During one of many trips to Wilmington, North Carolina, I had the chance to stop by the Front Street Brewery. So I thought I’d write up a little brewpub report.

As I usually do when visiting my family there I collected a six pack of random ales at a local liquor store… Dogfish Head IPA weighing in a 9% ABV, HI.P.A. by the Vermont-based Microbrewer Magic Hat (gotta love ‘em), Circus Boy (another Magic Hat offering), and Bell’s Oberon Ale, to name a few.

One attraction that homebrewers and beer connoisseurs visiting Wilmington would find worthwhile is the Front Street Brewery. This “brew pub” is actually a full fledged restaurant with a great menu featuring “modern American cuisine, ranging from gourmet burgers [like their Beer BQ Ale Burger! - B] to fine entrees and everything in between” according to their website.

What would most likely catch your eye, however, is the twenty-thousand-plus dollars worth of full scale brewing equipment prominently displayed in the front windows. And it’s not just for display, as I learned from the resident brew master who was busy clearing the mash tun of spent grains during my visit. They actually brew their beer right there for all to see, with a huge mash tun, a huge brew vessel (pictured here – I’m guessing about 1,000 gallons each, maybe more) and four large fermenters. A brewer’s dream.

If you visit for lunch you’ll stand a good chance of seeing the brew master at work creating some of Front Street Brewery’s beer selections. 9 varieties on tap, which include a hearty milk stout, the killer Port City IPA that actually reminded me of one of my homebrews (I’d like to think so anyway), a Scottish Ale, Kolsch, ESB, Pace Brown Ale, a few wheat beers (including a Raspberry Wheat), and a Lumina Moonlight Lager. A number of seasonal brews are made there as well.

The Front Street Brewery also boasts a charming atmosphere, with a long, classic-looking bar, and even an upstairs balcony-styled dining area. So if your ever passing through Wilmington, North Carolina, make it a point to stop by 9 North Front Street, in the historic area of town. You will not be disappointed. Oh, and you can’t miss the place, just look for the large conical fermenters in the front window.

Tags: Ale Burger, Bell Oberon Ale, BQ, brew pub, brew pub review, brewpub review, front street brewery, IPA, mash tun, Microbrewer Magic Hat, NC, nc brew pub, North Carolina, Pace Brown Ale, Port City, Scottish Ale, wilmington brewery

This entry was posted by Drew Vics on Thursday, May 28th, 2009 at 8:23 am and is filed under BrewPub Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.