Road Trip! Little Brother Brewing Co.
We wrap up our quick holiday Triad tour at Little Brother's "Little St. Nick" pop-up bar where more is merrier.
ROAD TRIP
Ben and Rebecca Marmaduke
1/7/20264 min read
Tis the Saison
As we wrapped up our merry seasonal tour of the Triad, we saved Little Brother Brewing for last for two reasons: first, they were opening late on Saturday afternoon for a special holiday “pop-up event” – which we certainly did not want to miss; and second, we wanted to spend ample time at the 2025 Brewery of the Year, as recognized by the North Carolina Craft Brewer’s Guild. Little Brother won the top NC Brewer’s Cup award while bringing home a bevy of five medals!
The Basics
Location: 348 S Elm St., Greensboro, NC 27401
Other locations: Kernersville (brewery and taproom), Graham, and “Lawn Service” Kiosk in Greensboro
Parking: street and nearby lots
Website: littlebrotherbrew.com
Social media: facebook.com/littlebrotherbrew, instagram.com/littlebrotherbrew
Vibe/atmosphere: vibrant, trendy, festive (decorated for holiday pop-up event)
Beers we tried: Pleasing Gene Pils, King’s Ransom English Mild Ale, Civil Lite Hefeweizen, Pryle IPA, Jim’s Supper BBA Stout.
Important NC Beer Explorer Tip: When consuming alcohol, always have a designated driver. Be safe out there, friends!
Special Admission
Our visit to “Little St. Nick” required a free reservation to the 4:00-6:00 pm time slot because this immersive holiday experience is insanely popular. We hit the door at exactly 4:01 and we were the first arrivals, causing the bar staff to give us a bit of gentle ribbing (“Hey, guys, it’s only 3:15!”). By 4:30, It was obvious why time slots/reservations were required since customers were elbow-to-elbow, soaking up the over-the-top holiday décor and vibe. Everyone demonstrated their jolly holiday spirit! The sense we got was that we were participating in a celebration of loyal patrons at their favorite brewpub, all dolled up in holiday mode.
Little Brother shared the news of their 2025 Brewers Cup wins on Instagram.
Rebecca made an unusual move by ordering one of the special seasonal cocktails, the “White Christmas Mojito,” which she thoroughly enjoyed. But, of course, we were most keen to try the “world’s best lager” along with several of Little Brother's other award winners. You can see from our tasting notes below that we were uniformly impressed!
As NC Beer Explorers, we will occasionally enjoy an NC cocktail, like "White Christmas."
Co-Owners, Jeff Collie and Daniel McCoy (both “little brothers” in their respective families) started their brewery in Greensboro in 2017 and have grown to four locations. Along the way, they have scooped up an astounding number of awards in the most prestigious craft beer competitions, including the aforementioned NC Brewer’s Cup. In 2024, Forbes called Little Brother’s Pleasing Gene “the best lager in the world.” It is also important to note that Little Brother’s awards have encompassed a wide range of beer styles including Pilsner, Kolsch, Strong Ale, and IPAs.
One interesting aspect of Little Brother’s community engagement is their “Homebrewer’s Spotlight.” Homebrewers can submit recipes and potentially have their creations brewed by Little Brother and tapped/served at the brewery. In fact, their Head Brewer, Mike Foderaro, got his position through this program!
I (Ben) will highlight one of their award winners here, Pryle American IPA: to me, this beer bridged the continental divide between West Coast and New England IPA. It managed a unique balance between ballsy WC citrus/pine with subtle tropical fruit notes and a hazy/pillowy mouthfeel to smooth everything out. I found it to be remarkably balanced; lots of hop character without tasting overly brash.
Friends, Fans, and Beer Bros/Babes: we North Carolinians are incredibly fortunate to have breweries like Little Brother Brewing in our communities that make certifiable world-class beers. They are unpretentious, approachable, and fan-friendly. And all this goodness is right here in our own towns – or just a day-trip away!
Little Brother's holiday decorations are a feast for the senses.
NCBE's Beer Notes - Little Brother's Brewing Co.
Pleasing Gene (Can)
Style: German Pilsner
ABV: 4.4%
Color: Light gold
Aroma: Light biscuit
Taste: Biscuit, popcorn, toast, balanced sweet/bitter
Mouthfeel: Light body, medium carbonation
Aftertaste: Biscuit, mildly bitter
Overall: A very faithful example of the style
King’s Ransom*
Style: Mild Ale
ABV: 3%
Color: Reddish brown, slightly cloudy
Aroma: Stone fruit, baking spice
Taste: Sour fruit, malt, jasmine tea
Mouthfeel: very light body, low carbonation
Aftertaste: Stone fruit, baking spice, tea
Civil Lite
Style: Lite Hefeweizen
ABV: 4.9%
Color: Light gold, hazy, lacy foam
Aroma: Cracker
Taste: Clove, banana, honey, vanilla, malty, trace of lemon zest
Mouthfeel: Pillowy
Aftertaste: Sour, short finish
Pryle*
Style: American IPA
ABV: 6.5%
Color: Gold, hazy
Aroma: Pine, grapefruit, trace tropical fruit (guava?)
Taste: Same as aroma, balanced sweet/bitter
Mouthfeel: Medium pillowy, light carbonation
Aftertaste: Long finish, pine
Overall: Lovely - See comments in text
Jim’s Supper
Style: BBA Stout
ABV: 13.2%
Color: Black/opaque
Aroma: Sherry, chocolate, roasted malt
Taste: Dark (bittersweet) chocolate cherry cordial, black currant, sherry
Mouthfeel: Full-body
Aftertaste: Long finish, bitter chocolate, prune, tobacco
Overall: A beer for sipping to appreciate its complexity
