If you were following us on Twitter over the weekend, you probably noticed we weren’t at Bele Chere. In true Bruisin’ Ales last-minute fashion, Jason & I decided to hit the road across the state, chasing down some beers at breweries we’ve never visited (shamefully). Leaving the store in the able hands of Mike and Craig, the bosses took to the highway for a 4-day North Carolina beer adventure. We didn’t see everyone or everything we wanted to, but we did cram a bunch of sites into a whirlwind trip, met up with a lot of great people, and of course, drank many beers from our fine state and beyond.

And, we properly defaced to brewery beer coolers, too! That’s Jamie Bartholamus of Foothills Brewing throwing a little beerlanthropy® on his wall. All our pictures are below, followed by a little bit on each visit, if you’re the reading type.

FRIDAY
Olde Hickory Brewing Company (Hickory)
Hickory Taproom (Hickory)

First stop with Steve Lylerly, brewmaster at Olde Hickory Brewing. The brewery was much larger than we had imagined it to be, filled with tanks, barrels and a killer private bar with amazing woodwork. It was hot, so we started out with a Piedmont Pilsner, but then went straight to a new batch of Imperial Stout when offered.

The Hickory Taproom is a stone’s throw from the brewery, too. Feels like a taproom should feel. Get the fish-n-chips or the fried oysters with buffalo plum sauce. No regret there!

Cool thing: The brewery was making its 500th batch when we visited. The beer will be a barleywine, likely aged two years.

Natty Greene’s (Greensboro)
In Greensboro, we met with Kayne Fischer, co-owner of Natty Greene’s. He gave us a little tour of the basement brewery and expansions that are going on. The sweet space on the corner of Hamburger Square (which used to be a grocery store, a brothel, and a hotel—not necessarily in that order), is a lovely taproom experience. Restaurant downstairs with plenty of outdoor seating with an upstairs taproom, similar to Barley’s here in town.

But upstairs, on the third floor is the mac daddy of all. A private, rentable suite, complete with leather couches, your own bar taps and pool table. Swanky stuff. I want one.

Cool thing: Natty Greene’s just celebrated their 7th Anniversary August 1 with a big, FREE outdoor concert outside the brewpub. Good stuff.

Foothills Brewery & Brewpub (Winston-Salem)
This stop was so overdue, it’s embarrassing. Yes, we had never been to Foothills. But we made it! Brewmaster Jamie Bartholamus greeted us with a *gasp* sip of this year’s Olde Rabbit’s Foot, which will be released at the brewery on August 13th. (In fact, they were going to bottle that evening.) From there, we got a quick tour of the facilities while sipping a Torch Pilsner filtered through Citra hops and whole peppercorns. What a treat.

What amazed us most about Foothills was how much beer they crank out of this space. It is mind boggling a little bit, although they do brew twice a day, every day. It seems they can never have enough Hoppyum since the bottles came out. Luckily, they’ll be starting production at their big facility in a short while, which means more Foothills for everyone!

Also, we had some killer onion rings with  house-made beer-based ketchup.

Cool thing: We were told that on the day of our visit, Foothills filled it’s first-ever grain silo at the new Mooresville production brewery.

SATURDAY
We got up and visited our comrades and City Beverage in Winston-Salem, a neat, family-owned and operated business just walking’s distance from Foothills. Sweet little spot, so hit them up on your travels and support another independent bottle shop.

We arrived in Raleigh to meet our friends Robin and Dave who offered to take us around, so we wouldn’t have to drive. Cheers to that! It turns out it’s also good they did, because we would have been lost. On top of that, it was three billion degrees in Raleigh on Saturday.

Busy Bee Cafe (Raleigh)
Before touring, we needed a little lunch, so we hit up this great little cafe with some great taps. A little open-faced turkey with bacon, fried egg and gruyere never hurt anyone. Neither did a Victory Headwater’s Pale Ale. We tried to get the Fullsteam Summer Basil cask, but it was gone. (No matter, since we head there tomorrow.)

