Description

Foothills Brewing Co.'s annual release of its Sexual Chocolate imperial stout was, predictably, a shoulder-to-shoulder party at the pub. Less predictable, though, was the national attention the beer and company got the next day. CNN broadcast a segment that showed beer-lovers lined up down Fourth Street in downtown Winston-Salem, waiting to purchase limited-supply bottles of the chocolate stout. Joel McHale — the comedian who stars in "Community" and hosts "Talk Soup" — posted a Tweet about it. The flash of publicity, though, is but a tiny piece of the story at Winston-Salem's only brewery. "Sexual Chocolate, it's just a small part of what we do," said Jamie Bartholomaus, brewmaster and co-owner of Foothills. The company has been growing steadily for the last two years and is starting to explode in popularity across North Carolina. Foothills beer is now on tap in bars and pubs from Asheville to Raleigh to Greenville, and the owners have approval to sell it in 45 stores across the state. About six weeks ago, Foothills started brewing in a new facility in southern Winston-Salem, off Stratford Road. The new place has bigger tanks and a bottling line, meaning Foothills beer could be coming soon in six packs to a grocer near you.