DRINK
Poppin’ BOTTLES A different kind of watering hole fosters a bar scene that’s all about community by CATHERINE CURRIN photography by JOSHUA STEADMAN
S
ure, you could go to a wine bar, a cocktail bar, a dive bar or a straight-up “bar,” but Raleigh boasts an abundance of another kind of drinking establishment: the bottle shop. This hybrid of market and watering hole, a place to shop for craft beer and drink it at the same time, has become a favorite neighborhood gathering spot. Much like a brewery, a bottle shop is typically kid-friendly and dog-friendly, frequently bring-your-ownfood-friendly and an opportunity for
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beer aficionados to taste newly released and limited-edition local brews. Johnny Belflower was an early pioneer of the trend when he opened his shop, Tasty Beverage, eight years ago in the Warehouse District’s Raleigh Depot. “It’s an interesting phenomenon,” Belflower says, “every shop has their regulars and they all have such a different vibe.” Tasty Beverage has a rotating draft list, with funky flavors like a Cherry Pineapple Sour or a Vanilla Hazelnut Stout, and Belflower says he can flex his curios-
ity and creativity with beer selection. Belflower credits a lot of the growth of bottle shops in the Triangle over the past decade to the 2005 Pop the Cap NC initiative to increase the ABV limit on beer in North Carolina. Despite a growing number of bottle shop options in this area, Belflower says there isn’t really a sense of competition‚ it’s more of a celebration of the craft beer scene across Raleigh and all of North Carolina. Matt Allen, owner of Pelagic Beer & Wine in Oakwood, feels