Lonerider Beer Company (Raleigh)
With bellies full, we are ready for some beer. We head over to Lone Rider, located in a windy-road business park somewhere near the airport. Jason got a little brewery tour and Jackie, in the tasting room, took care of us with cold Shotgun Betty Hefeweizens. Did I mention it was three billion degrees? I don’t normally consider myself a frail flower, but the heat was unbearable, so we didn’t last long here before heading out to Roth Brewing just around the corner.

Cool thing: Their website says Asheville reigns supreme, just like Iron Chef!

Roth Brewing (Raleigh)
In the same business park more or less with LoneRider (but not in agreement with any GPS), is home to Roth Brewing. Many of you in WNC might not yet heard of Roth. We didn’t either. Roth is run by two brothers on a two-barrel system. These guys are the rowdy young guns. Word is, at festivals they and their fans run around in Viking helmets and sell foam axes with their logo on it. I know this to be true because Jason had to have one. The small little tasting room painted black with low lighting. A couple guys dropped by with homebrew, but otherwise it was just the four of us and the Roth guys. We tried the Amber, Hefeweizen and American Barleywine. I especially loved the Hefe, as it was made with plums and honey. Very interesting and very refreshing.

This is like your garage bar. Off to the corner is a beat-up couch, an old PS2, a Nintendo, two Guitar Heroes, and just in case… a coffeepot.

Cool thing: Allegedly, Roth’s American Barleywine, Foehammer, is the strongest year-round beer made in North Carolina.

Big Boss Brewing (Raleigh)
We head off to Big Boss Brewing. The entrance welcomes you with stairs leading up between hop vines. Up the stairs, you go into another dark tasting room. It was busy while we were there, folks playing shuffleboard and pool. Another impressive space, much larger than we had imagined.

Here we tried the Lucky Bastard Porter, High Roller IPA, Monkey Bizzness farmhouse ale. The real treat, though, was Dave Rogers letting us sample a barrel concoction: Hell’s Belle blended with Monkey Bizzness on sour cherries on a wine barrel. Bejebus!

Cool thing: No food to be had here, but they don’t mind one bit if you bring something with you and hang out. In fact, we were told some people do pot lucks at the brewery. How cool!

[Here is where we got diverted. Plans to tour Aviator Brewing were changed due to a fundraiser.]

Foundation (Raleigh)
This has got to be the coolest cocktail bar we’ve been to in a long time. Concept: All NC-local or house-made cocktails. Ten taps of NC beer and drinks made with NC spirits, house-made syrups, etc. After a long day of sweating, a pear and Brut sparkling cocktail was just what the doctor ordered.

Cool thing: This place had to dig out its buried foundation to exist, so it’s dark and cool, which was especially welcome on a three-billion-degree day.

Raleigh Times (Raleigh)
“Seymour, feed me!” We were really hungry and our hosts told us to “linger” around tables because it’s first-come, first-served. Luckily, it wasn’t long until we scored a sweet little table in back. Six taps at all times. Although it seemed strange to have two taprooms, but the same beers on-tap at both. At any rate, cool menu like a newspaper with an impressive bottle list. Here we had a Bell’s Bourbon Barrel-aged Hell Hath No Fury, New Belgium Tripel and shared a bottle of Cascade Kriek. Not to mention totally badass burgers.

Cool thing: The building is actually the original location of the now-defunct Raleigh Times newspaper.

SUNDAY
The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery (Farmville)
After breakfast, we braved some pretty wicked storms to head out to Farmville for a visit with Paul Philippon at Duck-Rabbit. Turns out, there really isn’t a lot in Farmville! Located in a business park, this small production brewery is bursting at the seams. Luckily, there’s a lot of property around the brewery and Paul hopes to take advantage of that someday. There’s a new entrance and the three of us toured the brewery while it poured rain and Milk Stout. Ever the nice guy, Paul opened a 2010 Olde Rabbit’s Foot and we got to sample the upcoming Schwartzbier, which will be out soon.

Cool thing: More visitors are making the trek, so the brewery has new little tasting room that will open soon.

