“It’s Angelique, a South American hardwood. They were leftover from the Spirit of South Carolina.”
My entrance into Munkle Brewing was a memorable one. Upon entering from the patio area I was taken in by this beautiful bar, stretching up and around the corner and gleaming with a fresh coat of finish. Anchoring it in the center was a 6 line draft tower situated in the corner, ready to dispense and impress. And standing next to it was Palmer Quimby, co-owner and my guide in checking out Charleston’s soon to be brewery.
It all began with his uncle moving to Michigan to join a monastery located not far from Bells Brewing. While chilly, it turned out to be a great place for beer. In the basement of the monastery was an old set of brewing equipment. Palmer’s uncle dusted off and set up the gear, and started brewing and experimenting. This, along with “beer vacations”, fueled Palmer’s desire to open his own brewery. Visiting Belgium was the highlight of these visits and quality brewing became a focus of interest for Palmer.
” I love the culture of beer. The look and feel of genuine beer environments”. He described locations that served only one beer that had been made for generations, the pureness and dedication the families put into their craft. “They’ve built a reputation on a good beer. That’s it.” Something Palmer strives to do himself.
Palmer started out as a server at High Cotton and quickly worked his way up to manager. It was here that he had the opportunity to work in both the front, and the back of the house. This led to being the manager of Chai’s restaurant. Management is always challenging, and in a fast paced and popular place like this Palmer gained the experience he needed to also successfully run a brewery.
Palmer recently spent 3 years working with Scott Shor at Edmund’s Oast. Pairing food with beer was no easy task given the amount of worthy beer and outstanding dishes prepared daily at their location. This daily exposure to craft beer helped fuel his passion for his own brewing establishment.
Munkle Brewing has an impressive array of stainless. A 20bbl steam jacketed brewhouse from NSI fills the back part of the brewery. Accompanied by no less than four 40 bbl fermentors and two brite tanks makes the high wooden ceilings seem low. With plenty of room for expansion, and possibly a canning or bottling line in the future, the ample floor space may soon be taken. The large taproom with a bar top roll up door will easily service the crowds. Palmer couldn’t find an existing location that suited their needs, so they built from scratch at their Meeting street location. With the addition of a large outdoor seating area and plenty of parking, it looks to be a popular craft beer destination.
Munkle Brewing hopes to be open soon and serving up an array of tasty brews this summer.
Cheers!
Given the Once Over by Mrs. List