by Joan Wilkerson Hoffmann | Feb 20, 2019 | Blog, Local Beer
Vimana Pacifica: 5.1% dry-hopped with New Zealand Rakau hops. It has notes of pineapple and green tea with a dank finish.
Yuzu Gose with Kaffir Lime Leaves & Orange Zest: 4.2% It’s light, refreshing, and balanced! The layers of citrus are complemented by the salinity from the addition of Sea Love sea salt.
Murk Master Flex: 5.9% This hazy pale ale is loaded down with oats and flaked wheat for a light and creamy body. Azacca and Amarillo hops impart notes of citrus, pineapple, and spicy mango. #FLEXONIT
Mango Man Randy Sour: 6.8% A tart Belgian IPA fermented with mangoes.
Old North Stout: 5.8% Brewed using locally sourced malt from Epiphany Craft Malt. Dry, roasty, and full of flavor!
The Original IPA: 8.8% Ever wonder what IPA tasted like when it was first invented? Front Street has brewed a beer exactly like the original IPAs shipped from England to India. An authentic 1830s recipe, aged in oak barrels for a whole year, just like when it arrived on the subcontinent. It’s surprisingly bright, dry, and refreshing, with a golden color and a bold bitterness.
by Joan Wilkerson Hoffmann | Feb 20, 2019 | Blog, Bottle Shops, Community
Cheers to six years down and many, many more to our friends at Fermental!
The bottle shop on the north side of town will be celebrating their sixth anniversary on Saturday, March 2nd with a full day of music, food trucks, giveaways, and of course, delicious beer and wine.
We talked to Steve Gibbs, owner-operator of Fermental, and he’s thrilled to be six years in and looking ahead.
“It’s been quite a ride since 2013,” says Gibbs. “Pretty much non-stop every day since opening. Now, with one daughter soon to finish college and another about to enter preschool, my daily life is a hectic one. Coupled with consistent beer releases, an ever-growing wine selection, events, live music, and other such happenings, Fermental is definitely a laborious love and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
We also asked him how he feels about the ever-evolving nature of the beer industry and what he’s observed since opening his doors in 2013.
“The beer industry has changed drastically in six years. Most times for the best, sometimes not so much. I think this year we’ll see some big changes with local brewery expansions as well as larger brewery mergers and closings throughout the US as craft continues to grow. Beer styles will become more diverse and experimental while also returning to its roots as imbibers seek out the classics they once enjoyed.
2019 will be the year of hard seltzers. Watch out. But don’t worry, the hops aren’t going anywhere.”
Here’s the schedule for the day:
Food Trucks
CheeseSmith @ noon
2Bros Coastal Cuisine @ 5pm
Music
Roger Davis @ noon
Jason Ashby @ 2pm
The Blarney Brogues @ 5pm
Boba Funk @ 8pm
So let’s party, y’all!
Here’s a final message from Steve:
“Thanks again for everyone’s support over the past six years. This will be another challenging, mad-capped year at Fermental and we look forward to many more. Come celebrate with us, as we celebrate with you.”
For more information about this event visit the event Facebook page.
by Joan Wilkerson Hoffmann | Feb 13, 2019 | Blog, Breweries, Local Beer
The Behind Bars series focuses on those that serve us our favorite libations at craft beer-focused breweries, bottle shops, bars, and restaurants.
This week joining us Behind Bars is Allison McPherson from Bill’s Front Porch! Keep an eye out this year for the Market Street brewery to break ground on their new taproom behind Captain Bill’s on Cinema Drive.
AT: What’s your favorite thing about bartending?
AP: My favorite aspect of bartending, without a doubt, is meeting people. I have built some amazing relationships with customers who are now not just customers, they are friends.
AT: Do you have any advice for current or future craft beer bartenders?
AP: The advice I would give is to go try as many craft beers as you can, even if you don’t like a specific style. For example, I am really not a huge fan of stouts or any beers that have coffee and chocolate notes, but I will still sample them if a brewery has one on draft. This helps me find a beer for a patron who doesn’t know what they are looking for when they come into Bill’s Front Porch. They tell me the flavors, style, body, etc. that they want and that helps me find just the right beer for them.
