Blog Posts

BEERCATION 2022 – FRONT STREET BREWERY – NORTH CAROLINA

The final brewery that Hoppy visited in North Carolina was Front Street Brewery in Wilmington. The historic building that it is located in began as a dry goods store in 1865. Front Street opened in 1995, as the first brewery in the city. As well as being a brewery/restaurant, they carry an extensive collection of bourbons and other whiskeys.

While here Hoppy quaffed a flight of the following ales:

Port City IPA – Wilmington’s original IPA since 1995, is a hybrid of West Coast and New England styles: bold, citrusy, and juicy at first, but finishing dry and refreshing with notes of pine. 6.9% ABV

Black Razz House Blend – high notes of real Raspberry wheat played against the mocha depths of chocolatey Scottish ale. 6.2% ABV

Tomb Rocker Heather Ale – an incomparably smooth complex ale bursting with flavor including vinous notes of red wine, tangy cherry, honey, delicate flowers and herbs, and old-fashioned candy. 9.2% ABV

That Kind of Jive Blueberry Sour Wheat – a sour wheat fermented with lactic yeast, conditioned on vanilla extract from End of Days Distillery, plus copious blueberry puree. 5.1% ABV

Dr. Purple Barrel-Aged Sour – brewed with a mind-blowing amount of tangy purple blackcurrant juice and aged in oak barrels for three years for a perfect sour depth and complexity. 5.8%

BEERCATION 2022 – BROUWERIJ CURSUS KEME – NORTH CAROLINA

Hoppy’s next brewery visit in Asheville was at Cursus Keme. Here he went back to his hop roots and imbibed a Cat Mummy Double IPA at 8.1% ABV.

BEERCATION 2022 – NEW ORIGIN BREWING – NORTH CAROLINA

Hoppy visited two nearby nano breweries in Asheville, North Carolina this Summer. The first of these was New Origin Brewing which has a 4.16 overall rating on Untappd! Here he enjoyed a Birthday Stacks Whiskey Barrel-Aged Florida Style Stout conditioned on Moose Mountain Maple Syrup from Vermont. It clocked in at 12.5% ABV.

BEERCATION 2022 – SIERRA NEVADA BREWING – NORTH CAROLINA

Hoppy visited Sierra Nevada Brewing in Mills River, NC this summer. Here he had a flight of the following beers:

Dankful IPA – A hop-forward West Coast IPA that supports nonprofits working in their communities. 7.4% ABV; 55 IBU

Barrel-Aged Life and Limb (2022) – An American Imperial/Double Brown Ale having roasted malt caramel-like and chocolate-like characters and a medium hop flavor. 12.8% ABV: 20 IBU

Barrel-Aged Oro De Roble – A tequila barrel-aged golden ale with oak, bready, vanilla and tequila flavors. 11% ABV; 35 IBU

Hoptimum (2022) – An intense triple IPA made with Amarillo, BRU-1, Pahto and Simcoe hops. 11% ABV; 75 IBU

Pictures follow:

BEERCATION 2022 – GIRDWOOD BREWING – ALASKA

Hoppy visited the town of Girdwood, Alaska this summer where he stopped by Girdwood Brewing. (It is located near Alyeska Ski Resort.} There he enjoyed a No Woman, No Cryo Hazy IPA. It clocked in at 7.5% ABV, 50 IBU. Pictures follow:

Another must visit in Girdwood is the Double Musky Inn, home of “the best steak in America,” per Jill Cordes of the Food Network. and here it is!