A new Charlotte-area taproom will feature experimental beers from a Durham brewery
The Durty Bull Brewing Company is bringing its creative spin on beer to the Charlotte area with a new taproom in Gastonia that will offer craft food and outdoor entertainment space.
The business, whose flagship location is in downtown Durham, opened in 2016 and employs a different approach to brewing, specifically using old-world techniques like spontaneous fermentation.
“We put out the hot beer and let it cool overnight in this vat [a Koelschip] so that open air is blowing over it. Then we barrel it and it rests for 2-3 years,” said co-owner and manager Matt Pennisi, who is a microbiologist.
Chris Davis, a co-owner and brewer for the Durham location, brings the “arts,” while Pennisi brings the science.
“It’s a fun combination working together with him. You can do all the right things [and] the right science, but then you have to give it up to the brewing gods – it’s fun,” Pennisi said.
One beer on its current menu in Durham is Sippy Cup, a mango and tangerine wheat beer.
“[It’s about] quality, and we don’t take ourselves too seriously,” Pennisi said when describing Sippy Cup. “We do what we want and hope people like it.”
But with science at the forefront, quality is never negotiable.
“We have a strict quality program. We have gotten rid of 930 gallons of beer when it didn’t turn out right,” Pennisi said.
Fortunately, the failed batch didn’t go to waste and was sent to another distillery for processing into hand sanitizer. The 930 gallons of bad beer ended up producing around 60 gallons of 80-proof hospital-grade sanitizer.
“We take almost a wine-maker’s approach to making beer – a lot of waiting and aging,” is involved said Pennisi, who is well-accustomed to the labor of love.
In the past, Durty Bull has been responsible for “extreme beers” like European IPAs, sour beers and exceptional lagers – the flagship’s most popular brew.
There’s one in particular called “The Law” that boasts an 15% alcohol content.
Pushing the envelope is nothing new for the business that regularly releases unique beers. Another recent offering is the Chai Imperial Stout. According to Pennisi, it has chai-tea characteristics along with a thick, malty backbone. It’s chocolaty with coffee flavors and is boiled for 18 hours.
Not only is the beer an artistic expression, but the business is socially responsible.
The Chai Imperial Stout was produced as part of the world-wide collaborative effort Black is Beautiful – “a collaborative effort to raise awareness for the injustices people of color face daily and raise funds for police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged.”
Gastonia taproom
In Gastonia, a building has been purchased, and plans for development are well underway.
“We’re finalizing architectural plans right now [and] are working out the details. We have almost 5,000 square feet of outdoor space and 5,000 square feet of indoor space,” Pennisi said of the structure, which is part of an old Coca-Cola building and will be managed by co-owner Jordan Doctor.
Patrons can look forward to craft food, as well. Pennisi is planning a menu that will include salads and flatbreads made with the brewery’s own yeast.
The new structure will also serve as a flex event space that can be walled off for private events. The outdoor space will include a stage, shaded areas for relaxing, cornhole and a bocce court for the competitive at heart. Plans call for adding mist-cooling – a super fine mist that works by evaporative cooling so patrons can have relief from the heat without getting wet.
“We want to be where you come for a movie night, or stand-up comedy, or to listen to music – a central hub,” said Pennisi, who’s also committed to the business being a safe space for all.
Durty Bull will also host other performances such as burlesque shows and aerial acts, Pennisi said, adding that he wants the aesthetic to include contribution from the arts scene.
Pennisi estimates the taproom will open in early 2021.
Durty Bull Brewing Company
126 S. Trenton St., Gastonia
Instagram: @durtybull
