MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA
Several southern summer sabbaticals have been spent with wife and kids at sunny coastal Carolina resort – riding waves (in nearby Sunset Beach), hitting the water slides, riding the rollercoaster, and fishing. Post-Xmas ’99 trip, discovered satisfactory Rock Creek and Pinehurst Village brews from North Carolina, but frustratingly no South Carolina suds. Experienced frenzied smart-ass atmosphere of zany eatery Dick’s Last Resort, where wry-humored waiters, silly paper hats, and novelty signs goof on unsuspecting patrons.
In ’03, finally tracked down three South Carolina beers crafted by Palmetto Brewery. During July ’04, I visited three friendly Grand Strand brewpubs. Though some offerings were somewhat bland and oxidized by comparison, much progress has been made since ’99.
At Barefoot Landing in July ’04, brick-walled wood-paneled mahogany-mantled steakhouse T-BONZ GILL & GRILL (formerly Landmark Tavern) featured New South brewer Josh Quigly’s recipes. Tried astringent chocolate-serenaded coffee-roasted fig-walnut-teased Nut Brown Ale, frisky dry-hopped honey-dipped grape-soured lemon-bitter Market Street Wheat, lemon-hopped grapefruit-raspberry-tart Blonde Bombshell, blasé caramelized pecan-fig-daubed rye-dried Cooper River Red and lemon-fizzed wheat-husked maize-dried Low Country Light Lager.
Revisited T-BONZ July ’06, quaffing lo-cal honeyed-wheat lemon-peeled spritzer Waccaman Blonde, floral-dried hop-embittered India Pale Ale and sweet-sour raspberry-oxidized wheat-blanched Seltzer-fizzed Raspberry Wheat.
Upon July ’08 sojourn, saw Texas Rangers’ Josh Hamilton set homerun derby record at Yankee Stadium while consuming buttery soft-bodied, apple-pear-tangerine-fruited, orange peel-embittered IPA, sugary corn-sweetened maize-dried Amber Waves, and cardboard-y citric-toned diacetyl-ruined Red Ale. Peppery-hopped lemon-candied orange-soured White Ale was moderate-bodied seasonal.