Did you know North Carolina has dedicated the entire month of April to the State’s love of all things beer? It’s called #NCBeerMonth. I didn’t know anything about it until a few weeks ago when I took a look at how many events were taking place right here in Cumberland County to celebrate. I find it absolutely amazing that one beverage could inspire so much attention! So when the Fayetteville CVB said ‘ Let’s Take A #FayBrewTour ‘ I was all in!
Lake Gaston Brewing Co.
Our tour was going to bring us to all 5 of Fayetteville’s local breweries in 1 day. The first stop on our brewery tour was Lake Gaston Brewing Co. This gem, which came to the Downtown area in 2015, is quickly making it’s mark within the downtown community. Owner Darrin a Veteran and former 82nd Airborne Paratroop and his Brewer fellow Veteran Troy were the perfect pairing to bring Darrin’s vision into reality.
Together Darrin and Troy have created a Brewery with the lakeside atmosphere of Darrin’s hometown in Littleton, NC and Troy’s unique tastes to offer a variety of Lake Gaston Crafts On Tap: A Cream Ale, Dew Drop Lavender Ale, American Strong Ale, Wit’l Friend and One and Dunkel.
The best part of a brewery tour? We get to try all the breweries faves plus a few they pick just for us! I had a quick ‘How To Taste’ lesson from our Newest #FayNCBloggers member Brew-vangelist Joel Christian. Joel taught me so much during our stop at Lake Gaston.
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p style=”padding-left: 30px;”>Terms:
Flight – the sampling of crafts a brewery gives you for tastings and comparisons. Normally served in a small serving in 3-5oz glasses or cups.
APV % – the amount of alcohol in a specific craft of beer.
Tips:
In tasting a flight of beer it’s best to go from lowest APV % to highest. This way you have enough taste left by the time you get to the highest level… LOL
Joel shares all his love of beer over on his site Basic Beer Blog where his motto is Love Life. Love Each Other. Love Beer.
What I Drank
So. I know what you’re thinking. What did Tiffany drink? Right? With the help of Joel and Alexis from Wife In The Wild Blue Yonder who proved to know a few things about beer herself – I made it through the lighter blends of the flight including the Lake Gaston Cream Ale. Still I hadn’t found the taste that was the perfect one for me. After telling our waitress that I loved sweet she suggested the Bull City Cherry Tart. I was so excited because I heard fruit and tart! This my friends, was love at first taste. It wasn’t until I went to check the name on the menu – you know for instagram purposes – that’s when I realized I was drinking a Cider. Not Beer! I almost felt like I was cheating on the brewery tour somehow but this was only our first stop so I had time to make up for it. Plus, that cherry tart was totally worth it!
Lunch Treats
Although our brewery tour was hosted by The Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau our lunch was sponsored by SpouseLink Ambassador – Debbie Hendrix. Also a fellow #FayNCBlogger Debbie writes over at My Hot Southern Mess.
SpouseLink™ is a completely free website that supports, informs and inspires Military Spouses with daily trends and important military info. We are an online, interactive community for all U.S. Military Spouses, regardless of branch, location, gender, age or any other status. We encourage you to jump in today to share inspiring thoughts, support one another and to both find and give inspiration to others in the Military Spouse community. Learn More Learn More HERE
Lake Gaston knows that food is nearly as important as the beer and they have put just as much thought into their menu as they have their brews. I went with the Black & Blue Burger which is an amazing combination of 1/2 lb beef, caramelized onion, bacon, blue cheese crumble and mayo. I added a side of Garlic and Parmesean Fries which made my lunch the pick of the table – in my opinion 😉
Huske Hardware House
After a short walk a bit further down Hay Street we made it to our next stop on the brewery tour – Huske Hardware House. If you live in Fayettevile you know that this lovely city of ours if full of History at nearly every turn. I think that is one of the things I love most about living here. Huske Hardware House is a big part of the Homegrown American History.
Well Established
Upon arriving we were taken to the back where all the brewery action takes place. It was there that Owner John gave us a brief bit of the History behind Fayetteville’s very first MicroBrewery.
A Microbrewery is a limited-production brewery, typically producing specialty beers and often selling its products only locally.
