illustration: Danielle Grinberg
On New Year’s Eve, Keri Ayscue stood on the patio of her North Carolina brewery Bearded Bee, her eyeglasses fogging above her mask. “Construction started in 2019 and then Covid hits, and we’re like, ‘Well, shit, we’re too far in, so we’re just gonna keep on trucking,’” she said. Bearded Bee opened July 31, the day that Gov. Roy Cooper’s order took effect prohibiting alcohol sales after 11 p.m.
Located in the Raleigh-area bedroom community of Wendell, Bearded Bee has a mission to support local beekeepers. Covid has brought its own sting. Amid pollinator-themed decor in the taproom, tables were spread out to abide by the state’s 50 percent capacity mandate. Just a dozen or so revelers partied in advance of a 10 p.m. curfew the governor had just imposed in response to increased Covid numbers.