MAKAI BREWING – OCEAN ISLE BEACH, NC

MAKAI BREWING – OCEAN ISLE BEACH, NC

About ten miles north of the South Carolina border sits Makai Brewing, in Ocean Isle Beach, Hoppy’s next visit. It opened in 2017. Their taproom has a laid-back coastal vibe, and the name Makai is a Hawaiian directional term for “toward the sea” which emphasizes the owner’s love of Hawaii and the beach. It is next door to the Butcher of Brunswick where you can purchase delicious deli sandwiches to bring in the brewery.

Hoppy enjoyed the following beers during his stay:

Fire Knife Imperial IPA – Named for the Fire Knife Dance in Hawaii. Described as a bright, aromatic DIPA which gets its tropical fruity notes from copious amounts of Warrior, Mosaic, Citra, Centennial, and Amarillo hops. It is 8.7% ABV, 97 IBU.

Key Lime Gose – Sour, Traditional Gose – Described as a just a little tart, crushable summertime beer. 4.3% ABV, 11 IBU.

Pictures from the visit follow:

Tap Area
Taproom
Bar
Window Seating & Decor
Brewery
Tap List
Fire Knife Imperial IPA
Key Lime Gose
Merchandise
Decor
Wall Decor
Resilience Camp Fire Relief Tin Tacker

Makai is also one of the breweries participating in the Kokua Project, by brewing a beer to benefit those impacted by the Maui wildfires. There are now eight Indiana breweries participating in the project as 3 Floyds Brewing has joined the group of participants.

Totem at Order Counter in Front of Brewery Tank View
Sticker Wall. Where is Hoppy?
You Couldn’t Find Hoppy Since He Was on the Next Wall!
Just Arrived T-Shirt
Grab a Beer and Transport Yourself to Hawaii!

GRAND STRAND BREWING – MYRTLE BEACH, SC

GRAND STRAND BREWING – MYRTLE BEACH, SC

Heading down the coast, Hoppy stopped at Grand Strand Brewing (GSB) in Myrtle Beach. It opened in 2021 in the heart of the city’s downtown Arts & Innovation District. They have 16 taps on rotation.

While there, Hoppy enjoyed a Sandy Cheeks West Coast IPA described as using modern hops and having a citrus aroma with a solid malt backbone. It clocks in at 6.9% ABV.

Pictures follow:

Exterior
Brewery
Bar
Draft Boards & Taps
Bar & Merchandise
Merchandise
Hoppy is Happy Unlike the Troll
Tin Tackers For Sale

CROOKED HAMMOCK BREWERY – NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC

CROOKED HAMMOCK BREWERY – NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC

Hoppy’s next visit was at Crooked Hammock Brewery in North Myrtle Beach. They opened their first two locations in Delaware beginning in 2015. This location, which is their largest, has a thirty-barrel system that opened in 2021.

Hoppy imbibed a Crooked Hammock Marshberry a sour-fruited ale described as brimming with red berry flavors and creamy as a melted marshmallow, this sour ale accomplishes a mission impossible. A decadent treat in beer form that you can’t stop sipping. It is 6.5% ABV, 5 IBU.

Images follow:

Exterior
Exterior
Brewery

The remaining pictures are from their taproom at the same location.

Bar and overhead decor
Taps
Tap List
Marshberry
Merchandise Area
Signage
Ceiling Decoe
Wall Decor
Wall Decor
Covered Outdoor Seating
Crooked Hammock?
Outdoor Decor
Outdoor Decor
Outdoor Rec. Area
Stickered Jeep
Here’s Hoppy!
Nearby Visitor

MUNKLE BREWING – CHARLESTON, SC

MUNKLE BREWING – CHARLESTON, SC

Following the Charleston Beer Fest, Hoppy visited Munkle Brewing and enjoyed tasting some of their Belgian-style ales. They opened their doors in October 2017. There motto is “do a few beers and do them better”.

There is an interesting story regarding their formation and name, which can be found here.

Pictures from the visit follow:

CHARLESTON BEER FEST – NORTH CHARLESTON, SC

CHARLESTON BEER FEST – NORTH CHARLESTON, SC

Hoppy attended the Charleston Beer Fest at Riverfront Park in North Charleston. It included over 60 breweries, over 30 vendors, over 20 food trucks and entertainment including live music throughout the event. The motto for the festival was “Drink Beer, Do Good,” as it supported Palmetto Community Care.

While there, Hoppy sampled the following beers. (All of these beers were from South Carolina breweries unless otherwise indicated.)

Sumter Original, Sumter – Mr. Hops – American IPA 7.6% ABV

Victory, Downington, PA – Sour Monkey – Sour Brett Tripel 9.5% ABV, 10 IBU

Brewlab Charleston – Cosmic Leap IPA – 7.3% ABV, 45 IBU

Two Blokes, Mt. Pleasant – The Bare Maximum – Cold IPA 7.2% ABV

NoDa, Charlotte, NC – Hop Drop ‘N Roll – West Coast IPA 7.2% ABV, 80 IBU

Commonhouse Aleworks, North Charleston – Wonders Way DIPA with Blackberry – 9.4% ABV, 54 IBU

Snafu, North Charleston – Keeping It Teal – Cotton Candy Sour – 5% ABV

Munkle, Charleston – Saison Blanc – Saison Aged in Sauvignon Blanc Barrels – 6.8%

Charles Towne Fermentory, Charleston – Sungazer – Hazy IPA – 6.8% ABV

Indigo Reef, Charleston – Surface Interval – Czech Pilsner – 6% ABV

Hobcaw, Mt. Pleasant – Shadows of the Afternoon – New England IPA – 6.5% ABV

Angry Fish, Lexington – Sunny Daze DDH IPA – 7.4% ABV

Kite Hill, Clemson – Frequency Modulated – West Coat IPA – 7.4% ABV

Tradesman, Charleston – Circuit Breaker IPA – 7.5% ABV

Tideland, North Charleston – Other Side – West Coast IPA – 7.3% ABV, 78 IBU

Lot 9, Bluffton – Hurts So Good Hazy IPA – 6.8% ABV, 22 IBU

Westbrook, Mt. Pleasant – IPA – American – 6.8% ABV, 35 IBU

Please note: these beers were only samples and Hoppy had a designated driver. Never put yourself or others at risk.

Pictures of the Fest follow:

The following pictures relate to breweries and the beers that Hoppy sampled:

Snafu Brewing Keeping It Teal

Munkle Brewing Sign

INDIANA BREWERIES WIN SIX MEDALS AT GABF

INDIANA BREWERIES WIN SIX MEDALS AT GABF

Indiana breweries won six medals at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival which concluded on Saturday. This included two wins for both Sun King Brewery and Metazoa Brewing. The Indiana winners are listed below:

Medal Beer Name Brewery City Category

Gold Soul Shakedown Party Sun King Brewery Indianapolis Experimental Wood-Aged Beer

Gold William Walrus Metazoa Brewing Indianapolis Scottish-Style Ale

Silver Shinobi Byway Brewing Hammond Stout

Silver Sunlight Cream Ale Sun King Brewery Indianapolis Golden or Blonde Ale

Bronze Ain’t Afraid of No Goats Metazoa Brewing Indianapolis Bock

Bronze Delta Quadrant The Tap Brewery Bloomington Belgian-Style Strong Spec. Ale

The complete list of brewery winners can be found here.

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