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Southend’s Summer Sangria is proven to boost dancing ability by 90%.

Test our claim on Thursday nights, when Southend Brewery transforms into your Latin music destination.

DJ Luigi-Latin Groove & DJ Leo Leonardo Ordonez pump perfect Sangria sippin’ beats. With a glass full of our wine, liquor and fresh fruit concoction, you’ll find yourself Salsa dancing like a natural.

Salsa Dancing Machines

For more evidence, just take a look at these good looking people dance! Southend helped unleash their inner talent, now it’s your turn.

Don’t be afraid to reach your full dancing potential. Come to Southend Brewery this and every Thursday from 10 pm – 2 am for Latin inspired tunes and libations.

Hopping from one local brewery to the next, sipping on icy cold microbrews with a personal driver waiting outside. That might be the best day ever.

This is why Charleston Brews Cruise is the best thing to hit Charleston this summer.  Brewery hopping is the bar hopping of 2011, especially in this close-knit community of breweries.

Just last week, the Charleston Brews Cruise took its maiden voyage and stopped at Southend Brewery to visit Brewmaster Ahren Wharf and his re-reciped beers. Ahren shared some tools of the trade and gave the group a taste of what’s behind Southend’s infamous glass walls.

Southend's Brewmaster, Ahren Wharf

Cruises depart every week with discounting pricing available for locals. Check out their site and reserve a spot on the next Brews Cruise.

It’s a great time to be brewing beer and drinking beer in Charleston.

Photos courtesy Charleston Brews Cruise. Visit their Facebook page for more!

Matt and Christie, two weekend warriors turned full time sailors, made a special stop at the Brewery on their worldwide sailing adventure.  We may be partial to this gorgeous town, but we also agree that Charleston is a must-see city!

Southend, too, is a must-eat, must-drink destination! Matt and Christie really got it right.

Microbrew with a View

With inspiration drawn from Charleston’s unique culinary scene, Southend’s new menu offers Lowcountry favorites like Chicken Fried Steak and Slow Smoked BBQ Pork Sandwiches with the perfect storm of sides (fried pickes and slaw).

Showcasing the coastline’s fresh catches are dishes like Lump Crab Cakes with Fried Green Tomatoes, Battered Catfish with Hushpuppies and of course, Shrimp & Grits.

Also, can’t forget about Southend’s homemade microbrews and tubs of summer sangria that make this town tipsy.

Throw in the view of the Ashley and Cooper River, a prime spot on historic East Bay Street, and you’ve got a true Charleston experience- in one fell swoop.

So for you landlubbers who only dream of sailing the world, you can get a small taste of Matt and Christie’s Charleston adventure at Southend Brewery and Smokehouse.

Good luck to you both! If the brewing/cooking gig doesn’t work out, maybe we’ll join you on the boat. Thanks for stopping by!

Like ‘em on Facebook and read more about their adventure.

Summer heat and humidity are expected here in Charleston. But really? 100 degrees again today? It’s already been a cruel summer and it’s only officially been one day. I was hoping to have a few more weeks of peace before being confronted with these outrageous temperatures.

On a day like today I feel like doing two things:

1. Not cooking

2. Drinking beer

The solution here is simple. I’ll have someone else cook for me. And I’ll drink a beer while they’re cooking. Luckily I can do both of these things at Southend Brewery. Even better, they are serving up some amazing Southern recipes that I’m craving despite the heat. Here’s what I recommend…

Shrimp and Grits with Fresh Tomatoes, Scallions and Tasso Ham

Fried Green Tomatoes with House Smoked Ratatouille, Goat Cheese and a Balsamic Drizzle

Everything at Southend Brewery and Smokehouse got a facelift, including the servers.

At long last, the new menu and draught beer selection is ready and raring to go. What other place in town can serve up fried favorites alongside seafood, pizza, pasta and homemade microbrewed beer? Nowhere, but Southend.

Many tried and true favorites are still on the menu like Uncle Gerry’s Almost Famous Meatloaf, Shrimp and Grits and endless varieties of brick oven pizzas. Making its debut are a few delicious entrees like the Southern Fried Chicken Steak and the Grilled BBQ-Spice Rubbed Salmon.

Six New Beers on Tap!

Our six new or re-reciped beers are icy cold and delicious, just in time to cool you off this summer. There’s nothing like a pint of Watch It Grow Wheat with a ripe orange slice at the bar or a Growler filled to the brim with Rip Tide Red ale. If you can’t quite decide, get a sampler tray or a few pitchers among your table of friends.

Come try it out and tell us about your new favorites!

