I finally got out on the road and did some traveling. I has been a long cold winter. My son and I were in North Carolina, which is a hotbed for breweries. Since the trip wasn't about breweries, I have just a few reviews, but my kid is pretty forgiving for my penchant to try beer here and there. On a long drive we were on, we stopped in Zebulon. My son says Zebulon sounds like either an alien race or the planet they are from. I can't disagree with that. Zebulon was born out of a railroad land purchase in 1906. It is named after Zebulon Baird Vance, the Governor of North Carolina during the Civil War. Zebulon is a beecentric city with a host of beekeepers. Also of note, it is the home to the only bagpipe manufacturer in North America. Who knew? For being a small town, the traffic there was annoyingly bad. We hit the city at lunch time and I was immediately drawn to a brewery named Norse Brewing Longhouse. It was right on the main street and unfortunately, not in a longhouse.
They only had four of their own beers on tap and I wasn't about to get a beer they didn't brew. I went with the Phat Thor, which was a Stout with an IBU of 20. It was quite good. Dark and malty with a pretty good flavor. I paired it with the Viking Burger and it was good. The weather was warm, so a stout may not have been the best choice, but I wanted a dark beer. They also had a Hefeweizen, an IPA, a cider and a hard seltzer. I assume they keep their list relatively small on purpose. It is much easier to concentrate on making a good beer when you focus. I've been to many a brewery who had tons of choices and several of their beers are on the weak side. Drinking an uninspired, weak beer is really a let down.
I did find out they have a larger facility in Wake Forest, with more of a longhouse feel, from what I read. I also believe they brew there. Since we were driving for a few more hours, I just had the one beer, but it was solid enough I'd tell you to check them out. The service was good and the food came out quickly. Can't ask for much more. I really wanted one of their t-shirts, but they did not have my size. Soon, we were on our way or at least trying to be on our way. I waited at a stop sign for hundreds of cars to pass. What the hell are so many people doing in Zebulon?
Add comment
Comments