BREW BUST
Written by: Brandi R. Harkness-Bruce
For those following my current crisis, I have been temporarily relocated to North Carolina. During the few months leading up to this move, I was freaking out. I couldn’t find anything that would supplement my chosen paid profession (tattoo artist) and the research I was doing on the craft beer scene was bringing me to terms with a brew bust. Clients of mine told me not to stress - North Carolina actually did have a great beer scene, and loved live music so I should have plenty on my personal plate.
Turns out, the beer scene in North Carolina resembles the entirety of their basketball programs (i.e. Duke and the Tar Heels): big hype on the home front which leads in failure to follow through and lame games to have to be forced to endure.
That’s right. I have been hunting and have found little to celebrate. A few chosen gems here and there have kept me sniffing, but my leads are turning up nothing. So what am I doing here? Where do I go from here? Am I completely doomed to live out my span here with only the company of Coors Light and whiskey?
Alas, I am a survivor. I have found a few places in town that actually serve as breweries and restaurants. There is a closet that tries to pass off as a beer and wine store here that does actually carry a few interesting beers that I was quick to stock in the refrigerator. And so we’re not at a complete loss - yet.
As I have been trying to come up with inspiration for this blog, I find myself feeling pretty down about my current living situation, which in turn does nothing to spark my creativity. I am definitely not trying to wallow in self-pity - on the flip side; I’m going to attempt to still create interesting recommendations based on my findings. I have vowed that while I am stuck in this vast hellhole that the United States calls North Carolina, I will become the Indiana Jones of the beer community and present to the public my findings. This week? I would like to just go over what has been in and out of the ol’ homestead during my hunting.
Beer Find: Dogfish Brewery’s Namaste
Origin: Delaware
ABV: 4.8%
Style: Witbier
This beer is advertised as a witbier with ‘good karma’ that I can get into considering I just happened on it at a beer store in town. Originally brewed as a tribute to one of their fellow brewers overseas in Belgium, this beer is available year round. With bursts of orange and the refreshing spiciness of coriander, this beer is a more than pleasant experience and has quickly become one of my favorites. Light and fresh, this beer is a compliment to any meal or perfect on it’s own. Having a bad day due to living in North Carolina? This beer will perk you right up with the zesty lemon aromatics.
Beer Find: 21st Amendment’s Hell or High Watermelon
Origin: California
ABV: 4.9%
Style: Wheat Beer
When I asked around town where I could find a place with a substantial beer menu, many of my clients outright suggested Carolina Ale House. This restaurant is a chain found in – where else – both the Carolinas that pride’s itself not only for offering a local selection, but also in bringing harder to find beers to the east coast. Automatic respect points were earned once I found that they offered a variety of 21st Amendments deliciously powerful canned brews. Their beautiful artwork is there to unnecessarily entice the drinker. Unlike other watermelon wheats, Hell Or High Watermelon starts with that traditional summer flavor and ends with the crispness of the wheat beer. It represents the perfect marriage of watermelon and the refreshing flavor from Magnum hops.
Beer Find: New Orleans Dixie Jazz Amber Light
Origin: Louisiana
ABV: 4.13%
Style: Amber Light
So for as long as I lived on the cup of the Crescent City, I was never able to track down this delicious and surprisingly light beer from Dixie Brewery. Due to some illegal activities after Hurricane Katrina, Dixie Brewery lost their building to a government buyout by the VA. Because of this, it is currently contract-brewed, which is a sad story considering it’s the oldest brew from New Orleans. I long for them to be able to go back home, especially to make this exceptionally light beer more available. As it happens, I stumbled upon it at the North Class Six on Fort Bragg. The caramel malts and hefty barley are still full of flavor despite the fact that it gives some of your light beers a run for their money in the calorie (92.5) and carbohydrate (3.1g) department. This beer made me homesick as I could fully picture me, a plastic cup full of Dixie and a secondline through the Treme as I embraced the amber brew!