Lenny Boy, it’s more than a brewery, it’s a lifestyle

I had been meaning to come by Lenny Boy for months now, because, full disclosure, Townes is my neighbor, and I had heard great things about what he was doing at Lenny Boy. So last week I swung by the brewery after work and Townes gave me a little tour.

While we walked through the two different brew areas, they brew both beer and kombucha at Lenny Boy (the two require completely different set-ups for peak fermentation) Townes told me his story. I had never even heard of kombucha until I met Townes.

One day a few weeks ago, he gave me a bottle of the Good Ol’ Ginger Kombucha, and it was incredible. Not only did I enjoy the interesting play of flavors and effervescence, but it made me feel great. And not in some boozy beer way (traditional kombucha has virtually no alcohol) but in a super healthy “this stuff is great for me” way.

Lenny Boy’s traditional kombucha is naturally low in calories, certified organic, non-GMO, gluten free and is packed full of amino acids and probiotics that help balance the body’s pH, improve digestion, boost the immune system and support overall health…translation, you have to try this kombucha!

While I enjoyed a delicious pint of Herb’s Pale Ale brewed by Head Beer Brewer John Watkins, Townes dropped a masters class worth of brewery knowledge on me.

I was captivated as Townes described the nuances of the brewing process, but what really opened my eyes was the fact that Lenny Boy is the only Certified Organic/Non-GMO brewery out of all of the 125 breweries in North Carolina. “It’s just a stance we took when we started out” says Townes. And it certainly isn’t for the money.

Operating a Certified Organic and Non-GMO brewery is about 35% more expensive than running a conventional brewery. Everything, from the grains and yeast, to the cleaning supplies that they use at Lenny Boy, has to meet NPO standards to be certified organic. “I figured, if I was so worried about everything I was eating, I should be just as concerned with what’s going in my beer.” said Townes.  The crew at Lenny Boy takes their health seriously with the tap room doubling as a yoga studio on Saturdays and on Sundays the Lenny Boy Run Club hits the streets. Runners are encouraged to “bring their pooch and grab some booch”, as Townes calls his famous kombucha.

Lenny Boy currently has a nice range of beers on tap as well as several flavors of non-alcoholic kombucha. They also offer one kombucha wild ale, which has all of the benefits of the classic kombucha but with a 4.5% ABV, so if all of your friends are enjoying the craft brews, but you aren’t down with the brown, this kombucha wild ale is for you, gluten free baby!

Lenny Boy’s flight series is a great way to sample everything the brewery produces. Featuring six-six ounce pours, you can try a little of everything without getting sloshed. And the Good Ol’ Ginger Kombucha makes a phenomenal palate cleanser, so you can truly appreciate the flavor profiles of each brew.

If you are looking to unwind with a delicious local brew, while maintaining an all organic/non-GMO lifestyle, then stop by Lenny Boy. Their Tap Room is comfortably decorated and they have unmatched views of Uptown. Sure they might not have a patio, but as with books, empanada’s and people, at Lenny Boy, it’s what’s inside that counts.