Creative Loafing’s 2nd Annual Moo & Brew Craft Beer and Burger Festival takes place at the AvidXchange Music Factory on Saturday, April 16. The event will offer samplings from over 30 local, regional, and national breweries. On the burger side of things, some of the Queen City’s best restaurants will compete for the coveted title of “Creative Loafing’s Best Burger.” As an official sponsor of the event, we’re profiling some of the vendors you’ll rub elbows with, like The Unknown Brewing Company!
Located at 1327 South Mint Street in South End, The Unknown Brewing Co. operates a post-industrial 2,500 square-foot facility and offers brewery tours every Wednesday and Friday at 6:30 p.m. I sat down with Marketing and Social Media Master Andrea Glagow to talk about what you can expect out of The Unknown at this year’s Moo & Brew:
Tell me about the beers you’ll be showcasing this year at Moo & Brew…
Andrea: We’ll be showcasing three distinct beverages this year:
- Ginger Wheat – An American Wheat with hand-peeled ginger. This beer’s slight sweetness with a ginger finish makes it perfect for enjoying the great outdoors.
- Scratch N’ Sniff – A Session IPA with a strong nose of effervescent aromas. Each smell brings forward a new flavor!
- Citrus Warlock – A Pale Wheat Ale with bursts of orange and orange zest. Crisp, smooth flavors here!
What’s the weirdest pairing of beer & food you’ve ever tried?
Andrea: Brad Shell – our founder – made a Kopi Luwak Coffee Stout. If you’re unfamiliar with this coffee, it’s produced from coffee beans that have been digested by an Indonesian cat-like animal. We paired it with chocolate-covered dung beetles.
Yep, that’s definitely the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard. What’s one thing about your brewery that people might not know?
Andrea: The Unknown is about a way of life. It’s trying things that scare you. It’s not knowing the future but going after it anyway. It’s about the adventure. You only have one chance at this thing called life, so make it count. Try anything, question everything, no regrets, and most of all, live without boundaries. You never know will happen when you visit The Unknown.
If you could have one person visit your brewery, who would it be?
Andrea: Hunter S. Thompson. He evokes our entire culture, and he would be a total badass to hang out with if he were still alive. This quote is on our website and it embodies our outlook on life: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”
What has been your favorite event or experience at The Unknown?
Andrea: We host a ton of events, so picking one is tough since we do so much fun stuff at The Unknown; Improper Glassware night, the Bacon Beer Bash, our Day of The Dead releases. My favorite, however, is our Anniversary Party and Music Fest. We gather some incredible musicians to rock the stage and party with a few thousand of our closest friends. Everyone gets to jam out and drink beer – it’s an awesome time!
