WILMINGTON For Christian Stoner, his favorite North Carolina beer is the last one he sipped.
Originally from London, the trained chef landed stateside and fell into a love affair with craft beer from the Tar Heel State specifically in Raleigh, where he took a job at a neighborhood bottle shop, Hop Yard.
That was six-and-a-half years ago. Today, Stoner is the Hop Yard owner, with his wife, Susan Barnes, and a third business partner, Lance Rogers. In January, they expanded their brand to downtown Wilmington, opening a shop at 108 Grace St., the old Bombers Beverage Co. spot.
It’s not a far path to walk for Stoner, whose calling is in the hospitality industry. Once a bartender at Hop Yard, Stoner learned about various breweries across the state and the art of crafting tasty beer first-hand.