, there’s Weldon Mills Distillery, about 30 miles away, an amazing place with a ton of history and some excellent liquor products.

We are looking forward to our third trip in a row next year, with some friends old and new from our area. Who knows--we might just meet some of you there! Cheers!

The Story of

By Lindsay Shortway

5 Years, Many Beers, One Dream

EExcitement builds for Matt and Lindsay Shortway as they approach 5 years in the brewing industry. What was once a team of five people has grown to fifteen and counting. Production is in full swing at 2 brewing facilities, with a sales team working up and down the coast and a bustling taproom where it all began, in the heart of downtown Newport.

Five years in business is a milestone worth celebrating, and it’s also a time to reflect on the past and look towards the future. Just six years ago, Matt Shortway was an active duty Marine sharing his homebrews with fellow service-people and talking about his plans to open a brewery with his wife. After a decade of service, including two overseas tours, he decided it was time to hang up his combat boots and replace them with a pair of brew boots. It was time for a change, but one thing

that wouldn’t change was the name tape on his uniform: The couple decided to use their family name as the name of their brewing company.

“There is a lot of pride in using our family name,” explained Matt. “In the 1930s my great grandparents started Shortway’s Barn, which began as a speakeasy and still operates today as a restaurant and bar.”

Location was the next objective on the agenda, and with 3 young children, ultimately it came down to where they wanted to raise their family. A small community with a heart of gold, a beautiful National Forest, a meandering river, and a stone’s throw from the beach. What more could you ask for? For all those reasons and more, Newport was an ideal choice.

From there it was a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get where they are today.

Looking ahead, the couple sees more growth and lots of great beers yet to be poured. In the immediate future, craft beer fan can expect several new fall and winter beer releases, including a special new smoothie IPA commemorating their 5 year anniversary celebration starting the week of October 17th. Each day will offer something fun, including giveaways, new swag, food trucks and many more surprises. The celebration culminates Saturday, October 22nd with the biggest party of the year, beginning with The Barley Chase 5k/10k followed by indoor/outdoor bars with plenty of your favorite throwbacks, live music, food truck, and of course more giveaways.

When asked what their biggest takeaway was from these past 5 years, the couple said hands down it’s the community that they serve and the friendships they've made along the way.

“We’ve employed over 40 people who have been a part of getting us to where we are today,” said Lindsay. “We consider them all family. We could not do what we do without them.” In addition, they said the community support they have received since day one laid the foundation for the growth they have seen these past 5 years.

If you find yourself on the Crystal Coast, be sure to stop into their taproom, located at 230 Chatham Street, Newport, NC. If you can’t make it, never fear—Shortway’s beers are on tap or available in cans along the coast from Wilmington to Greenville.

If you are interested in signing up for their upcoming 5k/10k race you can register online at RuntheEast.com. To find out more about Shortway Brewing and what they have to offer, head to their website at ShortwayBrewing.com