It has been in operation for over 2 Decades and it’s history is absolutely fascinating. The building that is Huske Hardware House was constructed in 1903 by Owner Benjamin R. Huske who added floors to the building as well as additional store fronts.
In 1996, Dr. William Baggett renovated the East side and created the Brewery and Restaurant. 10 years later, a group of Veterans and their spouses did some minor renovations and have grown Huske into the award winning brewery it is now. *Learn More about the History of Huske Harware House HERE
What I Drank
In an effort to make up for my ‘cheating’ by picking a Cider during our first stop at Lake Gaston I decided to go all in and pick 2 Huske Crafts On Tap to taste. My first pick was a smart one. The Level Headed Blonde which like it’s name tasted light enough to keep this amateur taster happy and thirsty for more. Until . . .
Ignoring all the tips and advice from my buddy Joel, I decided to ask for the Brick House IPA. Ya’ll! Can I just tell you the look on my face after that first sip – I. Was. NOT. Ready! Of course the Owner John happened to be across the bar and he even laughed at my courage to jump into the depth of beer professionalism that is an IPA brew. You’d think the name would’ve given me a hint that this one may be a bit too much for me to handle. I needed a seat after that one!
Before we headed on to our third stop on the tour John took us next door to the The TapHouse Sports Bar & Grill.
Located in one of the neighboring storefronts this stylish bar holds claim to the record of having the most brews On Tap in Cumberland County – over 80 different brews!
The owners of Huske are building The TapHouse to be one of Fayetteville’s premier locations for parties, games and fun with Trivia Nights, Live Entertainment and of course amazing food and beer! They even have an awesome back patio area for those perfect southern evenings we all love.
Bright Light Brewing Company
Our third and final stop in the Downtown Fayetteville area portion of our brewery tour was Bright Light Brewing Company. I have to admit I never knew it was there. Tucked away in a corner this spot is one worth discovering!
This family based/pet friendly brewery is one that immediately feels like your sitting in the backyard or driveway of your best friends sharing your favorite brew and catching up a bit. Bright Lights encourages this ‘at home’ atmosphere by playing host Movie Nights, Game Nights, Trivia as well as Live Music and other Special Events. Adding to the community feel Bright Light is the destination for a rotation of over 9 Food Trucks throughout the week. If you’re looking for a place to pair up the perfect pint with the perfect meal – I think Bright Light is the place for your!
Owned and Operated by two Ft. Bragg Veterans Eddie and Chris, Bright Light will be celebrating it’s One Year Anniversary on April 21st. The celebration will include 26 vendors and a host of other festivities to help them mark their growth and excitement over being a part of the Fayetteville area’s brewery family!
What I Drank
The Flights Are Here!!! Bright Light’s flight presentation was impressive and so were all the different brews they shared. From a Collaboration brew with Winterbloom Tea (on Hay Street) called the Winterbloom Nantahala Dirty Blonde to the Hazelnut Toffee Porter creativity is not an ingredient missing from this brewery’s recipes!
Having learned my lesson from diving into the deep side of the beer pool too soon with the IPA from Huske this time I decided to take this slow and cautious and after tasting with a few guidelines from my on-hand pros my favorites from Bright Light would have to be the No. 2 and No. 4 – the Winterbloom Collab as well as the Hazelnut Toffee – it tasted like coffee ya’ll!
Dirtbag Ales
The fourth brewery up on our #FayBrewTour is one I already fell in love with after having my very first Beer & Yoga experience with them. Dirtbag Ales is located a short drive outside of Fayetteville in Hope Mills, NC. Adding itself to the list of Veteran Owned & Operated Breweries, Dirtbag Ales has become the place to go with your pet, your family or your BFF to have a great time and a great drink!
Confession: I love food! So when we pulled into the lot for Dirtbag Ales and I saw the 507 Empanadas Food Truck let’s just say I got a bit distracted! I had to get my fix because i have been stalking Maritza’s truck for so long and always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time!
