WHITSETT, N.C.—
For years, Red Oak beer was only available to people in the Piedmont and, furthermore, only available on tap. But now the local favorite brew is ready to travel."We've been known for draft beer all these years, and we really don't know what to expect, as far as the volume of the bottles," says Brewmaster Chris Buckley, discussing the company's move to bottling its unpasteurized and unfiltered lager for distribution across the country.
"Most breweries do sell a majority of their product in bottles. It's just a convenience package," he says.
Buckley says bottling Red Oak is a tricky thing, which is part of the reason it hadn't done it until recently.
"The main concern with unfiltered beer is we have live yeast in the bottle. And we don't want to offer the live yeast any oxygen because, then, it will start kicking back into a fermentation cycle," he says.
But with the high-tech equipment that wasn't available even five years ago, the very first bottles of Red Oak have begun a march, like soldiers, to their stations in 12-pack boxes. They'll be sold for about $20 in smaller grocery stores in Guilford and Alamance counties and, in a couple of weeks, in Chapel Hill.
"Our strategy is going to be to stay out of the bar and restaurant business with the bottles," Buckley explains. "That's what draft beer is for. So, for us, the bottles are only going to be available in grocery stores."
And only a few, select grocery stores to start. The brewery is ramping up, slowly, focusing on quality and trusting its fans to help spread the word about the beer made in North Carolina.
"I think a lot of consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of supporting local business for the local economy," says Buckley. "And I think that people take pride in the fact that we have a brewery like Red Oak in the neighborhood."
To find out where you can buy Red Oak, visit the company's Web Site and click on "Red Oak Now in a Bottle."
