Cheers To Oak Road Brewery's Momentous And Successful First Opening

It's been a long and winding road for Ben Bankey, Kyle Colston, Brian Cox and Brad Mallett. From inception to fruition, with numerous twists and turns, the road less traveled in a town famous for pine trees and sweet tea made all the difference. The Oak Road Brewery, Summerville's first craft brewery, finally popped the bungs on five of its brews and a crowd of enthusiastic craft beer followers who have been patiently standing on the sidelines for this long awaited day poured through its doors on June 5th.

High above its L-shaped bar constructed from corrugated steel and cement, the inaugural brews were listed on a large, flat screen TV for the exuberant patrons, I will dub Oakies, to peruse and make their selection. On the beer list was a pale ale(Jam Up), a robust porter(Carolina Evening), a Vienna lager(Vienna Lager), a blonde ale(Glass Cutter), and an IPA(Laughing Weasel).

From opening to close, the tasting room highlighted by raised barrel tables, barrel stools, window counters, and stainless steel bar chairs was standing room only and the pours were fast and furious. After the froth finally settled to drink in the goodness, the Oak Road Team savored a very momentous and successful soft opening.

Loyal Coastal Coffee patron and craft beer lover, Michael Waters, summed up his experience with these appreciative words, "Many thanks to the enthusiastic and supportive customers. Again, a great job done well by the wonderful ladies who made it all possible by serving up the best local brew with a smile and all the hard work from Brian, Kyle, Chris, and Ben."

If you haven't been there as of yet or are a visitor to the Birthplace of Sweet Tea, Oak Road Brewery is located in the same building as Summerville's gathering place called "The C"--home of Coastal Coffee Roasters. The Brewery is the perfect collaboration and an integral piece in the community jigsaw puzzle being assembled by Brad Mallett at 108 E 3rd North Street where talent and ideas flourish and grow.

The brewery's CEO, Ben Bankey, shares Brad's commitment to Summerville and stated at its beginning, "Oak Road Brewery will be an integral part to the growth of Summerville with a focus on working with local small businesses to enhance the quality of life for its citizens and tourist alike."

At the moment, there is no set schedule, but future planned openings will be on Friday's and Saturday's. Be sure to follow Oak Road Brewery on their Facebook page for scheduled openings. Meanwhile, cheers and enjoy the pictures of the Brewery's long and winding road.

Two Events You Don't Want To Miss In Summerville For Charleston Beer Week And One In Charleston

The local craft beer industry has been growing like a Bull's Bay oyster bed over the past few years. New production breweries have been popping their bungs all over the Charleston area. In recognition of this surging craft beer wave, Craftbeer.com nominated Charleston one of the five "Beeriest Beach Towns" in America--another best added to the Holy City's list of acknowledgements.

To celebrate, Charleston's flourishing craft beer community has scheduled a wide variety of events for your beer pleasure and to highlight the breweries and diversity of brands available locally. It is the annual Charleston Beer Week and it runs from September 7th to the 13th.

Two of the events will take place in Summerville at the town's favorite sociable brewpub on Hutchinson Square, Homegrown Brewhouse. The first is scheduled for Monday, September 8th at 3:00 p.m. called "Even More Local"--Seven-Beer Collaboration Release and the second takes place Saturday, September 13th starting at 9:00 a.m. called Double Cask Breakfast.

Homegrown Brewhouse, determined to have every South Carolina brewery represented at its pub, has been busy these past months collaborating with seven different South Carolina breweries to produce seven different original brews for Beer Week. The collaborating breweries were Freehouse Brewery, Frothy Beard Brewing, River Dog Brewing, Thomas Creek Brewery, Tradesman Brewing, Holy City Brewing, and the new keg on the block, Revelry Brewing.

All seven will be released on September 8th at Homegrown Brewhouse and the respective breweries. One of the collaboration beers Caleb has been working on with Revelry Brewing is a Sweet Tea Alt. This may be your only opportunity to taste this "Birthplace of Sweet Tea" inspired brew. So, mark down the date and get in on the fun.

The Double Cask Breakfast will feature Homegrown's collaboration with River Dog; a brew infused with figs called Smoked Abbey Ale, and the collaboration with Frothy Beard; a brew floated on oranges called Bière de Champagne. Paired with the frothy smoked figs and oranges, Charleston Bagel Company will provide the rest of the breakfast menu guaranteed to satisfy your early morning cravings. A purchased $25 ticket will include a pour of each cask beer, lox and bagels, fresh fruit, and coffee from Summerville's own Coastal Coffee Roasters. Doors will open at 9:00 a.m. and the casks will be tapped at 9:30 a.m. Homegrown Brewhouse is located at 117 S Main Street.

A third event you may want to seriously consider is the Ghost Tour/Pub Crawl with Carolina Brewery. On this tour you will walk to three of Charleston's notoriously haunted sites and along the way stop at four of the downtown's top casual craft beer emporiums where you will indulge in beer samples from Carolina Brewery. The tour date is Tuesday, Sep 9, 8:45 to 11:45. Tickets are $25.

The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon is the starting point. A historic building with many personalities, it served as a military prison, barracks, custom house, mercantile exchange and strangely a brothel. In the dark of the night, the tour group will stroll on over to the oldest English burial ground in Charleston, the Circular Congregational Church Graveyard, and then the unearthly landmark where pirates and Lavinia Fisher were imprisoned, The Old City Jail.

