Local brews on sale at six local and regional bars and restaurants

Until recently, the Colorado-brewed Fat Tire had been the top-selling microbrew among House of Wang customers.

That is, until this week.

“This week, Mother Earth has been the best seller,” said co-owner Bill Tsao.

Tsao said the Chinese restaurant and bar — which has been in Kinston for 33 years — stocks micro-brewed beers from around the state and country.

Last week, the Kinston-brewed Mother Earth brands joined them on the shelves and quickly became best-sellers.

“I think right now, it’s more the curiosity than anything because it’s something new from Kinston,” he said.

Tsao said Tuesday he had bought nine cases of Mother Earth’s Weeping Willow Belgian Wit and Sisters of the Moon American-style India Pale Ale. Weeping Willow has out-sold Sisters of the Moon by a ratio of four to one.

Mother Earth President and co-founder Trent Mooring said Thursday that Weeping Willow has also been a best-seller at the Chef and the Farmer Restaurant in Kinston.

Weeping Willow and Sisters of the Moon were the first to come off the bottling line at the downtown Kinston brewery, soon to be followed by the Dark Cloud Munich Dunkel and the Endless River Kolsch ale.

“It’s coming off the bottling line as we speak,” Mooring said Thursday afternoon of Dark Cloud.

Mooring said the company will “self-distribute” to six stores, bars and restaurants in Kinston, Greenville and Beaufort until Mother Earth’s grand opening Oct. 24.

After that, they will hook up with a distributor to eventually sell their brands statewide.

Construction on the brewery is complete; the company is also renovating the empty storefront next door on North Street to serve as the tasting room. Mooring estimated it will be ready in a few months.

David Anderson can be reached at 252-559-1077 or danderson@freedomenc.com.

Mother Earth beer is being sold at the following locations:

House of Wang-Kinston

Chef and the Farmer-Kinston

109-Kinston

Community Mart-Falling Creek

Winslow’s Tavern-Greenville

Stillwater-Beaufort

The brewery’s grand opening will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 24, and will feature music by The Connells. The brewery will be open for tours Oct. 24. To arrange a private tour after that date, call 252-208-BIER (2437) or e-mail info@motherearthbrewing.com. The brewery is not open to the public.