So don’t be foolish with your lives, but learn what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, which will ruin your life, but be filled with the Spirit. Encourage each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord. – Ephesians 5:17-19
I have been trying to understand why it is that I like TBC so much (the Tarboro Brewing Company) and I have settled on pretty much the same core attribute that all my Tarboro favorites share – and that is “community.”
The iconic restored Chevrolet auto-dealership venue helps set the stage. The location in the heart of historic downtown is perfect. The beers they create are exceptional. Staff members are always pleasant and helpful. The atmosphere is inviting and family-friendly.
“First Friday Beer Tasting” is a great example. Brewmaster Franklin Winslow offers samples of beers – sometimes a new release, sometimes an idea that is brewing, sometimes a specific lesson in the craft – along with a mini-lecture to educate consumers as to the history, the culture, the chemistry and the lore behind what appears in the glass.
But it is the constant and open-hearted engagement with the community that marks TBC as much an institution as it is a business. There is a sense that the character of Main Street is now partially defined by its presence, and that – like the Town Common, Calvary Episcopal, Howard Memorial, On the Square or the Tar River – TBC must be included to adequately explain or describe this community to somebody new.
This week probably thirty people were gathered around the bar to enjoy Franklin’s entertaining ruminations.
Maybe the best way to describe TBC is via its opposite, in the following classic scene from the 1946 movie “It’s Wonderful Life.” George Bailey and Clarence (the angel) find themselves in a bar that is diametrically opposed to how anyone experiences Tarboro’s Brewing Company.
The bartender – Nick – says, “Hey, look, mister. We serve hard drinks in here for men who want to get drunk fast, and we don’t need any characters around to give the joint ‘atmosphere’“. This quote occurs during the “Pottersville” sequence when Clarence tries to order a drink.
Well TBC is loaded with “atmosphere” and you can absolutely find a few charming “characters” here too! Besides, why would anyone want to get drunk when life itself is such an intoxicatingly beautiful experience?
So, and I have probably said this before, kudos to TBC, and especially to Franklin Winslow who adds both imagination and artistry to the “atmosphere.”
Cheers – DEREK