Hey Guys, I am in the near future taking a small vacation from where I live, in Albany, down to Charleston, Sc and Durham, NC. I am in need of some considerations on breweries and/or brewpubs on the way up and down the coast. We will be driving so being slightly out of the way isn't a problem. Doesn't exactly have to be the "top breweries in the US". I am just looking for some cool joints with good atmosphere, maybe throw in a tour or two, good taprooms, just neat places. Let me know, Thanks.
You can do some onsite research here... NC http://www.beeradvocate.com/place/directory/9/US/NC/ SC http://www.beeradvocate.com/place/directory/9/US/SC/
Down in Charleston you've got three breweries: Westbrook brewing, Palmetto brewing and Holy City Brewing. All have solid choices. Charleston Beer Exchange is nice bottle shop pretty much downtown and they just opened a pub called Egans Oast that im looking forward to trying next time I get down there.
Ha. A for effort! Can't leave out COAST when talking Charleston Breweries though. Can stop off I26 on the way down and try Conquest Brewing Co. in Columbia (get the Brutus!). Also, the brewpub in Charleston is Edmund's Oast.
Asheville's great, but you're doing NC a disservice if you think that's all the state has to offer. When in Durham, make sure to visit Fullsteam and Bull City Burger. The former brews a wide range of beers, often with distinctly Southern ingredients, while the latter prides themselves on true-to-style beers and excellent food (the burgers are just so good). Triangle Brewing in Durham only opens their brewery for a couple hours every Saturday, however they have a new place called Triangle Brewing Pint and Plate that's essentially serving as their taproom. Charleston is so rife with great beer destinations, that I'm just going to advise checking out the Place information linked above. Also, chsbeer.org is a good source.
Come say hey at Fullsteam! Depending on who's around, we may not be able to do a tour...but I'll make sure you get treated right for sure. Cheers, Sean p.s. thanks @Handle
Ok so for Durham we have 3 breweries: Fullsteam (as shown above), Triangle Brewery (solid but not mind blowing), and Bull City Burger (traditional styles done exceptionally well). Youre next thought should be, "Am I willing to drive to the surrounding towns?" You have Steel String in Carrboro (great beer and improving by the minute), Top of the Hill and Carolina Brewery in Chapel Hill (the former has a good cask program downstairs and the latter is doing decent small batch stuff), Mystery in Hillsborough, and the beast that is Raleigh (Trophy is the up and comer, Raleigh Brewing is quickly establishing a name for themself, Lynnwood Brewing Concern seriously impressed me, Crank Arm is just solid as can be, LoneRider is LoneRider good a ever, Gizmo has gotten much better since its Roth days, Big Boss is ok, Natty Greene's pub exclusives will surprise you). Ive only been to Boylan Bridge once and left disappointed (but ill give it another go). Dont be surprised if the stuff at Carolina and Top of the Hill arent that great (their year rounds are meh), and I havent been to Union Square in Raleigh yet. As for retail, Sam's Quik Shop is the go to. For smaller, charlotte/asheville stuff Beer Study in Chapel Hill and Bottle Revolution on the west side of Raleigh are your go tos. If you want food and beer, Tyler's may be your best bet. Brixx in Chapel Hill has a manager that is pretty solid with his beer. Busy Bee and Raleigh Times in Raleigh be your best bet, but thats a bit of a drive. hope this helps.
As was I. Their brown was one of the better brown ales I've had in NC, and I liked their hoppy amber (Bill and Ted's Excellent Amber) as well. They have a sports bar type feel that might not work as well with some craft drinkers, but I thought it was a really cool spot with great beer and food. There's a nice rooftop patio up top as well.
Assuming you'll be driving down I95, I would highly recommend spending a day in Richmond. Hardywood Park, Strangeways and Center of the Universe are all very close. And then there's Mekong: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/9614/
Definitely check out Fullsteam while in Durham the beer is pretty good and it's just a fun place to hang out. But I would recommend taking the short drive to Raleigh and checking out Trophy brewing (they also have delicious pizza) and Raleigh brewing then going to Tasty Beverage Co to stock up on other NC brews. Also, Crank Arm brewing is literally around the corner from Tasty, but, the one time I went, their beer didn't impress me. If you can, make the drive to Asheville. But I think Raleigh/Durham would suffice. You can still buy a lot of NC stuff in Raleigh even if you can't get to the brewery.
Oh yes, I didn't mean to diminish other State brewers out there, in fact I'm really happy Catawba Brewing is coming to town. I have yet to try some of the breweries down state, but I can't wait. Next trip to Raleigh!
Tyler's Tap Room in Raleigh is a very reliable beer and food spot. Agree with Sam's in Durham and Bull City Burgers. Also, seek out Charlotte's Noda Hop Drop'n Roll at retail locations in Raleigh. Call ahead to be sure it's on hand. Others here may chime in with local Triangle availability. HD'nR is one of the state's very best.
The food is priced really well, but yea the atmosphere isnt what youd expect from a brewery. Theyve definitely got 2 worlds going at once. Cheap sports bar beer and great beer. Yes the Imp. Amber was impressive. Ok so as for HDR availability in the Triangle, its only at two places (the only two places that drive to Charlotte to buy it): Beer Study in Chapel Hill and Bottle Revolution in Raleigh. Not even Sam's in Durham or Tasty/Paddy O'Beers in Raleigh get it as of now.
And the guys at Tasty Beverage tweeted that they had it today (though I think this is probably the first time they have).
