charleston beer week

Five Signature Charleston Cocktails

When it comes to food and beverage, Charleston has plenty to talk about. With world-class restaurants serving some of the best food there is, it’s no surprise that Charleston yields some world-class cocktails as well. Take a look at these five signature Charleston cocktails:

The Charleston Fizz

Likely the most refreshing drink on this list, this gin cocktail combines fresh tarragon, Ruby Red grapefruit juice, St. Germain, simple syrup, club soda and, of course, gin. Originally inspired by Cannonborough Beverage Company, a Charleston-based soda company, their Grapefruit Elderflower soda can be used to add some extra flavor to this cocktail in place of club soda.

The Charleston Light Dragoon Punch 1792

Sean Brock, Husk’s executive chef, has created the perfect signature Charleston cocktail with this punch that uses tea, raw sugar, lemon juice, brandy, rum, peach brandy and soda water. The recipe was actually adapted from antebellum militia recipe that Brock received from the South Carolina Historical Society, making this drink a true Charleston classic.

Planter’s Punch

Rumored to have been created at Charleston’s own Planter’s Hotel in the nineteenth century, it’s unclear where exactly this recipe came from. While this cocktail isn’t necessarily a Charleston signature, Garden & Gun gives Peninsula Grill in downtown Charleston credits for making one of the best versions of this punch that you can get. With the ingredients of rum, freshly squeezed orange juice, pineapple juice and grenadine, this summer cocktail can help anyone beat the heat.

The Charleston Breakfast Coffee

Athens-based bartender Jerry Slater came up with this cocktail recipe during the Charleston Wine + Food Festival using local whiskey from High Wire Distilling Co. This drink, made to match the mood of the cold and rainy weekend it was created on, is perfect for any day that you’re stuck indoors. All you’ll need is High Wire’s sorghum whiskey, simple syrup, dark roast coffee and heavy cream.

The Charleston

Last, but not least, is an elegant drink worthy of being created in the high-scale food scene of Charleston. This signature cocktail uses bourbon, madeira, Angostura bitters and an orange peel for garnish. The Charleston is similar to a manhattan with its bourbon base, but uses madeira as they did in the early 19th century to give it that classic Charleston feel.

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Local Breweries Win Big at Great American Beer Festival

Featured Image: Unsplash

Charleston’s craft beer scene has witnessed explosive growth in recent years as well as national recognition. One more accolade to add to the list? Three of Charleston’s craft breweries recently took home medals from the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) held in Denver, Colorado.

Revelry Brewing’s gold medal win for its “Smooth Like Jazz” Eisbock beer marks the fourth gold medal the boozed-up beverage has claimed this year. Sadly, Charleston-area drinkers won’t be able to try the award-winning beer for themselves anytime soon.

According to Revelry co-owner Sean Fleming , “We brew a lot of different beers and it always seems like the ones that win are the ones we don’t have a lot of.” Despite the lack of “Smooth Like Jazz” beer, Revelry still has plenty more delicious suds available at its brewery in the north end of the Charleston peninsula.

Munkle Brewing, also located in the same area, won a gold medal in the Belgian and French Style Ale category with its Five Branches “Bier de Garde” offering.

The brewery will celebrate its first anniversary in October, making its win all the more impressive. What’s more? they are also teaming up with 167 Raw to put on a rescheduled event for Charleston Beer Week on Thursday, October 4th, where a special edition of Five Branches will be available. This limited edition, has been aged in rye whiskey barrels from High Wire Distillery for the last four months, lending a depth of flavor not seen before.

Last but certainly not least, Low Tide Brewing on Johns Island rounds out the local breweries that won at the Great American Beer Fest having taken home a bronze medal in the competition. Another impressive feat considering the brewery has only been open two years!

So why is this such big news?

Well, for starters South Carolina is still relatively new to the craft beer scene. Before a law was passed in 2007, South Carolina breweries were only able to brew beers with a 6% or lower ABV but now the Palmetto State has more than 50 craft breweries and growing!

Cheers to that and a big cheers to Revelry Brewing, Munkle Brewing, and Low Tide Brewing on their accomplishments!

Don’t forget to get out, get drinking, and support local breweries at Charleston Beer Week.

You can check out a list of upcoming events here!