Fullsteam Brewery (Durham)
Back to Durham for the last evening. We headed down to Fullsteam. Things were quiet on a Sunday, but Sean Wilson came to give us a tour because he’s cool like that. (We also got to see brewer Chris, who popped in to say hello.) This is a sexy place. The entrance has a rolling front door with back backwards “F” on it. With its steampunk theme, there are all sorts of gadgets around. There’s a wicked turning door between the air-conditioned bar area and rest of the seated area that’s made out of an old brewing vat. Clear glass interior windows allow you to see right into the brewery’s workings. With the agricultural theme, we tried the Carver Sweet Potato and Summer Basil. The special treat was the Wanderlust Imperial Stout, with a hint of cherry.

Cool thing: Food trucks park right around the brewery almost every night. Street food + beer = Good.

Tyler’s Taproom (Durham)
Located in the old tobacco district, Tyler’s is a massive place with three different bars: one in the restaurant, one in the back game room, and one outside, which we’re sure is a blast during baseball games. (The Durham Bulls stadium is just around the corner.) Great location with good food, we started out with FREE fresh garlic fries just from checking in on Foursquare. Sierra Nevada Ovila Saison and a house-made, worth-the-wait chicken pot pie. J had the pork belly sandwich. For dessert, we had a 2003 Thomas Hardy’s Ale straight off the menu. Yowzers.

Cool thing: All the bars have different draft lines, so if you don’t find what you like on one, you have two others to check out.

MONDAY
Triangle Brewing (Durham)
We started the morning with beer for breakfast with Rick Tufts, brewmaster at Triangle Brewing. We’re grateful he opened his doors to us, after brewing since 3 a.m. that morning. It’s a small open tasting room, but the building has loads of room for growth. The brewery has a canning line and also does some canning for other breweries. We sampled the IPA, the Abbey Dubbel, Bourbon barrel-aged Abbey Dubbel, a Flemish sour.

Cool thing: We also tried an experimental lambic in a can. Have you ever? Me neither.

Bull City Burger & Brewery (Durham)
Stopped for lunch here at Durham’s newest brewpub. Nifty little flight of beers. We especially liked the hsaWaknow Strong Ale and wet-hop ale. (The hops were grown locally next to a watermelon patch and so tasted very fruity.) The burgers were to die for “just a little pink.” Ask for fresh garlic on your burger, you get about ten cloves on top. And don’t miss out on the duck frites—string fries with rosemary, drizzled with duck fat. Goodness.

Cool thing: Even the bread is made in-house.

Dos Perros (Durham)
While we were at Bull City Burger, Charlie, owner of Dos Perros, popped in and invited us around the corner to his place. Wish we would have had time to eat here, too. We chatted beer and shared a Vrienden. Nothing wrong with that!

Cool thing: He’s got a pretty badass Stone event coming up, the Stone Brewing Cage Match.

A quick stop at Sam’s Quik Stop to grab some goodies that don’t make it our way, and away we went back to the mountains. (And a broken air conditioner.)

The weekend was great fun. We highly recommend making the trip to see the other fantastic beer folks in our state. Now get out there and drink some North Carolina beer!

East Tennessee’s First Oktoberfest Kicks off With Beer University

Save the date. September 24^th downtown Kingsport, Tenn. will host its first Oktoberfest in the city’s downtown.  With events planned from 9:30 in the morning until 9:30pm that night, there is something for everyone at the inaugural festival.

The morning of the event will begin with a 1M kids run and a 5k Mud Sweat and Tears mud run that benefits Toys for Tots.   The third leg of the runs, is the Biers, Tears and Cheers – Charity Beer Run.  All proceeds benefit the Speedway Children’s Charity and winners receive some incredible NASCAR tickets.   

The event will also celebrate the craft beer being made in the region with a Craft Bier Garden. At least 25 craft brewers are expected with several Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina breweries participating, as well as others.

“Just like the Germans were a key part in shaping the early history of beer, southerners are really showing the rest of the country how to take it to the next level with our innovative brews that continue to honor beer making traditions,” said Carson.

Admission to the Craft Bier Garden is $29 and includes your entry to the festival’s groundbreaking Beer University.  For a limited time, Kingsport Oktoberfest is providing Free- T shirts to those who purchase a ticket and everyone receives a complimentary tasting glass. The first of its kind, Beer U will host classes from professional and home brewers on the craft of making beer.

