Greenshields Brewing Company - Pilsner

Greenshields Pilsner is an especially flavorful lager brewed in the Bohemian-Pilsner style. Look for a light gold to deep copper hue. Note a pronounced soft rounded bitterness that is prominent but never lingers. Its nose consists of a complex combination of malt and floral aromas. Carbonation is low to medium and the aftertaste has elements of hop spiciness. The panel's final conclusion was a pilsner with a full, round malty flavor that is nicely balanced. One that would make a great refreshment after working hard (or not so hard) in the yard!

Our second feature this month you might say combines a man's friendship with well, what else, beer. Greenshields Brewery & Pub holds the honor in being the oldest brewpub operation East of the Mississippi. The brewery was named after Gary Greenshields, who coupled his devotion with crafting beer with over 25 years in the beer and beverage industry. Gary ventured forth in late 1987 researching brewpubs throughout the U.S and Canada and finally decided to start up the business following a month-long pubcrawl through England and Scotland. Holding fast to the notion that it is better to visit snow than to live in it, Gary limited his search for a location to the temperate states of Virginia, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Gary and his wife moved from Winston-Salem in early 1989 to build their dream.

Not one to sit still for long, Gary and company initiated operations in the summer of 1989 within a 200 seat restaurant located in Raleigh's historic Old City Market building, where the beer was brewed in a new 10 barrel "old English" style brew house designed and commissioned by Michael Lewis. Raleigh's taste for handcrafted beer was so feverish that by 1993 it was time for an expansion of the restaurant and brewery. Within a four-year period, another 200 seats were added while keeping with the cozy English manor house decor style.

Making craft brews is often closely tied to tradition, and with that in mind, the expanded brewery was built around a 25-hectoliter brewhouse constructed by the notable Kaspar-Schulz, a German-based company that has been in the business since 1677. German brewmaster, Thomas Kunzmann, is in charge of brewing operations. Talk about being qualified for the job, Thomas has over 20 years of training and experience. With three years of training to become a malter and a brewer, and an additional two years to receive his Brewmaster and Maltmaster Degrees, it's not hard to see that Thomas is truly devoted to creating beers that are of the highest possible quality. A passion that the discerning tastes of our beer panel noted with great enthusiasm.

Greenshields has a host of awards to show for the excellent work done by Thomas and his staff --- taking the silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival, winning Spectator Magazine's "Best Draft Beer in the Triangle" award six years in a row, and receiving the award for Best Micro Brewed category for the last four years.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (919) 829-0214 or check out their web site at www.greenshields.com.