by Joan Wilkerson Hoffmann | Aug 11, 2019 | Blog, Breweries
Lunch Punch: 4.5% The middle of the day is boring. Let your lunch pack a perfect hop punch. This session IPA is hopped with Simcoe, El Dorado, and Amarillo.
Apricot Lager: 5.2% The base is Ed Teach’s German Lager, presenting soft bready malt character that allows the pleasant fruity, tart apricot shine.
Piña Colada Berliner Weisse: 3.8% Made with fresh coconut and pineapple, this brew is tart, sweet, and fruity.
Consigliere GL: 7.2% 55 IBU A classic West Coast IPA loaded with Magnum, Centennial, and Cascade hops, and then dry-hopped with Chinook, Simcoe, Centennial, and Citra hops. This IPA was brewed in collaboration with Broomtail lawyer and “consigliere”, Geoff Losee, a friend of the business and homebrewer himself for many years.
Grapefruit Cranberry Saison: 6.8% Brewed with Flytrap’s house saison base, this fruited version offers brightness from grapefruit and earthy tartness from cranberries.
Warrior Monk: 4.8% A toasty, biscuity Vienna lager that benefits Paddle 4 Troops, an organization that supports local veterans and provides scholarships to students.
by Joan Wilkerson Hoffmann | Aug 7, 2019 | Blog, Breweries, Local Beer
Lagerfest 2019 at Wrightsville Beach Brewery is sure to deliver tons of cold-fermented fun.
For $30 attendees can indulge in endless samples of lagers of all flavors and colors. Breweries from all over the state will gather for the event. Music will be provided by Nathan Kornegay and L-Shape Lot.
The festival is perfect for people one the fence about diving into the wild world of craft beer. While sippers will find light, balanced, crisp libations to cleanse their palates, they’ll also discover they might not know everything they thought they did about lagers. They can also be dark, roasty, sweet, unctuous–the list goes on. The only difference between lagers and ales is the way they ferment!
It’s also a great way for craft beer experts to refresh their beer knowledge–and have a damn good time while they’re at it.
Guests can look forward to local favorites as well and visiting breweries such as (so far) are Southern Pines, Trophy, and Deep River. Get your tickets here or at the brewery. Follow on Facebook for updates.
by Joan Wilkerson Hoffmann | Aug 6, 2019 | Blog, Breweries, Local Beer
A weekly roundup of local and craft beer that can be found around the area on tap, in bottles, or in cans. These are not beer reviews and should be used for entertainment purposes only.
Princess Street Pilsner: 4.5% Hoppy pils brewed with Amarillo, Citra and Nugget. Crisp & refreshing with a dry hop kick.
Avogadro’s Number: 6.02% This pale ale packs an untraditional juicy punch with smooth, refreshing notes of grapefruit and citrus.
Cold Nelson: 6.7% This easy-drinking midsummer IPA is packed full of Glacier hops and finished with a healthy dose of Nelson Sauvin for a slightly sweet, stonefruit-forward IPA with notes of white peach and green grapes.
8-Minute Song: 7.6% A double-dry hopped New England-style IPA to make all your juicy dreams come true.
Throwing Shade: 6.9% It’s back! A 100% Citra IPA brewed with pale malt, oats, wheat, and lactose.
Blueberry LZ1: 4.7% A zippy Berliner brewed with heaps of blueberries, and orange, vanilla, & lactose to complement.
by Joan Wilkerson Hoffmann | Jul 29, 2019 | Blog, Breweries, Local Beer
Fans of Bill’s Front Porch can anticipate some changes coming in the next week–but trust us, change is good!
After three tasty years of fried chicken plates paired with fresh, local beer, the brewpub has decided to move in a different direction. That move will focus in on the beer, and give the taproom more of that classic taproom feel, complete with bar service and a more limited food menu.
“Our focus when we opened Bill’s Front Porch & Bill’s Brewing has always been the beer, and of course a place to get my Dad’s fried chicken,” says owner Brookes Musser of the impending changes.
And you’ll still be able to find John Musser’s fried chicken…but only on Thursdays and Sundays.
The new menu will include the brewpub’s famous soft beer pretzels, fried green tomatoes, tater tot skillets, wings, and a rotation of sandwiches.
But they’re not skimping on the specials. There are three delicious days of features.
