A craft beer fan and teacher from Cincinnati, Chase Runyan started brewing in his house by tinkering with kits and learning how to bottle the beer after fermentation. After making five or six batches each year, Runyan built up a good-sized collection of equipment that he stashed in a storage unit when he moved to Georgetown in 2017.
In the meantime, Runyan was enjoying a brew at Buzz’s Roost on Georgetown’s Front Street while wearing his Cincinnati Bengals merch. Also originally from Cincinnati, restaurateur Trevor Day stopped into Buzz’s where he struck up a conversation with Runyan centered around their mutually favorite sports team.
As Runyan had recently cleared out his storage unit, he realized how much brewing equipment he had and asked his new buddy, Day, if he could use his garage on weekends to practice his hobby. After time, trial and error, Runyan perfected his systems and when Day tried one of his concoctions, he exclaimed, “Dang man, we could sell this!” So after extensive research into 
consistency, legalities, quality control and more, Runyan started brewing in a small storage space at Buzz’s that he and Day converted into a tiny brewery.
Fast forward four years and Runyan is now the brewmaster at Georgetown’s first brewery, Winyah Bay Brewing, named for the nearby bay. “Georgetown had a niche for a local craft brewery to tie in with the neighborhood, its residents and rich history,” Runyan said, adding that Winyah’s logo with the lighthouse was strategically designed as a nod to the locality. Further, the brewery is located inside a handsome 19th century brick carriage house located at 932 B Front Street, which is also accessible from King Street.
The range of selections that are offered at Winyah Bay Brewing depend on the season, as well as what styles are most popular with regulars and visitors. According to Runyan, four or five flagship flavors will be mainstays on the menu, while four or five additional options will be 
available based on seasonality. The open tap room includes high tops, bar space and leaning ledges that invite patrons to sample brews while immersing themselves in the brewery. “We are excited to bring this concept to Georgetown,” Runyan said. “A lot of work has gone into this project and it’s been very rewarding.”
Runyan shared that behind the scenes, a day in the life of a brewmaster begins by prepping a recipe with the malt already milled and put into a grist case (a vessel for storing cracked grain before adding it to the brew kettle), while ensuring the equipment’s system is dialed in to the correct temperatures. Once the process is complete, Runyan resets the system and cleans it out before making the next batch.
“Essentially the life of a brewer is more about engineering, technical observation and cleaning,” Runyan explained. “I let the system do the work and am there to make sure it doesn’t falter and that everything is flowing.” And soon, Winyah’s beers will indeed be flowing along coastal South Carolina from Mount Pleasant to Myrtle Beach.
By Sarah Rose
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