A Different Drinking Experience in Murrell’s Inlet
by Kurt Epps—The PubScout 10.23.22
As anyone who has visited this SC tourist attraction can tell you, there is no shortage of places to drink beer in Murrell’s Inlet. From those that front on the Coastal Riverwalk, offering excellent views of the Low Country Marsh along with good vittles and grog, to those places a bit further north on the road that attract bikers—especially during the famous seasonal bike rallies—a beer lover can have his pick.
But for something a little different, take the road further south—almost until it re-attaches to Rt. 17—and look for a place called Southern Hops on 5148 HWY 17 Business, which offers a wide array of exceptional beers, including those made on the premises.
That task falls to Brewer Brock Kurtzman, who made his bones at New South Brewing, where he washed kegs and scrubbed floors for ten years before he ever got the chance to brew. Not that he didn’t have skills, as he was a Bio/Chem major at Coastal Carolina before deciding to apply his knowledge in the brewhouse.
Southern Hops, based originally in Florence, SC, used to ship many of their brews to the Murrell’s Inlet facility at the start, but now that Kurtzman is putting the pedal to the metal, that’s likely to ease off. On the day of our arrival, the owner was carefully dropping another huge mash tun into place, so that augurs well.
Kurtzman had two of his babies on the menu, and both were creditably good. The Goldilocks Golden Ale, designed as his transitional brew was far more flavorful than the yellow fizzy water he’s trying to get people to put aside, and his Five Points IPA was better than average.
When the brewery’s running optimally, he’ll also have Pop’s Pilsner, Rooster Red, Leeroy Brown and Blackwater Porter coming from the taps. Of course, there will eventually be a Kurtzman Stout, as stouts are his favorite beer to make. It should be worth waiting for.
The facility, which is impressive, airy and comfortably laid out, includes an outdoor area for enjoyment of beer, weather and food. You can see what a wide variety of food offerings is available by clicking here . An impressive array of pizzas is also available, and the dough is made with Pee-Dee honey and house ale.
The idea is to serve both beer and food with Southern Hospitality, and to that end, the company says, “We Proudly use these Local SC Products: Shrimp, Cage-free Chicken Breast, Pork, Pee Dee Honey, Carolina Plantation Rice, Collards, Black-eyed Peas, and more!”
And serving that up falls to a pretty—and pretty efficient—waitstaff, like our server Donna, who tried to satisfy a very loud, demanding, picky group of seasoned citizens. By visit’s end, we declared her part of our group, so she was clearly successful. That she looked a lot like Hilary Swank didn’t hurt.
Southern Hops in Murrell’s Inlet passed the first-visit test, with pretty good food and a wide offering of good beer. With its comfortable ambiance and good location, next season should be interesting. And since the off season will also have a big impact on things, we’ll likely be back.
For the beer, the food and the fun.
And having Hilary Swank as a server doesn’t hurt.
Hours of Operation:
Monday – 4pm to 11pm (kitchen closes at 9:30 pm)
Tuesday – Thursday 11am to 11pm (kitchen closes at 9:30 pm)
Friday and Saturday – 11am – Midnight (kitchen closes at 10 pm)
Sunday – Closed
Cheers!
The PubScout--immersed in the craft beer scene since 1996
by Kurt Epps—The PubScout 10.23.22As anyone who has visited thiC tourist attraction can tell you, there is no shortage of places to drink beer in Murrell’s Inlet. From those that front on the Coastal Riverwalk, offering excellent views of the Low Country Marsh along with good vittles and grog, to those places a bit further north on the road that attract bikers—especially during the famous seasonal bike rallies—a beer lover can have his pick.But for something a little different, take the road further south—almost until it re-attaches to Rt. 17—and look for a place called Southern Hops on 5148 HWY 17 Business, which offers a wide array of exceptional beers, including those made on the premises.That task falls to Brewer Brock Kurtzman, who made his bones at New South Brewing, where he washed kegs and scrubbed floors for ten years before he ever got the chance to brew. Not that he didn’t have skills, as he was a Bio/Chem major at Coastal Carolina before deciding to apply his knowledge in the brewhouse.Southern Hops, based originally in Florence, SC, used to ship many of their brews to the Murrell’s Inlet facility at the start, but now that Kurtzman is putting the pedal to the metal, that’s likely to ease off. On the day of our arrival, the owner was carefully dropping another huge mash tun into place, so that augurs well.Kurtzman had two of his babies on the menu, and both were creditably good. The Goldilocks Golden Ale, designed as his transitional brew was far more flavorful than the yellow fizzy water he’s trying to get people to put aside, and his Five Points IPA was better than average.When the brewery’s running optimally, he’ll also have Pop’s Pilsner, Rooster Red, Leeroy Brown and Blackwater Porter coming from the taps. Of course, there will eventually be a Kurtzman Stout, as stouts are his favorite beer to make. It should be worth waiting for.The facility, which is impressive, airy and comfortably laid out, includes an outdoor area for enjoyment of beer, weather and food. You can see what a wide variety of food offerings iavailable by clicking here . An impressive array of pizzas is also available, and the dough is made with Pee-Dee honey and house ale.The idea is to serve both beer and food with Southern Hospitality, and to that end, the company says, “We Proudly use these Local SC Products: Shrimp, Cage-free Chicken Breast, Pork, Pee Dee Honey, Carolina Plantation Rice, Collards, Black-eyed Peas, and more!”And serving that up falls to a pretty—and pretty efficient—waitstaff, like our server Donna, who tried to satisfy a very loud, demanding, picky group of seasoned citizens. By visit’s end, we declared her part of our group, so she was clearly successful. That she looked a lot like Hilary Swank didn’t hurt.Southern Hops in Murrell’s Inlet passed the first-visit test, with pretty good food and a wide offering of good beer. With its comfortable ambiance and good location, next season should be interesting. And since the off season will also have a big impact on things, we’ll likely be back.For the beer, the food and the fun.And having Hilary Swank as a server doesn’t hurt.Hours of Operation:Monday – 4pm to 11pm (kitchen closes at 9:30 pm)Tuesday – Thursday 11am to 11pm (kitchen closes at 9:30 pm)Friday and Saturday – 11am – Midnight (kitchen closes at 10 pm)Sunday – ClosedThe facility, which is impressive, airy and comfortably laid out, includes an outdoor area for enjoyment of beer, weather and food. You can see what a wide variety of food offerings isavailable by clicking
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