Triangle Radio Podcast Episode 11: Bond Brothers Beer Company with Jay and Jeremy Bond

Listen to Episode 11 now on www.TriangleRadioPodcast.com!

On this episode, Jordan meets with Jay and Jeremy Bond of Bond Brothers Beer Company. So this story reminds me of Steve Jobs building Apple Computers out of his garage. These Identical twin brothers, along with close friend and now Brew Master Whit Baker started out brewing beer in Jeremy's garage in Raleigh. Within a few short years, they knew they had created something special and decided to take it to the next level. With their combined artistry, chemistry, and a demand for excellence they went from creating exceptional beer for friends to being crowned USA Today's "Best New Brewery in the Country."

So how did Bond Brothers Beer come to be?

The love of beer was always there, but both Jay and Jeremy began brewing on their own about 10 years ago. When brewing, it was all about balancing the science and the art of beer, though Jay notes that he actually was working at a vineyard, so his knowledge of winemaking lent a hand. And Jeremy's background in art and design provided a lot of creativity to their brewing, as well as their three-tier system gravity fed, later turning into a single tear pump-fed system.

Over time, the hobby grew and they set up a shed dedicated to their brewing that they called the "Bond Brother Brew Shed". The two recall that it was basically a guest room full of 7 refrigerators filled with sour beers and cultures, that was quickly becoming a full-time job. They realized that since they were putting in so much time and energy, that they needed to find a way to profit off what they were doing.

Once they started talking about the possibility of being professional brewers, they developed a business plan and met a guy who held the potential to be their financial backer. The backing fell through, but things still worked out in what they recall was a "serendipitous" way. They brought beer over to a friend's birthday party and began talking about it, as they usually did. Little did they know, one of their friends, Andy, was looking to diversify and invest.

When thinking about where they would open their brewery, they initially thought about Raleigh or Durham. They noted that Cary was a bit of a "ghost town" but their broker told them about a space there that they thought could work - they went to view the space and loved the potential. Then they set up a meeting with the town and the developers, and that's when they brought their product and pitched their vision. The rest, they say, is history. (Not to mention the residential and commercial growth in and around the town of Cary!)

As for their beers, if you come to Bond Brothers, you'll be able to find anything from a barrel-aged stout to a session beer to an IPA to kettle sour to a barrel-aged sour. IPAs are still the most popular, but their second best-seller is their kettle sour. They note that their sour is often noted to be more palatable than traditional sours and they appeal to a lot of wine drinkers. Their sour was also the very first brew that they brewed on the brew system. It was a blonde sour that they put in barrels and aged, later entering it into the JBF Competition, where they won a silver medal.

But it's not all sitting around drinking beer. The Bond Brothers team has a passion for running and you'll find a great running club at the brewery. They actually started the run club before opening the brewery and have hosted a few races - their run club now has over 3000 members. Their races always benefit a children's charity and this year all the proceeds are going to Team Smile and Know Your Rights Camp. This will be virtually on the 26th, though you can run anytime before that and it's just $10.00 to sign up.

Their run club has pivoted due to COVID-19 and so has the brewery. They created "Local Brew Drive Through" and even collaborated with other breweries to offer curbside and pickup offerings to the local community. It grew to a system for customers to order online for pick up - but also created some great local connections and opportunities to support staff members who had lost shifts and work due to the pandemic.

Bond Brothers Beer Company is located at 202 E Cedar St, Cary, NC 27511.

You can find them on Instagram and Facebook!