Brewery Profile: High Branch Brewing Co.

  
By Dathan Kazsuk | August 7, 2017

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High Branch Brewing Company
325 McGill Avenue, Suite 148, Concord

Phone: (704) 706-3807
Web: www.highbranchbrewing.com
Owners: TJ and Maureen Creighton
Head brewer: TJ Creighton
Brewing system: 5 barrel
Year established: 2015
Flagship beer: High Branch focuses on IPAs, Saisons and Barrel-Aged beers
Most popular beer: Pounder (a hazy pale ale)
Hours: Thursday: 4 p.m. - 9 p.m.; Friday: 4 p.m. - 10 p.m.; Saturday: 2 p.m. - 10 p.m.; Sunday: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m. (will add Wednesdays this Fall)
Parking: Parking lot
Free Wi-Fi: Yes, but High Branch encourages folks to chat
Dog friendly: Yes (on a leash)
Stickers: Yes/$3 each

Beers on draft: Varies from week to week. Typically they have an IPA, Saison, Stout and barrel-aged and/or sour on draft
Pints/costs: 13-16-ounce – $5-$6; 8-ounce – $3-$4
Flights: $7 for a flight of 4 (5-ounce pours)
Cans/bottles for sale: High Branch tries to release cans (25-ounce) or bottles every couple of weeks. They are currently waiting on a canning line to sell 16-ounce cans in 4-packs.
Growler/howler fills: Yes
Crowler fills: No. The cans they currently release are 25-ounces and are not filled to order – eventually they'll be moving to 16-ounce cans.
Wine available: No. They plan on adding cider and possibly wine in the future.
Food: Yes. Cheese boards from Cackleberry Farms and various snacks from Carm's Cafe, plus Cabarrus Country Food Truck Friday (during the summer)
Within walking distance: Depot Antique Mall; Cabarrus Brewing Company
Sampled during our visit: Sour Tree, Off the Record, HB Squared, Pounder

High Branch Brewing Company is an all family-owned and operated brewery ran by TJ and Maureen Creighton. TJ was a home brewer for around 8 years before the Creighton's moved from New Hampshire to North Carolina – where they decided to start up a brewery 2 years ago.

Interested in having your brewery profiled? Contact us at TriangleAroundTown@gmail.com – and be sure to follow us on Facebook for other beer and libation coverage.

Brewery Profile: Little City Brewing and Provisions Co.

                                                                                                                                            Photo by Paul Prause

A couple bartenders at Little City Brewing and Provisions Co. pose for a photo.

Little City Brewing and Provisions Co.
400 W. North Street, Suite120, Raleigh

It was my first time inside Little City Brewing and Provisions Co. since it opened to the public. Myself and fellow beer drinker Paul Prause had a good time at our last stop of the evening, as Paul found someone who watched the Showtime series, Shameless. The thing I liked about LCB was that not only can you order some beer, but wine and up to 11 specialty cocktails. 

One of the bartenders that day mentioned that they were still working on the ideas to also have a bodega-style kitchen with light food items. Once LCB has that operational, as well as a few more beers on draft, this will really be a nice place to hang out. And being that LCB's owner,Jon Seelbinder, also owns Raleigh hangouts such as The Architect, Linus & Peppers, Virgil's Tacos and Level Up, I think he knows what's he's doing in the Oak City.

Phone: (919) 502-7155
Web: thelocalicon.com/little-city
Owner: Jon Seelbinder
Head brewer: Bert Halpert
Brewing system: 7 barrel brewing system
Year established: 2016
Flagship beer: Jalapeno IPA
Hours: Monday - Thursday: 3 p.m. - 12 a.m.; Friday: 3 p.m. - 2 a.m.; Saturday: 12 p.m. - 2 a.m.; Sunday: 12 p.m. - 12 a.m. 
Parking: Street parking 
Free Wi-Fi: Yes (GreatBeer) 
Dog friendly: Yes 
Stickers: Yes


Beers on draft: 5 beers on tap, 8-9 guest taps (when we were there)
Pints/costs: $4/$6
Flights: $10 (four 5-ounce pours)
Food on site: Foodtrucks on weekends
Cans/bottles for sale: No
Growler/howler fills: Yes
Crowler fills: No
Wine available: Yes
Within walking distance: Raleigh Beer Garden, Carolina Ale House, Sullivan's Steak House, 42nd Street Oyster Bar, Clouds Brewing, Mosaic Wine Lounge
Sampled during our visit: Amber, Hefeweizen, Kolsch, Imperial IPA, Jalapeno Serrano, plus a local coffee-infused Kolsch

Photos by Paul Prause

Brewery Profile: Oak & Dagger Public House

We tried a selection of Oak & Dagger beers, including the beer that won in the 2017 U.S. Beer Championship.

