NP: What’s the right amount of beer for the course for, say, a bachelor/bachelorette party, where there’s a driver and fun is maximized?
RG: The fun is maximized. OK, so I do a guys’ trip every year, which is a lot of fun. So wake up, we love to do an 8 or 9 a.m. tee time, so we can be in, be out and enjoy the back end of the day.
NP: Sleep is a second thought.
RG: Sleep is a second thought. A thing like that is, some people do beer, some others, they want a bloody [mary], they want a transfusion, they want something to get themselves rehydrated from the night before. But to me, that’s more of I want to stick with light beers because I know it’s going to be a longer day across the board. Well, maybe I want to be my ultimate self — I want to have a [Wicked Weed] Pernicious here, a Pernicious there and have the beer I really want to enjoy, but on a trip like this, we’re going to look at the lighter side of things, the pilsners of the world.
NP: How many beers is too many for the golf course?
RG: Whew, once you start hitting out of bounds.
Wicked Weed’s co-founder on golf course beers
NP: If you’re going to have four or so beers on the course, are there any combos to lean into or avoid?
RG: So, as much as I love sour beer, I try to stay away from sour beer on the golf course from just a straight indigestion — I’m getting older now and that’s not what I’m looking for. I’m looking for crisp, refreshing. I’m personally not a dark beer fan on the course. I want to keep it either hoppy or lighter. If you keep it in that wheelhouse, you’re in good shape. I got a few buddies that are like, OK, we’ll do a bourbon stout in the morning and then kind of transition out — that’s their coffee of the day.
NP: What’s the best beer for the course, Wicked Weed division?
RG: Wicked Weed division. So for me, it’s changed over the years. A few years ago, Appalachia — that’s a session IPA. Moved to Daylight, which was our take on a domestic light lager. Now, with us doing really traditional lagers and styles, I would say Pils first. This time of year, I love the Fest Bier that kind of complements the lager series, but that’s what I want to drink when I’m on the golf course. I want something a little lighter, a little bit more crisp and a little bit lower in alcohol — that’s my go-to when it comes to having a beer.
NP: What is the beer for the course, non-Wicked Weed division?
RG: Non-Wicked Weed division. Like this question. From the craft beer side of things, I like two beers, I would say. I do like Founders All Day IPA. That’s one of the beers that I really enjoy. Highland makes a really cool one here locally — the AVL IPA that is a little lower in alcohol, which is nice to get something hoppy. And then, you know, I love an Ultra, the PBR that is crispy and refreshing when I need it.
NP: After the round, what does a brewery owner do when they see a bartender pour their beer? Do you just turn away? I would call you an expert on that, and when you see someone do it, do you cringe, do you watch?
RG: I’m always watching what’s going on. I love to see not only what I’m ordering and how it’s poured and how it’s delivered, but what consumers are looking for, the person on the golf course. What’s getting pulled the most from the draft system? What is getting taken from the cooler? I think always have an observation of the clientele and the base and what they want is critical. I love it. I love watching somebody pour a pint of Pernicious and just seeing the smile on my face, the bartender’s face, the consumers’ faces is crazy, and I think we started out as a small, little brewpub not thinking we’d ever have beer anywhere else. Now see it poured not only in North Carolina but whether you’re in Florida or New Hampshire, wherever you are, seeing it being poured in these states, I have to pinch myself.
NP: What was it like when you first saw one of your beers on a golf course?
RG: I’m trying to remember the first course. I’m going to go outside North Carolina because North Carolina is one of the states we expect beer to be poured in. I went to Kiawah Island, and we have an awesome wholesaler down there, great relationship. I did not know if we had beer on the golf course or not and it was absolutely one of the most crazy experiences. The cart person came by, and I asked, hey, what do you have for craft beer, and I heard Pernicious was in there — I almost cried I was so excited to see it outside of our home state.
NP Did you honestly get it?
RG: Oh, yeah. Of course. You have to. I’m the person who still — if you see Wicked Weed beer in any restaurant or any town or any gas station or any grocery store, that’s what I’m buying. Love supporting what we do and love supporting the brand. That’s the first choice. Love other craft beers, but I’m going to purchase a Wicked Weed beer.
Wicked Weed’s co-founder on golf and beer
NP: What’s a good golf beer game?
RG: I guess my favorite golf beer game, which I would say isn’t necessarily beer related, but it’s Bourbons and Buddies, where somebody in your group that you’re playing with makes a birdie, the whole group — someone has a flask and you take a little swig off the birdie.
NP: Should the golfer who makes a hole in one buy whoever is around them a round of drinks?
