Fullsteam's mission is to craft distinctly Southern beer that celebrates the farm and food traditions of the American South. They express their love for community and the land through the Southern Beer Economy. Through the act of commerce -- including a commitment to a living wage for employees -- their purchases (and yours) foster community and agricultural pride, create wealth, and encourage entrepreneurship within the post-tobacco South. And though the Fullsteam mission is lofty, they aim to keep it all fun. At the end of the day it's beer: the beverage of celebration, backyard gatherings, good food, and good people.
Oral history interview with Sean Lilly Wilson (2018)
There's a sense of optimism, a sense of purpose and pride that comes with the vision we have of making a distinctly Southern beer, using local ingredients in this plow to pint vision that we have.
Sean Lilly Wilson, owner and Chief Executive Optimist at Fullsteam Brewery in Durham, North Carolina, discusses his brewery as well as his work on the Pop the Cap initiative, which lifted North Carolina's restriction on the alcohol by volume (ABV) of beers in the state. Among the topics discussed are: advocacy work and Pop the Cap, the work and challenges of opening Fullsteam in 2010, Fullsteam's "plow to pint" philosophy and the commitment to local ingredients, the connections between beer and food, and the "Southern Beer Economy."
Oral history interview with Erik Lars Myers (2019)
One of the reasons that I like that I'm happy and proud to have landed at Fullsteam is because it's something that really resonates with me and something that I'm very proud of, the idea of being able to go in and help grow that Southern beer economy. I think that it's great.
Erik Lars Myers is the Director of Beverage Operations at Fullsteam Brewing. He was the founder, CEO, and head brewer of Mystery Brewing Co. in Hillsborough, NC. In his interview, he discusses the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild, his book North Carolina Craft Beer and Breweries, Mystery, and his current role at Fullsteam Brewing.
Oral history interview with Brian Mandeville (2018)
As a brewer, just feels very humbling to be like, this kind of non-consequential thing that I'm really excited about, beer... I can use that as a vehicle or a tool to help somebody preserve wild property in the triangle, which is profoundly meaningful and important.
Brian Mandeville, head brewer (2014-2018) of Fullsteam Brewery in Durham, NC, discusses his role as head brewer, their approach towards and use of locally foraged and farmed ingredients, and his three Good Food Award-winning beers.