AT: If you were a beer, which one would you be?
AP: Definitely a dry-hopped sour.
by Joan Wilkerson Hoffmann | Feb 6, 2019 | Blog, Breweries, Local Beer
A weekly roundup of local and craft beer that can be found at Wilmington breweries, in bottles, or in cans. These are not beer reviews and should be used for entertainment purposes only.
Brown Sugar Baltic Porter: A full-bodied lager with notes of dark chocolate, brown sugar, and roasted barley. 6.2%
Love Potion Porter: A sweet release for you and your sweet! It’s a 6% porter brewed with cocoa nibs and raspberry.
Raspberry Molay: This is Mad Mole’s traditional German kölsch with raspberry added! The result is a crisp, fruit-forward beer with a deep magenta hue. 6%
Ba’al: This is a false idol of gold in a 16oz can brewed with pale malt, wheat, citra, and loral. It’s bursting with citrus and tropical fruit.
For Whom the Belgian Tolls: A bourbon barrel aged Belgian Golden Strong Ale that was a collaboration between Wrightsville Beach Brewing and Makai.
Sinful Stout: The mocha latte of beers! This luxurious indulgence is brewed with rich chocolate velvet coffee beans and golden naked oats for a silky, sensual experience, while roasted black malt imparts dark chocolate intrigue. Each sip will leave you craving more. This Valentine’s Day, treat your sweet to this salaciously satisfying chocolate delight.
by Joan Wilkerson Hoffmann | Jan 31, 2019 | Blog, Breweries, Local Beer
A weekly roundup of local and craft beer that can be found at Wilmington breweries, in bottles, or in cans. These are not beer reviews and should be used for entertainment purposes only.
Latest Rotating IPA: The newest rotating house IPA from Flytrap is a West Coast style brewed with CTZ, Centennial, & Simcoe Hops.
Strawberry Rhubarb Barrel Sour: This beautiful golden sour drinks dry, like extra-brut champagne, with a bracing sourness. Almost a full year of aging in oak with a mixed culture has yielded marvelous layers of subtlety that can’t be rushed. And 50 lbs. of real strawberry and rhubarb add a soft whisper of refreshing fruit. A 5.4% ABV gem.
Imperial Stout: This 8.7% imperial stout has fresh notes of vanilla up front with a smooth coffee finish.
Kill the Headlights: A Citra double dry hopped IPA ringing in at 7.8% featuring pale malt, wheat, and some Munich. The hop bill features Citra, falconers flight, centennial, and calypso.
3rd Street Lager: This lager got a facelift! The bitterness has dialed back to create a grassy, easy-drinking brew that clocks in at 5%.
All The Cool Kids Are Doing It: This is a soft, citrusy, hazy pale ale. It’s a lighter alternative to its bigger, juicier NEDIPA siblings.
by Joan Wilkerson Hoffmann | Jan 30, 2019 | Blog, Community
Photo Courtesy: John Calvano
The Behind Bars series focuses on those that serve us our favorite libations at craft beer-focused breweries, bottle shops, bars, and restaurants.
This week Cece Calvano from Cape Fear Wine & Beer joins us!
AT: What is your favorite thing about bartending?
CC: How dynamic it is! Every day is new and different and presents it’s own challenges. Every now and then I think about my old office job and my brain explodes with monotony.
AT: Do you have any advice for current or future bartenders?
CC: What I often see, especially when it gets busy, is a lack of patience for our customers. I’m guilty of it myself. But I try to remember, these people aren’t walking into a restaurant because they literally have to eat to live, they’re walking into a craft beer bar because they want to be there. They’re choosing to spend their increasingly rare free time with us, in our establishment. Reward them, not just with our beer, but our service as well.
AT: If you were a beer, which one would you be and why?
CC: Can I say sake? Cause you know…technically…
Or I could say a double IPA, which is like the mullet of beers, I’m all business, but I’m also ready to party.
