Carolina Brewery will host a NC Shrimp Boil and Tapping Party for its newest beer, Costero Mexican Lager, on April 10 on its expanded patio at its brewery in Pittsboro, North Carolina. This party marks numerous milestones for the Triangle’s oldest continuously operating craft brewery.

Carolina Brewery is undergoing a major brand refresh. Robert Poitras, Carolina Brewery’s founder, says, “During the pandemic, we reflected about who we are and what we stand for. We kept coming back to why we founded Carolina Brewery in the first place: our love of the Carolinas and great beer. Going forward, we will refocus on the best of the Carolinas—from surfing the Outer Banks, kayaking the Smokies, to catching redfish in South Carolina’s ACE Basin. Our love of Carolina adventures and our dedication to conservation is being brought to the forefront of our brand, and our refreshing beer is the perfect companion for these excursions.”

Changes to the brand include a new logo, new website, new uniforms, new partnerships with the conservation organizations NC Coastal Foundation and South Carolina’s Coastal Conservation Agency, and a new tagline that reflects the brand’s emphasis on Carolina adventures, “Who’s In?” The breweries are also investing in major renovations to expand the breweries’ outdoor spaces, including an extended patio at the Chapel Hill location and an entirely new patio and furniture with a stage for live music in Pittsboro.

Pittsboro’s new patio will be on full display during Carolina Brewery’s Shrimp Boil and Costero Tapping Party on April 10 from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. The brewery will serve fresh shrimp from the NC coast and pints of the newest addition to their beer lineup: Costero Mexican Lager. Piedmont Four will play live music from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free. Plates of fresh NC shrimp and pints of Costero Mexican Lager and Carolina’s Brewery’s other beers will be available for purchase.

Becky Hammond, Carolina Brewery’s executive brewer, says, “Costero is the ideal beer for this summer. Everyone’s been cooped up, and it will be high time to hit the water. We brewed Costero to be crisp, light, and thoroughly refreshing. 

In April, Costero will be available on tap at bars and restaurants throughout the Carolinas. Starting in May, it will become available in cans at all major retailers, including Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Ingles, Lowes Foods, and Walmart. The brewery has added a Find My Beer page to the website that will enable users to find the closest seller for Carolina Brewery’s cans and drafts.

Changes to the Carolina Brewery brand will continue past the April 10 party. In May, the brewery plans to release new packaging for their three most popular beers: Sky Blue Kolsch, Copperline Amber Ale, and American IPA. Like the rest of the brand, the packaging pays homage to the Carolinas’ great outdoors and the lifestyle that celebrates them.