“A Beer Revolution”
Tia was only 12 years old when Brandon Shaver captured her heart. They were both living in their hometown of Lewisburg, West Virginia, but since Brandon was 17, it took many years for him to notice her. It finally happened while Tia was working in a local dive bar, and she remembers, “He would come to see me over and over, but he never asked me to go out with him, so one night, after a few beers, I decided I had waited long enough and kissed him.”
And so they packed up and moved to California in 2004, had a son, but couldn’t resist the persistent longings for small town life. La Jolla was beautiful, but the materialism and artifice didn’t feel like home. As luck would have it, in 2013 Tia was offered an irresistible position as a Nicholas Sparks’ executive assistant and Brandon became the superintendent for Bruin Builders in New Bern. They settled into a new life, but still felt something was missing—so in 2019 they purchased the commercial space that was to become Freshwater Beer Co.
If you drive past the corner of Pollock and Fleet Street regularly, then you’ve probably seen a remarkable transformation over the last year to the building on the corner. The structure was erected around 1950 and was originally used as a service station, and later a youth center for St. Mary’s church.
And their efforts have most certainly been worthwhile. The exterior of the building is a warm brown, offset with crisp white and galvanized metal, and highlighted by black-paned garage doors. The combination gives the brewery a cool, retro-industrial vibe. The interior of the bar is open and airy, filled with warm light, and a combination of aged wood, red brickwork, distressed metals and stained concrete.
When I walked in the door at Freshwater Beer Co., my first words to Brandon were, “Oh, my! This is so beautiful. It’s earthy and sophisticated all at the same time. I love it. ” He gave me a huge smile, and it was clear that he was positively radiating with pride.
Brandon and Tia’s vision to renovate and restore the space was ambitious. “We took a huge risk and have put everything we have into the brewery,” said Tia. “It’s make it or break it. But the fear keeps us going and keeps us humble—as well as all the hard physical work. But we’ve never been people that limit ourselves, and we aren’t going to stop now.”
Brandon laughed when I asked him about the details of the remodel and said, “What have we done? What haven’t we done? We took the building entirety down to the studs, installed all new plumbing, HVAC, electrical, siding, roof, and landscaping. I poured the main bar top area in concrete. We re-used as much of the material that we took off as possible. Other items were reclaimed from various sources: the metal throughout the bar we pulled from an old tobacco barn in Kinston, and other bar top areas throughout the establishment were acquired from the building that is now the Volt Center, so it is likely about 100 years old.”
Even more remarkable is they did almost all the work themselves, knocking out walls, finding architectural treasures like beautiful old wood hidden behind drywall, huge door encasements, and even a vintage Miller beer sign painted on the side of the building. “I was pressure washing the exterior of the building and all of the sudden I saw a picture of some kind coming through as layers of paint as they were flaking down on my head. I stepped back and realized it was an advertisement for beer! I couldn’t believe it,” said Tia. “We were so thrilled when the New Bern Historical Society allowed us to keep the old advertisement on the side of our building, since it was original to the structure. Finding that beer sign made it feel like it was all meant to be.”
But what the Shaver’s are proposing to do goes beyond offering up amazing beer. They hope to provide a warm, welcoming place for people to gather together and enjoy chill music and time with their friends, families, and fur-babies. In doing so, they want to give comfort to people who are struggling in various ways. “Everyone is battling something, and we want to create an inviting atmosphere where people feel awesome when they spend time with us” says Brandon. “We believe that small differences can lead to big changes in people’s lives, so supporting our community is a vital part of our vision.”
On that note, they intend to support local charities and donate part of their proceeds to philanthropic causes. A few months down the road, they hope to complete a beer garden and fire pit area where they will offer up games, entertainment, and live bands. In an effort to give back to the community, they will sponsor brew runs or the like.
“It is our goal to bring a new vibe to New Bern,” says Brandon. “And I think the town really needs that—to bring a unique brewing experience and a broad selection of craft beers. We will offer 16 taps that will expand New Bern’s palate, as well as wine. What we are doing is like a beer revolution in a totally awesome atmosphere.”
Brandon looks over at Tia and gives her a smile. It’s clear that it was all worth the wait. “She’s a keeper,” he says. And he leans in to give her a kiss.