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.

The Sociable Bay Street Biergarten--Bavarian Inspired Southern Food And Pour Your Own Beer

Essential to the overall experience of enjoying a good craft beer is making the perfect pour. There is nothing more frustrating to a beer drinker than having to wait for an oversized head to dissipate, and not to leave unmentioned, it is less appealing. Creating the right amount of foam head adds to the overall presentation, but even more important than the aesthetics is the proper releasing of the beer's aromatics. It is an acquired skill first time patron's of the Bay Street Biergarten soon learn comes in handy when using its forward thinking communal tap tables--tables with self serving beer taps.

The day I visited the Bay Street Biergarten the plan was to spend the evening on their outdoor patio listening to the jams of local singer/songwriter Chelsea Summers. A late afternoon thunderstorm moved the party indoors. It was packed out with soccer enthusiasts decked out in the colors of their favorite teams watching the games on large screen TVs located throughout. Its flag-draped, wood-beamed, high ceilings gave it the feeling of spaciousness. Booths lined one wall while larger circular tables were located on a step-up area. The communal tables were scattered about in front of the main bar.

The location of the Bay Street Biergarten historically was at one time called the Wilmington Railroad Depot--also referred to as the Northeastern Railroad Depot in other accounts. During the evacuation of the Confederate Army from Charleston in 1865, the depot was the scene of a horrific tragedy. Filled with powder and explosives at the time of the exodus, women and children of Charleston rushed in to see what they could get. Some of the gun powder caught on fire and the building was blown up. In the explosion, 250 of the women and children were killed and wounded. The remaining ruins was reconstructed in the late 1800's.

An I witness account by Lt. Moses Lipscomb Wood, of Company F, the 15th South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment, "The Thicketty Rifles," recorded the event in his "War Record" as follows: "I was in Charleston on the night before and the morning it was evacuated, and was put in charge of a detail of about 75 men to load what cars (of the Northeastern Railroad) we could ahead of us. We had not been out of the depot long before the women and children rushed in to see what they could get. The depot was filled with powder and explosives and caught on fire and was blown up—causing the most pitiful sight I saw during the war. Women and children, about 250, were killed and wounded, and some were carried out by where [we] were in line on the streets, with their clothing burned off and badly mutilated."

It has 24 beers on tap behind the bar, 60 taps throughout the building, all delivered by a state of the art tap table system. With the purchase of a preloaded RFID card, you can access a selection of flavors, information about the beer, how much you are pouring and your pouring history at the stationary iPads at each communal table and Bier Wall. The beer flows from a keg cooler in the back of the building and is pumped by a glycol cooling system through 156 feet of draft lines. To help you avoid the oversized head foam, you can download information on how to make the perfect pour off of their website.

The communal tap tables do not need reservations--first come, first serve. A great setting for making new acquaintances, building new friendships and sharing food. It was enjoyable watching people pour their own beer and talk about what went wrong--return customers had a bit more experience. After the rain passed and towards the end of the night, we had a couple of shots at the bar on the large, outside brick patio--skillful and friendly bartenders.

Aside from having the most progressive technology the beer industry has to offer along with giving you the experience of pouring your own beer, the Bay Street Biergarten also has its own parking lot, which gets a big "cheers" from me. No searching for quarters to put in the meters or driving into parking garages and paying high fees.

Bay Street Biergarten is as close as you can get to an authentic Munich beer hall in the south with a goal to support Charleston’s local, ever-expanding brewing, distilling and farming communities. It offers Southern food with a flavor of Bavarian inspiration paired with the finest craft beers and quality socializing. It was as fresh as the bay air coming in from the nearby port and as charming as Charleston history. It was a stout experience.

Located at 549 East Bay Street, Charleston, SC.

Holy City Brewery--Home To Top Notch Craft Beers And A Lowcountry Landmark.

It was the party before Brewvival. The place was Holy City Brewing. In collaboration with RJ Rockers Brewery, Holy City produced a beer using cold-press coffee from Coastal Coffee Roasters in Summerville and dubbed the perky stout Half Calf. I was there to celebrate the preview with my good friend Brad Mallett, owner of the popular and trendy coffee shop.

Half Calf was one of four collaborations brewed for the Brewvival. The other three were with NoDa Brewing Company(Shades of Grace), Southbound Brewing Company(Sister City Saison), and Wicked Weed Brewing(Holy Weed with green tea leaves from Charleston Tea Plantation).

The enterprise is a success story of immense proportions bearing a rightly acquired name synonymous with Charleston, Holy City. A four-team venture, three of them CofC graduates, the brewery is a converted 4000 square foot warehouse originally owned by the non graduate of CofC, Mac Minaudo.

