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Mother Earth Brewing is a craft beer brewery located in Kinston, North Carolina

Kinston, North Carolina

Kinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 23,688 at the 2000 census. The population was estimated at 22,360 in 2008. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791 . Kinston is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks...

. The brewery was founded in late 2008 by owners Stephen Hill and Trent Mooring and began production in 2009.

Beers

Mother Earth currently produces four different styles of beer, an India Pale Ale called Sisters of the Moon; a Kolsch-style ale called Endless River; a Belgian Wit beer called Weeping Willow Wit, and a Munich-style dunkel lager called Dark Cloud.

Sisters of the Moon IPA is an American style India Pale Ale

India Pale Ale

India Pale Ale or IPA is a style of beer within the broader category of pale ale. It was first brewed in England in the 19th century.The first known use of the expression "India pale ale" comes from an advertisement in the Liverpool Mercury newspaper published January 30, 1835...

. The beer is brewed using a variety of hops including Centennial, Amarillo and Saaz hops, and a hopback is used in the brewing process. The alcohol by volume content is 6.9%

Endless River Kolsch is an example of the Kolsch (beer)

Kölsch (beer)

Kölsch, also written Koelsch, is a local beer specialty brewed in Cologne, Germany. It is a clear beer with a bright straw-yellow hue, and it has a prominent, but not extreme, hoppiness. It is less bitter than the standard German pale lager. Furthermore, Kölsch is warm fermented at a temperature...

 style which originated in, and is still brewed in, Cologne, Germany. It is characterized by being bright yellow, light-bodied, having a slightly fruity tang, and having some hop presence, although not overbearing. The alcohol by volume content is 4.9%.

Weeping Willow Wit is a Belgian Witbier style ale. This beer is characterized by the use of spices during the brewing process such as orange peel, bitter orange peel, and coriander. The alcohol by volume content is 5%.

Dark Cloud is a Munich-style dunkel

Dunkel

Dunkel, or Dunkles, is a dark German beer. Dunkel is the German word meaning dark, and dunkel beers typically range in colour from amber to dark reddish brown. They are characterized by their smooth malty flavour....

lager, aged longer than Mother Earth's other ales. It is a dark colored beer that has tastes of roasted malt in the body. The alcohol by volume content is 5.1%.

In addition to these four styles, Mother Earth also has a number of seasonal or limited release beers planned. The first of these, a Belgian style Tripel ale called Tripel Overhead, was released in April 2010 as a spring seasonal. A limited batch of Tripel Overhead was aged in oak bourbon barrels and released in June 2010. The brewery also released Old Neighborhood, an Oatmeal Porter, in the fall of 2010, as well as Silent Night, a limited release bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout, in December 2010.

The brewery also produces several experimental batches which are served in their on-site tap room.

Labels

All of Mother Earth’s labels are Eastern North Carolina scenes that come from the minds of the founders Stephen Hill and Trent Mooring and painted by local Eastern North Carolina artist Dinah Sylivant. Mooring and Hill credit the success of Mother Earth Brewing in part of Dinah’s artwork. Says Mooring, “Our beers taste great and are very true to style and our labels are very reflective of what it’s like to live in Eastern North Carolina. It gives drinkers the warm feeling of what it’s like to live in Eastern North Carolina.”

Environmental Responsibility

The brewery focuses on being as environmentally friendly as possible. A one-kilowatt solar array stands on the roof and powers Mother Earth’s Tap Room. Blue jean insulation, a 100% recyclable product, was used to insulate the walls. In addition to being a recyclable product, it also has outstanding sound barrier qualities. Soy-based spray foam insulation protects the second story ceiling. Low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint covers the walls. Mother Earth Brewing's corporate offices sport eco carpet partially made from renewable resources. Eco flush valves reduce water needed for flushing by 30%. Eco faucets in the bathrooms offer an unimaginable savings in water compared to conventional faucets. Tankless water heater heats water on demand, instead of using needless energy to keep hundreds of gallons of water heated at all times. Mother Earth Brewing employs green brewing procedures as well. One example grabbed the interest of local farmers. Rather than send spent grain used in the brewing process off to the landfill, it is given to local farmers as top quality feed for their animals-a win-win for all involved. Mother Earth also has planted 25 hop rhizomes penetrating the soil in Kinston.