10/11/2013 (press release: dhmcmahan) // Chapel Hill, NC, USA // Dana McMahan
On October 17 from 4-7 pm, the craft beer and spirit makers of Orange County, North Carolina will gather at the end of Franklin Street for the inaugural Orange County Craft Brew Tailgate. TOPO Brewery and Distillery, Mystery Brewing Company, Steel String Craft Brewery and Starpoint Brewing will be set up and serving at 505 W. Franklin Street. Carolina Brewery will be across the street with a beer garden at Chapel Hill Tire. The location is ideal for fans tailgating and visiting the West Franklin Street Tarheel Town before the UNC-Miami game. It’s the first time all five breweries and the distillery have ever participated in a joint event.
Orange County’s craft brewing tradition began in 1995 when Robert Poitras opened Carolina Brewery’s doors on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. Topo of the Hill (TOPO) followed in 1996. Recent entries into the group are Mystery Brewing in Hillsborough, as well as Steel String Craft Brewery and Starpoint in Carrboro who all started their ventures in 2012. That same year TOPO expanded the collection by forging new territory into craft distilling. TOPO is currently the only certified organic and local distillery in the South. Tailgate goers will be able to tour their Downtown Chapel Hill facility.
“It’s important to showcase the great products that are coming out of Orange County. The brewers and distillers here are making some of the best beers and spirits in the country—using a lot of locally-sourced ingredients—and that’s a fantastic legacy for this part of the state,” says Scott Maitland, proprietor of TOPO.
The focus on local is key for the Craft Brew Tailgate event. In addition to the brews and spirits, local food truck Baguettaboutit and pop-up sustainable food store Roote NC will be there. Baguettaboutit, whose owners live in Chapel Hill, features European style baguette sandwiches with local sausages and specialty homemade sauces. Roote, a student-run non-profit from UNC, sources specialty foods from organic and natural producers across North Carolina.
The Orange County Craft Brew Tailgate website is available at www.craftbrewtailgate.com.
For more information, contact:
Dana McMahan, TOPO Brands: 919-434-1229; [email protected]
