Carolina Brewery (in Chapel Hill): Not just for Fraternities

Carolina Brewery is like the Chili's of breweries.  They are very branded, which is a good thing, but in a corporate-feeling way.  I'm pretty sure Barefoot Landing in Myrtle Beach would be an excellent choice for a third location.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't dislike the brewery located at 460 West Franklin Street, it simply was not what I expected.  In some ways that is a good thing. 


Halfway to Chapel Hill from Raleigh was the first time I thought about my decision to visit the Brewery on Pint Night (every Tuesday all pints are $3).  All of a sudden I realized I was traveling to Frat Central (Franklin Street) on discounted pint night.  I was afraid.  Instantly, I pictured myself in a sea of popped collars and girls clad in dresses with cowboy boots. 


Happily, that was not the case.




$5/Flight



There were a couple of things I really liked:

• Copperline Amber Ale (it is also their top-selling beer)
• That the waitstaff and bartenders knew information about the beers (very important)
• The Nachos
• Oh, and the way the flight was presented (on a paddle)

Emilee Bunker, Senior at University of North Carolina and Raleigh native said she does not come as often as she would like. "It's such a versatile atmosphere," she said, "anywhere from families to college students looking to unwind... they have live music, its fun, upbeat, just come to have a good time."

Like I said, Barefoot Landing.



"The Young Guns" at Roth Brewing Co.

Not gonna lie.  I wasn't super-stoked to venture out to Roth Brewing Co. last night.
Mainly because I had not heard too much about them and knew they were really green.
Let's just say,  I was not expecting too much.

But then, bartender and Assistant Brewer Dallas M., called me by name.  Before we had decent taste in beer, we used to chug Busch light from Solo cups together.  Good times.

Dallas has been homebrewing with his dad for six years.  He also studied abroad for three months in Germany.  "I basically went to every brewery I could learning as much about beer as I could," he said.  Last week, he finished his internship with Roth Brewing Co. and was officially put on the payroll this week.

"16-hour-days are not unusual," he said. "Everyone here is under 28-years-old, we're the 'young guns' and we do it all ourselves."  They even distribute their beer themselves.  Dallas' SUV doubles as the delivery truck.          

I was pleasantly surprised to find that, like LoneRider, these guys give you a free tasting of the beers.

Viking hat available for $15

Robert Mays, the head bartender, poured me a pint of Raleigh Red while Dallas snagged me the chance to sit down with Ryan Roth, CEO.

I really liked the Raleigh Red American Amber Ale. It's just the right hoppy and just the right sweet. Plus, it's really drinkable.  Raleigh Red is their flagship beer and can now be found in 26 places in and around the triangle.  The newest to put them on tap is The Angus Barn. "If our beer is good enough for The Angus Barn, that is good enough for me," said Roth.

Roth is 23-years-old. He started homebrewing with his brother in Spring 2008.  "I was cooking beer on my stove as a hobby.  It was just a cheap and totally legal way to get beer.  I just caught the bug," he said.

December of 2008 Roth and his brother Eric made Roth Brewing Co. an LLC.  The Roth brothers did not have a huge grand opening.  They didn't do a large ad campaign or even tell too many people where they were.  "We decided to open up and work on word of mouth," said Ryan.

The only "real" ad Roth Brewing Co. made was one in NCSU's Technician last summer inviting State students to come out for a Welcome Back to School Party.  "If you wore a State shirt you got a free pint glass," said Roth.  "We don't have to sell sex to sell beer--the triangle wants craft beer," Roth said of their lack of advertising.

"We're not in competition with the other small breweries in the area. They're small businesses just like us," he said. "What we're trying to do is sway the Bud-Miller-Coors crowd to drink our beers instead."

Other events coming up are the Chili Cook-off in March and sometime in late spring is the Wing Fest.

Anyone can tour the brewery at anytime.  And, if you need to use the bathroom you will get the chance.