The main section of the warehouse is an efficient collusion of working space and showroom highlighted by a shiny, deep blue floor covered with a collection of brightly polished, stainless steel tanks with the remaining space dominated by a long bar transplanted from the original Cumberland's of downtown Charleston--on this day lined with patrons downing pairings of samples and full glasses of the brewery's latest collaborations in celebration of this years edition of Brewvival.

The exterior of the warehouse, like the beers brewed inside, is a Lowcountry work of art. Painted in a palette of earth colors, it is covered with scenes of the Charleston skyline, jelly fish, hammerhead sharks, marine birds, an alligator, a curious pterodactyl and a lone bicycle rickshaw--significant of the fact Joel Carl and Sean Nemitz are business partners in Charleston's rickshaw business. The establishments most prominent feature is a very long trash bin painted with a full length scene reminiscent of Charleston's beautiful waterfront with the name Holy City transparently etched in white over it.

A labor of love that began in the garage of Joel and Sean's rickshaw business where they built a 15-gallon, all-grain pilot system that produced roughly a dozen signature brews, later joined by professional brewer Chris Brown and beer enthusiast Mac, Holy City has grown into a dominant player in the craft beer market of Charleston.

Throughout the Lowcountry, the Holy City brand is as original as joggling boards and its taps are as common as the palmetto. Holy City Pilsner and Holy City Pluff Mud are two of the house beers served at my favorite Summerville stomping grounds, the previously mentioned Coastal Coffee Roasters; and the place where I was introduced to Holy City Brewing by way of the occasional beer tasting event hosted there--a fabulously frothy good time.

The day's large crowd was conclusive evidence of the brewery's success. The picnic tables were full, the tasting room standing room only. For entertainment, the Bluestone Ramblers churned out bluegrass tunes while Refueler's Mobile Cafe served up the food. With a brew in one hand and a camera in the other, the happy beer lovers took their turns documenting the occasion by posing for a memorable snapshot in front of the semi truck long, panoramic painted, one-time trash collector--including yours truly.

 

Spoleto Finale At Middleton Place June 9, 2013-Live Music And A Dazzling Fireworks Display

The day's forecast was calling for a 60% chance of rain. It was Spoleto Finale day at Middleton Place. I had been looking forward to this day since Spoleto began on May 24th. The Red Stick Ramblers were the featured band due to take stage at 8:30 pm followed by the traditional fireworks. Rain could change everything. The main venue was an open-air stage and water does not react well with electronics. I would be keeping my eyes on the sky.

The day was shaping up to be a hot one. I started it off at the pool. Even at that early time of the day the skies were looking threatening, but as of yet no rain. I bumped into a friend and got into a conversation about Middleton Place and the fireworks. I expressed my concern about the potential for storms and what that could mean for the days planned events. A heavy downpour at the wrong time could alter expectations.

She looked at the weather radar on her IPhone and it was looking pretty ominous. Oranges and reds were surrounding the Lowcountry. Even as we spoke, dark clouds were building in the distance, but time and the prevailing winds would prove favorable for the moment. Even after leaving the pool, I kept a weary eye on any potential development. As the day progressed through the afternoon hours the skies brightened and the dark clouds dispersed.

We arrived at Middleton Place around 7 pm and parked the truck. On the short walk through the tall trees to the ticket table and will call, I could here the music of a live band. One of the days scheduled bands were entertaining the late afternoon crowd scattered around the historic Middleton Place grounds. Our first objective was to check out the menu and purchase food tickets. A three piece chicken dinner with a biscuit was available and cost $6. For refreshments, we chose wine for $6 and a soda for $2. A fruit salad for $2 was an after thought. Picnic tables were available, but all were occupied. So, we sat in the indoor dinning area, which was thankfully air-conditioned.

So far pretty much a seemingly ordinary experience, but this was Middleton Place, a National Historic Landmark. Nothing ordinary about that fact. Notably, its owners played an important role in American history. The main family residence was constructed in 1705. It no longer exists. Burned by Union troops in 1865 and destroyed by the earthquake of 1886, it is now just a pile of bricks overlooking the Ashley River. The remaining building that survived, called South Flankers, was restored and now serves as the House Museum. Middleton Place has been honored with the designation of being America’s oldest landscaped gardens and a rejuvenated 18th and 19th-century plantation stableyards that offers carriage tours to remote parts of the plantation not seen by visitors. It has a restaurant on the grounds as well as an inn.