Oak & Dagger Public House
18 Seaboard Avenue, Suite 150, Raleigh

Oak & Dagger Public House recently won a bronze medal at the 2017 U.S. Beer Championship awards for its "When Life Gives you Hops, Make Lemons" beer. This beer won in the "Gluten-Free" category. Other Triangle-area breweries that won awards featured Crank Arm, Fullsteam, Mystery, Lonerider, White Street and Fortnight. Raleigh's own Lynnwood Brewing Concern ranked 3rd overall, winning three medals – 2 gold and 1 bronze.

Along with our good friend, Paul Prause, we made a stop at Oak & Dagger prior to the award for our next installment of our Brewery Profile. During our stop we were fortunate to actually try the award winning before and both thought it was done well.

Related story: Brewery Profile – Lynwood Brewing Concern


Phone: (919) 945-9382
Web: www.oakanddagger.beer
Head brewer: Peter McCabe 
Brewing system:10 barrel
Year established: September, 2016
Flagship beer: Rotating beers year round
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 2 p.m. - 10 p.m.; Friday: 2 p.m. - 11 p.m.; Saturday: 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday: 2 p.m. - 8 p.m. 
Parking: Paved parking lot, street parking
Free Wi-Fi: Yes (beerhere)
Dog friendly: Not in the taproom/restaurant
Stickers: $1

Beers on draft: 24 beers on draft (6 guest taps)
Pints/costs: Between $3.50 to $6 (10-ounce to 16-ounce)
Flights: No. Oak & Dagger offers 2-ounce pours between $2-$3.50 depending on beer
Food on site: Yes. Full-service restaurant
Cans/bottles for sale: No
Growler/howler fills: Yes
Crowler fills: No
Wine available: Yes
Within walking distance: 18 Seaboard, Bad Daddy's Burger Bar, J. Betski's, Rum Runners, BREW Coffee Bar 
Sampled during our visit: Cryin' Over My Mojito, When Life Gives You Hops ... Make Lemons?, Hulda Storm's Red Saison, Pass the Kvass, Sir, Yay!,

Brewery Profile: Red Hill Brewing Company

Red Hill's brewer and co-owner Chris Abney.

Red Hill Brewing Company
21 Union St. South, Concord

Phone: (704) 784-2337
Web: www.redhillbrewing.com
Owners: Hunter Huss, Chris Abney and Jeff Switalski
Head brewer: Chris Abney
Brewing system: 1 barrel (will upgrade to a 3-barrel system soon)
Year established: January 13, 2017
Flagship beer: Austin's Amber and Jane's Blonde
Most popular beer: Murph IPA or any IPA that's on draft at the time.
Hours: Wednesday-Thursday: 4 p.m. - 9 p.m.; Friday: 4 p.m. - 10 p.m.; Saturday: 12 a.m. - 10 p.m. (closed Sunday-Tuesday)
Parking: Paved parking lot, street parking
Free Wi-Fi: Yes
Dog friendly: Yes
Stickers: Yes

Beers on draft: 9 beers on draft
Pints/costs: $4; pitchers for $12
Flights: $8 for four 4-ounce pours
Cans/bottles for sale: No
Growler/howler fills: Yes
Crowler fills: No
Wine available: Yes ($4 a glass)
Food: Yes (local restaurants come on site and deliver to taproom)
Within walking distance: Cabarrus Creamery; The Grill at 11 Union; Chocolatier Barrucand; Cabo Winery; Gianni's Trattoria
Sampled during our visit: Murph IPA; Blown Fuse IPA brewed with Mangos; Insurgent Barrel-Aged Porter; Dreamsicle, Orange Cream Blonde

If you're looking for a brewery that can be confusing to find, you might want to stop by Red Hill Brewery while passing through Concord, North Carolina. Akin to a speakeasy, this brewery can be incredibly difficult to find. Located on Union Street, or at least that's what GPS and the website tell you – this brewery takes a little bit of slewthing before you can nestle up to the taproom and order a refreshing drink.

