Wilmington, NC - The Front Street Brewery

The popular Front Street Brewery and Restaurant

All these years we’ve lived in the Southern US, we never visited Wilmington, NC.  After pulling into town on our way to the North Carolina Outer Banks last week, I had to ask myself why?  What a charming a vibrant city! My husband Bruce, and I stayed in the historic downtown neighborhood near the Cape Fear River waterfront, and upon the recommendation of several friends, made our way to the Front Street Brewery.  At 4 pm on a Thursday, the brew pub, located in a beautiful historic downtown building, was packed.  The half-priced appetizers (available until 6 pm) and 10 microbrews kept folks coming in all evening.  

The bartenders stay very busy at the pub. 

We sat at the bar and decided to try all of their offerings.  Two samplers of five brews each, and a pint of the quite amazing barrel aged Eccentric Nobility, did the trick.  Unfortunately, the IPA was tapped out, but I was impressed with the overall quality of the brewing, and a few selections really stood out.  It was August and it was hot and the Coastal Kolsch was crisp, clean tasting and flavorful.  It did the trick as a thirst quencher.  The El Hefe Hefeweisen was also a good choice to help with the heat.  The fruity Raspberry Wheat was fun, and the Amberjack ESB, is a respectable British style brew.  I did favor the Eccentric Nobility for the depth and character created by the oak aging process, and was glad we ordered a full pint.

Such pretty colors!

On our second visit to Front Street we sampled the food with our brews, and I ordered a fried green tomato BLT that did not disappoint.  The pub grub on the menu is varied and good.  Bruce chose an entrée, the coriander seared tuna, and he finished it all and left with a smile on his face.  And why not?  Good food, excellent service, plenty of tasty beer… what’s not to like?  Even the prices were very fair, and if you choose the daily beer and food specials, you can leave with your wallet mostly intact.  Yes, I understand why the Front Street Brewery is so popular, and if you’re in their neighborhood I definitely recommend you stop by. 

Brevard, NC -Brevard Brewing Company

The store front entrance of  Brevard Brewing Company. 

When I told our friends Angie and Jonathan that we were heading to Asheville for the 4th of July, they suggested we stop on the way in Brevard, NC, and check out their new microbrewery. We took them up on it, and what a great recommendation!  Brevard is a quaint mountain town with one main street.  Brevard Brewing Company is located in one of the store fronts downtown.  To walk inside you can tell this establishment was only open in April and is still getting started.  The brewing takes place in the back room, a large bar and open area with limited seating makes up the tasting room.  Local art is the main decor that lines the walls.  The building may feel like it's still a work in progress and nothing out of the ordinary, but the beer is the real deal.  Their main problem is keeping up with demand.  After tasting all they had to offer, I can understand why.

Brevard Brewing serves five outstanding ales. 

What did we have:  This was a short stop and we still had almost an hour of driving left to get to Asheville, so we limited our drinking.  As the driver, I ordered the taster of five beers and only had a few sips of each.  It was enough to make me want more! Their specialties are German style ale. Just one short year ago we were drinking beer in Munich, so we felt qualified to judge if it truly was up to German standards.  I must say, it comes pretty darn close.  The flight consisted of Lager, Pilsner, Hefeweisen, IPA and Dunkel. When sipping the Dunkel I could imagine myself relaxing in a German Beer Garden. It burst with flavor.  The hef was also a highlight.  The biggest surprise was the IPA which has just the right hop finish to make it interesting.

Ahhh, the pretty beer!

Why is it fun:  It was a great treat to find such a high quality microbrewery in the small town of Brevard. At the time of our visit, around 5 pm, there was a nice gathering of locals who have clearly claimed this place their own.  Live music is featured on the weekends and I'm told that it's very lively.  The server informed us their beer is now served at all the restaurants in Brevard, and if they could meet demand, I'm sure they could easily expand into Asheville.  For right now, a stop in Brevard and a visit to the local microbrewery is well worth the trip. We'll be back, and next time we'll pick up a growler to bring home.