Much like barbeque

JUNE 2012 • ISSUE 145
WWW.PTSNORTH.COM | JUNE 2012
H O N O R I N G DA D : O U R T R I B U T E TO FAT H E R H O O D
P O I N T S N O RT H AT L A N TA
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OLD NORTH STATE WINERY & BREWERY
WEEPING RADISH FARM BREWERY
FOOTHILLS BREWING CO.
MYSTERY BREWING COMPANY
RED OAK BRREWERY
NATTY GREENE’S BREWING CO. TRIANGLE BREWING COMPANY
BULL CITY BURGER AND BREWERY
LIBERTY STEAKHOUSE & BREWERY
FULLSTEAM
BREWERY
ROTH BREWING COMPANY
TOP OF THE HILL RESTAURANT & BREWERY
LONERIDER
BREWING
CAROLINA BREWERY COMPANY
BEER ME!
WESTBEND VINEYARDS & BREWHOUSE
DRY COUNTY BREWING CO.
CATAWBA VALLEY BREWING COMPANY
CRAGGIE BREWING CO.
GREEN
MAN BREWING CO.
BREAD BREWING CO.
OYSTERHOUSE BREWING CO. FRENCH
PISGAH BREWING CO.
ASHEVILLE
BREWING
CO.
LEXINGTON AVENUE BREWERY HIGHLAND BREWING CO.
THIRSTY
MONK
PUB & BREWERYWEDGE BREWING CO.
FROG LEVEL BREWING CO. HEADWATERS BREWERY
NANTAHALA BREWING CO.
HEINZELMÄNNCHEN BREWERY
SOUTHERN APPALACHAIN BREWERY
BREVARD BREWING CO.
BOYLAN BRIDGE BREWPUB
like barbeque
Going Coa stal
FRONT STREET BREWERY, Wilmington
In this laidback town, if you aren’t at the beach,
THE DUCK-RABBIT CRAFT BREWERY
ASS CLOWN BREWING COMPANY
FOUR FRIENDS BREWING
ROCK BOTTOM RESTAURANT & BREWERY
BIRDSONG BREWING CO.
THE OLDE MECKLENBURG BREWERY
NODA BREWING COMPANY
HOPS GRILLHOUSE & BREWERY
a bar, it’s pure paradise for beer geeks, offering
you’re likely on the riverfront in Historic Downmore than 200 beers on the menu from microtown Wilmington, home of Front Street Brewery.
brews around the world as well as in-state
Brewmaster Kevin Kozak brought home the Gold
breweries.
Award at the Brewers’ Association World Beer
Cup in San Diego in May for his FSB Spring Brew
MOTHER EARTH BREWING, Kinston
in the Belgian and French Style Ale category. To
If you haven’t yet heard of this N.C. gem, trust
celebrate, he’s brewing another batch of FSB
me, you will. Right before we went to press,
Spring Brew that will be on tap this summer
this brewery found local distribution and is now
as well as a style of French country ale called
available around metro Atlanta! They’re working
Biere de garde that is both malty and sweet.
Besides the five flagship
Mother Earth Brewing, Kinston
brews, favorite seasonals
include the Swamp Lager,
a shout out to Discovery
Channel’s locally filmed
“Swamp Loggers,” and
Tiny Tim’s Christmas
Porter, a vanilla java porter
that I expect to win its
own award soon enough.
frontstreetbrewery.com
Heads Up: Don’t leave
the coast without stopping at Cape Fear Wine
and Beer. It’s a store, it’s
MOTHER EARTH BREWING COMPANY
RAILHOUSE BREWERY
THE HUSKE HARDWARE HOUSE RESTAURANT AND BREWERY
THE MASH HOUSE BREWERY & CHOPHOUSE
North Carolina Beer Country
{ W r it t e n By H E AT H ER KW B R OW N }
photo courtesy of mother earth brewing company
Much
BIG BOSS BREWING CO.
AVIATOR BREWING COMPANY
Cruising to Craft Brew in
chicken on pizza and fish in a taco, craft beer
brewed in North Carolina was originally met with
ambivalence, but curiosity and creativity finally
fermented a passion. Today, it’s a hub for handcrafted beer suds, and it’s only going to get bigger
as Sierra Nevada and New Belgium, the No. 2
and No. 3 American craft brewers respectively,
are both opening East Coast operations near
Asheville. According to BeerPulse.com, the two
upcoming breweries “call for a combined $283
million in investment in the next five to seven
years.” The hottest hop news is that Oskar Blues,
a Colorado-based brewery, is doing the same.
I love road trips and good beer, so to see
what the buzz was about I went in pursuit of pints
across the great state of North Carolina. This is
certainly not a comprehensive list of breweries
(see ncbeer.brewerymap.com), but I hope a quick
tour will whet your wanderlust and tempt your
taste buds.
