Museum Of Beer and Art

In the world of preparing food, the word “infusion” basically means to take one ingredient and transfer the flavor of that ingredient to another to create a new, more complex end product. That’s exactly what you will find at MoBA — The Museum of Beer and Art, located at 9600 Ploof Road SE, #7.  MoBA is a blend of an art gallery and a high-class brewery that makes it stand apart from the typical local brewery concept we have come to expect.

Owners and partners Carl Cross, Jason Fosdick, and Matt Ray want MoBA to be what the customers want it to be, but they also want you to expect the unexpected. In order to achieve this whispy and undefined concept, they have put their faith in their young and creative managers and head brewer.

Lindsey Walters, Taproom Manager, explained that she and Byron McSweeney, Sales and Distribution Manager, spend a lot of time fleshing out new ideas for the brewery. “What you see here is very intentional,” she said. “It may have an easy feel, but everything from the bar lighting to the seating to the artwork is part of a plan. We are a brewery, but we want to set ourselves apart from other breweries. Some customers just want to come in and sample our beers and watch sports on TV, and they can do that. Others may want to come in and look at the artwork or watch the Paintline Art Channels we have on a few of our TVs while they enjoy some wine. We have tables and intimate couch seating areas if they want to just relax. We kept the space as open as we could which allowed us to have different seating options for different types of customers. We are child- and pet-friendly, but there is enough space here for them to happily and safely co-exist.”

The displayed artwork is a mixture of the talent of local artists and owner, Carl Cross.  Lindsey continued, “The art concept was Carl’s idea and a lot of what is displayed is his work. We don’t have a formal process in place yet for accepting new pieces, but if an artist is interested in exhibiting their work, they can just email me at taproom@mobabeer.com, and I would be happy to look at their portfolio. One of the things we really want to do once we are established is to have art shows here.”

From behind the bar, Bryon McSweeney looks up at the Pteranodon model hanging from the ceiling, mouth open, like he is ready to strike. Byron said, “It’s got a 28-foot wingspan. It’s from Southport and it’s another unusual aspect of the brewery. How many Pteranodon displays have you seen in other breweries,” he asked jokingly.

Right now, Byron is heavily involved in the creative processes at the brewery, but he also is the distributor of their beers to local bars and restaurants. “I take samples to bars and restaurants in the area to show them what we are doing,” he said.  “We have some very different blends and tastes here. Our best seller is a blonde ale called ‘Perspective’, and our number two is an IPA called, ‘Remember When,’ but we have something for everyone. We have 20 total taps, 13 of which are beers and seven of those are ours. We also have two wine taps, four cocktail taps, and one THC tap. We rotate the beers every few weeks so you can try so many different kinds of styles.  We also have red and white wine, cocktails, non-alcoholic beverages, guest beers and even drinks for the kids.  We just want people to come in, feel comfortable, hang out and not feel rushed. Lindsey and I have brought in DJs on weekends for entertainment.  Again, going with the ‘something for everyone’ idea, a DJ can play all kinds of different music, not just one genre. We have food trucks as often as possible, with a variety of different kinds of foods.”

“One thing we are really excited about is our dog adoption event on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 1 to 4 pm,” Lindsey said. “We’re working with Freedom Bridge Animal Rescue.  You can come down and see all kinds of dogs that are ready to be adopted or fostered and put in an application that day.  We continue workshopping larger event ideas and will post them to our social channels and website as they are planned.”

At the heart of all of these events will be Isaac Ley, MoBA’s Head Brewer.  Personally, when I think of a head brewer or a senior ale craftsman, I think of an older man who has spent years tucked away behind large brew kettles and fermentation tanks, checking thermometers and watching yeast converter gauges.  That is not Isaac Ley!  He is a young man who smiles like he is happy with life and looking forward to new adventures.

This curly haired, bearded brew master is originally from New Hampshire and moved to Greenville, South Carolina in 2020.  We discussed his career, which includes working at four breweries before MoBA. “Beer is art, and the art is developing the recipe,” he said. “There are a huge number of variables, you can’t be afraid to work with unique ingredients.”

Isaac continued, “I also enjoy teaching others about the process. This is a great opportunity to learn not only how to blend the ingredients but different techniques you can use to make the end product better. Our ingredients are regionally sourced, and they are of good quality. We are going to produce beer specifically for distribution, and that’s exciting.” Just like Lindsey and Byron, Isaac has a passion for craft beer and a real vision for what can make MoBA the most successful brewery in the area.

Years ago, I remember that my husband told me that when he was a young boy, his father and grandfather took him to the neighborhood bar — or “beer joint,” as they were called then. It is one of his fondest memories of being with his father.  I shared this with the MOBA team and Byron agreed.  He said, “Back in the day, every neighborhood had their own bar, they catered to the locals and people just came to hang out. The neighborhood bars have morphed into breweries now, but the idea is the same, give people a place to relax, hang out with friends and enjoy a good product, that’s our mission.”    

MoBA is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 3 to 10 pm; on Saturdays from noon to 10 pm; and Sundays from noon to 8 pm.

Stop in and enjoy the artwork and beverages — oh, and make sure you check out the bathrooms — more works of art!