3280 Industry Dr, Charleston, South Carolina 29418
Thurs and Fri 4-9pm
Saturday 2-8pm
Website and beers on tap found HERE
“There is a fine line between porn and art.” This was the start of my conversation with Scott and Julie Koon. It is a gorgeous September day, and I am at Snafu Brewing Company.
I was greeted by Julie at the front door, and after walking through a small office area, we entered a spacious brew floor. Surrounded by no less than four 30 bbl fermenters and a 15 bbl brewhouse (which is a Bohemian Monoblock), we talked beer and brewing, peppered with a few choice curse words .
Scott started out home brewing at a young age. Younger than he could legally buy beer. He started his professional life as a grunt at Appalachian Brewing Company in Harrisburg, PA. He quickly worked his way up to Brewer, and continued his brewucation by getting his degree in Brewing Technology from the Siebel Institute.
Julie and Scott met 9 years ago, and after both visited Charleston, knew this is where they wanted to start their dream of a brewery. When they
saw an add for a brewer at Westbrook Brewery they jumped at the chance and moved to Mount Pleasant. After 3 years at Westbrook, in which he was promoted to Head Brewer, he moved to Freehouse Brewery to continue his passion.
In 2016 Scott and Julie decided to take the next step and go out on their own. “Since as long as I have known Scott (over 9 years) his dream was always to own a brewery, and soon it just started to feel like it was time. I’ve never known anyone who knows more about beer or the brewing process than he does (I could be be biased, but hey, I love the man) so we felt confident in his years of knowledge and experience to take the leap and start Snafu!” If you don’t know what “Snafu” means to them, ask. They’ll tell you. Be prepared.
After a long search of properties city-wide, they chose an 8,000 square foot warehouse in North Charleston. They wanted to concentrate on distribution, so making beer was a priority. The space allows them to produce and barrel their flagship Snafu-Tang and IPA, but also allows for the taproom construction. Additional fermenters are in the future, as are bright tanks.
“Craft beer consumers want to be challenged.” Scott told me. “But you have to have a reason behind pushing the boundries.” He and Julie were emphatic about making a simple, but high end beer. Julie told me “There are certain things you want to brew based on the season and availability of ingredients, and some things Scott just wants to do and will just do it. The thing about craft beer (good craft beer, I should say!) is that it can surprise you, and it should sometimes!”
It was at this time I was offered a taste of their new flagship brew. “Currently in the fermenter now is another of our flagships and one we are really excited about call Snafu-Tang, which is a sour ale brewed with oranges.” If you brunch in Charleston (and who doesn’t), you probably order a pitcher of Mimosas. And if you have a good server, they go a little heavy on the champagne, making brunch a delightful experience and a lazy afternoon a given. Snafu-Tang is that experience replicated in a beer glass.
**editors note: I try very hard to remain impartial about the beers I try. These articles are to showcase the breweries and the people, not the beer they make. But every once in a while…**
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