Now, I'm not going to give anything away ... that takes the fun out of it. And just like head brewer Chris Abney says, "We like that. It makes us something similar to a speakeasy. And we're just fine with that."

Once inside, You can select between some brews produced by this 1-barrel brewery that range from IPAs, Belgians, Porters and anything in between. The name Red Hill was taken from a local old tavern, which President George Washington was rumored to lodge at after a night out with Col. Robert Smith. 

Interested in having your brewery profiled? Contact us at trianglearoundtown@gmail.com.

Brewery Profile: Angry Troll Brewing Company

Angry Troll co-owner Bob Puckett pours a pint.

Angry Troll Brewing Company
222. E. Main Street, Elkin

Phone: (336) 258-2251
Web: www.angrytrollbrewing.com
Owners: Bob Puckett, Cicley McCulloch, Jeff Gibbs, Kevin Stainback, Louis Jeroslow and Dee Coley
Head brewers: Kevin Stainback and Louis Jeroslow
Brewing system: 2 barrel
Year established: 2016
Flagship beer: ESB, 1 Hop IPA, Coffee Stout, Cinnamon Honey Porter
Most popular beer: 1 Hop IPA
Hours: Taproom hours – Friday: 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.; Saturday: 12 p.m. - 8 p.m.; Restaurant hours – Thursday: 5 p.m. - 12 a.m.; Friday-Monday: 11:30 a.m. - close (the restaurant is closed Tuesday and Wednesdays)
Parking: Paved parking lot, street parking
Free Wi-Fi: No (working on it)
Dog friendly: Dogs are allowed outside on the patio, not in the taproom.
Stickers: $1

Beers on draft: 4 beers on draft (plus a few extra upstairs in Angry Troll Restaurant)
Pints/costs: $5
Flights: $5 for four 4-ounce pours
Cans/bottles for sale: No
Growler/howler fills: No (coming later)
Crowler fills: No
Wine available: Upstairs inside Angry Troll Restaurant
Food: Full restaurant upstairs inside Angry Troll Restaurant
Within walking distance: Southern on Main, Dirty Joe's, Royall's Soda Shop, Fiddles Pub
Sampled during our visit: Pomegranate Shandy, ESB, Coffee Stout, Idaho 7 IPA

Angry Troll Brewing Company can be found in the lower level of the Liberty building on Elkin's Main Street. Just like a troll hiding under a bridge, Angry Troll might be a little difficult to find at first. But once you find it, there is ample parking right outside the front door.

Related Profiles: Raleigh's Sub Noir Brewery Company

 

Brewery Profile: Neuse River Brewing Company

Neuse River Brewing Company
518 Pershing Road, Raleigh

Phone: (919) 916-5961
Web: www.neuseriverbrewing.com
Owners: Ryan and Jennifer Kolarov, David Powell, Ethan Barbee
Head brewer: Nathan Gastol
Brewing system: 20 barrel
Year established: 2015
Flagship beer: Riverkeeper's Wit; Caleb's High Noon; Biere de Neuse
Hours: Wednesday-Thursday: 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.; Friday: 5 p.m. - 11 p.m.; Saturday: 12 p.m. - 11 p.m.; Sunday: 12 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Parking: Street parking
Wi-Fi: neuseriver1
Dog friendly: Yes. 
Stickers: Yes; Free/$2

Beers on draft: 10 beers on draft
Pints/costs: $5 to $6
Flights: $10 for four 5-oz. pours
Cans/bottles for sale: When available
Growler/howler fills: Yes
Crowler fills: Yes
Wine available: Yes
Food: Local food trucks
Within walking distance: Nickelpoint Brewing Company
Sampled during our visit: Riverkeeper Wit; Tamarind Sour; Passion Fruit Sour; Streamside Citra; Bobbi Brune; Mouton Noir

Did you know: Five percent of all sales of the Riverkeeper’s Wit are donated to Sound Rivers Organization who guards the health of the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico River Basins. And Caleb’s High Noon, the Imperial IPA, is named after Ryan and Jennifer’s son, and Laila’s Midnight IPA is named after David Powell’s daughter.

