It’s been two years of planning, but Palmer Quimby’s new brewery, Munkle, is allegedly going to open this summer. When we first wrote about Munkle in 2015, Quimby was eyeing a fall opening for his and partner Henry Eang’s (Basil, Lotus) 1513 Meeting Street Road space. But for the man who named his brewery after his Episcopalian monk uncle, it looks like it might finally be tap time.
Don’t recall that whole monk/uncle bit?
Without further adieu, here’s a refresher of the Munkle origin story:
As Quimby told us back in ’15, “My uncle is my best friend, and we were born only three months apart.” Quimby’s grandfather’s third wife had a baby, Rob Donehue, at the same time Quimby was born. The two boys became fast friends and stayed close growing up. Then, when they’d finished school, Donehue decided to move to Michigan and become an Episcopal monk.
“The first year he was there, he found all this brewing equipment in the basement of the abbey,” Quimby told us. “So he asked the abbot if he could start brewing beer and the abbot said absolutely.”
The monk got involved in home brewing clubs and used his free time — in between prayer — honing his craft. When he’d come to Charleston to visit Quimby, the two would brew together.
But a month before his final vows, Quimby’s uncle decided to leave the monastery. At last check, Uncle Rob was completing seminary at Sewanee, and needless to say, Quimby named Munkle — Monk + Uncle — after him.
Now Quimby looks to have a real deal Munkle opening date in sight. Quimby has not returned our calls to confirm, but according to local design firm SLANT, Munkle is hoping to unlock its doors mid-summer. At the very least, branding is ready.
SLANT designed the brewery’s branding assets including “new beer labels, taps, a website and a marketing campaign,” according to the company’s blog. The resulting work looks like a combo of a Philip Simmons iron gate and a crescent moon. The building features the same design out front.
Look for Munkle to open this summer. Love Best of Charleston? Help the Charleston City Paper keep Best of Charleston going every year with a donation. Or sign up to become a member of the Charleston City Paper club.