BEERCATION 2022 – SOUTHERN HOPS BREWING – SOUTH CAROLINA
While in Murrells Inlet Hoppy also visited Southern Hops Brewing’s recently opened second location. (Their original location is in Florence.) Here he enjoyed a 5 Points IPA which is brewed utilizing five different hops. This version clocked in at 6.7% ABV.
BEERCATION 2022 – INLET BEER GARDEN – SOUTH CAROLINA
A visit to Murrells Inlet would not have been complete without Hoppy stopping at the Inlet Beer Garden nestled outdoors, between the Dead Dog Saloon and the Claw House, on the Marshwalk. Here he enjoyed trying a couple of pints from the sixty plus craft beers that they have available.
BEERCATION 2022 – HOPS & HERONS BEER FESTIVAL – SOUTH CAROLINA
Hoppy attended the 2022 Hops & Herons Beer Festival at the Conestee Nature Preserve in Greenville, SC. It took place in the scenic Henderson Meadow within the preserve. The following breweries were listed as attending: Eighth State Brewing, Tetrad Brewing Company, Birds Fly South, Carolina Bauernhaus, Liability Brewing, Brewery 85, Think Tank Brew Lab, Voodoo Brewery, Double Stamp Brewery, 13 Stripes Brewery and Grateful Brew.
Hoppy’s favorite brews at the event were not hop-laden brews, but a Marzen and a Sour.
These were as follows:
O-Fest Marzen from Think Tank Brew Lab which clocked in at a higher ABV than normal, for a Marzen, at 7.3%
An American Sour: Tart Cherry Ale from Birds Fly South Ale Project in collaboration with Thomas Creek Brewery. 6.8% ABV
Beautiful music was provided by The Well Drinkers, described as a progressive, original bluegrass and Americana band.
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%
Hoppy attended Fall Fest at the Sun King Brewery in Indianapolis, last Saturday. It was described as a celebration of Barrel-Aged and Sour Beers. All of the beers tasted were superb! If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be the Hot Rod Lincoln – A Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with Chocolate and Cherry. It is 11.4% ABV; 55 IBU.