Lowcountry beer lovers will soon be able to find local brews from Rusty Bull Brewing at Chucktown Brewery on King Street thanks to a new collaboration between the two local breweries.
Nate Tomforde will maintain ownership of Chucktown Brewery, while Rusty Bull Brewing owners Ben Mayer and Brian Bogstad will take over beer production and help manage day-to-day brewery and restaurant operations.
“This is one of the first combined local concepts that we're aware of, where two breweries are truly partnering together to collaborate and share resources,” said Tomforde. “Ben and Brian are great guys and smart businessmen. We've known each other for years. We're excited to grow together and create a unique brewery experience to better serve the Charleston community.”
All parties said the partnership came together at the right time for both businesses. Chucktown Brewery had been looking for a brewing partner to help increase beer production and keep up with demand, at the same time Rusty Bull was looking for opportunities to expand.
”We all saw this as the perfect opportunity to combine resources and really capitalize on the strengths of both establishments,” said Tomforde.
The partnership is effective immediately, but changes will happen gradually over the next several weeks. One of the first changes will be the draft selection, which will shift to more Rusty Bull beers.
“We've built a great relationship with Nate over the past five years and we are looking forward to having a local taproom presence in the heart of Charleston,” said Mayer.
In addition to the regular Rusty Bull line-up, there will also be small-batch beers brewed on the in-house system at Chucktown Brewery. Patrons can also expect to see a refreshed food menu that combines the best-selling menu items from both locations.
“It's a great thing for us to be able to partner with another local brewery, to try some different things and continue to grow,” said Bogstad. “Building community around beer is what we've always been about. This is a great opportunity to collaborate with Nate and extend both local brands.”
Chucktown Brewery will continue to operate with normal business hours during the transition, staying open 7 days a week from 11 am to 11 pm. Chucktown Brewery is located at 337 King Street. Rusty Bull Brewing Co. is located at 3005 W Montague Ave. in North Charleston.
