Making history making beer…

Hank and Pearce were familiar with each other’s love of finely crafted ales. They had shared many in what affectionately became known as their BPB sessions (back porch beer.) One day while out on a bike ride in the depths of the Francis Marion National Forest, Pearce asked Hank if he had ever thought of brewing beer. Hank responded that he had THOUGHT about it, but never had pulled the trigger. They left the woods that day and went straight to the homebrew shop. They were brewing their first batch the very next day.

Both Hank and Pearce have some rebel brewing blood flowing through their veins.

Hank’s 5x great-grandfather came to South Carolina under General Nathanael Greene of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary war and then later joined Francis Marion’s brigade. Family stories said that he brought with him the knowledge of making beer and mead. After the war, he built the first water-wheel rice and grain mill in the area on his farm near Lynches River. It is there where history meets lore as he was said to have made the finest beer in the Pee Dee although he left no recipes or records.

Pearce grew up proud to know that his grandfather was one of the real life Dukes of Hazzard. He was often entertained by his Grandaddy’s stories of running shine from his home deep in the mountains of Western North Carolina to the capital in Raleigh to help with expenses while attending North Carolina State.  His grandfather always laughed about the time he was caught and hauled in front of the school’s disciplinary board, saying, “Little did the President of the University know that nine of the ten people on the board were my regular customers.”  True to form, Pearce’s father’s first words when told of the impending brewery, “Well, you know you’re going to have to pay the Revenuers their due.”

Over the next couple of years, Hank and Pearce kept brewing, upgraded equipment, entered and won several competitions and also came to the conclusion that they both wanted to be brewing professionally.