History on Tap – Do you know the history of what you are sippin’?

What’s better than learning about local history while also enjoying a cold glass of beer? Upstate Preservation Trust has partnered with Think Tank Brew Lab to bring you a special program that will focus on the history of brewing, while you enjoy the fruits of historic labor. Historian Joe Hursey, an esteemed historian who most recently worked for the Smithsonian Institution before relocating to the Upstate, will speak on the creation and evolution of the American Lager. Proceeds from this event will go towards UPT’s mission to save historic places across Upstate South Carolina. This event will take place at Think Tank Brew Lab.

About the Speaker:

Joe Hursey retired from the U.S. Air Force after 22 years, in 2010. Between 2006 and 2011, he earned AA degrees in Criminal Justice and Accounting and Finance, BA in History and a MA in U.S. History.

After the military, he took a position as the Director of the Miami County Historical Museum. After 15 months working in Miami County, Joe accepted a position with the Archives Center at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian, as the Research Coordinator.

In his position with the Smithsonian, he specialized in American beer and brewing history. Hursey spent almost a decade researching and conducting presenting on the subject matter visiting to brewery staff, donors brewing historians, and university faculty. He has also published numerous academic papers of the subject of the history of beer and brewing in America

About the Brewery:

Ryan and Julie Kurlfink opened Think Tank Brew Lab in March 2021 with the vision of crafting the freshest beer possible. All of Think Tank’s 12 different varieties of beer and seltzers – from pale and golden ales to IPAs, porters, and more – are brewed on-site to create crisp flavors.

”The closer you are to the brewery when you’re buying beer, the better the beer is going to taste,” said Ryan Kurlfink, who completed the Master Brewers Certificate Program at the University of California-Davis. The in-depth program provides its students with an in-depth understanding of brewing science and brewery engineering and prepares them for the brewing industry.

Think Tank is spread across more than 23,000 square feet in a former warehouse at 101 Airport Road. The 52-year-old brick building was constructed as an addition to an original building built in 1967. The addition served as both a warehouse and the credit department offices for Meyers-Arnold. The department store opened on Main Street in the early 20th century and became one of the anchor stores when the mall at McAlister Square opened in 1965, according to according to a 2015 Upstate Business Journal article. The company had eight stores in the Carolinas and Georgia until it was bought out by Upton’s department store in 1987.

The warehouse sat vacant for two years before the Kurlfinks got it and transformed it into a combined brewery, taproom, and Biergarten. Today, Think Tank Brew Lab welcomes beer lovers who want to stop in for a favorite brew or sample a selection with a beer flight. Its craft kitchen serves up a menu spanning from brats and BBQ to fish tacos and grilled cheese. It also hosts events for all walks of life, from music festivals and fundraisers to art markets, networking nights, and kids’ birthday parties.

Think Tank Brew Lab is open Wednesdays to Fridays from 4 to 9 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 9 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.thinktankbrewlab.com or @thinktankbrewlab on Instagram.

Host or Publisher Upstate Preservation Trust