FULL MOON BREWERY
NATTY GREENE’S BREWING CO.
SUB ROSA BREWING
CAROLINA BREWERY
CAROLINA BREWERY
LOWE’S BREWING COMPANY
OLDE HICKORY BREWERY PRODUCTION
OUTERBANKS BREWING STATION
LUMINA BREWING CO.
FRONT STREET BREWERY
to w a r d b e i n g
the f ir s t LEED certified brewery in
the country, which makes
the environment happy, and
their handcrafted beer makes me
happy, too. The Endless River Kolsch and the
BIG BOSS BREWING
Weeping Willow Wit, said to be “summertime in a
COMPANY, Raleigh
glass,” are sure to be crowd pleasers at your 4th
Holding court in an industrial area
of July party this year, right along with the Second
near downtown Raleigh, this brewery is the creWind Pale Ale and Sunny Haze Hefeweizen. Rumor
ative collaboration between a UNC grad and a
has it more styles will debut in Atlanta this fall, so
brewmaster with tons of experience from stints at
be on the lookout for more Peace, Love and Beer
Victory, Wild Goose and Native Brewing Company.
from Kinston’s Mother Earth, a favorite from the
Using some non-traditional takes on classic styles,
Tar Heel state. motherearthbrewing.com
like the Big Operator, which was on tap during my
visit, the brewing boss here is crafty. This Belgian
The Triangle Trifecta black raspberry infused with 150 pounds of locally
roasted cacao boasted a chocolate raspberry
Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, better known
finish that kept me going back for another sip,
as The Triangle, are packed with enough great
and the taproom is a fun place to hang your hat
places to pull up a bar stool from now until
while you tip your glass. There’s a dart room, pool
basketball season rolls back around.
tables, ping pong table and an outdoor patio.
bigbossbrewing.com
BOYLAN BRIDGE
BREWPUB, Raleigh
Less than 4 miles from Big Boss,
this brewpub is best known for its
view of Raleigh’s downtown skyline
at night and the longest beer name ever: We
Support Public Transportation By Rail Pale Ale.
boylanbridge.com
CAROLINA BREWERY, Chapel Hill
This happening hotspot is a fan favorite that has
garnered international acclaim for their signature
award-winning brew including Flagship IPA (Gold
Medal, Great American Beer Festival), Copperline
Amber Ale (Gold Medal, World Beer Championships) and Sky Blue Golden Ale (Silver Medal,
World Beer Championships). Order a Downtown
Trolley Brown and sink your teeth into the Local
logo courtesy of big boss brewing company
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TOP OF THE HILL RESTAURANT &
BREWERY, Chapel Hill
Looks alone belie the brewery connotation of this
upscale establishment, which could very well be
the town’s power lunch spot, but the beer will
steer you right back to the task, ahem, in hand.
FULLSTEAM BREWERY, Durham
Residents raved. I listened. Eventually spotting
the bright red door and the backward F, I walked
into Fullsteam Brewery, curious about the buzz
behind its beer. I was onboard after one sip of the
Carver, a beer made with sweet potatoes ... 250
local ones per batch. Unlike what you might think,
it isn’t sweet at all. I think it’s absolutely incredible
and what a nod to the South. North Carolina is the
largest producer of sweet potatoes in the country
and the namesake is attributed to Doctor George
Washington Carver. The next beer I tried has more
of a celebrity following than most Hollywood stars
and just might have been my favorite from the
Foothills Brewing, Winston-Salem
The Inn at Biltmore, Asheville
photo courtesy of creative: shapirowalker design
Beef Hamburger, said to go from pint to pasture to
patty to plate. Beneficiaries of the spent brewery
grain, local Lilly Den Farms feeds their herd and,
in turn, returns the favor with lean, tasty meat with
which the brewery can feed its own herd. Cask
beers are tapped in tandem with monthly tours
and tastings. carolinabrewery.com
taste of what’s brewing in this part of the state,
or better yet, swing by the brewery (located offsite) for a tour and a chat with Brewmaster Jamie
Bartholomaus. If you haven’t already heard about
the dark chocolate imperial stout with decidedly
sensational notes of espresso, molasses, dark fruit
and sweet toffee that is always sold out, consider
this a brief introduction. The flavors are so incredible, it hardly needs such a seductive name ... alas,
the Foothills Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout is
pure bliss in a bottle. foothillsbrewing.com
Beer Cit y USA
North Carolina has more microbreweries per
capita than any other state, and Asheville, consecutively voted “Beer City USA,” is the anchor.
Due to the sheer number of breweries here, my
advice is to park and stay a few days.
