In 2016, Salty Turtle Beer Company co-founder Daniel Callender was serving his homebrew beer at a garage sale when he met his future business partner Dean Kelley. The two had both served in the United States Marine Corps and bonded over their love for craft beer, and soon they had the idea to start their own brewery.
Located in the heart of Surf City, NC, The Salty Turtle opened in 2017 as Pender County’s first brewery. They are known for creating unique craft beers, hosting fun, family-friendly events, and connecting with the greater Topsail community.
“Being a military town, you know, thirty minutes south of base, I felt this would be a cool place for families to gather and enjoy because they’re nothing like it around here.” Callender said.
The brewery’s name is inspired by the marine turtles that call Topsail Beach home. Inspired with a desire to give back to the community, the Salty Turtle decided to donate a portion of their beer sales every quarter to the Karen Beasley Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation Center. The brewery also hosts fundraising events throughout the year to further help their community.
“We wanted to be that local neighborhood brewery,” Callender said. “Our first main goal was to ingrain ourself into the local community.”
When they were first starting out, the beer was concocted by Callender and Kelley. But as the company grew, they began adding members to their team and expanded the array of their beer inventory. Now, the brewery serves a wide variety of offerings from their taproom.
With globally inspired brews, The Salty Turtle has beer with both classic and contemporary flavors that will suit many different palettes.
Kelley said his favorite beer is their Alligator IPA. “It’s just an easy, west coast-stye IPA.” Their Coastline Kölsch is another popular brew.
The Salty Turtle has plans to expand to other locations and offer their beer regionally across North Carolina.
“It’s pretty cool to see the brand grow in the awareness grow,” Callender said. “It’s been an awesome feeling.”
Click here to learn more about the Salty Turtle Beer Company and to view their full menu as well as their event schedule.
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