by admin | Oct 31, 2019 | Blog, Breweries, Local Beer
If you’ve been to Flytrap in the last five years you’ve definitely had the pleasure of meeting Eddy; he celebrated his fifth anniversary shortly after the brewery did! And if you haven’t stopped by, you definitely should–both for the delicious Belgian-inspired brews, and the ultra-friendly bartenders.
Check out what Eddy has to say about being behind the stick.
Ale Trail (AT): What’s your favorite thing about bartending?
Eddy Johnson (EJ): My favorite thing about bartending, specifically at Flytrap, is being able to bring people together. We have a wide range of folks who come in and to be the bridge that brings them together over a pint is truly something I enjoy.
AT: Do you have any advice for current or future craft beer bartenders?
EJ: 1. Be knowledgeable of your brewery’s/bar’s beer and of other beers so you can recommend similar beer.
2. Keep the air conditioner on high, you never want them to see you sweat.
3. Always have a good dad joke in your back pocket. If they roll thier eyes you nailed it.
4. Most importantly, have fun. Create an environment where they want to stay and come back.
AT: If you were a beer, which one would you be?
EJ: I’m not sure I would want to be a beer, then I won’t be able to drink one. If I have to pick, something dry and with a bite.
by Joan Wilkerson Hoffmann | Oct 30, 2019 | Blog, Breweries, Community, 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.
Deep Sea Dunkelweizen: 4.4% Dark, mysterious, and full of surprises. This dunkelweizen has a rich malt and clove aroma with slight notes of vanilla. Malted wheat makes for a smooth, medium-light body, while Munich provides a slight sweetness. Although the dark color can be deceiving, the crisp and refreshing Hefeweizen character makes this beer unique.
Collective Illusions: 7.5% A hazy IPA dry-hopped with Amarillo and Simcoe. Think: sweet, red fruit, mango. Available on draught and in cans.
Rye Saison: 6.7% Another delicious variation on their classic house saison, now featuring rye malt and Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand.
Sextant Chocolate Porter: 5.8% The latest porter coming out of the North 4th brewery featuring notes of coffee, toffee, and chocolat.e
Fool’s Gold Nitro Stout: 6.7% This strong golden ale looks like a blonde ale but has the body and mouthfeel of a stout. Additions of vanilla bean, Ecuadorian cocoa nibs, and whole bean coffee complete the finish with a light bitterness and strong roasted coffee flavor.
Moletimus Prime: 5.6% A New England IPA that was dry hopped during fermentation, bio-transforming the hops to more aromatic properties.
by Joan Wilkerson Hoffmann | Oct 23, 2019 | Breweries, Featured, Local Beer
If you’ve kept an eye on Edward Teach Brewing’s social media or been to the brewery for an event, you may have run into some unexpected fuzzy friends–the Ed Teach Burros! The tiny donkeys are so famous that they have their own Instagram at @EdwardTeachBurros. I had the pleasure of Friday & Ernie at the Cape Fear Craft Beer Alliance event Halfway There and they were such sweet little guys!
Blair Sholar took a second to fill in the Ale Trail about what the burros are all about!
“My husband/brewery owner, Gary Sholar, had the idea in early 2018, that as a small, craft brewery, it seemed like a fun twist on the well-known Clydesdales. ‘We may be small, but we make damn good beer!’
Friday and Ernie, miniature Mediterranean donkeys, came to us from a lovely farm in Canada. We were seeking an experienced driving pair that could represent our brand at local events and parades. After several months of searching these two wonderful little geldings were the shining stars of the short list. They arrived here last August and have made a few small appearances at the brewery on North 4th Street. The crowd always loves them, and vice versa! We couldn’t be happier to have found such sweet and friendly personalities in our burros.
It is our goal to introduce them under harness to the public very soon to debut the Edward Teach Beer Wagon. Every appearance is weather permitting, and as their handler my first priority is the health and safety of our boys. Friday & Ernie have been enjoying this hot summer at their boarding farm in Hampstead, NC but with cooler weather approaching, you’ll be seeing more of them out and about. ”
Be sure to go say hello to Friday and Ernie at Edward Teach Brewing soon!
by Joan Wilkerson Hoffmann | Oct 23, 2019 | Blog, Breweries, Local Beer
Pineapple Kölsch Krush: 4.8% 20 IBU This brew is fruit-forward, and quite crushable. Perfect for kicking back in the WBB beer garden!
