Remembering a Local Legend
Family, community mourns the loss of barbecue pioneer Thomas Bessinger Special to West Of Free Press It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Thomas Bessinger, Sr., fondly known as “Tee,” to those who know him well. He peacefully entered into eternal...
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Pilsner For Your Summer
With summer nearly upon us, I’ll continue the discussion from last week and look back to the origins of the beer we call pilsner. This effervescent, bright, clear and flavorful beer could easily be your warm month choice. And while nearly all pilsners are golden and...
A Taste of Philly
The lunch rush is still winding down at 2 p.m. on a Wednesday, but Danny Bailey manages to slide off the line, still in his apron, to chat about his new restaurant, DB’s Cheesesteaks, which opened recently in the popular Avondale Business District. He’s a...
America’s Jazzy Pilsners
I’ve recently been watching Ken Burns’ 10-part documentary Jazz from PBS. Now, to many of you, I suspect that sounds like 10 hours of pure torture. While I think the filmmaker spent much too long on Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, I understand the importance of...
Farm Fresh Suds
It seems these days every beer you pick up is brewed with something besides water, yeast, hops and malt. Without going down the road of “where have all the classic styles of beer gone,” you would be hard pressed to visit your local pub and not find at least one bottle...
2017 Spring Cookbook Issue — A Trip To The Farmers Market
Every spring and every Fall West Of puts out our semi-annual Cookbook Issue. Essentially it’s a food-centric issue that is a kind of cookbook, with recipes, cooking tips, and ideas from local chefs and food purveyors. There is always a theme of some sort and recipes...
May is Bessinger’s Barbecue Month
Last week, during the monthly meeting of the St. Andrew’s Rotary Club at Bessinger’s Barbecue on Savannah Highway, Mayor John Tecklenburg came to the podium to talk a bit about the Plan West Ashley meetings that have been taking place over the last several months....
The Lovely Days Of May
As we continue on through May, the hint of summer is juxtaposed with the last grasp of winter. As pollen clogs the drains and coats the cars, I awoke recently to my heat kicking on late at night; it was set on 66. That said, I see 90s looming this week, so I don’t...
Frothy Beard Expands … Again
Frothy Beard’s new 30-barrel tanks arrived last week, tripling the brewery’s capacity after being open just five weeks. The big expansion comes nearly nine months ahead of schedule as demands for Frothy beer continue to skyrocket. “We just can’t brew beer fast...
Wicked Weed Sells Out
The year of 1919 was barely a month old when Congress ratified the 18th amendment to the constitution. Later in the year, Congress passed the National Prohibition Act, known more commonly as the Volstead Act, providing federal guidelines for the ban on the...
Chips & Salsa Beer
As we’ve hit May, one of a few beer-centric holidays looms large. With Cinco de Mayo kicking off this weekend, there’s no better time to discuss the interesting, lets be honest - expected, trend of craft brewed Mexican-style lager. Since American craft brewing has...
