On the Cusp of Greatness

The Brew House in Ocean Isle Beach offers coffee, a great selection of beers and pizza night.

It must be in my DNA. When I see a sign that advertises a place called The Brew House, I am compelled to venture in and explore.

Situated on the cusp of Ocean Isle Beach and Sunset Beach (but still technically in OIB), Gary Beaudet’s place has been open only since April, but apparently the transplanted Vermonter is winning friends — and customers.

Offering baked goods, quality coffees, teas and (of course) beer, The Brew House has something for everybody who identifies with the word “brew.” There’s also a healthy dose of cozy in the place. And Beaudet plans an expansion of the menu offerings as soon as he can clear the administrative hurdles.

The establishment, which used to be called Delilah’s Brew and Chew, has taken on a new persona — and a new mission. Beaudet and his wife, Erica, uprooted themselves from just south of the Canadian border to enjoy the warmer climes of southeastern Brunswick County.

“We love it here,” he says. “The folks are friendly and the weather is SO not Vermont.”

In fact, it was a classic Vermont 30-inch blizzard that finally saw the couple seated with a Realtor at their snowbound dinner table, ready to help them make their move southward.

That’s not to say that they left all of Vermont behind. One thing they brought with them was a trailer with a full wood-fired stove inside it, and that stove is key to one of their most popular offerings so far.

Every Thursday night from 4 to 7 pm (soon to be 5 to 8 pm), pizza lovers who value that special wood-fired taste can order up a variety of pizzas to their liking, and, should they choose, they can enjoy them with a fine selection of craft beer.

Being from Vermont, Beaudet knows quality craft beer. He’s currently stocked with a wide variety of Edward Teach and other brews, but every so often, he sends a message to his sons in Vermont: “I need X number of cases of Heady Topper.”

If you know anything about beer, Heady Topper from The Alchemist Brewery is considered by many to be America’s version of the “best beer in the world:” Westvleteren 12 — a Belgian Trappiste beer so prized that a single 12 oz. bottle shipped to the U.S. can cost $45.

And Heady Topper has a similar price tag, as a case costs just under $200. That means if I want a case or two (which Beaudet promised to deliver), I’ll have to split the cost with a certain youthful cerevisionary over at Oyster Rock. Of course, his company will likely pay his share. My pension will have to pay mine.

But it IS Heady Topper. And Beaudet is planning a special beer-tasting session that will include five four-ounce glasses of various beers and a 10-inch wood-fired pizza for under $18 per person. No word on whether Heady Topper will be on that menu, though.

Regardless, as the days get shorter, enjoying some pizza and beers in a comfortable, cozy place like The Brew House could appeal to many. Beaudet even has entertainment on occasion.

“I’m not looking to make a million dollars here,” the former Master Plumber confides. “I just want to have fun and pay the bills.”

When you think about it, that’s not a bad philosophy to have. For anyone.

Want to go?
The Brew House
7207 Beach Drive SW Ocean Isle Beach

(910) 579-9544
Facebook: @thebrewhouseoib