Outer Banks, North Carolina
Think North Carolina beer and you think Asheville, named BeerCityUSA by Charlie Papazian two years running, as a result of an admittedly unscientific poll on his Beer Examiner blog. Breweries such as Highland, French Broad, and Wedge (and nearby Pisgah) keep the focus on Asheville. You can follow I-40 east with a respite in Winston-Salem for some of Foothills’ Sexual Chocolate, then carry on to Big Boss, Triangle, and the exciting new Fullsteam who are keeping the Triangle area hopping. But “North Cackalakey” offers much more. Far east of Raleigh, continue driving along highway 264 beyond Farmville, where Duck Rabbit works its dark (beer) magic and you’ll see that just because those are the breweries that put NC on the map, the state runs all the way to the Atlantic. There, a series of barrier islands constitute the Outer Banks―known as OBX―with its own worthy beer culture.
The OBX covers roughly the upper half of North Carolina’s Atlantic seaboard, beginning with Bodie Island―technically part of the peninsula and no longer an island―where you’ll find Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk. It’s been known as the birthplace of aeronautics ever since the Wright Brothers pioneered manned flight among the sand dunes of Jockey Ridge, the largest living dunes east of the Mississippi. Hang gliders consider it a mecca to this day and take it from someone who’s tried it―it’s both exhilarating and relaxing. If you go with an instructor, it’s so safe I’d send my grandmother up. Check out Kitty Hawk Kites (kittyhawkkites.com) in Nags Head for lessons and flights.
For Phil Wayland, owner of Chip’s Wine & Beer Market (2200 N. Croatan Highway, near milepost 6 in Kill Devil Hills; chipswinemarket.com), his store is where just about every vacationer comes to buy Carolinian beer to bring home as a souvenir. Phil runs the beer side, which he has grown to stock over 450 craft beers making it the largest selection in the OBX. (His wife, Laura, runs the wine side, which has over 2,000 bottles.) Customers take advantage of the fact that he offers singles so they can compile a mixed six-pack.
For a taste of liquid Outer Banks, visitors (and supportive locals) flock to Outer Banks Brewing Station (600 S. Croatan Highway, Kill Devil Hills; obbrewing.com). Wayland says it’s a favorite eatery and he raves about their fresh seafood including mostly creatures caught nearby such as tuna and shrimp. North Cackalakey Fried Shrimp uses a beer batter consisting of their flagship Ölsch (a light Kölsch-style ale). Brewmaster Scott Meyer went forward with this beer because it’s the perfect light refreshing beer no matter how rigorous the pastimes that built up your thirst. Meyer notes that his wheat beers are also popular in the summer, none more so than the seasonal Lemongrass Wheat, which earned a silver medal at the 2010 World Beer Cup. Wayland includes Moondog ESB as a fave but also enjoys bigger, darker beers. OBBS’s Mack Daddy Chocolate Stout, brewed with three kinds of dark chocolate, fills that bill. Incidentally, OBBS has a tiny bottler and always makes one style available per season, so in the summer months that Lemongrass Hefe flies out the door as well as off Chip’s shelves.