To calm your jitters in between stops, your group will visit The Blind Tiger to savor a Black IPA, the bar at Husk to relish an Oatmeal Porter, the Leaf to slurp a Sky Blue Golden Ale, and finally the Craftsmen Kitchen and Tap House to toast a Super Saaz Imperial Pilsner in honor of the tour guide from Bulldog Tours and the crew from Carolina Brewery.

There are events scheduled every day of Charleston Beer Week. Join the celebration, visit the breweries. Experience why Charleston is fast becoming a port of call for craft brewing and now one of the "Beeriest Beach Towns" in America.

Summerville will soon have a brewery of its own. Oakroad Brewery will be located at the "C" in Summerville, also the home of Coastal Coffee Roasters.

Charleston's Growing Craft Beer Market And A Beer Tasting With Azalea Magazine At Coastal Coffee Roasters

Tourists who visit Charleston will hear names like John Rutledge, William Moultrie, John C. Calhoun, William Aiken Jr., and David Dees. What was David Dees notable for?  He was a store owner on E. Bay St. in the famous Rainbow Row and in 1743 received a shipment of 96 clubs and 432 balls from the Port of Leith in Scotland. But names like Joseph Morgan, Daniel Bourget, and Nathaniel Scott are unfamiliar. These were names associated with the brewing of beer in the early years of Charleston dating back to the 1700's. If you want to learn more about the history of beer in Charleston, read the book Charleston Beer.

In recent times, the Charleston area has turned into an enthusiastic and thriving craft beer scene, especially since South Carolina lifted its ban on high-gravity specialty beers with higher alcohol contents. Names like Palmetto Brewing, Westbrook Brewing, Frothy Beard Brewing Company, and Holy City Brewing have become recognized names at many of the festivals and events in the Lowcountry.

Friday, I adventured into that world of crafted beers. It was by way of an invitation to an event that encompassed some of the best names in the Lowcountry, including one of the previously named breweries. It was Beer Tasting night at Coastal Coffee Roasters in Summerville-a planned special event sponsored by Azalea Magazine with Holy City Brewing providing a selection of brews for sampling with Famulari's Pizzeria taking on the challenge of providing the perfect pizza compliment. It was a sold out event, so a packed house was expected.

Upon arrival, I was greeted by Dottie and Will Rizzo, the owners of Azalea Magazine. I was checked in and given a ticket that would be used later in a drawing and a wrist band denoting my eligibility to drink the libations on hand. Although the proceedings wouldn't start for another fifteen minutes, many of the hand-painted tables were already occupied. Joe Tedesco, a familiar face on the acoustic scene, was making last minute preparations setting up and tuning his guitar. He and a friend would be providing the musical entertainment through the course of the evening.

Immediately, I saw some fellow White Gablers and took a few moments to chat with them before the proceedings officially got underway. Elizabeth and Jerry Crotty frequently attend the plays at the local James F. Dean Theatre, so we small talked about the most recent riotous musical Forever Plaid and a few other things. The fifteen minutes went by quickly. It was now time to begin the party. I strategically seated myself at the new burlap-glass topped bar close to where most of the action would take place.

Will welcomed everybody and Brad Mallett, owner of Coastal Coffee Roasters, explained how the samplings would proceed. Through the course of the evening, in 15 minute intervals, six of Holy City's brews would be distributed for evaluation. With each sampling, a serving of complimentary pizza would accompany the brew. Chris Brown, a partner and professional brewer for Holy City, gave a brief introduction for each offering explaining the choice for the name behind the brew and a description of its flavor. Justin and Nicole, from Famulari's Pizzeria, did the same with the pizza. Caleb and Amber Taylor poured the beer, Dottie served the beer, and the rest is history.

The six beers offered beginning with the first were Holy City Pilsner, Pluff Mud Porter, Slanted Porch Pale Ale, Graveyard Shiftee, Collision Stout, and New Year, the strongest of them all at 10.5 per cent  When it comes to a name, you can't get any more Charleston than Holy City. Each name embraces something well known to Charleston or its business community. As you tour the streets of the historic district of the city, you will understand where the namesake, slanted porch, comes from as you observe the features of the old homes. For a complete explanation for the reason behind the names, go to Holy City Brewing. A note of fact: Pluff Mud Porter won the Gold Medal at the 31st Great American Beer Festival in October of 2012 in Denver beating out 44 other Brown Porters from around the country. You can visit the brewery at 4155 C Dorchester Road in North Charleston.

The beers were crafty, the pizza cheesy, the music pleasin', and the hospitality southern. For me, winning a growler of beer in the drawing along with five other people was one of the highlights. It was another fantastic night at Coastal Coffee Roasters. Whether you are a local or a visitor, this is one place you will want to check out, not only for the great entertainment and scheduled events, but for the best fresh roasted coffee in the Lowcountry. And while your at it, pick up an Azalea Magazine. It is a printed mosaic of articles and pictorials commemorating the southern lifestyle that is uniquely Summerville, both past and present.

Don't miss Brewvival on February 23,2013 at 12-6 pm. It will take place in the field across from Coast Brewery in North Charleston. For complete details see Brewvival 2013. Enjoy the slideshow.