While the heat ceases to break in lovely Greenville, things are heating up in our kitchen!
Late this summer, we launched our new seasonal charcuterie board, elevating our food offering for guests. A charcuterie board typically includes a selection of cured meats, cheeses, bread or crackers, and colorful accoutrements like fruits, vegetables and olives.
Our vision is to cultivate a gathering space where the community comes to connect. We hope to create an environment where our staff feels like family and our guests receive exceptional service. This might be part of the reason we were voted Best Bar Staff in the 2019 Best of the Upstate competition!
We started to think about what we enjoy and what has the potential to bring people together: beer and food.
The Inspiration
Our co-founder, Nicole Cendrowski, first became excited about the prospect of pairing food and beer when she attended her first beer pairing dinner in Columbia, SC, at The Flying Saucer in the early 2000s. Garrett Oliver, owner and brewer of Brooklyn Beer, hosted the event. The world of beer opened up even more for her when beer was paired with food.
“I started enjoying IPAs and Belgian beers mostly because of how they interplayed with each dish. Even though I have a soft spot for wine, I believe beer is actually more accessible to a person’s palate. A great way to develop one’s palate is through enjoying beer and food together,” she explains.
The guests we attract are imaginative and curious, appreciate craftsmanship, and want to better their world. When you combine our values and customers, then we get a fun opportunity to cultivate a really unique experience.
The Mission
For the first year, our focus was getting the beer right, yet food has always been a dynamic part of the Fireforge experience. While we love hosting an array of local food trucks, we also love sharing our own meals through the Tent of Wonders, Supper Club nights and specialty food tastings.
Our next step is to bring people together through a locally influenced food menu that connects farms, local businesses, and individuals. What’s better than supporting those people through our own kitchen and brewery?
The Sidekicks
We want to truly partner with people in our Greenville community who also believe in craftsmanship. Some local businesses we currently work with include Great Harvest Bread Company, Blue Ridge Creamery, Forx Farm, BeeWell Honey, and Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery. When it comes to brewing, most of our grain is sourced from Riverbend Malt House in Asheville, NC. And, when it comes to the infamous Cheesecake of the Week, it’s made by Nancy Cendrowski, Brian’s mom (Brian is our co-founder and head brewer at Fireforge).
Looking ahead, we’ll update our charcuterie board seasonally, as well as launch a few sandwiches very soon. While we’re working towards an October launch for our fall-inspired board, celebrate late Summertime in the Upstate with a pint of Fireforge beer and a delicious, shareable charcuterie board.