When I inquired of the whereabouts of this bathroom, Dallas told me to "walk past the Kraken and keep straight."  'The Kraken' is the newest addition of brewing equipment in the Roth Brewery and it's huge.  It also has a/the Kraken drawn out on it.

Speaking of drawings. . . The uni-sex bathroom has some colorful artwork. Don't worry, there is a place to put your beer so you can spend plenty of time checking it all out.

LoneRider Stands Alone

Get in your car, get to Glenwood Avenue and drive past Crabtree Valley Mall.  Keep going.  
Drive past CarMax.  Keep going.  
When you're almost to Brier Creek, you have almost arrived at LoneRider Brewing Company.  (And I thought Big Boss was hidden). 
When the side street turns to gravel:  you are there.


Positioned in the warehouse used for brewing, the LoneRider tap room seems almost too simple.


And, not to sound trite, but simple is better.

Jackie Nelson tends the smallest functioning bar I've ever encountered to perfection.  Don't order a flight here, they don't do them, but she will serve you up a taste of each beer on tap.

Shotgun Betty, the hefeweizen, can be found outside the tap room, and is a favorite among Maggie Hussey and her friends. "It's just so seductively good," Hussey said, "even the label is sexy."








Andrew Townley, a Sweet Josie drinker, said he wished it was offered at more of his favorite downtown Raleigh bars instead of Shotgun Betty. 
"It's the darkest brown ale I've ever had that was enjoyable enough to drink more than one," he said of Sweet Josie.


Peacemaker, the pale ale, is a favorite of Shawn Hank a regular who lives nearby.  Of his Peacemaker preference he said, "it's hoppy and delicious, it has the perfect balance, it's a great beer."

Deadeye Jack, the seasonal porter, had run dry when I visited. Luckily Jeff A., a regular who knows his LoneRider beers, filled me in.  

"It's a real good winter beer, it tastes a lot like coffee," he said.

Currently, the brewery is not offering tours, but you almost don't need one.
With a rope dividing the two rooms, you can sit at a table with a pint (or Pale Ale Poppers from the Valentinos food truck) and enjoy the view of the brewery.  

The experience is worth the ride.

Natty Greene's: Good food, good beer, good bar.

At first, situated so close to Napper Tandy's and Hibernian, you might, like me, think that Natty Greene's is another Irish pub added to the downtown Raleigh bar scene.  But, like me, you would be wrong.   Natty Greene's is not only strictly Southern (which upon arriving is quickly made obvious), but strictly original. 

The bar only offers their own beer that is brewed in house.  And, what is better, it is likable, drinkable beer.  The Wildflower Witbier, one of the more popular offerings, is garnished with an orange slice for those pint seekers in search of one similar to a Blue Moon. 

Natty Greene's offers flutes of their beers for $1.50 each or pints for $4 each, including the six seasonal beers as well as the six year 'rounders.

They have a hard time keeping Freedom IPA from selling out, as it is their best selling seasonal beer. 

Equally tasty, are the food offerings at Natty Greene's.  Kevin Worth, 24, said he goes to Natty Greene's for a balance of good food and good draught beer. "And, lots of televisions," he added.  Of the menu he said the Buffalo Burger was his favorite and the Major General burger was the runner up.

Jordan Lawrence, 25, said he goes to Natty Greene's for the environment. "The large, open spaces and big tables make it enjoyable to eat or go to drink and watch a game," said Lawrence.

Watching a game is not why Catherine Earley, 24, an NCSU grad student goes to Natty Greene's.  Her husband, David, and she go to play games.  Complete with shuffle board and pool table, the game room, also equipped with a bar is the Earley's favorite spot. 

Already fans of the Natty Greene's in Greensboro, where the bar originated, the Earley's quickly became equally impressed with the Raleigh bar.  "The set up of the game room in Raleigh is much better than the set up in Greensboro," she said. "But Greensboro will always hold a special place in our hearts since it's the original location."