Fans of a strong, hoppy flavor will want to saddle
up to the beautiful bar for a Ram’s Head IPA, while
anyone who appreciates a beer with a fruity nose
this summer should search for blueberries in the
brewery’s Blue Ridge Blueberry Wheat. Perched
above the collegiate fray on Franklin Street, Top
of the Hill promises alumni and (most) basketball
fans a memorable march down basketball lane as
nostalgic prints serve as a reminder of where you
are. My advice? Don’t get lost in the past, get lost
in the pints. topofthehillrestaurant.com
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Points North | June 2012 | ptsnorth.com
entire trip — Working Man’s Lunch. The love of
this brew comes from the familiar flavors of RC
Cola and MoonPies guaranteed to have you clamoring to fill the nearest growler. fullsteam.ag
FOOTHILLS BREWING COMPANY,
Winston-Salem
A short, 80-mile drive along I-85 South from
Durham will lead you to Foothills Brewing. Pop
into the pub in downtown Winston-Salem for lunch
and any number of the year-round offerings for a
Heads up: Nestled into the nearly 8,000 acres
on which the irrefutable Vanderbilt estate sits, The
Inn at Biltmore is the quintessential home away
from home. Turn your attention to the estate’s
latest addition, Antler Hill Village and prepare
to spend the day. Extending the Biltmore experience, Antler Village is where you’ll find the winery,
exhibits at the Biltmore Legacy and an Outdoor
Adventure Center that quite honestly is a vacation spot all its own, complete with Segway tours,
carriage rides, biking, off-road driving in Land
Rovers, a fly fishing and sporting clay school and
horseback riding opportunities — just to name a
few. biltmore.com
photo courtesy of biltmore estate: inn at biltmore estate
{ t r av e l }
ASHEVILLE BREWING COMPANY
Call it the ABC of beer if you wish, but nothing
about the Ninja Porter or the Rocket Girl Lager
here is simple. Both are wonderfully complicated.
Sit on the patio with a pint and a slice of pizza
in hand until it’s time for a tour with Asheville
Brews Cruise. Options include both walking and
mobile tours, with many of them starting and
ending at the Asheville Brewing Company. Only
a handful of Asheville breweries are included in
each tour, but it’s a great place to start diving
into the local scene. ashevillebrewing.com,
ashevillebrewscruise.com
CRAGGIE BREWING COMPANY
Good luck finding this place if you don’t know
where you’re going. It’s a few blocks off the main
drag and sans the writing on the door, gives no
indication you’re walking into a brewery. Once
inside, though, you can’t miss the carbonated
concoctions of Bill Drew, who brewed for Atlanta’s Dogwood Brewing Company before it closed.
Craggie is small but their approach to craft on
tap is anything but, experimenting with unconventional recipes and uncompromising innovation. Burning Barrel, a bourbon chipotle porter,
is proof of that, with hints of smoke, spices and
nothing but a smooth bourbon ride to the finish.
craggiebrewingco.com
FRENCH BROAD BREWING COMPANY
Just past the cute shops and restaurants of Biltmore Village is a bridge and a set of railroad
tracks. Go over both and then immediately hang
a right. Dismiss the Discount Furniture sign in lieu
of the live music and plenty of people decorated
with hues of brews. The tasting room is tiny but big
enough to order a flight of the signature staples:
Anvil Porter, 13 Rebels ESB, Gateway Kolsch, the
Ryehopper and their widely popular Wee-HeavyEr Scotch Ale. frenchbroadbrewery.com
GREEN MAN BREWERY
It started as a brewpub in 1997 but has since
become a bona fide brewery crafting palatepleasing pints like the Rainmaker Double
IPA, Black Forest Stout and the Green Man
’s Day
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955 North Point Drive • Alpharetta • 770.754.5750
Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-7 p.m. • Sun 12 to 6 p.m.
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{ t r av e l }
Deschutes Brewery’s
Twilight Summer Ale
HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY
Inside Asheville’s oldest and the Southeast’s third largest brewery
are picnic tables as far as the eye can see, a stage and a long bar
counter separating you and a tempting row of tap handles. Of all
the breweries I’d researched and planned to visit, Highland Brewing
had already won my heart long before I ever shifted the car out of
park — and I owe it all to the Thunderstruck Coffee Porter. As with
each of its seasonals, Thunderstruck is named after a N.C. mountain
peak, so the beer gets a cool name and the community gets inspired
to explore a local landmark with guided hikes. Their latest seasonal
to hit the market is the Razor Wit Belgian Wheat, and while you can
certainly visit the brewery for a sample, you can also find it around
metro Atlanta. highlandbrewing.com
THIRSTY MONK PUB AND BREWERY
A beer lover’s trip to Asheville just isn’t complete without a decent
amount of time spent at the Thirsty Monk. Long before magazines
like Draft, Garden & Gun or Paste ranked this pub as one of America’s
Top Beer Bars, thirsty travelers and locals alike have made this one
of their first, if not most frequent, stops in the city. The bottle menu
between the upstairs and downstairs combined hovers close to 200
while the tap count lingers around 40. By the time you read this and
plan your own trip, Thirsty Monk will be brewing its own beer onsite
as well. To that, I say, Ale yeah!
