admin, Author at Wilmington Ale Trail

Wilmington Bottleshop series – Bomber’s Bev Co

by admin | Oct 7, 2015 | Bottle Shops

This will be an ongoing series on local bottleshops. Our aim is to see what makes them different and the history and backgrounds of the owners and managers. This series will be in collaboration with the Port City Brew Bus.

At 108 Grace Street, tucked beneath the Wilmington Hammerheads soccer headquarters, is a beer lover’s refuge. Turned from an empty office space to a bottle shop with a rustic, welcoming appeal in just over two months, Bombers Beverage Company is now a go-to for craft-loving connoisseurs and brew novices alike.

Opened in October 2014, the store is named for the 22-ounce vessels in which many breweries purvey limited releases. Owners and childhood friends Zach Boylston, Caleb Churchwell and Jacob Wright are closing in on their first successful year. “We opened Bombers Beverage Company because we have a strong passion for craft beer and we wanted to share it with Wilmington,” Wright, a former lawyer with a knowledge of craft beer, tells. “We loved the growing beer scene and saw an opportunity to service an under-serviced market downtown.”

Boylston, a graduate of UNCW’s film department, produced two documentaries about the local brewing industry, while Churchwell has managed craft beer bars and worked for renowned breweries like Boulevard Brewing Company. Churchwell and Wright relocated from Raleigh, NC, at the beginning of August 2014, and the trio began renovating the space which would become their shared business venture.

“Combined we have over 20 years of industry experience,” Churchwell explains. “We genuinely love craft beer and proudly call ourselves beer nerds. There is nothing that we enjoy more than being able to share our passion with our customers. Everyone is welcome at Bombers, from the first time craft drinker to the Untappd Master.”

For each of the owners, one of the best parts of the job is the opportunity to guide their customers to the perfect beverage for their palate. With a strong knowledge of the well over 500 products that have rotated through the Bombers inventory in the past year, the men are suited to prescribe the best beer or wine no matter their guests’ preferences. Likewise, in the shop’s first two months alone, over 85 different kegs rotated on the tasting room’s 12 taps. Shoppers can enjoy a beverage in the store while selecting their mixed six-pack to go, and assuredly something new will be on draft when they return again.

In fact, Bombers is the only bottle shop in town to own a Crowler machine. Designed by Oskar Blues Brewing Company, the apparatus seals 32-ounce cans of draft beer to go. “The Crowler machine has been a huge success,” Churchwell offers. “We have eliminated the need to remember to bring in your growler, and we also have addressed the issue of ease of transportation as well as glass at the beach, on the boat or the local pool. It’s incredibly convenient for customers and has a longer shelf life than typical growlers.”

In anticipation of Bombers’ upcoming first anniversary, we sat down with Churchwell to pick his brain about a year under the belt and what fans can look forward to in the future.

Wilmington Ale Trail (WAT): A year in, what is satisfying about owning your own business as opposed to your past career path? Likewise, how does it feel to have survived the first year?

Caleb Churchwell (CC): The satisfying part is that we make or break ourselves. All the decisions we make come from a collective. The business is a reflection of ourselves, and that we can get behind and pour everything into it. This is ours and we do with it how we see fit.
One year? Doesn’t seem real yet! Time has flown. When I truly think about it,
it feels great to survive one year. The ego in me expected it, but still feels nice to truly make it! bombers

WAT: What are some of the biggest lessons you learned about running a bottle shop (or general business in Wilmington) in the past year?

CC: Biggest lesson is Wilmington is a growing craft beer market. What might work in other parts of the state might not work here, and vice versa. Wilmington has a great craft beer community that is growing rapidly, and it is incredible to be a part of it. Not to mention, there are some great brewers in this town!

WAT: What were some of the best events you held last year?

CC: A few that stick out in my mind are the Ugly Sweater KISSmas, which was the release of our collaboration beer with Wilmington Brewing Company; our Stand Up for Pups event, where we held a local comedy show that supported the local animal shelter; and our first tap takeover to take over all 12 of our draft lines with Ballast Point Brewing. We had live music and food during the day, and it was one big party that everyone got to enjoy!

WAT: Speaking of collaboration beers, what brews has Bombers helped concoct locally? As one of the few bottle shops in Wilmington that does this, why do you engage in collaboration brews?

CC: We have done a few different collaborations with Wilmington Brewing Company. Our very first one was Love Gun Porter with vanilla bean and coffee. We did a second collaboration with them and Four Thirds Brewing Company called Kung Fu Kangaroo—it was an IPA using Australia and New Zealand hops. Our newest collaboration is with Front Street Brewing Company. We will be doing a bourbon-soaked, candied pecan ESB. The beer is named #pecanteven! This beer will be released sometime in October.

Collaborations are two parts: One, we get to pick the brains of great local craft brewers and impart a piece of ourselves into the beer. Two, we help ourselves and the craft brewery reach new clientele, helping out both businesses and further growing the local craft beer community!