Don’t @ Me: 4.5% A special kind of riff on a kölsch. NABP took a standard recipe added a little German Brumalt and boiled a very weak wort for 3 hours to add some extra color and flavor.
IDK IPA: 6.4% Head Brewer Dani says, “Too many ingredients to name it after a clever pun, this beer has a little bit of everything but delivers an easy-drinking IPA with layered flavors and aromas, and strong impressions of tangerine. Because sometimes, you just don’t know what you want until you have it.”
Belgian IPA: 7.2% An absurdly good hybrid of American IPA and Belgian ale, this end-of-summer beer marries together the tangerine citrus and tropical fruit notes of four different Pacific Northwest hops with the tart plum and bubblegum spice of the FSB house Belgian yeast strain, all delivered with a soft and fluffy texture. A joy to drink.
Count Chocolate Ale: 6% This chocolate milkshake porter is brewed with real cocoa nibs. It’s got notes of milk chocolate, tootsie rolls, and cocoa puff cereal milk; and it’s just in time for Halloween!!
Pretty in Pink: 5% This strawberry-hibiscus sour was brewed to benefit local non-profit Pretty in Pink, which helps breast cancer patients and survivors.
by Joan Wilkerson Hoffmann | Oct 16, 2019 | Blog, Breweries, Community, Local Beer
You may have seen Maria Speaks running one of the many large-scale events at Waterline Brewing Company, the brewery under the bridge. She started as a bartender three years ago and worked her way into becoming Taproom Manager & On-Site Events Coordinator. This week we chat with Maria.
AT: Whats your favorite thing about bar tending?
MS: My favorite thing about bar tending at Waterline is talking about beer with people. I like to nerd out about it and it’s always nice to have a fellow nerd that I can converse with. The other part I enjoy is the social aspect of it. I love the demographic here so socializing with regulars and people who come in is always pretty enjoyable.
AT: Do you have any advice for current or future craft beer bartenders?
MS: Always be open. Be open to try new beers, to try new product period. I love ordering new ciders and wine. I also love that the brewery I work at is all-inclusive when it comes to the beverage of choice. Also, know your beer. Part of the appeal of a brewery for customers is for them to be able to ask you questions about your product or even other craft beer products and for you to have the answers.
AT: If you were a beer which one would you be?
MS: If I was a beer I’d like to be a Gruit. I’d be a Gruit because it’s an OG style of beer. Traditional and original but can taste and look like anything!
by Joan Wilkerson Hoffmann | Oct 13, 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.
Atmospheric Pressure: 8.5% This small batch of Imperial Berliner Weisse is chock-full of blueberry and raspberry with added vanilla and lactose. Small pours only on this insanely smooth libation.
Half Truth Wit: 4.7% Named after Blackbeard’s daughter Angelica who was known to be very deceiving with her words, this Belgian Wit was aged with lemon peel & has fragrant clove notes in the aroma with a balanced hint of lemon zest. The flavor profile showcases pils & wheat malt character with a crisp and easy finish.
Lumina Landing Lager: 4.6% This easy drinking lager is light, crisp, and refreshing making it the perfect choice for an afternoon on the boat or an evening at the beach house. A herbal aroma accompanied by a slight hoppy finish makes this lager stand out from the crowd.
Hail the Leaf: 5.4% This modernized American Pale Ale is loaded down with Citra and Simcoe. A light haze is present with a balanced (42 IBU) bitterness from Simcoe first wort hopping. No boil hops, but a substantial whirlpool of Citra and Simcoe give the finish a citrus and fresh fruit aroma and flavor.
Black & Blueberry Berliner Weisse: 4.3% This German style sour was fermented with tons of whole blackberries & blueberries. Now pouring!
Big Shakey: 6.5% Bright, fruity IPA meets bitter, dark roast coffee for a unique combination of flavors perfect for the hop head or stout lover. This brew finishes with firm bitterness from roasted malts and fruit notes of pear and fuji apple.