RG: Yes. I know a lot of people think that might be a backwards concept, but it’s a tradition at this point, and one that I think if you don’t do, I’m fearful that you won’t get your next hole in one. That’s something you want to keep from a superstition standpoint. But yes, I’m an advocate of you get a hole in one, you buy the group a round, and, hey, If there’s some people around the bar with you and you want to celebrate a little extra, let’s make that happen too.
NP: I don’t like asking a brewery owner to talk about wasting beer, but this comes to light because Justin Thomas at the Ryder Cup four years ago struggled with this: What’s the best way to shotgun a beer?
RG: From a golfer standpoint, I think there’s a lot of great ways. A golf tee — you got to start with a golf tee. We typically start with a golf tee.
NP: The best beer cart has …
RG: The best beer cart has food, as in not just bars and candy. You have a hot dog or to-go sandwiches. You have a cocktail bar that can do transfusions, bloody marys, whatever you’re in the mood for. You have a great domestic list for people who want just light whatever and then you’re pulling from local, regional breweries from a craft perspective.
NP: What does the proper beer cooler look like?
RG: I tried to pack one today. For a foursome, it had a six-pack of Fest Bier, so a little lager. It had a six-pack of Pernicious, our IPA. And it had three Freak of Natures, which I like to say is the kickoff beer. You have the kickoff beer and then you have that. If you get through it all, then bless you, and if not, then you have enough to take home or whatever you need.
NP: If you never take a cart, what’s the best way to stash your beer while you’re playing a shot?
RG: Walking with beer is much more difficult, I have to say. It’s one more weight that you’re carrying, and because you’re more exposed to the sun, it’s going to heat up quicker. I think the best way to do it is you pop a beer between putting green and tee box, and I think from there, you’re going to get a good amount of your sips in. And by the time you’re down to the next green, hopefully you’ve been able to do it, because walking with beer is such a different experience — you just need to do it a little quicker.
NP: What do you do with warm beer when you’re playing golf?
RG: I’m lucky that I’m in the brewing industry and I can afford to dump a beer. If I get to a warm beer, one, I’ve probably not done my part to let it get warm. But two, I’m not going to drink it. Yeah. Back when I was 21 years old and would have whatever came in front of me, maybe then. Yeah, just not going to do it.
NP: What beers pair best with hot dogs?
RG: I’m going back to the pilsner aspect of things. A Bud Light, a Daylight, a Wicked Weed Pils, that with a hot dog, I think, is the right combo. I can argue a fruited wheat beer could be there. From a pairing aspect, do you really want to start getting creative with toppings, flavors, et cetera? But outside of that, a lot pairs with hot dogs, but I think those are the two go-tos.
NP: From a brewery owner’s perspective, why is there such an overlap between golf and beer?
RG: Socialization would be the No. 1 thing. I think you tend to golf with people you love to be with, and you tend to drink beer with people you love to be with. And I know you can play golf as a single, you can drink as a single at the bar, and that’s also fun, but I do think the reason they pair so well is the socialization aspect of the game.
NP: What’s the best hangover cure for a morning round?
RG: So I hate — I’m never a fan of having to take Advil or anything in general, but I know if I’m going to do a big guys’ trip or I’m really excited for a round the next morning that’s earlier and I know we’ve had a big night out prior, I think an Advil or two at night before you go to bed is the number one motivator to get you up and moving the next morning. I’m also a fan of a little hair on the dog action. I’m not necessarily the liquor guy who wants a bloody or a transfusion or something like that, but right before we tee off, make sure you have a nice 12-ounce beer in your system and you’re good to go. But a combination of water and an Advil or two before you go to bed is the number one hangover cure for me.
NP: I’m asking this question from personal experience: Is there science behind playing better with a hangover? The system is maybe calmer, so to say.
RG: I don’t know if the science is there, but my gut reaction is with you. There are times that maybe I didn’t feel like waking up and being my best self like physically, mentally because I had a little hangover going into the golf round, but I’m with you — I think some of the best rounds and nine holes especially that I’ve played — I think the more you can take your mind off from focusing on what you do when hitting the golf ball and you just let your body do what it’s designed to do, the better you play. I don’t think it’s a — whether you’ve had two or three beers and that’s your way of your sweet spot or you’re a little hungover and you’re not overly thinking, I think there’s a combination of being in that realm where you stop thinking about what you normally think about and you just let your body do what it should do. I’m with you. I think the more we can get out of our own heads, the better we play. I think that’s the best way to say it — from a hangover to a beer or two, if that’s what it takes to kind of stay out of overthinking, beautiful thing. Overthinking in golf is the worst thing in the world.
