If the intriguing name doesn’t convince riders to stop into Angry Troll Brewing in Elkin, North Carolina, the tasty food and beverages surely will.
Nestled at the eastern end of Main Street, the cozy brew pub makes the perfect destination for those “ride to eat” motorcycle outings. Behind doors emblazoned with a grimacing troll logo await a wood-paneled, exposed beam bar and dining area upstairs and a mural-clad basement taproom.
“Actually, if you look at those stairs. At the top there was a bridge that spanned across the river to Jonesville,” said Kristan Gooderham, general manager Angry Troll Brewing, as she shared the story behind the brewery’s fun-sounding name. “You could actually step out onto the roof of this building from the bridge. It fell into disrepair and closed. In 2010 or 11 they decided to demolish the bridge instead of restoring it. And the troll that lived under the bridge moved into the basement of our building and starting brewing beer.”
The brewery serves as the social hub of the old mill town, now becoming an outdoor tourism destination due to its location near several hiking trails, state parks and the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains.
Angry Troll also hosts regular bike nights and even created a beer just for riders stopping in on their motorcycles.
“It’s called Guardian Bell,” said Dee Potts, a bartender who used to ride a Harley 883 around Elkin’s backroads and mountain byways. “It’s lower in alcohol. It’s lighter and easier to drink. Similar to your Miller Lite, Michelob UItra, things that are more common. That’s a newer release for us.”
Gooderham said the light beer began as an idea from a motorcycle-riding employee. The brewery offers around 10 specially brewed beers, depending on the season, as well as serving popular mainstream brands.
“We did create Guarding Bell for bike night. We have an avid biker who is an assistant brewer. It was his idea for the name. It’s a very light, easy-drinking beer so you have a couple while hanging out and listening to live music,” she said.
The name comes from the small bells motorcyclists often attach to the bikes as way to ward off bad luck. The tradition holds you cannot buy one for yourself. Someone must gift you a guardian bell.
Angry Troll Brewing will resume bike nights this spring as weather permits. Their parking lot features a patio area, a taproom with pool tables and arcade games and a large dining area able to accommodate group gatherings.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have much of a parking lot to do bike games, but we do have vendors that set up. We do live music and park off spaces for bike parking on Sundays from 4 to 7 p.m.,” Gooderham said.
If bike nights aren’t to your preference, the brewpub’s food should be enough to encourage a lunch or dinner outing.
“We do have chef-driven pub food,” Gooderham said. “The building started with just a pizza oven. Chef Jeff Gibbs and his wife, Erica, opened the restaurant and did a chef-curated menu with about eight pizzas. We do hand-pressed mozzarella, homemade sauces, homemade dough and we usually use our beer for that. High quality ingredients. We do a lot of local sourcing. We have a guy that does our basil. It’s fantastically fresh. We do meat from Combs meat market, which is locally sourced.”
As the brewery grew in popularity, their kitchen added fries, burgers and nachos. They expanded into the space next door, increasing their dining room. They recently acquired nearby Skull Camp Brewing and Round Peak Vineyards, adding sparking meads and ciders to their offerings.
“On St. Patrick’s Day, we do a big party. In summer time, usually the tourism kicks up a lot especially because there are so many families taking their kids to camp or in the mountains. This is a good stop to have lunch,” Gooderham said. “You’ll find some angry trolls every once in a while, but everyone who’s here has been here for a while. We’re all passionate about our food and our beer. We do love what we do.”
— Michael E. Gouge