As part of Beer University, breweries will be bringing Rare and Specialty Casks that can’t be found anywhere else.  Lazy Magnolia is making the one of a kind Flaming Pecan just for the Oktoberfest and each brewery is bring a specialty beer that allows those participating to try something they have never tried before.

“True craft beer lovers go beyond savoring the taste of their brew. They want to know about its origin. We want people to leave saying, ‘wow, I never knew that!’”, said Carson.

The Kingsport Oktoberfest is taking a page from Beer City’s book, by placing a heavy emphasis on the growing to glass process in making beer.  Echoview Farms and Riverbend Malt House from the Asheville area will be providing demonstrations.  Asheville’s Forty Fingers and a Missing Tooth will be providing juggling entertainment and Velvet Truckstop will be the headliner.  Many regional and local breweries will be participating such as Craggie, Highland, French Broad and Heinzelmannchen will be participating.  A great variety of restaurants will be participating from German foot to BBQ from restaurants like Luella’s.

There will be FREE music for everyone throughout the day.  On the main stage, Kingsport Oktoberfest will feature music with some outstanding bands.  On the second stage, folks and bluegrass bands will be performing.  Also, in true German fashion, roaming German music will be held performed throughout the day.

The Das Kidzone is a perfect place for kids and families alike.  It’s an alcohol free zone that has 3 FREE inflatable bounce houses for the kids to enjoy, FREE roaming juggling, a FREE kids train for everyone to ride on, a FREE kids art zone with art tables sponsored Kingsport Arts kids train going through downtown, a hula-hoop zone, face painting, balloons and lots of fun for the kids and family.

The Bavarian Brat Eating Contest let’s contests vie for the Tennessee Brat Eating Title.  The event will be aired live on WQUT Radio.  Freiberg’s German Restaurant will host the qualifying round.

While thousands will gather to sample the region’s craft beer with a traditional German bratwurst, they can cheer on a pup at the Wiener Dog Brat Trot sponsored by Classy Claws and Pawz where Dachshunds will run as fast as their little legs will carry them to the finish line. Animals will also be on sight for adoption.

More information on the Kingsport Oktoberfest can be found at www.kingsportoktoberfest.com or by emailing info@kingsportoktoberfest.com.

We’re so happy about this! For all your beer travels, you can now call 1-800-359-7951, or follow this link to the Marriot Renaissance in DOWNTOWN Asheville at a discount Bruisin’ Rate with ResLink! The Renaissance is located just one block behind Bruisin’ Ales and is walkable to any sites located in the downtown area.

A little bit about the hotel:

Our friends at Mother Earth Brewery in Kinston, NC, are featured on UNCTV this week. Great press for some great people. Follow them on Twitter at @motherearthbrew. Follow Josh Brewer, the brewer (yes, that’s his real name), at @JoshBrewer.

Who’s up for a road trip?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 11, 2011
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
RICK LYKE, APR
PINTS FOR PROSTATES INC.
704-340-2840

Pints for Prostates Gears Up for Major Men’s Health Awareness Campaign During 2011

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Pints for Prostates, an awareness campaign that reaches men through the universal language of beer, has announced plans for a number of events during 2011 designed to encourage men to take charge of their health.

“Pints for Prostates has attracted the attention of men and enabled us to educate them about the importance of regular prostate health screenings,” said Rick Lyke, who founded Pints for Prostates in 2008 after successful prostate cancer surgery. “Few people realize that prostate cancer in men is more common than breast cancer is in women. One in six men will develop prostate cancer during their lifetimes, but with early detection and proper treatment, the disease is nearly 100 percent survivable.”

During the last two years approximately 100 Pints for Prostates events have been held, organized by volunteers and often hosted on a local level at restaurants or brewpubs. Those wishing to organize an event can get information by visiting www.pintsforprostates.org.

During 2011, Pints for Prostates plans to focus activity during June, timed for Father’s Day, and September, which is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. In June, Donate for Dad will raise funds for the Us TOO International Prostate Education and Support Network through online donations and a variety of events. In September, Oktoberfest for a Cure will focus the support of brewers for the cause of men’s health.

