Foothills Brewing - People’s Porter

Foothills' People's Porter presents a deep brown hue with reddish flashes and a cap of medium brown foam. On the nose, chocolate and caramel malts are apparent, along with hints of coffee, a touch of woodiness, and some herbal, grassy notes. Look for the theme to continue on the palate, although with more deeply toasted and roasted notes. Bitter chocolate, dark roasted coffee, scorched caramel, and a bit of wood smoke are noticeable too, along with light hints of dried dark fruits which peak through a little, as well. Foothills crafted this porter in more of an English style than an American one, with Willamette hops offering more of a floral and spicy herbal character than the citric blast we often see in more American-style versions. For pairing options, we'd go with Shepherd's Pie, oysters, aged cheddar, barbecued or grilled meats, including venison, and chocolate or caramel-heavy desserts. Cheers!

Foothills Brewing opened for business in 2005 with a brewpub/restaurant location on Fourth Street in downtown Winston-Salem, NC. At first, co-owner Jamie Bartholomaus was pretty much alone in the brewhouse, crafting Foothills’ beers from homebrew recipes he had developed while attending the University of Georgia in Athens. These days he’s got a bit more help; strong growth since those early days means Foothills now has about 15 employees just on the brewing side of their business alone.

Bartholomaus got his start in the beer world as a homebrewer, which eventually led to him working for Athens, GA’s now defunct Blind Man Ales. After relocating to North Carolina, he did a stint with the respected Olde Hickory Brewery before jumping into business for himself with Foothills. Since then, business has grown steadily, although the last several years have been quite dramatic. After maxing out their brewpub system, Foothills acquired a new, larger, 48,000 sq. ft. facility a few miles to the southwest, which they put into production at the end of 2011, a year which saw a 46% increase in production compared to the year prior.

In 2011, Foothills also acquired the brewing division of Carolina Beer & Beverage, including their Carolina Blonde and Cottonwood Ales brands and all their brewing equipment. This gave Foothills a critical upgrade: the ability to bottle their beers and package them for retail sales instead of relying solely on draft accounts. It also means more people are now getting a chance to try their excellent brews!

For more info on the brewery, their brewpub restaurant, or their eight year-round and myriad seasonal and limited-release beers (including their legendary Sexual Chocolate imperial stout, released annually for Valentine’s Day in very limited amounts) visit www.foothillsbrewing.com or call 336-997-9484.