Charleston Beer Week Is Back And Better Than Ever

Featured Image Credit: Charleston Beer Week

As the nation’s craft beer industry grows rapidly, so has the local beer scene over the last few years, especially right here in the Holy City. So it’s only right that we dedicate an entire week to our city’s kickass beer community.

The week is now comprised of 62 different events, over nine days, taking place all over the Charleston tri-county area. Some of the events may require tickets, but the majority are ‘pay as you go,’ meaning you are free to enjoy as little or as much as you would like. As events are finalized over the next few weeks, they will be posted to the official website and announced on social media.

Charleston Beer Week was started in 2013 by Denise Boozer who worked for Lee Distributors at the time. The following year she passed the reins over to Chrys Rynearson and Timmons Pettigrew who worked together on the book “Charleston Beer: A High-Gravity History of Lowcountry Brewing” and covered the local beer scene since 2011 (Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CHSBeer/ & Twitter https://twitter.com/CHSBeer). This will be the second year that Chrys is running the entire show, and also the second year that an extra day has been added to the “week” bringing us more in line with well known NC beer weeks — Asheville, Raleigh, and Charlotte.

Craft beer’s accelerating growth in Charleston is a part of a statewide and national trend. The increase in the number of craft breweries is the passage of the South Carolina Pint Bill in 2013, which allowed the serving of full pints with no volume limitations. Since the law was passed, more than 20 breweries have opened in the Charleston area, bringing the total to almost two dozen in the region.

Image Credit: Charleston Beer Week

“I think it makes sense, what with the favorable state legislation that has passed in recent years, along with the natural food & bev appeal that Charleston has become known for,” said Rynearson when we asked him how he felt about the craft beer industry explosion in the Holy City. “You now see a lot of loyal #chsbeer fans as well as a definite connection to our tourism industry, where people seek out and schedule a visit to local breweries in addition to their other activities. I think there is still room to grow, especially in outlying areas, as long as the quality of the product is kept to a high standard.”

Rather than doing the norm, some breweries, like Frothy Beard Brewing, make much of their money selling pints directly to customers. Frothy is also know for brewing off-the-wall, experimental beers. Like Frothy Beard, Revelry keeps a constant rotation of new and unusual beers on tap.

Image Credit: Charleston Beer Week

Charleston Beer Week gives you the opportunity to attend events at many of the local breweries, while also involving other regional and national craft beer brands who team up with local businesses for events. Some events already on the calendar include:

Mellow Mushroom’s “Battle For The Paddle”, Beer Brunch at House of Brews, Guided Kayak Tour & Lowcountry Boil at Bowens Island Restaurant, Block Party at The Brew Cellar, Harbor Cruise on the Carolina Queen.

For more information or to become a vendor, click here.

Eat & Drink

The Fifth Annual Charleston Beer Week Is Coming…And This Year Is Going To Be Epic

Featured Image Credit: Facebook/ Charleston Beer Week

The fifth annual Charleston Beer Week will be held from Saturday, September 9th through Saturday, September 16th at participating venues throughout the greater Charleston area. As a result of the continued growth and successful outcome in recent years, another day has been added on to the event, resulting in a total of 48 events over the eight day period.

Charleston is now home to 19 breweries, with five more under construction and expected to open by the end of the year. Many existing breweries are undergoing expansion efforts, while new craft beer-focused businesses have also opened their doors over the past year. For example, Frothy Beard Brewing Company located in West Ashley more than tripled their brewing capacity just weeks after opening in early spring.

Featured Image Credit: Charleston Beer Week

While local breweries will be a primary focus for the week, events will also feature many regional and national brands, making for a diverse lineup which will appeal to a broad audience. Many events feature “one-off” beer releases, often brewed specifically for the week, while other events feature various food pairings, collaboration releases, tastings and style-specific offerings.

This year will feature plenty of outdoor activities across the Charleston area, such as a Disc Golf Tournament, Guided Kayak Tour, Bike Ride at Marrington Plantation Trail, Downtown Charity Fun Run, Adventure Ropes Course, and a Harbor Boat Cruise. Other events aim to raise funding and awareness for local charities, such as the Charles Webb Center, Charleston Center for Women, Turtle Survival Alliance, and Charleston Surfrider Foundation.

All 48 events will be posted to the official website http://charlestonbeerweek.com over the next two weeks, with event announcements taking place on social media.