Wednesday: $3 pints and music bingo
Thursday: Mussers Famous Fried Chicken Plates and $5 flights
Sunday: Brunch only! Featuring homemade empanadas, fried chicken & waffles, famous fried chicken plates, and other rotating signature surprises
Customers will go to the bar to order, then seat themselves. Food will be brought to the tables, but otherwise folks will continue to order rounds from the bar. And those rounds can include taproom-only releases, which will also be available.
The greatest thing is that the changes made will allow the brewery to focus on their new facility, which they’ve been chipping away at on Cinema Drive
behind Capt’n Bill’s. The new space will include a new brewing system (the original will remain at the Front Porch for test batches and experimental brews) and a canning line to ensure maximum enjoyment of Bill’s beers. A big taproom will accommodate guests, as will a rooftop patio overlooking the volleyball courts at Capt’n Bill’s.
“With the arrival of our son in early December, we knew we had to reign some things in,” explains Musser. “Running Capt’n Bill’s, Bill’s Brewing, Bill’s Catering, Bill’s Food Truck and Bill’s Front Porch is a lot to say the least. We want to enjoy this process, enjoy life with our new child, and enjoy continuing to grow in the craft beer industry. So, these changes will allow us to do that. We can’t wait to see what new releases Jim and his team develop for the taproom, and of course, what rotating dishes Joel creates in the kitchen.”
The food truck will also continue to operate, as will the kitchen at Capt’n Bill’s.
New hours of operation, effective July 31st, are:
Wednesday 4-9pm
Thursday 4-9pm
Friday 4-10pm
Saturday 11-10pm
Sunday 10am-3pm
by Joan Wilkerson Hoffmann | Jul 29, 2019 | Blog, Breweries, Local Beer
A weekly roundup of local and craft beer that can be found around the area on tap, in bottles, or in cans. These are not beer reviews and should be used for entertainment purposes only.
Tropic Fire: 4.6% This tropical golden ale is full of juicy pineapple with a hint of Serrano spice. The fruity, peppery aroma will draw you in to your first sips of sweet pineapple, followed by a dry, fiery finish. The lingering spice is sure to keep you coming back for more.
Tripel Play: 8.6% Need a Summer sipper to beat the heat while watching the game? This stunning light golden ale is a game-changer. Light and easy to drink, but full of flavor, with Belgian overtones of plum, bubblegum, and spice. And only 8 grams of carbs per serving, thanks to it’s strikingly dry finish. Flavorful, light, and low carb? That’s three easy outs. You’ll be back at bat again in no time.
Profusion 3.0: x.x% This New England style IPA was designed to create a violent juicebomb for your facehole. Featuring Galaxy, Citra, Mosaic, and Lemondrop hops!
Brüturtle: 7% A light, effervescent brut IPA with delicate notes of Meyer lemon and a bright finish. Perfect for hop heads who need something a little lighter for summertime.
Strawberry Pineapple BAM!: 6% A light, fruity sour that is perfectly crushable.
Belgian Golden Strong: 9.4% This new brew is part of Flytrap’s High Gravity series. It features light notes of fruit and subtle complexity in every sip.
by Joan Wilkerson Hoffmann | Jul 25, 2019 | Blog, Breweries, Community, Local Beer
Photo Credit: Cape Fear Solar Systems
Get ready for an awesome Saturday at Wilmington’s solar powered brewery, Mad Mole!
The brewery entered and won the Brews from the Sun competition, hosted by Solar United Neighbors (SUN), and will be honored by the organization this Saturday with a big party at the brewery.
Out of the twenty one US solar powered breweries that entered the competition, the three from North Carolina came out on top with Mad Mole in first, Birdsong in second, and Wiseman in third. The two other categories available for entry were brewpubs and regional breweries. All categories were in accordance with the Brewers Association definitions.
Saturday will be a day filled with music, food trucks, and many toasts to environmental sustainability. Attendees will find Salty Sistas and Pepe’s Taco’s to snack on, and entertainment will be provided by Wildcat 69 and John Rogers. The brewery also just canned their first batch, so on top of growlers and crowlers, there will also be four packs of Boston Mole Party NE IPA to take home.
Solar United Neighbors will also be in attendance to present Mad Mole with their award. So whatever your plans are, cancel ’em! Let’s show SUN all of our pride and excitement for being home to America’s Favorite Solar Craft Microbrewery!
More details can be found here
