The day truly started off with a trip to a new artisan chocolate shop/maker, Escazu, to pick up some fine chocolates to make some smores on the beach one night. We did end up picking up a few chocolate bars as well as a few chocolates to sample right there. I mean who can resist the smell of chocolate and these delicacies below?
With a few chocolates in our belly's, we headed off for some proper lunch at Busy Bee Cafe. Now that our skinny bitches were full, we could think a little better and it was time to get our drink on. First stop, The Raleigh Wine Shop, to pick up some provisions for our trip to the beach. With a few bottles of Vinho Verde, White and Rose picked out we headed back to the Sanger household to finish off preparations for our trip to the beach.
Just before dinner time, Heather had booked a private tour of Big Boss Brewery for the four of us and three of Jason's co-workers. When Scott and I first came to Raleigh back in April, I had sampled a few of Big Boss's finest and truly enjoyed them. We gathered at their bar and we were all given a pint of any beer we chose. As our glasses were emptying they must have thought we all looked parched and filled them up again!!
Big Boss got the names of their beers from old airplane nicknames, hence the signs with all of the ladies on them.
Now it was time to start the tour of the brewery itself. We were lead downstairs into the heart, heat, of the brewery. We were introduced to the brew master whom started talking about the process of making beer, etc. What was really funny was that on his computer screen was a YouTube video of the Royal Wedding. I don't know maybe he has a thing for Pippa?
I love the look of their labels on the beer. They are vintage looking with their colors and style.
After we finished off the tour, it was time to pose for a photo or two.
We proceeded back to Busy Bee's Cafe so Jason could get his hands on a Basil Farmhouse cask beer made with Thai basil. That was the real purpose of our lunch trip but you see it didn't get brought out until 6pm. We scurried back there and bellied up to the bar so the guys could try a pint of the Basil beer. It was time to get some grub, so where better to go than another brewery, Boylan Bridge Brewpub. This time with a view that overlooks downtown Raleigh!
We woke up the next morning with orders that we had to be on the road at 9:30am to make our private tour at Duck-Rabbit. Scott and I got our car packed and I helped Heather get some of their stuff in the car, while Jason was typing up a work email. I think in the time he first told Heather he would be done with it in 5 minutes, that he actually wrote a novel and got it published, or maybe it just seemed that way. Needless to say, Jason was showered, packed and in the car at 9:28am so kudos to him until he had to go back into the apt and grab his work laptop. We hit the road and made great time to Duck-Rabbit and were greeted by our tour guide right at 11am! Duck-Rabbit is a very small craft brewery but makes some damn good beers! Unfortunately for Scott and I you can't buy them in New Jersey so Heather and Jason when you guys are up in this neck of the woods you will have to bring a few with you!
We had a brief tour of the brewery and got to meet one of their brew masters, who happens to be from Cornwall. Such a small world. We were told how brewing is as much of an art as a science.
After a quick chat with the brew master, we were guided to their new tasting room which has not been opened yet and therefore making us the first guests to sit at the bar and do a tasting. We asked quite a few questions, made small talk with our guide and enjoyed a few productions made by the brew master with him.
And of course we got to test out our pouring skills behind the bar.
What do you mean the taps don't work???
During our conversation with our guide and the brew master, Jason started to enquire about working at said brewery since one of the perks is free beer. Then we got into their website/social media updates, etc. and Heather was then named Queen of Social Media for Duck-Rabbit.
Here is the Queen making her first pose.
We headed out for one last photo op.
We were all smiles when we opened up our containers of lunch and found this yummy goodness.
So now not only did we have the best beer tour we have now just hit the jackpot of barbecue in North Carolina too! B's was an old gas station that was bought and then transformed into a barbecue joint. They cook 8 pigs a day and when they run out, the run out, which is normally around 1pm. Glad we made it since it was delicious! B's barbecue is also on the NC BBQ Trail, which I subsequently found out.
Food coma had sunk in and it was time to hit the road for our 3 hour drive to the Weeping Radish Brewery. We were in a bit of a rush since it closed at 4pm and if calculations worked in our favor we would be there with 20 minutes to spare. Just enough time to grab a beer. We hit the road and headed to the coast. We got there with plenty of time to spare since they actually don't close until 5pm and even that is open ended since they stay open if there are people in there.
We ordered a flight for each of us and sampled away. By far there was no comparison to these beers versus Big Boss and Duck-Rabbit but when in Rome do as the Romans do and finish your beer.
We left Weeping Radish and headed off to our B&B for the night, which was a lady's home that was opened to us for the night. We found her home got settled into our rooms and headed out for dinner to the Outerbanks Brewing Station. We found some seats at the bar, had dinner and then headed outside to enjoy a game of cornhole, BLT's vs. Sanger's. I will add that the BLT's were victorious which makes up for our washer toss loss back in April to them.
Team BLT: 1
Team Sanger: 1
The game got a little serious when I challenged Jason's word of "ID" as being an abbreviation and not a word. It was time to set off and look for a dictionary in this house. Scott hit the ladder and pondered where the dictionary might be and Jason looked around the rest of the downstairs for the dictionary too. Heather took to the camera and I just sat in amusement!
Jason won the battle with ID, won the game of scrabble and we called it a night.
Next up- Part 3 Ocracoke
2 comments:
Holy cow - that place you stayed was a B&B? OMG.
It was a B&B of sorts. A women's organization I belong to opens up homes across the US as B&B's for $50/night! She had a nice home on the water and a perfect library for our Scrabble game.
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