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They started brewing beer in their garage with a 3½-barrel home brewing system (equipment that is still used in the brewery today). They took some of their beer to a Christmas party, and before they knew it were set up at Henny’s Pub & Brewery. The beer gained such a following they decided to branch out on their own.
Bill and Tom Davis of Thomas Creek Brewery has found their own niche in the craft beer market. They are co-sponsors of the Upstate International Beer Fest. The festival will be held inside the Bi-Lo Center Saturday due to potential for rain.
The natural way to market a beer festival is with beer bottles branding the event for the co-sponsors – Thomas Creek Brewery and the Carolina Ale House.
The brewery, which has experienced incredible growth in the last two years, started off with grassroots marketing, focusing on the Upstate and the southeast. According to Paige Blankenship, the “Spiritual Beer Guide” for Thomas Creek, “up until this year beer fests were our entire marketing strategy.”
Now their beer is distributed in South Carolina, North Carolina, Richmond, Va., Georgia, the Tri-City area of Tennessee, Florida, Pennsylvania, Alabama, and in the mid-west in Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska. They’ve even sent five or six big shipping containers of beer to Sweden. This came from executives at BMW, Fluor, and Michelin doing tours of the brewery. Apparently the beer made a good impression.
Last year Thomas Creek produced 12,000 barrels of beer, and this year they’re producing 18,000 barrels. They’re doing so well the landlord is excavating behind the building to add more space. Much of this can be attributed to their marketing attitude and lineup of beers. Their mottos “Sink The Status Quo” and “Bartender Brewed” hint at irreverence but also relatable fun. As well, Tom Davis’s two black and white Border collie mascots, Nugget and Porter, have immediate brand recognition, and are always at the brewery to greet visitors and lap up any spills.
The beer speaks for itself, with seven standards and a few specialty and seasonal beers: Stillwater Vanilla Crème Ale, Oktoberfest, Jingle Bell Bock, Banana split chocolate stout, and Chocolate orange IPA among others. There’s even an Imperial Belgian style porter that Blankenship claimed “no one had ever done before.” Blankenship also emphasized that most of their beers are true to German Beer Law, Reinheitsgebot, which is at least 500 year olds.
The law states that beer can only contain yeast, barley, hops, and water (with some exceptions for sugar). Anything else is not considered real beer.
Because of their roots they encourage home brewing. Although they weren’t selling supplies at first, people kept calling asking for a “pound of this, a pound of that.” Now there’s a home brewing supply store in the brewery. This is appealing to the kind of DIY (Do It Yourself) lifestyle that is prevalent in young adults today.
It’s “part art, part science,” said Blankenship, because it allows people to be creative and express themselves. Then afterwards they can drink it. It’s also an opportunity, Blankenship said, for people to realize that “crazy beer isn’t necessarily scary or that crazy” by understanding the brewing process.
As for the festival, it’s a varied crowd. There will be people in costumes, as well as “newbies”, 21-year olds who are celebrating their birthdays. Bill Davis, 73, likes to hang out and tell stories.
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