(Durham, NC) – The first-ever Fullsteam labels here on Beernews…

I’ve followed the brewery’s work closely since I first learned about it from Twitter nearly three years ago. The brewery launched its operations last year after building a name for itself in both the local and online beer communities. After long wait, Fullsteam’s first labels for bottles are finally here.

First Frost was actually just released in the past week in 750s. It’s a 6.5% ABV Winter Warmer that showcases Persimmons. More on the early days of First Frost here. Southern Lager has received approval for 22 oz. bottles and will likely be the second bottled release.

Meanwhile, brewery frontman, Sean Wilson, wrote quite the piece titled, “That Brewery Sucks,” over the weekend on people who judge beers and breweries negatively without being constructive. It’s caught some attention. A snippet:

It’s an increasingly competitive market here in North Carolina, and while some breweries may have a miss along with their hits, we *all* strive to make good beer. Our backs ache and our feet are sore from cleaning, hauling, mashing, and moving. It’s expensive, risky work. I don’t mean to speak for all North Carolina breweries here, but we toil in this industry because we love it and we fundamentally believe in our product.

As someone who has spent nearly a decade promoting craft beer in North Carolina, I wonder if the citizenry is a little too comfortable with the recent brewery boom, and they’re finding it necessary to sort out supposed “winners” and “losers” among the 40+ plus in-state breweries.