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Bearded Bee Brewing Company

Coordinates: 35°46′54.4″N 78°22′09.7″W / 35.781778°N 78.369361°W / 35.781778; -78.369361
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Bearded Bee Brewing Company
See caption
The Bearded Bee Brewery in March 2023
Map
TypeLimited Liability Company (Domestic)[1]
LocationWendell, North Carolina
Coordinates35°46′54.4″N 78°22′09.7″W / 35.781778°N 78.369361°W / 35.781778; -78.369361
OpenedJuly 31, 2020[2]
Key peopleDerek T. Ayscue, Keri Wilder Ayscue, Dave Lewis, and William Delano[3]
Other productsWine, Mead, Cider, Ginger beer, and Soft drinks[4]
Owned byDerek T. Ayscue[1]
Websitebeardedbeebrewing.com

Bearded Bee Brewing Company is a brewery located in Wendell, North Carolina. Since opening on July 31, 2020, the brewery has involved itself with the community by participating in town events, hosting food trucks, and supporting local beekeeping efforts to become a major community gathering place within the town.

History

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The building the brewery now occupies on 20 E. Campen Street in the Wendell Historic District was built around 1915. The building was first occupied by Campen Livery & Stable, a livery yard owned and operated by W.C. Campen,[3][5] who also became the namesake for the street.[3] The building would change hands several times between families, and in its history would be used as a "warehouse, furniture shop, garage, and lawn mower repair shop," according to the brewery's website.[3] At the time renovations began in early January 2020 for the brewery, Perry's Warehouse Inc. occupied the building.[3][6] The brewery was officially opened during the COVID-19 lockdown in the state on July 31, 2020.[2] The business was founded by Derek and Keri Ayscue, along with their friend Dave Lewis, after forming a partnership in honey and mead production in 2017.[3][6] Most beer is still made using these products from local and on-site apiaries.[5][7]

While the brewery was being built, a mural of pollinators including bees was painted throughout mid-2020 by artist Matthew Willey on the building to the left-hand side. The purpose of the artwork was to support the likewise named brewery and the artist's personal goal to paint 50,000 individual honeybees worldwide.[8][9]

Interior

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The interior of the brewery is furnished with modern décor[10] including large communal and high-top tables, lounge furniture,[6] and bee-themed objects such as a honeycomb shaped light fixture[5] in the middle of the large taproom.[11] The brewery also has an adjacent beer garden on the left-hand side of the building.[11]

Events and activities

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A small booth set up by the Bearded Bee
Beadred Bee set-up during Wendell's Meet-On-Main event in October 2022

The Bearded Bee frequently holds events in the establishment, including hosting live music nights by local musicians, bingo nights, and trivia nights.[12][13] Outside of the establishment, food trucks are often present[13] which are advertised by the business.[12][14]

The brewery has also held outdoor axe throwing competitions,[15] broadcast films for the holidays,[16] and participated in town-sponsored events such as Meet-On-Main.[a]

Awards

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The brewery has mainly received positive reviews from the community since its opening.[10][17][18] The brewery won 4th in WRAL's "Voters Choice Award" for Best Brewery in 2020,[19] Raleigh Magazines award for "Best Burb Bar" in 2021,[20] 1st in WRAL podcast 919 Beers "Battle of the Brews" in 2021,[21] 3rd in WRAL's "Voters Choice Award" for Best Brewery in 2021,[22] 3rd in Mill Chills "Brewery Throwdown" in 2021,[23] and 1st in WRAL's "Voters Choice Award" for Best Brewery in 2022[24] and 2023.[25]

References

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Notelist

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  1. ^ See section photo

Citations

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  1. ^ a b "Bearded Bee Brewing Company, LLC". OpenCorporates. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Andrews, Betsy; Grinberg, Danielle (March 17, 2021). "North Carolina's New Bar Owners Show the Spirit to Succeed During Covid". vinepair.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "It All Started With Bees". beardedbeebrewing.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  4. ^ "FAQ [Do You Only Serve Beer?]". beardedbeebrewing.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "NCBeerBuzz – Bearded Bee Brewing, Wendell NC". BeerGuys of the Carolinas (Interview). Wendell, North Carolina. July 22, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "Town of Wendell abuzz with addition of new craft brewery". trianglearoundtown.com. June 18, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  7. ^ "Discovering Downtown: Bearded Bee Brewing Company". wendellfalls.com. October 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  8. ^ Hanrahan, Kathy (August 7, 2020). "Wendell bee mural is part of larger artist mission". WRAL. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  9. ^ "Pollinators Mural". Wendell [Official website]. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Bearded Bee Brewing". restaurantguru.com. January 2, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Bearded Bee Brewing Company". visitraleigh.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Happenings". beardedbeebrewing.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  13. ^ a b Mace, Jody (February 25, 2023). "Live music, music bingo, and trivia at Bearded Bee Brewing in Wendell". triangleonthecheap.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  14. ^ "FAQ [Can We Bring Food into the Taproom?]". beardedbeebrewing.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023. We have a heavy food truck schedule […]
  15. ^ Smith III, Junious (March 23, 2022). "Bearded Bee Brewing Co. to hold mobile axe throwing event". restorationnewsmedia.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  16. ^ Cataudella, Kimberly; Cain, Brooke (December 16, 2022). "2022 Holiday Event Guide: Parades, Christmas concerts & more across the Triangle". The News & Observer. Retrieved March 12, 2023. Outdoor Movie: Elf: Hosted by Bearded Bee Brewing Company.
  17. ^ "Bearded Bee Brewing Co". Trip Advisor. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  18. ^ "Bearded Bee Brewing Co". Untappd. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  19. ^ "WRAL Voters' Choice Awards". WRAL. November 22, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  20. ^ "Raleigh's Best Bars 2021". raleighmag.com. January 31, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  21. ^ "919 Beer's Battle of the Brews". WRAL. May 9, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  22. ^ "2021 WRAL Voters' Choice Awards Go-To Guide". WRAL. September 10, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  23. ^ "Local Breweries Race to Take Home the Gold!". millchill.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  24. ^ Campbell, Kat; Lovingood, Chris (January 12, 2023). "Watch WRAL Voters' Choice Awards". WRAL. Retrieved March 12, 2023. [1:01:00] "For the best brewer[y] […] the winner is Bearded Bee Brew located in Wendell"
  25. ^ "2023 WRAL Voters' Choice Awards Go-To Guide". WRAL. August 22, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2024. Brewery | Winner | Bearded Bee Brewing Company
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