Schedule of Events

Pints for Prostates has released a preliminary list of events, with more to be added during the year. Events on the schedule at this point include:

• Jan 22: World Beer Festival, Columbia, S.C., Two sessions, Noon to 4 p.m. and 6-10 p.m.
• Jan. 23: Pints for Prostates Trinity Hall Beer Tasting, 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane in Dallas, Texas, 2-6 p.m. Tickets are $25 and include a tasting of 10 different craft and homebrewed beers.
• March 11: Pints for Prostates Presented by the Downtown Macon Rotary, Armory Ball Room, 484 1st St., Macon, Ga., 7-10 p.m. Tickets are $25 and include beer samples, music from the Grapevine band, and the opportunity for men to receive a free PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test to screen for prostate cancer.
• March 12: Pedal for a Pint, Tattnall Square Park, Macon, Ga. Presented by the Downtown Macon Rotary and Bike Tech, tickets are $25 and include the leisurely bike around the park, a t-shirt, a post ride pint and a free PSA blood test.
• March 12: Grapevine’s Third Annual Beertopia to Benefit Pints for Prostates, Baxter Village, Fort Mill, S.C., 2-6 p.m. Tickets are $25 and include samples of more than 100 beers from 40 breweries and music.
• March 15: The Jay Butler Beaudacious Beer Gustation to benefit Pints for Prostates, Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, 328 W. Morgan St., Raleigh, N.C., 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $25 and include beer samples, food and entertainment.
• April 9: World Beer Festival, Raleigh, N.C. Two sessions, Noon to 4 p.m. and 6-10 p.m.
• June 11: World Beer Festival, Richmond, Va. Two sessions, Noon to 4 p.m. and 6-10 p.m.
• June 16: Pints for Prostates at Pike Brewing, Seattle, Wash., 6-9 p.m. Event includes silent auction and raffle.
• July 28-31: Oregon Brewers Festival, Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Ore. Noon to 9 p.m. first three days and Noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
• Sept. 9-19: Pints for Prostates European Beer Tour. Nine nights in Prague, Bamberg and Munich, including Oktoberfest. Details at www.beertrips.com.
• Sept. 30: Denver Rare Beer Tasting III, Denver, Colo., 1-4 p.m. Tickets will go on sale during June. Details at www.pintsforprostates.org.
• Oct. 8: World Beer Festival, Durham, N.C. Two sessions, Noon to 4 p.m. and 6-10 p.m.

The Pints for Prostates European Beer Tour is being organized by BeerTrips.com, which has been providing unique beer travel experiences to European and North American destinations since 1998. The Sept. 9-19 trip will visit the Czech Republic and Germany during nine nights and include brewery tours, escorted pub crawls, guided city tours, special meals and more in Prague, Bamberg and Munich. The trip will include tours of famous breweries along the way, such as Pilsner Urquell, Ayinger and the Andechs Monastery Brewery. The tour will arrive in Munich in time to enjoy Oktoberfest 2011.

About Pints for Prostates
Pints for Prostates, is a 501(c)3 a campaign that uses the universal language of beer to encourage men to take charge of their health, was founded by prostate cancer survivor and beer writer Rick Lyke in 2008. The grassroots effort raises awareness among men of the importance of regular health screenings and PSA testing by making appearances at beer festivals, social networking and pro bono advertising. According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 218,000 new prostate cancer cases were diagnosed in the U.S. in 2010, which is 25,000 more than the number of expected new cases of breast cancer. Sadly, more than 32,000 American men died from the disease. More information is available at www.pintsforprostates.org. Pints for Prostates also has a presence on Facebook and Twitter (@pints4prostates).

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A few photos from the fast and furious trip to Chicago, including Goose Island Clybourn, Revolution Brewing, Piece Chicago, and Goose Island Fulton.

Enjoy your weekend and be sure to drop in this weekend for some liquid happiness!

Love or hate it, it’s here! The 32nd Bele Chere weekend.

We are open limited hours for Bele Chere this weekend—12-5pm on both Friday and Saturday. Support your local breweries at the tent or come on down to the shop for a cold one. If you are at the festival and planning to have your brew on the street, you are required to have a wristband.

We will also have bottles of water for $2.

The store will be open Sunday regular hours, but please remember Sunday is alcohol-free at Bele Chere.

Our friends at The Happy Hour Guys made for the Short Pour Fest at GABF this year. Cheers!