VETERAN VICES: Railhouse Brewery This edition of Veteran Vices takes a look at a rapidly growing vice both in and out of the veteran community – craft beer. The traditional titans of brew have been put somewhat in their places over the last decade by the rise of local and regional microbrews all around the country. Some of these breweries just serve out of a tap room, and some ship throughout the country. Many are veteran-owned. Railhouse Brewery kicked off in 2010 and is helmed by CEO and Owner Scott Birdsell, an Army veteran with both infantry and pilot experience. At the time of writing, Mr. Birdsell continues to deploy overseas in addition to his role with RHB. Their head-shed includes Army, Navy and Air Force vets who’ve laid down their inter-service rivalries to share a love of craft beer and giving back to the veteran community (More on that in a minute). The brewery itself is in Aberdeen, North Carolina with distribution throughout the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, and South Korea.
RHB’s lineup is well rounded, with something for everyone. They were generous enough to send us some samples of what they, literally, bring to the table. Selections include the following (descriptions courtesy of Railhouse Brewery): KA-BAR Brown Ale: A rich, dark brown ale with notable nuttiness up front. A slight roasty character and a hint of chocolate and toffee come through before ending with a subtle bitterness. Ek Imperial Red Ale: A Bold Red colored ale, with a strong toasted caramel aroma. Flavors of caramel from the malts come through but are not overly sweet and are balanced perfectly from the Cascade & CTZ hop additions. Pineland Pale Ale: The American Pale Ale is a clear straw color with some hop bitterness. Citrus and floral aromas from the dry hopping with Cascade, CTZ and Galena hops. Mastiff Oatmeal Stout: A remarkably smooth & sessionable stout. The silky, velvet mouthfeel and lighter body lead into a complex flavor profile, with layers of chocolate, roast, and nuttiness. FCA IPA: This malt forward IPA opens with a light floral aroma, followed by sweet, caramel and biscuit overtones. Finishing with resinous tropical fruit esters, the bitterness does not linger long.
While the author’s personal favorites were the Mastiff Stout, which packed all the creamy vanilla flavor of a meal-in-a-can beer without the “beer baby” feeling afterward, there was plenty to like from every bottle we tasted. But what’s even better than the taste is their proactive support of veteran charities. They are a charter member of the Duskin-Stephens foundation, started in 2013 to support service members and their families in the special operations community. They also contribute to The Unit Scholarship Fund and The Golden Knights Association. So every time you pop an American Flag top…or two, or six…off a bottle of Railhouse Brew, you’re helping to support active duty service members, vets, and their families.
For more information, check them out at
https://www.railhousebrewery.com/
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