This past July 4th, we had the opportunity to check out a small, local brewery based in Seneca, SC – Keowee Brewing Co. Nestled on the banks of Lake Keowee, Keowee Brewing has just celebrated their 5th year open. The brainchild of 2 high school sweethearts from nearby Spartanburg, SC, you can tell that family is at the core of their brewing identity and this permeates throughout the whole brewery.
The Location and Environment:
We arrived after dinner and the place was hopping (pun totally intended) with live music and just general excitement of July 4th. The old design of the brick building on the corner of a small town on the lake just gives a warm and inviting feeling. As mentioned above, family is something that is emphasized in their story and you can feel that in the environment of the brewery. Families with kids were everywhere and it is safe to say that the client base was mostly people that were there to enjoy friends and family. One thing to note is that there is not a dedicated parking lot for the brewery but being in a small town, there is plenty of parking on the street.
The Beer:
With a wide menu option, I opted to sample the Heat Waves (pale ale) and Lake Fog Version 20 (New England IPA) before ultimately going with the Lake Fog. Not overly carbonated, (which I’ve only recently learned is a good thing in the beer world), the mouth feel of the beer was extremely smooth which is not always common for a New England IPA. The bite of the hops is pronounced but evenly balanced and not overly strong. One thing I learned about this beer is that several of the hops are a newer strain variety (Riwaka and HBC-5686) and not commonly used. I fully admit that my pallet is not as refined as some beer adventurers out there but I will say I’m a big fan of this hop profile.
Final Thoughts:
Keowee Brewing is my style of brewery. Small, family oriented and down to earth folks that you can tell just love to brew beer. Although I only got to sample 2 beers while there, I fully plan to spend an afternoon there (perhaps watching a few football games!) and go through many of their other beers. I highly recommend checking out this place if you are in the area, especially if you want a slower pace environment that delivers a solid beer selection that doesn’t veer too far from the path. Cheers!
