E292: Country roads taking me home to Big Draft Brewing

Big Draft Brewing is helping to bring small town West Virginia back to life

Big Draft Brewing is located in the tiny town of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.  Population 3,000, give or take.

The town, and the larger Greenbrier Valley community, has faced some hard times in recent years.  The opioid epidemic chipped away at the community and the "1,000 year flood" of 2016 caused widespread destruction and loss of life.

Our show this week is as much about the tenacity of the residents of White Sulphur Springs as it is about beer.  You'll have to humor me, this one is kind of personal.  My family is from White Sulphur Springs and I spent some of my childhood Summers there.  It's a close community with strong family ties.  Turns out, by complete chance, my family ties run right to Big Draft Brewing.  It's quite a story so make sure to listen in to hear the full scoop.

Founders David Bostic, Clay Elkins, and JW Groseclose join us on the show this week to talk about their brewery and the overall revitalization of their town.  They've built up a city block with Big Draft Brewing, a BBQ spot, a cafe and coffee house, and a concert hall and events venue.  They intend to grow it as as destination that reaches far beyond the city line.

But we do talk about beer plenty as well.  JW is the brewmaster and his goal is to make classic and approachable beers that everyone can enjoy.  We sampled the Foreman American Lager, Sudsy's Pale Ale, Bo Red Bohemian Red, and the seasonal Festbier and can vouch for all of them.  There are barrel-aged beers in the works, a saison in the fermenters, and some mad scientist brew utilizing ramps (the wild vegetable) in the works.

In addition to tasty beer and BBQ the crew tells us about the fishing, hunting, hiking, and off-roading adventures in the area.  Sounds like a great time all around.  I better get on those country roads now.

Side note.... you may not know White Sulphur Springs by name but you may have heard of The Greenbrier Resort.  It's got quite a story, you should check it out.  If you're a gamer and a fan of Fallout 76, you might recognize the Greenbrier as The Whitespring Resort.

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Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.

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