Brewery Profile: Big Boss Brewing Company

Big Boss Brewing Company
1249 Wicker Drive, Raleigh

Phone: (919) 834-0045
Web: www.bigbossbrewing.com
Owners: Geoff Lamb and Brad Wynn
Head brewer: Bobby McInerny
Brewing system: 20 barrel
Year established: 2006
Flagship beer: Bad Penny, Hell's Belle, High Roller
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 3 p.m. - 12 a.m.; Friday: 2 p.m. - 2 a.m.; Saturday: 12 p.m. - 2 a.m.; Sunday: 12 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Parking: Paved parking lot, street parking
Free Wi-Fi: Yes
Dog friendly: Yes. Offers water bowels and dog treats
Stickers: Yes

Beers on draft: 22 beers on draft
Pints/costs: $4 to $5, some higher-gravity beers, $6
Flights: $8 for four 4-oz. pours
Cans/bottles for sale: Yes
Growler/howler fills: Yes
Crowler fills: No
Wine available: Yes
Food: Local food trucks, delivery menus
Within walking distance: Lynwood Brewing Concern; Sub Noir Brewing Company
Sampled during our visit: Blanco Diable with Cucumber and Lime Zest; Blood Orange High Roller; Foeder #2 with Cranberry; Bumps & Bruises with Guava; Space Mistress Saison

Related Story: Find out how Big Boss' Blood Orange High Roller compared against other NC IPA's in our Sweet Sixteen IPA Challenge. 

Big Boss Brewing is one of Raleigh's oldest breweries, celebrating its 10-year anniversary in late 2016. It is the collaboration of Geoff Lamb and Brad Wynn, who has an extensive brewing experience with places such as Victory, Wild Goose and Native Brewing Company.

Related Story: Bottle releases from Big Boss and Crank Arm breweries fill up weekend adventures.

Today you can find Big Boss in just about every grocery store in the state. Just head to the beer aisle in stores such as Publix, Harris Teeter, Lowe's Foods, Total Wine, etc. But if you're looking to try something that's not the mainstream, head to the taproom, where they serve up 22 beers on draft. There you can sample the Bumps & Bruises Gose series – while we were there they had a Strawberry, Guava and Pineapple variants. The brewery also offers its Strange Cargo Drafts, which featured a Belgian Dubbel, sour Blonde, an American Wild Ale, and a sour straight out of one of its Foeders.

Brewery Profile: Sub Noir Brewing Company

Michael Stagner's passion lies in sour beers.

Sub Noir Brewing Company
2039 Progress Court, Raleigh

Phone: (919) 480-2337
Web: www.subnoir.net
Owner: Michael Stagner
Head brewer: Michael Stagner
Brewing system: Half barrel
Year established: June 2013
Flagship beer: Eccentrica; Cassis; Zee Count
Hours: Friday: 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.; Saturday: 12 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Parking: Paved parking lot
Free Wi-Fi: No
Dog friendly: Yes
Stickers: Yes

Beers on draft: 4 beers with 1 guest draft
Pints/costs: $6 to $7
Flights: No, but offers half pours
Cans/bottles for sale: No
Growler/howler fills: 32-oz fills (members only)
Crowler fills: No
Wine available: No
Food: No
Within walking distance: PineTop Distillery; Lynnwood Brewing Concern; Snoopy's Hot Dogs
Sampled during our visit: Violet Beauregarde; Cassis

Guests at Sub Noir enjoy beers during Memorial Day Weekend.

If you're looking for a small boutique brewery that specializes in sour beers, you might want to head over to Raleigh's Sub Noir Brewing Company. Head brewer Michael Stagner operates the smallest brewery in North Carolina, or pretty close to the smallest, with his 1/2 barrel system. The brewery, however, has an incredible cult following looking to sample any of the new beers Stagner releases – just look at some of the lines he gets at local beer events such as the annual Brewgaloo festival.

A couple things that make this small boutique different than other local breweries is that Sub Noir does accept BitCoin – so if you're looking to spend your BitCoin money, go buy a beer or two there. Also, in the taproom is an assortment of classic video game consoles. From Nintendo 64 to the Nintendo Gamecube, hook up your favorite system and pick from over 60-plus games to play.

• Related Story: Sub Noir celebrates its 3-year anniversary.
• Related Story: Sub Noir celebreates 1-year anniversary with a bang