After finishing off the food, we headed out onto the grounds to take in the extraordinary history. Gnarled and sprawling oak trees, as old as the plantation, stood like guardians in the retreating sun. The Belgian draft horses used on the plantation could still be viewed, so a few moments were spent observing these magnificent animals and peppering one of the stable workers with questions. Peacocks strutted around the stable fencing and a bird called a guinea squawked frantically when we got too close.

With the time nearing 8:30 pm, I headed towards the main stage to photograph the band making final preparations. A boisterous party crowd scattered around on blankets and fold-up chairs waited patiently for the Red Stick Ramblers to kick-off the festival finale and highly anticipated closing fireworks. Behind the stage, the original house's ruins laid seemingly frozen in time. Beyond the terraced landscape, the old Ashley River wound through the marshy landscape, once the watery highway that transported plantation residents into Charleston on the outgoing high tides and back again on incoming high tides.

The Louisiana based band began and a hearty bunch of festival goers gathered in a roped off area in front of the stage to dance. They cranked out their Cajun, country, stringband and swing style music. It was interesting music, not what I generally listen too, and if you do not know French, sometimes quite foreign. Still, the catchy beat lured you in and the desire to dance was irresistible.

In conclusion, the fireworks were spectacular. The crowd cheered with every explosion as the dazzling array of colors lighted the darkened skies. It was a great final tribute to the Spoleto Festival.


For a complete list of events at the plantation, go to Middleton Place Events.

Summerville's Joseph Tedesco Plays From the Heart-A Story Of Tragedy And Triumph

Two days, two parties. Friday and Saturday nights are always entertaining at Coastal Coffee Roasters of Summerville with its acoustic lineup, but this past weekend was exceptional with two top headliners back to back on the schedule. Add to the mix a birthday party and it became a celebration of candles and music.

The two guitars were propped up on their stands. The head stock of one of the guitars had a fedora hanging on it. Later, we would learn the fedora was a subject of contention between its owner and his wife, a matter dealing with appearance. Joseph Tedesco is its owner, and he was making final preparations for his performance while Brad and staff catered to the party guests. Joseph has become a CCR favorite.

Joseph Tedesco's story is a one of tragedy and triumph. It is a human story. Speaking of more recent times, he recalled, "I stumbled on to Coastal Coffee Roasters and found a very comfortable venue and a very welcoming audience to what I want to do." Though he was born in New Jersey and later moved to Atlanta when he was seven, Joseph has been no stranger to the Lowcountry. In the 80's, he traveled from Atlanta on weekends many times to perform at the Shem Creek Bar and Grill.

Joseph started out on the drums when he was ten and turned to the guitar a couple of years later. His first band was The Rising Sun, established while he was only in elementary school. He began writing songs in his early teens and the first song he wrote was called "Prayer for Pocahontas". After high school, he began working with the Georgia Game and Fish Division and his music took a backseat for a time.

Eventually, Joseph moved to Colorado with the intent of continuing to work in wildlife or fisheries management, but once he settled in things changed. "Colorado can be very inspiring to creative people. Within weeks of moving west, I formed another band," he recounted. The band's name was the Cholla Canyon Band. They opened for numerous national headliners all over the state and did some pretty big shows all on our own name recognition. The band performed together for 12 years.

Then, a tragedy struck that would alter Joseph's course. "My older brother, a big musical influence on me, passed away suddenly and I hit the skids." He developed a panic disorder and eventually terrible stage fright, ending his music career, momentarily.

Joseph moved back to the east, this time to Charleston, and slowly started regaining the ability to perform again, which brings the story to Summerville and Coastal Coffee Roasters. Now, he sings his own songs and songs he feels close to or has some attachment to. He views this as a second chance to do what he loves.

Joseph summed it up this way, "I have played in front of ten thousand people and 25 folks at Coastal Coffee. The number of people makes zero difference to me anymore. I just do what I do, with all the truth and courage I have and hope to connect with at least some of them every night. If my 15 minutes of fame has already come and gone, I'm okay with that. If tomorrow I write that big radio song, I'm okay with that too."

Maureen O'Brien and Kathlene Lainhart

Friday, Joseph played his guitar, piano, and harmonica with non-stop energy and fun. Maureen O'Brien celebrated her 29th(?) birthday while he entertained the crowd with a mix of his own songs and requests of favorites from the happy crowd. Jacki Mallett sang a couple of songs to close out the evening. It was another fantastic night at Coastal Coffee Roasters.

Next time you are in Summerville, stop in and join the fun. Check their Facebook page for the week's schedule of entertainment.

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.