Flavor of the Week: Craftboro Brewing Depot

Good beer, good company and a good atmosphere – what more could you want?

Craftboro Brewing Depot has all three nailed down. If you’re lucky, you’ll even get to meet their furry employee who loves to greet all the guests.

Located right off of Smith Level Road just outside downtown Carrboro is Craftboro Brewing Depot, a new brewery that offers unique craft beer and a great atmosphere that everyone can enjoy.

Co-founders Amy and Jason McCarter wanted to put a strong emphasis on craft and what it means to create something tangible that many others can enjoy. Founded on the basis of creativity and community, the McCarters joined with brewer extraordinaire Rick Tufts.

For Amy, craft has always been a part of her life. She wants Craftboro to inspire people to be more creative. Craftboro provides many opportunities for this, as coloring books sit on top of every table and DIY projects and local art hanging around the brewery.

While coloring, guests can sit back and enjoy the nine original beers on tap that Craftboro brews in house.

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Tufts, the resident craft brewer, is in charge of creating the recipes and experimenting with flavors. This is where Tufts feels at his most creative, when he can experiment with different ingredients when brewing, like chocolate or roasted coffee.

The nine original recipes are created with the intention of teaching people about beer and helping them find their favorite flavors or styles. It was important to the team at Craftboro to offer a variety of brews so there is something for everyone. Included in its evolving menu is a pale ale, Belgian golden, red IPA and more. When in doubt, order a flight and try them all.

Or, if you’re looking to try something that not many places offer, try a cask-conditioned beer, which is made by naturally carbonating the beer in the keg. Every Wednesday, Tufts uses this method to create a new style of cask-conditioned beer, which also gives him the opportunity to experiment with different flavors.

“Sometimes we’ll add different hops to it, this week we added coconut to the stout, so I toasted coconut in here and it smelled great one day,” says Tufts.

The craft element doesn’t stop after the creation of the beer as Craftboro has found a way to permanently incorporate craft into the names of their brews. Each beer is named after a crafter or a tool.

Craftboro also works with Coronato, the new pizza restaurant located in the same plaza.

While customers are enjoying craft beer at the brewery, they can order pizza from Coronato that will be delivered right to their table. Folks can gather around the tables that were handcrafted at a local farm, sharing pizza and beer with friends and family.

The Craftboro team says they want the brewery to become a community hub where people can come together and enjoy something that was made by hand. Jason hopes Craftboro can grow into a space where walls can be broken down and people can come together and enjoy each others’ company.

Craftboro also offers other events that feature local businesses and artists. Its beer menu also evolves over time, as new recipes are switched into the menu once they’re ready, giving everyone just another reason to keep coming back to try something new.

Reporting via Sarah Clark

Flavor of the Week: Craftboro Brewing Depot

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