Frothy Beard Brewing Company co-owner Michael Biondi hopes its newest beer will bring more attention to the need for better transportation options in Charleston. Charleston Moves, a 3.5% ABV low-calorie IPA, is named after the nonprofit group “that encourages mobility by bicycle, foot and public transit for the improved health and well being of greater Charleston.”
“This is near and dear to our company as a lot of us like to bike to work,” said Biondi, adding that an employee was involved in an accident while biking to the brewery from downtown last year. “We are all for making bikeways and transit safer for those that wish to get around without a car in the Charleston area.”
Frothy Beard’s Charleston Moves IPA is now available on tap, with all proceeds going directly to Charleston Moves’ efforts.
“The beer has a very light mouthfeel with pronounced hop flavor and aromas,” Biondi said. “We will start packaging this beer in the spring and hope to continue to make (it) all year round.”
One of Charleston Moves’ main priorities is making the World War II Memorial Bridge, better known as the North Bridge, safer for pedestrians and cyclists. The bridge connects North Charleston to West Ashley where Frothy Beard is located.
State and local elected officials, nonprofits, civil liberties advocates, law enforcement and Frothy Beard joined Charleston Moves’ North Bridge Coalition after the most recent pedestrian fatality on the bridge on May 27 — the City Paper discussed the need to make the bridge more pedestrian-friendly in a July editorial.
Last year, the coalition successfully encouraged Charleston County to fund a new feasibility study estimating the cost of updating the bridge.
“The consultant that the county hired is still working on the study now, and the end result will be conceptual drawings and a cost estimate for a separate bike and pedestrian bridge and how it will connect on either side of the bridge,” said Charleston Moves executive director Katie Zimmerman. “When those are ready, they will put everything on a project website and host a month-long virtual public meeting so folks can weigh in.”
The public input process will take place from mid-March to mid-April, Zimmerman said, and she anticipates they’ll need to work with “the county, city of North Charleston, city of Charleston, the state and likely the feds” to keep the project moving forward. “It will be similar to what we dealt with when we were finding funding for the new Ashley River bicycle and pedestrian bridge,” she said.
For more information, visit frothybeard.com.
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