MANTEO, NORTH CAROLINA

Inside a canary yellow sea shanty along the Nags Head Causeway on Pimlico Bay, LOST COLONY BREWING at the waterfront began as a small restaurant in 1995. Started by Paul and Sharon Charron, the colonial-styled downtown Manteo pub, Blue Moon Cafe, added a brewing production facility in 2016. As the newly coined Lost Colony Brewing, the cafe was sold but the facility they acquired along Pimlico Bay remains.

Initially concentrating on British-styled beers, Lost Colony branched out to include a small selection of varied styles. Beside the cozy waterfront, its large brown-benched dock overlooks the bay and sidles Benny Tesoros Pizza and a bakery. There are eight draught handles at the small six-seat, sea-shelled wood bar.

While my wife and I previously consumed some Lost Colony elixirs at the now-defunct downtown location about a decade hence, I discovered a fine dark ale on my August ’24 Outer Banks trip.

Simply named Manteo Porter retained mildly creamed black coffee bittering and charred walnut sear contrasting maple molasses sugaring and dewy peat sneak.