We love you King Street Bars, but sometimes, the sights and sounds of nightlife over on that side of the peninsula can get a little too repetitive. There’s really only so many times you can pay a cover charge and push through a drunk mob waiting for a street cart hot dog. For those of you who have forgotten, yes, there is nightlife past King Street. Show East Bay Street some love!

When’s the last time you visited Southend on the weekend? It’s a whole new world and you’ve got to check it out. There’s always a new face, always a cool view to discover and a rotating batch of homemade seasonal beers on tap to test out. Plus, the third floor has rows of pool tables, dart boards and arcade games. If you’re sick of the King Street scene and can’t possibly see another raccoon-sunglasses sunburn, hop in a pedicab and try out Southend Brewery for your weekend adult beverage(s).

Not Quite Southend's Glass Elevator, But Close

A glass elevator ride isn’t just reserved for Charlie Bucket and Willie Wonka. There’s a glass elevator in Charleston that leads to a world of pure imagination and beer. If it’s been awhile since you’ve experienced the glass elevator, eaten a wood fired pizza with a view of the Charleston Harbor and tried a Southend Microbrew Sampler, now’s the time to pay us a visit.

In just a few short weeks, Southend Brewery and Smokehouse Executive Chef, Greg Tatis will unveil a brand new menu and beer recipes. Rumor has it the servers will have a whole new look, too.

Come in and see what new things are brewing.

It is undoubtedly the most important thing on my calendar this month. I have been celebrating by sipping on a different hand-crafted draught each day from Southend Brewery. There just so happens to be seven selections on tap, which makes for a very convenient coincidence.

The Brewers Association pulled out all the stops to ensure communities across the country properly commemorate American Craft Beer Week. Even our pals up in Washington D.C. made it official last year.  If you are coming up dry on unique ways to celebrate, read the BA’s ”Seven Days and Seven Ways” guide. 

As for the less fortunate, who live in a town without a neighborhood brewery or craft beer on tap, I suggest you sign the Declaration of Beer Independence and get to celebrating next year.

It’s only Wednesday, so that means you have the next four days to commemorate the country’s finest beverage. If you happen to find yourself in downtown Charleston, make sure to pay Southend Brewery a visit. What’s more American than an ice cold draft and a view of the Charleston harbor?

It’s getting muy caliente at Southend!

Let Southend Brewery set you up with the perfect night: cold, local brews, great dance music and lots of Salsa!

Latin Groove presents Salsa Night at Southend every Thursday evening at 10 with DJ Luigi spinning saucy dance tunes and keeping us on our toes.

Don’t miss out on Salsa lessons provided by Abdiel Acevedo of Estilo 6, included in the cover and guaranteed to keep you coming back, and showing off your new moves

With tons of special events throughout the year a killer following, Salsa Night has been a Southend staple for over 8 years and we’re gonna keep it rollin’ and keep you dancin’!

May we have this dance?

Cheers!

First Fridays on Broad and the French Quarter Gallery Association plan to host an art walk this Friday, March 4th from 5-8pm where works of Lenore Barnett will be featured under the theme of “Night Moves and Still Days.”

One of Barnett’s paintings shows a night scene of Southend Brewery & Smokehouse from the outside with a quiet sidewalk wrapping around and blue streetlight to offset the warmth of the Brewery lights.

For more information on the walk and the artist visit the Ellis-Nicholson Gallery Event Page and be sure to stop in to the Gallery during the month of march to see Barrett’s works first hand.

Cheers!

Tara

Everyone has the blues sometimes, and it’s best to have good brews when you’ve got the blues, right?

And good food too. Can I get a closeup of those fried green tomatoes?

Oh yea, that’s right.

Ok, back to the blues. A plethora of talented artists visited our venue during the 21st Annual Lowcountry Blues Bash and each one sang us their story, Charleston style.

One such artist that I was lucky enough to meet was My Buddy Todd out of Myrtle Beach, band comprised of members Todd Roth and Kevin Dunn. Above is Todd himself jamming out a little tune just for me as I enjoyed my beer and tomatoes (which were 100% delicious, btw; crispy on the outside, hot and juicy on the inside).

On February 10th I tuned into Andy Coats‘ blues stylings and admired the cool, relaxed feel of the evening.

His smooth (and slightly twangy) tone and easy style were perfect for the crowd that evening, putting us all in a good mood, incidentally, chasing away the blues!

So if you’re around during the Blues Bash, or really any old night (we host live music and DJs every weekend!), don’t get down

Get down!

