Wilmington’s Latest Brewery: Waterline Brewing Co.
7 December 2015
Waterline Brewing Co. is the latest brewery to join the esteemed Wilmington brewing scene. Located off of Front Street, just south of downtown, the taps at Waterline Brewing Co. will begin to flow alongside the Cape Fear River starting this Saturday, December 5th at 12 pm.
The opening will showcase Waterline’s handcrafted brews, as well as food from Two Bros and Vittles food trucks and will also feature live music from local artists. The lineup consists of: Boba Funk, Dirty White Rags and The Clams, who will host their album release party. This kicks off the first of many live music events to be held at Waterline Brewing Co. brought to you by The Art Factory.
The scenic Cape Fear brings a stunning backdrop where friends can sit outside and take in the sunset as they share a beer. The brewery itself shares the old Jacobi Warehouse with The Art Factory art gallery, offering additional entertainment for the whole family. Keeping with the craft brewing sense of preservation, Waterline Brewing Co. decided to ‘restore old’, rather than ‘build new’. It took over a year to complete the renovation process on this 20,000 square foot building, but the wait will be well worth it. Inside you’ll find great heart pine posts and beams that surround the layout for the taproom. The taproom showcases a 5 barrel steam-fired brewing system that will brew their variety of flagships beers which span the full range of color and taste.
Owners Brian Bell and Rob & Eve Robinson bring decades of brewing experience to the table. The three are relieved to have the renovation process finished but Rob said they wouldn’t have had it any other way,
“The goal from the beginning was to build a professional quality brewery but to preserve the historical qualities at the same time. Brian, Eve, and I are all really proud of how it turned out and we can’t wait to share it with people!” Rob and brew-master Brian Bell started off as homebrewers themselves and are excited about turning their hobby into a business that serves a tight knit community.
“Our goal is to make and share great beer! There’s something to be said about handcrafted beer served in the same place where it was brewed,” Rob added.
The accepting culture of the Wilmington brewing community has been on full display as Waterline has entered the scene. Waterline Brewing Co. has been welcomed with open arms, receiving much support from breweries such as: Front Street, Flytrap, Wilmington Brewing Co., Broomtail, Good Hops and Ironclad as they’ve prepared for their opening. All three owners spoke highly of their neighboring breweries.
“We’re not only brewers ourselves, but we visit all the other breweries and love their beer too.” This sense of unity fuels friendly competition among them and is one of the many reasons why Wilmington is emerging as one of the leading brew cities in an already competitive state.
“Craft brewing in Wilmington is growing quickly and we love it! It’s awesome to get more local breweries, more choices and styles and different brewer’s interpretations, all great. There’s more room for growth still and we look forward to being part of it.” Waterline Brewing Co. is located off South of downtown at 721 Surry St., just one block off of Front Street. Come join them this weekend for delicious food, live local music and it goes without saying, Cold. Crisp. Beer.
Cheers!
Reprinted by permission:
