Complex yet crushabull, our new Lucky's Lager is inspired by the past, present, and future of Durham.
PAST
Lagers are so much more than mass-market light beer. We're especially drawn to the rich history of European lagers, particularly the Czech Amber Lager. Its lightly toasty notes echo Durham’s heritage in tobacco processing and manufacturing.
Some of us have been here long enough to remember when downtown Durham smelled of sweet, toasted tobacco. While we didn’t aim for an exact replica (and this isn’t a smoked lager), our Director of Brewery Operations, Jon Simpson, wanted to brew a beer that captures Durham’s sense of place—something thoughtful and intentional, not just another "crispy boi."
PRESENT
Though we've been brewing lagers since Carver debuted 15 years ago, it feels like the broader world is just now catching on. Lagers are, as they say, having a moment. We see it in the rise of Paycheck—our #1 seller across the Carolinas.
And there's growing demand for lager variety: our Oops single-hop Pilsner series, Bethania dark lager, Brumley Forest Baltic Porter, Tidewater rice lager, Carver sweet potato lager, Busta Paga Italian-style Pilsner, and an Oktoberfest brewed this month and lagered properly for months to come—all showcase our love of the style.
We often say it internally, but now we're putting it out there: Fullsteam’s often further of the curve than we get credit for. True innovation isn't about copying what others are doing elsewhere. For us, it's about creating beer—and soon, cider—with a Southern sense of place while investing in Southern farms, malt houses, fruit growers and foragers.
FUTURE
We're excited to put down roots at the American Tobacco Campus, in the former Boiler Room of what was once one of the largest tobacco manufacturing plants in the world. Now, our mission is to bring a different kind of energy to ATC—for decades to come.