Did you know @507empanadas owner Maritza is one of Fayetteville’s very first #FoodTrucks ?!? _ #Sponsored #FayBrewTour #DirtbagAlesNC #DirtbagAlesBrewery #DirtbagAlesBreweryTaproom #HometownHops #FayBrews #NCBeerMonth #FayNCBloggers #NCBlogger #MyFayetteville #MyNC #TheMrsTee
That’s right – Maritza’s 507 Empanadas is the very first Food Truck in Fayetteville and trust me there’s a reason why it’s still here! After staring at the menu for way too long and asking one too many questions about what I should get I decided on the Black Bean & Sweat Potato with an Al Pastor. Yum is all I can say!
What I Drank
Dirtbag was not going to be outdone when it came to flights which included Strawberry Kiwi BrewMosa, The Wit, Cold Brew Mocha Porter, Sour Patch Wit and Blood Orange Kolsch.
This time around I decided to take the tip of my friend Shannon of Dirtbag Ales and try the Strawberry Kiwi BrewMosa – yup that’s the name! I can’t even tell you all of what it is a blend of but it all mixes up to equal great!
Mash House Brewing Company
This is it folks! Our last and final stop on the #FayBrewTour! The day started at around 11:30am and we were pulling into the parking lot of Mash House Brewing Company on Sycamore Dairy Rd. around 6pm. The day had been full of great food, belly laughs and amazing beer and Mash House was going to make sure we ended our fun with a bang!
The @mashhousenc is the last stop on our #FayBrewTour _ Located on Sycamore Dairy in Fayetteville this brewery boasts a 60,000lb working Silo!! _ #Sponsored #FayBrewTour #MashHouseNC #HometownHops #FayBrews #NCBeerMonth #FayNCBloggers #NCBlogger #MyFayetteville #MyNC #TheMrsTee
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After a quick tour of the Brewery with in house Brewer, Rubin we sat down for appetizers and flights. I thought the look of Mash House’s flights were super cool and definitely Instagram Worthy! What do ya’ll think?
What I Drank
I am going to be completely honest with ya’ll – I drank water! This beer amateur was at her limit and my inner Adult told me it was time to get hydrated and simply enjoy the yumminess placed before me.
@mashhousenc has spoiled us with these appetizers!! The Loaded Potato Skins stuffed with Pulled Pork are my new addiction!! _ #Sponsored #FayBrewTour #MashHouseNC #HometownHops #FayBrews #NCBeerMonth #FayNCBloggers #NCBlogger #MyFayetteville #MyNC #TheMrsTee
Psst! Guess what? This just means I have more reason to bring the Hubby with me for our own one-stop tour so I can actually taste all of the amazing brews they have to offer!
The Science Behind The Beer
What are these Brewers favorite Beers On Tap?
How did they get into Brewing?
Why is water one of the most important influencers of a beer’s taste?
Find out these answers plus a look at all the behind the scenes silliness, giggles and at craziness only I can bring in my Vlogs from the day!
I’m sure you guys know brewing beer is not just about grabbing a few hops adding some water and getting your drink on. There’s a science behind the process as well as the taste all beer lovers have come to crave.
Each brewery took the time to share their process with us as well as a few reasons why brewing their beer in North Carolina gives it a one of a kind taste they simply couldn’t find anywhere else.
Hometown Hops
Now you know we don’t use a hashtag without reason down here in Fayetteville so let me give you the inside tip on why our day of brewery fun was called a tour. In the awesomeness that is creativity the brains that be behind The Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has come up with a way for all the Beer Lovers of Fayetteville to unite – it’s called the Hometown Hops Passport.
For every brewery you visit here in Fayetteville you simply ask your waiter, brewer a/k/a someone in charge to stamp your passport. Once you have collected stamps from all 5 Breweries you can either send photos of your passports by email or head over to the CVB on Persons Street. That’s where you get to pick a prize for spreading the love to all our Hometown Hops! *Learn More about #HometownHops
Live outside of Fayetteville? No worries. I won’t hold that against you. If you’re in North Carolina you can find out all of what’s happening across the state for #NCBeerMonth on the NCBeerMonth website.
So Go North Carolina On! Get Your Drink On!
“Believe in yourself, your passions, and your dreams. Your voice is unique – build on that. Embrace what is different about you and make it your greatest asset!”
- The ‘Dirt’ on Dirty Whiskey Craft Cocktail Bar – August 6, 2021
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- Cape Fear Regional Theatre – Best In The House – May 1, 2021
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