It's easy to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of Myrtle Beach. In fact, guests at the Caribbean Resort & Villas can look out over the Atlantic Ocean, listen to the crashing waves and breathe in the salt air without even leaving the premises.
But, for beer lovers, at least, to experience a true taste of Myrtle Beach involves a short trip to tour our only area brewery and sample what locals affectionately refer to as “The Beer From Here” — New South Brewing. Serving thirsty tourists and locals a fresh, locally brewed brand since 1998, New South brews its own unique flavor into each batch to create an original line of craft beers.
New South Brewing's popularity has reached the point where you can walk into most any local restaurant or bar and order up a cold one. You can even visit nearly any grocery chain or convenience store on the Grand Strand and pick up a six-pack. But for the freshest beer possible, it's best to go straight to the source at New South's bustling little brewery on Campbell Street. Hidden in a warehouse district near downtown Myrtle Beach, New South is a little hard to find, but well worth the search.
Once inside, you will learn more about the art of beer-making and the passion of the people who aim to brew the perfect beer. You will also discover the 18-year labor of love that has become one of Myrtle Beach's biggest business success stories. New South Brewing began as a small dream to build the Grand Strand's first brewery and has grown into a recognizable brand that locals take pride in and visitors have come to associate with their annual vacation to the Carolina coast.
What began as a two-man operation in a smaller warehouse just down the street is now a hopping and happening microbrewery with roots that pre-date the current microbrew craze. After building a deep brand loyalty by providing quality kegs of beer to local bars and restaurants and serving cold drafts to thirsty patrons as sponsors and vendors at area social events, New South continued to blossom into one of the major regional breweries and distributors on the Eastern Seaboard.
Beer fans can now take tours of the facility and taste New South's latest concoctions straight from the tap. Held each Wednesday at 3 p.m., the brewery tour takes visitors through every step of the brewing process, from blending the hops, barley, malts and other raw ingredients to the making of the wort, which is then used to create each unique recipe. The beer flows through a series of giant silver vats and barrels before it is taste-tested and tapped.
New South fills dozens of kegs each week for area distribution, and it cans its most popular brands for retail sales at regional stores and bars. Like the handcrafted beers New South produces, each can is sealed by hand — a symbol of staying true to its founding principles and keeping its commitment to quality. But the best place to drink a draft from the tap or to pop a top on a can is right next door in the tasting room, which is the last stop on the brewery tour.
Open from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and from noon until 4 p.m. on Saturdays, New South's bar area serves all of its products in 6-ounce and 12-ounce glasses or in large growler jugs for those who want to get some to go. The tours are $7, which includes several samples and a souvenir pint glass, and are open to visitors age 21 and over. Be sure to pick up a six-pack to enjoy back in your room at the Caribbean Resort & Villas.