Love from the Lowcountry y’all,

Tara

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It’s a rainy January day and the air has that distinct Charleston chill that makes even your bones feel damp. The solution? Hey, I know what you think I’m going to say, but it’s not always beer; sometimes its conversation…and beer, which is exactly the order of the day. I’m meeting with Ahren of Southend this afternoon for the foamy details on his position as Brewmaster and resident soccer fanatic (more on that later).

As I enter the high-ceilinged dining room of Southend I am thankful to be out of the ominous thunder outside, and pleased to see that the furrowed brow of the sky doesn’t show on Ahren’s face; compact, dark and witty, he’s there waiting for me by a tall glass door, the only opening of the glass-encased brewery in the center of Southend’s ground floor. Consequently, the door is right across from the bar. “Buy you a drink?” he asks with a smile and I know the afternoon is looking up.

Talking to Ahren is easy and, sipping cold beers (I had the Ironman Wheat and Ahren enjoyed a tasty Pale Ale, which he says is his favorite, unless there’s a Stout around) incites a short walk down memory lane. Ahren attended Furman University, studying Psychology and with plans to attend graduate school and delve into neuroscience. While at Furman, he worked with a Brewmaster at a microbrewery part time and furthered the education that his father, a home-brewer, had begun many years previous. At that time, brewing was a part time passion for Ahren, helping with the bills and fueling his imagination, but it wasn’t his main pursuit. He graduated from Furman with his Psychology degree and then worked for several years as a chemical engineer in Summerville before stumbling upon his job at Southend, which did not start out as Brewmaster. “Oh, I was just like all these guys,” Ahren tells me as he sets down his beer, “I did whatever was needed: waiting tables, cleaning, food, you name it.”

He stands and walks towards the front of the restaurant to examine the new grain shipments, which were received that morning. I forgot to mention that, as I entered the dim, yet welcoming space, I was greeted with huge bales of grain packaged in 25 kg bags and stacked like Lincoln logs to chest height. “Five and a half years I’ve been working here,” he says, “and about four and a half of those have been spent brewing. I’m very lucky.”

The empty, and spacious, Lauter Tun before…

Brewing! Exactly what I came to talk about. I ask if he’ll give me a little tour of the brewery and he enthusiastically obliges. Now, bear with me here, I’m no chemist, so I’ll just do my best to relate the important stuff. Ahren trained under Jay, the previous Brewmaster at Southend, and was originally hired to “fill the gap” between Jay’s departure and the arrival of whomever the new Brewmaster would be. His good attitude and quick uptake, however, made him perfect for the position and he’s been Southend Brewmaster ever since. “This is the Lauter Tun, which accepts the mash and allows it to settle,” Ahren explains, “and sometimes you have to get in, to help clear out the remaining husks and spent grain.” The size of the kettle is demonstrated to me as Ahren laughs and climbs inside of the enormous copper pot through a set of small doors, and giving me a great photo op.

Ahren climbing in…

He's in! And never missing an opportunity to teach, he explains how it works from the inside…

None too amused at all of my photo-taking, I get a half smirk and a completed "how it works" speech from the Brewmaster.

The Brew Kettle is equal in size to the Lauter Tun, but I can’t convince him to climb inside again, so I concede to take pictures while he tells me that the Brew Kettle is where the hops are added, and Ahren really love hops. The distinct bitterness that accompanies a hoppy beer is a mark of good breeding for him and one of his signatures in a brew. “Can’t have sweet without bitter;” no indeed sir.

I’ll admit that I got a little distracted while he was relating the functions of all the various handles and displays, and my photos show it. It was really beautiful in there! He pushed some buttons, turned some knobs and hot water (over 200° C) begins to spray into the kettles from within, cleaning and sterilizing the equipment for the next brew. For more of the technical stuff, visit Southend’s Microbrew page and Launch the Brewing Process.

Lured back out of the brewery by a refreshed glass, Ahren imparts his feelings on brewing: “It’s fulfilling, rewarding and fascinating, with an intricate level of chemistry and engineering involved. It can be frustrating too, and teach you how to problem solve, quick. At one point, the heat exchanger fouled up and caused quite a situation. I had a deadline and didn’t have too long to figure out what the problem was. Jay (former Brewmaster) was gone and I had to work through the situation with diagrams, research I had gathered myself and just a raw desire to correct the situation.” Luckily, he came through intact and better for it. Ahren gained the respect of Southend’s owner and, about a year ago, he was requested to “revamp” the beers, including name and formula, for a new taste at Southend Brewery. Ahren came up with the current Southend seasonal, the coconut porter, which was a labor of love on his part and what he considers “a personal accomplishment.” Many new changes are taking place with something of a beer reconstruction underway. Very soon Southend is expecting spankin’ fresh labels, tap handles and more for their newly branded Southend brews (a little hint, the names are very rock n’ roll inspired, ie. Love me Two Times Blonde).