Spoiled. That’s how anyone who enjoys craft beer feels in Asheville,
and the rest of North Carolina is catching up. PN
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OF
BIKES
AND
BEER
Surely you’ve heard of Bend,
the small-town mountain hamlet in
central Oregon, where landmarks
like the Cascade Mountains, Deschutes River and Mirror Pond
practically beg you to come play
and anyone who loves to do anything outdoors almost always finds
their way.
But did you know that despite
its population of roughly 82,000,
the town is also home to 10 craft
breweries? Technically, nine (and
counting), plus one nearby in a town
called Sisters. It’s true — whether
you’re a beer fanatic or an outdoor
enthusiast, Bend beckons and the
only way to placate that pull is to
give in and go.
I finally gave in last summer
and in less than 72 hours, I’d ridden
a townie bike complete with wire
basket in the front to lunch, shopped
up and down the main streets in
downtown Bend, chased my friend
and a group of strangers through the
woods on a mountain bike, paddled
a canoe on a lake under an incredibly
clear night sky and sampled a good
amount of local brew.
McMenamins
Cycle Pub of Bend
For More
I n f o r m at i o n :
bendaletrail.com
cogwild.com
oxfordhotelbend.com
wanderlusttours.com
clockwise from top left: Photo courtesy of deschutes Brewery; photo courtesy of Visit Bend/Cycle Pub: Bend, OR; photo courtesy of mcMenamins; photo courtesy of deschutes
photo courtesy of heather kw brown
Porter, which I ordered at the brewery’s original location that is
now a pub called Jack of the Wood. Tons of beer from N.C. breweries plus favorites from around the country are also available.
greenmanbrewery.com, jackofthewood.com
Deschutes Brewery’s Fresh Hop Mirror Pond Pale Ale
When it’s your turn to visit, I
recommend much of the same. Start
by checking into The Oxford, an ecochic modern property that also happens to be the only boutique hotel
in town. From waking up to French
press coffee in your spacious room
to pulling up a chair at 10 Below, the
upscale restaurant located downstairs, The Oxford has everything
you’d expect of a luxury hotel minus
the pretentious demeanor. The staff
here was very friendly and willing
to help us map our adventures each
day, beginning with the best out-oftown advice I’ve ever received: Eat at
Jackson’s Corner.
They were so sure we’d love
it, they pulled out two townie bikes
and a map, then sent us on our way.
We ordered a brick-oven pizza that
had both of us speechless and a
salad that tasted so fresh, I looked
for a garden on the way out. The
wall-length cooler full of local
beer served as a reminder of what
else was on tap for us that day. We
parked our bikes back at the hotel
and walked about a block and a half
to the original Deschutes Brewery on
Bond Street, where we sampled a
few of the brewery’s creative crafts
before ultimately deciding on a
Black Butte Porter and the Twilight
Summer Ale.
Ahh ... the beerventure begins
here on the Bend Ale Trail. Download the Bend Ale Trail app or go old
school by printing the Bend Ale Trail
Atlas and Passport; either way is fine
because the beer tastes just as good.
Although Bend is very walkable, I say
up the fun factor by taking the Cycle
Pub of Bend! We were walking when
we saw this 16-passenger “bike”
cruise past and every single person
was having a blast peddling their
way between breweries. If exerting
extra energy just isn’t your thing,
you’re still in luck thanks to the Bend
Brew Bus, which will whisk you from
your hotel to a handful of the local
breweries.
Regardless of whether you
walk, ride or pedal, don’t miss McMenamins. Located in downtown
Bend, this property was once a
1936 Catholic schoolhouse. Today,
Old St. Francis Schoolhouse is part
hotel, part pub and brewery, part
movie theater, part bakery and all
kinds of cool! A personal favorite of
ours, though, was 10 Barrel Brewing
Company, where making beer is
taken seriously, as is evident in the
S1NIST0R Black Ale, but with plenty
of humor. Enter the Mike Saw a
Sasquatch Session Ale.
Bikes and beer are the best of
both worlds in Bend, and we certainly weren’t going to leave without hitting the real trails on a real bike. The
time had come to go Cog Wild. From
multi-day tours for advanced riders
to a singletrack sample half-day tour
ideal for beginners and families, Cog
Wild just might be your answer for
a fun day in the dirt. We rode a fun
route with very little climbing and
lots of room to let loose.
We rounded our action-packed
adventures in Bend with Wanderlust
Tours, whose relaxing moonlight canoe outing on Sparks Lake proved to
be a peaceful peek at why Bend is
not just another one of Mother Nature’s playgrounds, but one of her
favorites because once you’re here
you simply don’t miss wherever
“there” was.
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