Old Scout Brewery
Brotherhood of the Bottle
PULL QUOTE
Brewing is Chemistry & Camaraderie!
If one searches for Old Scout Brewery, one will not find its location, I know I tried, because it is not a place but rather a "who". In reality, it is a brotherhood, as they call themselves, a "brotherhood of the bottle". This is a group that first came into being in February 2010 with three Assistant Scout Masters who, through their love of the barley drink, brewed their own Old Scout Stout, which of course, with or without a few pints in, lead to their name of Old Scout Brewery. This all started with a five-gallon bucket and a recipe kit online. Those three brewing hobbyists have since added several other members over the years to their ranks. One such home-brew aficionado, Todd Nickens, has been gracious enough this month to share with us his tale of membership in the brotherhood. As with all good brotherhood stories, it starts with a bit of intrigue!
Todd became an Assistant Scout Master when his son Josh became a Scout. After they had participated in a few Scout activities of campouts and hiking the Appalachian Trial, he received a cryptic message from his fellow Scout Masters that said, "Meet us at this place, at this time.” Intrigue, right? Todd was a good sport and played along, finding much to his delight an invitation to this private beer-brewing club. I do not believe that any arm-twisting was involved! Having never looked back, Todd has now been a member for over 10 years.
Earlier on when their sons were Scouts, this brewing group would meet about every two weeks at the same residence but has since decided to rotate meeting venues. The group now meets up about every month or two. The person hosting is in charge of selecting the type of beer and recipe for the brew, which can range from IPAs to Imperial Stouts and from Porters to Pomegranate Dubbels, incorporating various styles of ales and lagers. It takes about four hours to brew and bottle a batch from start to finish with expertise for each step being provided by differing members. Each member shares in the cost of the raw materials and for about $20 a month can take home a little over two cases of beer! According to Todd, "... it’s better than anything you can buy because it doesn’t have preservatives or chemicals in it. It’s just really great beer!"
The group sources the recipes from online vendors like morebeer.com and a few other websites. These websites already have the predetermined amount of hops or malt of whatever is needed so all one needs to do is order it and everything is sent to you. Who knew brewing beer was that easy? I imagine there is a bit more to it than that which this brotherhood has learned through the years and Todd is just being humble! The group has tried over 100-plus recipes and has had the opportunity to replicate several popular beers. Todd believes that by brewing beer one can enjoy and learn to appreciate different types of beer through the opportunity of sampling so many flavors.
Remember this all started with a pack of Scouts, so it does not surprise us that they went in search of an opportunity to give back to the community. Old Scout Brewery started auctioning off its tasty brews to raise money for St. Dominic's here in Kingsport during its Oktoberfest events. Unfortunately, during the pandemic, the event was canceled and the group found themselves with some extra kegs, but Todd has a plan, "Of course, I can’t drink all of that beer, so I will end up trading it out or gifting it to people." This will certainly be on our radar to visit this event now that we know what to bid on!
Even though their sons have since grown and they are not Scout Masters anymore, Todd acknowledges, "It is not about the beer. It is about camaraderie." The Old Scout Brewery does still tend to pull from its scouting roots and all things "outdoor man". Todd shares, "We still apply that to the brewery. We keep the spirit of scouting alive by cooking out or building a fire while we brew." Like their experience of scouting, this "brotherhood of the bottle" is a great mix of people and backgrounds, sharing different cultures and beliefs, and simply enjoying time together. Cheers Todd for sharing with us and cheers to this brotherhood of Scouts who continue to pass it forward!
Brewing is Chemistry & Camaraderie!
If one searches for Old Scout Brewery, one will not find its location, I know I tried, because it is not a place but rather a "who". In reality, it is a brotherhood, as they call themselves, a "brotherhood of the bottle". This is a group that first came into being in February 2010 with three Assistant Scout Masters who, through their love of the barley drink, brewed their own Old Scout Stout, which of course, with or without a few pints in, lead to their name of Old Scout Brewery. This all started with a five-gallon bucket and a recipe kit online. Those three brewing hobbyists have since added several other members over the years to their ranks. One such home-brew aficionado, Todd Nickens, has been gracious enough this month to share with us his tale of membership in the brotherhood. As with all good brotherhood stories, it starts with a bit of intrigue!
Todd became an Assistant Scout Master when his son Josh became a Scout. After they had participated in a few Scout activities of campouts and hiking the Appalachian Trial, he received a cryptic message from his fellow Scout Masters that said, "Meet us at this place, at this time.” Intrigue, right? Todd was a good sport and played along, finding much to his delight an invitation to this private beer-brewing club. I do not believe that any arm-twisting was involved! Having never looked back, Todd has now been a member for over 10 years.
Earlier on when their sons were Scouts, this brewing group would meet about every two weeks at the same residence but has since decided to rotate meeting venues. The group now meets up about every month or two. The person hosting is in charge of selecting the type of beer and recipe for the brew, which can range from IPAs to Imperial Stouts and from Porters to Pomegranate Dubbels, incorporating various styles of ales and lagers. It takes about four hours to brew and bottle a batch from start to finish with expertise for each step being provided by differing members. Each member shares in the cost of the raw materials and for about $20 a month can take home a little over two cases of beer! According to Todd, "... it’s better than anything you can buy because it doesn’t have preservatives or chemicals in it. It’s just really great beer!"
The group sources the recipes from online vendors like morebeer.com and a few other websites. These websites already have the predetermined amount of hops or malt of whatever is needed so all one needs to do is order it and everything is sent to you. Who knew brewing beer was that easy? I imagine there is a bit more to it than that which this brotherhood has learned through the years and Todd is just being humble! The group has tried over 100-plus recipes and has had the opportunity to replicate several popular beers. Todd believes that by brewing beer one can enjoy and learn to appreciate different types of beer through the opportunity of sampling so many flavors.
Remember this all started with a pack of Scouts, so it does not surprise us that they went in search of an opportunity to give back to the community. Old Scout Brewery started auctioning off its tasty brews to raise money for St. Dominic's here in Kingsport during its Oktoberfest events. Unfortunately, during the pandemic, the event was canceled and the group found themselves with some extra kegs, but Todd has a plan, "Of course, I can’t drink all of that beer, so I will end up trading it out or gifting it to people." This will certainly be on our radar to visit this event now that we know what to bid on!
Even though their sons have since grown and they are not Scout Masters anymore, Todd acknowledges, "It is not about the beer. It is about camaraderie." The Old Scout Brewery does still tend to pull from its scouting roots and all things "outdoor man". Todd shares, "We still apply that to the brewery. We keep the spirit of scouting alive by cooking out or building a fire while we brew." Like their experience of scouting, this "brotherhood of the bottle" is a great mix of people and backgrounds, sharing different cultures and beliefs, and simply enjoying time together. Cheers Todd for sharing with us and cheers to this brotherhood of Scouts who continue to pass it forward!