You can feel Dave Seyler’s passion and intensity for beer in person — and you can taste it in his beer. You even feel it in the brewery in Goose Creek.
What else do you expect from someone nicknamed “Sleeveless Dave?” But we had to ask the million dollar question: What’s the deal with that name?
“My good friend from Raleigh, Greg from Wye Brewing, gave me the name,” Seyler said. “I would always wear sleeveless shirts at beer festivals, and having a common name like Dave, my buddy would always ask, ‘which — the sleeveless one?’ while describing me. So it stuck.”
Seyler is head brewer at Stones Throw Brewing. It’s a former fire station turned into a A quaint, low-key, neighborhood restaurant and taphouse — the only craft brewery in Goose Creek.
Dripping with the vibes of a family-friendly biker bar, a beautiful U-shaped bar is complemented by high ceilings and an open concept. With TVs galore and the smell of bright hops and fresh leather, the space was a joy to hang out in. Embodying the surrounding community, the brewery hosts an array of activities, from music bingo to classic car shows to yoga classes.
Its extensive menu features everything from wings to wraps to plated entrees. The selection and quality is on point, and the same is to be said with the juice they’re pouring. At a recent visit, we had a flight of some tasty, experiential and progressive beers. Any beer lover would be excited by the bold and innovative ways Sleeveless Dave plays with flavor.
The balanced brightness of the Hazy Goose IPA was a treat. The almost sultry undertones of nuts in the Peanut Butter Porter were impressive, too. The flavors are especially splendid considering Seyler is fairly new to the brewing industry.
With a master’s degree in business, Sleeveless Dave got his foot in the door of a brewery and never left: After 10 years in accounting, he stepped into a role as a controller for a Raleigh brewery. While there, he was able to make the transition to the brewing side.
As a brewer at both Lonerider and Triangle Beer Company in his N.C. hometown of Cary, Sleeveless Dave was able to sharpen his skills. He took the head brewer position at Stones Throw in late 2022; the doors opened February 2023.
Sleeveless Dave is enjoying his youth on the brew deck, having fun and brewing some delicious sauce. Being adventurous and forward-thinking, he’s opening the door for other brewers and breweries to be comfortable with experimenting with new varieties of hops. Brewing Stones Throw’s signature hazy NEIPA, Dave uses a new Elani Hops, which gives the beer soft, pit-fruit notes with a zesty tropical nose. Pairing these new and different hops with some unconventional ingredients and an advanced idea of flavor, Sleeveless Dave is setting the bar high in Berkeley County.
Here’s some great news: A craft brewery like Stones Throw makes any notion that someplace outside of downtown Charleston isn’t good enough and can’t offer a high-quality dining and drinking experience.
As Charleston continues to grow,people are moving further way from the peninsula. Talent is spreading, as evidenced by Sleeveless Dave and Stones Throw. With beer on drafts in about three dozen bars and restaurants across the Lowcountry, the next step for the Stones Throw is canning and expanding distribution.
Seyler’s accounting background gives him the ability to navigate everything from the cost to brew to the brewing schedule. Sleeveless Dave is a one-man wrecking crew and is not to be taken lightly.
“There’s so much that breweries have to offer other than beer,” he said. If you drop by the brewery to check it out the next time you’re in Goose Creek, you can probably figure out who the head brewer is. Just look for the guy who now is sleeveless full-time.
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