WAT: Tell us about your partnership with Port City Brew Bus, our area’s only mobile brewery tour. How has this collaboration helped both businesses?

CC: Port City Brew Bus partners with us and several other breweries and bottles shops around the Wilmington area. We are their primary starting location. We start off their tour with a style tasting and history of beer to give their patrons a general understanding of beer and what they might see along their brew bus tour around Wilmington.
One of our main focuses at Bombers is education. This gave us an opportunity to get in front of many new customers as well as educate them on styles. I think it has benefited both business by allowing us to get in front of new customers as well as provide value to the brew bus tour with a bit of education for the riders!

WAT: Describe the typical atmosphere of Bombers and your connection with your consumers.
CC: We have a very easy going, laid-back atmosphere. We like to focus on customer interactions to help educate and create relationships for lasting customer loyalty. Getting to know all of our customers is key for us. We want them to not only come in for the great beer selection but also enjoy the time they are here!

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Bombers’ first anniversary party will be held on Saturday, October 10 from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. Specialty kegs will be tapped including 2014 Founders Big Lushious Imperial Stout, 2014 Big Boss Night Knight BBA, Terrapin Cranberry Pumpkinfest, and Brandy Barrel Aged Oskar Blues G’Knight. Live music includes Tyler Davis from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Mike Blair and the Stonewalls from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Guests also will be able to enjoy food and prize giveaways. For further details, call (910) 833-5107 or visit www.bombersbevco.com.

History of Wilmington Beer

by admin | Sep 24, 2015 | Blog

This entry is part of a periodic series about the growing craft beer industry in Wilmington, N.C. The series is shared with our friends at the Port City Brew Bus. Check our blogs to stay updated on the series. We’ll profile a different brewery in each addition. We begin by looking at the history of Wilmington’s craft beer industry.

Wilmington, N.C. has been known as a ‘port city’ since it’s incorporation in 1739. There are currently nine breweries operating in the area with more planned to open in the coming months. This amount of growth in the craft beer industry is quickly earning Wilmington the nickname ‘beer city.’

Many of Wilmington’s craft beer enthusiasts may not be aware the city’s post-prohibition craft beer history dates back more than two decades beginning with Wilmington Brewing Company; Front Street Brewery and Azalea Coast Brewing soon followed.

In 1994 Tom Dergay combined his “love of history and appreciation of beer” to open Wilmington Brewing Company (no affiliation to the current Wilmington Brewing Company). The Dergy’s brand was distributed in bottles and kegs as far south as Florida gaining a noticeable market share in Wilmington.

The location off of River Road became a thriving part of Wilmington, as well as a source of pride for Wilmington residents. “The community as a whole supported the brewery unbelievably,” says Dergay.

Celebrating occasions such as new beers with parties at the brewery is the one major advantage he had over the much larger breweries. “I had more friends when I owned a brewery than I could ever imagine,” jokes Dergay. One year he was invited to 11 Super Bowl parties; unable to attend all 11 he delivered a complimentary keg of beer to each.

Dergay sold the brewery to Williamsville Brewery in 2000 and the operation moved to Farmville, N.C. in what is now the Duck-Rabbit Brewery.

Following closely was Front Street Brewery, which has been serving ‘pub grub’ and craft beer since 1995. They’ve become a landmark on Wilmington’s busiest downtown street and the brewpub’s namesake.

Front Street was part of a downtown revitalization project and briefly distributed bottles until their renovation in 2006. “We’re focused on selling beer here in the restaurant,” says Operations Manager Kevin Kozak. “It works best for us to keep everything here; it makes for a better product,” Kozak says about their 1,400 barrel production.

Two decades later the brewpub has grown and changed with the palates of Wilmington even hiring North Carolina’s first female Head Brewer in . Kelsie Cole began in production three years ago and has noticed a change in what customers order, “People aren’t just asking for our Kolsch or our Scottish ale, they’re asking for more obscure things like our barrel aged beers.”

Growth in Wilmington’s craft beer community can been seen at the city’s oldest running craft brewery daily according to Cole. “People are recognizing the beers we make here, beers I’ve put my heart and soul into and it’s very rewarding.”

In 2004 Azalea Coast Brewery began brewing with kegs and bottles being distributed the following year. They eventually shared the shelves at local grocery stores with some of the county’s largest brands before closing their doors in 2008. One former owner, Ethan Hall is now the Head Brewer at Ironclad brewery in Wilmington.

Both the economy and craft beer climate have changed considerably notes Dergay, who is jokingly referred to as the ‘O.G.’ of Wilmington Craft Beer by current employees. Dergay feels the industry is now driven by creativity and passion. “They(brewers) are smarter than the previous generations, they don’t want to work in a cubicle. These guys go to work in t-shirt and jeans and brew all day; they’re like artists, god bless em.”