From 2006-2010, Virginia and I lived in Durham near the old South Square Mall and the most out-of-place building in the Triangle, University Tower. During that period, we watched as the area’s restaurant and retail scenes struggled to reinvent themselves. Target and Sam’s Club found success in the area, and not far from their plaza…
Lonerider Offers Hideout For The Adventurous
If you’re a fan of North Carolina craft brews, chances are good you’re familiar with Lonerider, one of the state’s more successfully distributed brewers. You can find Lonerider’s popular Shotgun Betty hefeweizen or Sweet Josie brown ale or Peacemaker pale ale at venues ranging from Durham Performing Arts Center to the Lincoln Theater to Carolina…
Pound-for-Pound Champion: Pig Pounder Brewery
There’s no need to pound the beers at Pig Pounder in Greensboro: like most pigs, their beers are best best low-and-slow. (Not sure how the “low” part works in this analogy? Hang with me here.) At first, everything seems exactly what you’d expect. Folks were friendly, but maybe a little too friendly. As we walked…
Shiver Me Timbers: BlackJack Is A Pirate-Themed Brewery!
BlackJack Brewing Company in Raleigh is a new brewery with owners who have a lot of experience in brewing great beers. One of the three owners spent 10 years as the head brewer at Abita and also worked as a brewer for Big Boss down the street. Open only a couple of months, this brewery already…
Reader: Fuquay is An (Under-Rated) Micro-Brew Heaven
One of our readers, Eric, sent us some compelling reasons to make a trip off the beaten Triangle path and make a night out in Fuquay a priority. (You’re also welcome to submit your own reviews any time!) All I’m going to say is, Broad Street in Fuquay is one of the most underrated nightlife spots in the Triangle. As…
The Saints’ First Miracle: Water Into Beer
Most North Carolinians probably only know Asheboro as “that town where the zoo is.” And that’s cool — it’s a good zoo. But we recently discovered another reason to make a special trip to Asheboro: Four Saints Brewing Company. The good folks at Four Saints recognize that most visitors to Asheboro are probably there for…
With So Much Drama in the L-B-C: Lynnwood Brewing Concern
Lynnwood Grill and Brewing Concern in North Raleigh is in a pretty nondescript shopping center off of Furniture Row (Glenwood Ave.) with a Lowe’s, a Cineplex, and a Food Lion. And the interior–while certainly not nondescript–evokes a happy hour and sports bar feel, in the vein of a Carolina Ale House or Tyler’s. But you wouldn’t expect…
A Brueprint for Success in Apex
Every time I go to review a brewery the number of friends that want to join me grows. We had a “Brew Crew” of seven on this evening: we started the trip in Apex at Brueprint Brewing Co. after work on a Friday (because beer tastes better on Fridays). The brewery is located in a conveniently…
Sub Noir Brewing Company didn’t leave me with a sour taste!
Sub Noir Brewing Company – Raleigh NC If you are a fan of The Big Lebowksi, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Firefly, Monty Pyhon and/or the band Phish, you’re likely into cult classics. This might be just the brewery for you. Sub Noir is not some campy tourist trap with beers for the masses. They…
Father’s Day Mash-Up in Fayetteville: The Mash House Brewing Company
You may not make it down to Fayetteville unless you have orders from the United States federal government requiring your presence there or unless you were born there and your family is still there. Luckily, I’m in the latter camp, so this Father’s Day I made a trip down to The Mash House Brewing Company with Mom…
Strings of My Heart: Steel String Craft Brewery in Carrboro
So let me paint you a picture. It’s a beautiful spring evening in quaint downtown Carrboro: sunshine, a slight breeze and college students, hipsters and suburbanites walk the sidewalks with purpose. This is the perfect setting to have a beer or flight with friends, and that is exactly what I did. Steel String Craft Brewery…
Taking Off to Check Six Brewing Company – Southport NC
Vacationing at Oak Island or Southport can be quite an adventure. There is so much to do–golfing, kayaking, swimming, fishing, eating great seafood and now visiting an amazing brewery. I’m glad I squeezed a brewery visit into my vacation. Check Six is one of North Carolina’s newest breweries, open only a couple of months this…
First in Flights 