Home Brews

One New Year’s Eve some odd years ago, a group of friends sat around drinking, celebrating and attempting to solve all the world’s problems. Around 4 a.m. one among them brought up a particular problem aimed at our locals: “How did we not have a brewery in Statesboro?”

Franklin Dismuke, graduate of Georgia Southern, resolved that issue in July of 2013 when he opened the doors to Statesboro’s own Eagle Creek Brewery.

Without any beer experience at all, Dismuke describes it as “Trial by fire, for sure.” Eagle Creek answers the craft beer wants of the community with a selection of home brews and guest taps. They make sure to keep the different taps cycling through, experimenting as much as they can to keep up with the demand. “We don’t try to stick to a specific kind [of beer]. Especially for us, in south Georgia, where craft brewing is really kind of getting its start.” says Dismuke. “There’s a very limited group of craft beer drinkers, and we’re trying our best to convert everyone with a good array of beers, of types, that everyone would want to drink. In essence, we brew it more for what the non craft beer drinker may like.”

Today the brewery is a place you stop by on your lunch break for a sandwich and beer. Friends can head over during the week for a round of drinks and game of Cards Against Humanity. Fans arrive on the weekends to watch the big game on the projector. The pub is definitely a Statesboro staple but it wasn’t always that way. When preparing to open the brewery, Dismuke thought the Statesboro community would be the struggle to persuade, but it turns out the state itself was the one putting up a fight. “Unfortunately Georgia was the worst state to open up a brewery, by far,” says Dismuke, “We were the last state in the whole union to allow retail sales and breweries, which is something a small brewery needs to survive.”

Prior to becoming the brew pub style Eagle Creek is today, there were a lot more restrictions put on the brewery. While today you can order an array of beers, wines, shots and drinks, back in the beginning the choices were limited and the restrictions were tight.

“We had to do a convoluted tour system that was set up by the state,

in which you come in and pay for a tour, and you’re allowed six 6-oz samples,” said Dismuke. The only way a customer could enjoy their experience was to purchase a tour, opt to decline the actual walkthrough and enjoy their limited samples. Once the tour allotment was up, that was it. They couldn’t purchase anymore.

“When we switched to brew pub it allowed us unlimited sales directly to the public where a consumer could come in and choose to buy as much beer as they want, a normal adult, with good sense can, and choose to buy whatever they wish rather than a standard product,” says Dismuke.

Eagle Creek’s place amongst the Statesboro community has solidified further since the switch. Not quite a bar, the brewery allows customers to come have a drink for lunch or dinner without the party bar scene weighing down on them. They are more of a local hot spot rather than a college crowd - although there is a pretty large customer base for college students.

“The typical customer here is the craft beer drinker 21-45. That’s usually our target market. We have a good mix between college-aged students and adults.” says Dismuke. “We have a very minimal underage crowd. We have a reputation of not serving underage so nobody comes down here and tries.”

Occasionally the brew pubs gets to cater and host events, further cementing their spot in the Statesboro community. “We’re just starting to get into the catering, but we do cater and we also do events in-house. We’ve had several sorority and fraternity events, several class reunions, some weddings, some wedding receptions.” says Dismuke.

Despite calling Statesboro home, Dismuke finds that a lot of travelers come through the brewery. “We stand out more of a destination than anyone else. People actually seek us out because we are a brewery.”

Eagle Creek brewery is an establishment home and local to Statesboro. A tucked-away downtown treasure, it has become a staple among the community.

By.Cheryl Nuzum