Birds Fly South Ale Project

Greenville, South Carolina

Posted in Beer News, Birds Fly South Ale Project, Brewery Closures, Headlines

Birds Fly South Ale Project to close October 10th

Greenville, South Carolina’s Birds Fly South has announced they will close on October 10th, 2023.

Shawn and Lindsay Johnson started Birds Fly South Ale Project 7 years ago in the Hampton Station area of Greenville, South Carolina. The couple met and married while Shawn was in the Coast Guard in Clearwater, Florida. Shortly after getting married, the opportunity came for the Johnsons to move to either Hawaii or Alaska and they chose Alaska. As you can imagine, the weather in America’s 49th state isn’t as conducive to outdoor activities as Florida, so they took up brewing beer. Indoors.

A few years later, the family transferred back to Florida, and that’s where Shawn & Lindsay’s brewing career really took off. From the first time Beer Street Journal met Shawn, he always spoke so highly of his brewing mentor, Bob Sylvester, founder of St. Somewhere Brewing in Tampa, Florida.

Before Greenville, there was a stop in Washington D.C., putting in time assisting in the opening of Fair Winds Brewing Company, then getting transferred to South Carolina.

Last night, Shawn and Lindsay announced on Instagram the brewery would close after their final jazz event on October 10th.

We wish that this was a fairy tale ending, but recognize all good things must come to an end.  Timing is everything, and we embarked on an expansion to increase our taproom sales that have taken a hit over the last year.  We don’t regret that decision, only the way we went about it.
 
The silver lining is that we are able to step away from the stress of running a business to have more time to focus on our family.  This is our opportunity to embark on a new adventure and enjoy a new pace of life.

Birds Fly South via Instagram

On a personal note, Shawn and Lindsay, as well as the entire brewery crew and fans they call “The Flock” are some of the kindest, outgoing, family-focused breweries I’ve ever been to. Their wild ale Skin & Bone is still one of the best of its kind In the southeast. It’s heartbreaking to hear this brewery won’t be there on the next trip to Greenville.

Below are some pics from Beer Street Journal’s first visit to Birds Fly South, featuring Shawn, Lindsay, and family back in August of 2016.

Posted in Birds Fly South Ale Project, Seasonal Return

Birds Fly South Paper Airplanes is all the funk you love

Birds Fly South Paper Airplanes bottle

Birds Fly South Paper Airplanes is returning to the Greenville, South Carolina brewery’s lineup again on Thursday.

The Brettanomyces forward pale ale is brewed with Nelson Sauvin hops, and fermented in the brewery’s oak foudres.

Our fully funky Brett-centric pale ale! Once our Brettanomyces Foudre has reached a sweet spot, we begin a long blending and re-fermentation process with a fresh Belgian Pale Ale. We then dry hop with Nelson Sauvin to add a level of wine complexity that only this hop can provide. Slightly sour, all funk. Aged at least a month before release.

If you are a wild ale drinking, then your love affair with Brettanomyces yeast must be pretty strong by now. Look no further. Paper Airplanes requires a good bit of patience (a love) in order to get it right. Shawn Johnson, founder of Birds Fly South tells Beer Street Journal – “finding the sweet spot takes time. The beer tells US when it’s ready. Not the other way around. As far as flavor goes, think funky, musty, and of course, wild.

Birds Fly South Paper Airplanes is a 750 milliliter bottle offering, returning to the brewery’s lineup again on Thursday, July 13th.

Style: American Wild Ale (Oak/Foudre Aged)
Hops: Nelson Sauvin
Availability: 750ml Bottles
Latest Return: July, 2017

6% ABV

Image: Beer Street Journal 

Paper Airplanes ages at the brewery in Greenville, SC

Posted in Birds Fly South Ale Project, Don't Miss This

Birds Fly South Skin & Bone, one of the brewery’s best

Birds Fly South Skin & Bone

Birds Fly South Skin & Bone, a collaboration with Tarpon Springs, Florida’s Saint Somewhere Brewing Company.

This beer was originally one of the first offerings by Birds Fly South Ale Project, based in Greenville, South Carolina. between the first release and this month’s returns, the brewery has opened a beautiful, wood heavy tap room in the city’s West End Water Tower District.

Skin & Bone is one of the best releases in the brewery’s budding arsenal. This beer hits on all the notes you chase in wild ales – tart, funk and funk. Each sip finishes with mellow hints of the chardonnay barrels. Looking back over 2016, Skin & Bone was easily one of the best new beers we tried. Definitely don’t miss this second round.

Birds Fly South Skin & Bone is on shelves now in upstate South Carolina in 750 milliliter bottles.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Peaches. Wine Aged.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles
Latest Return: May, 2017

5.8% ABV

Image: Beer Street Journal

Posted in Birds Fly South Ale Project, New Releases

Birds Fly South Rustic Sunday bottles ship

Birds Fly South Rustic Sunday

Birds Fly South Rustic Sunday is now the third bottle offering from the up and coming brewery.

Birds Fly South Ale Project is in the process of opening their brick and mortar location in Greenville, South Carolina. The brewery’s’ first two beers – Skin & Bone, and Brand New Eyes have been well very well received by beer fans.

Birds Fly South Rustic Sunday joins the lineup in March – a rye farmhouse ale, featuring Hallertau Blanc hops. The base, a rye saison, was blended with another saison that was aged in white wine puncheons.

A rye-forward farmhouse ale dry hopped heavily with Hallertau Blanc. These hops combined with our house yeast culture provide aromas of grape skins and white wine. The spicy flavors of the yeast also tangle with the try to create a crisp and refreshing 7% saison.

Birds Fly South Rustic Sunday is a 750 milliliter bottle offering.

Style: Farmhouse Ale
Hops: Hallertau Blanc

Availability: 750ml Bottles
Release: Early April, 2016

7% ABV

Posted in Birds Fly South Ale Project, New Releases

Birds Fly South False Face, a sour stout

Birds Fly South False Face

Birds Fly South False Face, a sour stout, is the next release by the Greenville, South Carolina brewery.

The base beer is a sweet stout that has been fermented in open wine vats with a mix of lactobacillus souring bacteria, house yeast, and Brettanomyces. Birds Fly South False Face was then aged in Four Roses Bourbon barrels with more wild and sour cultures.

This stunner of a stout was barely aged in bourbon barrels for a good long while after our house lactobacillus and yeast had a chance to play, then bottled conditioned for one month.

False Face is named for a ceremonial mask worn by some Native American tribes to cure the sick.

Kegs of Birds Fly South False Face will be available the week of March 21st  at Appalachian Ale House in Pickens, South Carolina. Bottles will be distributed in April, 2016.

Style: American Wild/Sour Ale (Wine AgedBarrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Draft. Limited Release.
Debut: Late March, 2016

5.8% ABV

Recent releases by Birds Fly South include Rustic Sunday and Skin & Bone.