Don’t let Saxapahaw’s size fool you. In about a mile stretch, the town offers a concentrated mix of homegrown businesses that include a ballroom, a coffee shop, a pub and restaurant, and a general store with a seriously impressive menu all its own. But one of the biggest draws to this sleepy rural town is Haw River Farmhouse Ales (1713 Saxapahaw-Bethlehem Church Road), located in a revitalized mill building on the banks of the river for which it’s named. The brewery specializes in putting new spins on old Belgian styles, often by including locally grown ingredients. Prices vary on the flights, which are set inside thick slabs of wood sliced from beams pulled from the mill. This flight of four 6-ounce pours was $12. —Daniel Hartis
*Sun Hands
10% | Double-Dry-Hopped Golden Strong Ale w/ North Carolina Honey
The nose, every bit as herbal and aromatic as gin, screams Belgian yeast and American hops. The trifecta of Citra, Mosaic and El Dorado contributes juicy notes of kiwi, papaya and scuppernongs, and a dry finish makes this one all too easy to drink, given its strength.
Cotton Blossom Farmhouse IPA
8.5% | Imperial IPA Aged in Oak Foeders w/ Brettanomyces
The hop additions in this foeder-aged beer provide a perfume of soft, fresh citrus aromas. Were they more assertive, they’d clash with the Brettanomyces. Instead, notes of dill, orange peel and cantaloupe rind are woven harmoniously together with subtle oak.
St. Benedict’s Breakfast Dubbel
7.2% | Trappist-Style Dubbel w/ Oatmeal & Coffee
Behind roasted coffee find fig and plum, and soft chocolate spread across toasted bread. Despite the addition of cocoa nibs, this one steers far from sweet, favoring instead a subtle warmth and dry finish. A breakfast fit for a monk, indeed.
Newlin’s Original Belgian Oatmeal Pale
5.2% | Belgian-Style Oatmeal Pale Ale
Delicate notes of pine and a slightly sweet, floral quality prove that a beer needn’t sacrifice complexity for refreshment’s sake. It’s easy to see why this is one of the brewery’s core beers.
*Order the full pint.