It’s Saturday afternoon when my husband and I weave through the trucks and boat trailers in the parking lot at the Neuse Sport Shop and find our way to the back lot. The tall, cream colored barn Beer Barn stands before us. We open the double doors and are greeted by a friendly, calm dog, who gives us a sniff and wanders off. The vaulted ceilings and warm wood bar instantly take the pressure off as we get a friendly welcome from the bearded, ball-capped barkeep.

We order a tasting flight, which comes served on a wooden plank shaped like a fish, and he sets us up with the following: Shellcracker Cream Ale, Sea Breeze Sour, Wood Duck Wheat, and Chill Out Greg, a pale ale he tells us is named after him.

"I started out as a patron here," said Greg, chuckling at himself. "I’m a refrigeration technician by trade, but this job here is a whole lot less stressful."

We can see why. Looking around, we don’t feel like we’re just off Highway 70. We feel like we’re in a hipster hunting lodge. The L-shaped bar hugs a corner of the open room. There’s a comfy couch and chairs and a table for board games in the opposite corner. Taxidermy and arcade games are the main décor. The biggest draw to this bar, besides the beer, awaits outside of the barn.

An impressive beer garden flanks the left side of the barn. With a pergola for shade and festive string lights, it has ample picnic tables where we see folks who are clearly there to sit and stay a spell. Friday night, the beer garden becomes a lively concert spot with live music and a food truck. Surrounded by good friends, great beer, and a live soundtrack to kick off the weekend we understand why there are so many regulars at The Beer Barn.

Steps from the garden is a fire pit surrounded by Adirondack chairs and a serene pond. A wide path behind the barn leads to a bridge, island, and the rest of the 8-acre property. On the right side of the building, we take a turn at the horseshoe pit and then, with the cornhole boards. In the shaded woods about 25 yards away we spy a 9-hole disc golf course.

"Three holes are out on the island," said Greg. "You can take beer all over the property, just watch for the mama geese who have the little goslings under their wings."

Since opening in 2019, The Beer Barn has gone through a few changes. Original brewer Aaron Avery now owns it with Matthew Rouse, a fellow Kinston friend who loves hunting, the outdoors, and craft beer, of course. In July, they moved their brewing operation from Nauti Dog Brewing in Winterville to Social House Distillery in Kinston.

"I brew a multitude of different styles," said Aaron. "Our beers are both traditional and some are a little crazy!"

Of the 15 brews on tap at the beer barn, the first 6 are The Beer Barn’s. If you like IPA, try the Fishin’ For It. The other taps rotate from craft brews in the state and beyond, depending on what the owners want to taste that week.

Back inside, the event board tells us there’s Trivia Tuesdays and Music Bingo on Wednesdays in addition to the live music and food trucks on the weekends. We settle back at the bar for another round and watch locals and visitors drift in and out of the doors to the beer garden. It’s a nice oasis and we feel miles from the city, though we’re just 5 minutes from downtown Kinston.