will be heading down to HHI in a few weeks and was wondering what i should be looking to buy (I am from ohio) also, anygood breweries on the way down or in the area i should hit up
OK I am from Ohio as well, but I moved to Central NC in August of 2011. It really depends on how you get there. If you go down 40 east then down 95 south, then there are a ton of breweries and shops to shop in. I live off of 40 east in Chapel Hill, and (based on what Ive learned in almost 2 years), I recommend Top of the Hill Back Bar casks and Bull City Burger. In terms of shops, I would stop at Beer Study close to NC54 in downtown Chapel Hill and most importantly, please stop at Sams Quik Shop in downtown Durham. They get large allocations of everything. Ridiculous drafts too (all are keep the glass too). If you go farther south, then Bottle Revolution and Natty Greene's in Raleigh are a must. After that, its a shit creek until youre out of NC. If you have any specific questions, DM me.
If you travel the way vncent suggests then you'll be adding quite a bit of travel time to your overall trip. Probably an hour to an hour and a half. All good recommendations however. Depending on where in ohio you'll be coming from, youll either drive through charlotte or asheville. if its charlotte, some place called Brawleys is pretty good. If its Asheville, search this thread forum. You'll find plenty of information on that fabulous city.
Check out Growlers on the island for bottles and growlers: http://www.growlerstaproom.com/ And the lodge for a brew or growlers: http://hiltonheadlodge.com/ Riverdog is still building their taproom I believe; check out their facebook page. If you don't mind the drive; heading to Westbrook Brewing (charleston) from HHI or on the way down would be a great stop. Be sure to hit the Charleston Beer Exchange as well if you make the trip; great bottle shop.
Growlers is a good place to buy bottles on the island. Look for Coast Brewing's beers while there. The Lodge was excellent, but I was last there almost 2 years ago. I don't know if it's still in business. Keep in mind, though, that no kids were allowed in The Lodge when I was there. EDIT: Looking at the website link posted in a comment above, it looks like the owners decided to re-start the kitchen and keep the place going. I am guessing kids may be allowed back in now. Glad to see that they kept it going. Best beer bar on the island. Also, if you like British beers and pub food, I highly recommend the British Open Pub.
I used to live in CLE, and have made the drive many, many times. If you don't want to get too far off of 77, I recommend you stop by the Grapevine, in Fort Mill, SC. The exit (exit 85) is only a few miles past the NC / SC border. The Grapevine has an awesome beer selection. Plus you can do sometimg that you cannot do at NC beer stores: have a growler filled for you. http://www.mygrapevineonline.com/location.htm Safe travels.