Ahren begins to tear into the clear plastic packaging around the pallets of grain sitting around the bar and, between lifting the great sacks, he says: “this isn’t just a job for me. It’s a hobby, a pastime, hell, a passion that I get paid for. It doesn’t even feel like work most days.” Which is hard to believe, as I drain the last of my glass and watch him heft the weighty shipment towards the glass elevator, to be carried up to the Mill. “You know what, though? You know what my favorite thing is?” I eagerly await his answer as I pause in packing up; what could he possibly like more than brewing? “Soccer. It’s my first love and my real love. Don’t tell the brewery,” he adds with a wink. Apparently he plays soccer year round in multiple leagues in the area, spending as much free time as he can out on the field, fulfilling his need to move and compete.

~~~

My ride honks from the street, letting me know that it’s time to conclude this interview and stop drinking all of the delicious beer (boo!). Ahren doesn’t miss a beat: he shakes my hand, thanks me for my time and continues shifting the grain as I head for the door, out into the rain and the rest of it all. I slam the car door shut against the torrent and my fiancé asks me “how’d it go?” “Well, I spent the afternoon learning about beer, drinking beer and talking about beer, with a guy who makes beer, so pretty good I think.” “Yeah,” he responded with a smirk, “sounds pretty good.” “He’s so lucky!” I sighed, to which my fiance balked and replied “I think you are too, babe.” And for the first time in a while I stopped and thought, yeah, I am. I’ll cheers to that!

Last week’s Holiday Fashion Show from Bits of Lace Fine Lingerie was the best winter event yet. Lots of beautiful ladies, stockinged and adorned with silks, feathers and masks took to the runway on Thursday night and showed us what lingerie is made of.

The morning of the show Southend was being turned upside down in preparation for the incoming sound, lighting and stage crews.

The buzz of pre-show conversation laced the red carpets and holiday decorated ground floor of Southend Brewery.

Fierce booties don the gams of a Bits of Lace model in in front of the glass brewery centerpiece of Southend.

A model glides by the glass brewery wearing beautiful silks and highlighting the brewery's reflective glass.

Southend never looked so good…

Southend rings with music and applause at the conclusion of the Fashion Show.

The 20th annual Reindeer Run in Charleston, SC was a highlight of Southend’s year and a great time for everyone. Costume contests, awards for placement and a kickin’ after-party at the Brewery filled out the chilly Saturday morning and kept us rockin’ into the afternoon.

Santa's elves anxiously await the costume contest results

It was a dog day at the Reindeer Run with lots of pooches in bells and their Christmas Best!

Whether walking, running or strolling, everyone crossed the finish line with time to spare.

Kurly Wolf rocked out the afterparty at Southend Brewery.

Some happy after-party attendants at Southend after the Run

Proud to host the Reindeer Run afterparty and participate in the event, Southend can't wait for next year!

As you can see, we had a blast and we’re so glad you came out!

Join us next year for the Reindeer Run and enjoy all of the surprises in store.

Happy Holidays!

Tara

What would you do if you had an evening at Southend alone? Well, I was lucky enough to be able to snag some private time with the Brewery a few nights ago and the results were delicious.

I tried the Ironman Wheat in all of its creamy, smooth glory.

My cohort tasted the Southend Pale Ale and was surprised by the crisp hoppiness and moderate foam.

The ground floor stage is the music spot and pictured here is equipment from the band that had just played.

A stoked wood fire prepared to bake fresh, fantastic pizzas.

The Brewery equipment is beautiful at night.

The light fixtures above the dining area have fantastic metal fashioning and deep amber glass that casts warmth on all the walls and tables.

Southend keeps the whole family happy by providing cups of crayons and paper tablecloths for art at the table.

Grain bags on display in the stairwell of the Brewery.

A view of the Brewery ground floor from above on the third floor (I had to perch on a chair and lean to get the shot, so don't try this at home!

We tried not to tarry too long, but the inviting glow of the building was hard to leave. After thanking the staff and manager we headed out of the heavy double doors onto the street towards home.

While it is rare and great to spend this kind of time in a space to yourself, it’s even better when it’s filled with people and music and conversation, gatherings of friends and new acquaintances made by travelers staying downtown. Won’t you join us?