Come to Panacea Brewing Company for Dry January

It’s Dry January in Wilmington, NC and you’re looking for a night out and mocktails with friends- look no further! Panacea Brewing Company is the OG of the NA in this town, brewing non alcoholic kombucha here since 2106 and making in house shrubs, sodas and lemonades since 2019. While we know a thing or two about making our own NA products, we understand the public is looking to try new things…and so are we!

We’ve partnered with several local businesses to put together a stellar Dry January calendar of events and a great new mocktail menu. Equity and inclusion has always been at the forefront of our culture at Panacea, and expanding our non alcoholic offerings is just one way we are choosing to show the community that all are welcome here. Whether you’re just abstaining for the month, in recovery from addiction, or if you’ve chosen a sober lifestyle, we invite you to experience a menu made with your choices in mind. While we do sell alcohol on premise (we’re a brewery, of course we do!) we’ve got plenty of NA spirits, mocktails and NA beers for you to try including these fun brands: Athletic Brewing, Amethyst, Kentucky 74, Three Spirit, and Ghia.

Panacea Begins Canning

Before the pandemic, it seemed that being a hyper local craft brand was a great idea. Then, the doors of all our favorite local retailers suddenly closed and the only places folks really frequented were grocery stores. This put our little kombucha business in quite a scary position. It became clear that we needed a better plan, one where we could reach more people, regardless of pandemic pressures.

Cans, it only made sense, especially living in a beach town. We invested in a Twin Monkeys Gunnison canning line, a huge expense for our tiny company. We chose our two flagships non alcoholic flavors that we had previously been bottling with a manual 4 head filler (Blueberry Lavender and Triple Berry Ginger), and 3 hard kombuchas (Lavender Hops, Raspberry Lemonade, and Pineapple Hops) to can. Local branding powerhouse, Creature Theory designed our labels.

Panacea in cans, the perfect choice for the beach or boat

We christened the canning line on February 18th. After a few little hiccups, we successfully filled 4 skus of cans, in less time than it would have taken to label the glass bottles using our old system. Wow! This machine is going to change our lives!

Alex Urquhart, head brewer, Panacea Brewing Company

Now that we’ve got the horsepower, it’s time to hit the streets! If you love Panacea, please ask all your local retailers to start carrying our new cans.

Wholesale inquiries can be made to:

Panacea Brewing Company- Your Dry January Headquarters

1. Lavender Hops - Composed of citra hops and lavender! This flavor has a similar taste to that of an IPA, due to the inclusion of citra hops. Your friends can pour their liquor, and you can indulge in the healthier alternative, without missing out on the feeling and taste of drinking.

2. Detox - Made up of ginger, dandelion, and chamomile! Perfect for those that need a little detoxing from alcohol and 2019! 

3. Triple Berry Ginger - Composed of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, ginger, and cardamon! This flavor is a classic! It’s one of our oldest flavors, and reminds us a bit of summer and sunshine, with its heavy berry content - which is incredibly welcome throughout these colder months! 

2 Chicks with Scents and Sustainability

In 2015, the United States generated about 262 million tons of municipal waste. About 35 million tons of that came from plastic products, and almost 7 million tons came from glass. With these figures, it’s easy to see why it is so important that we do everything we can to help the environment and support businesses that do the same.

This is why we here at Panacea value sustainability, recycling, and upcycling as a way to help our environment. We offer reusable growlers and encourage you to bring your own containers to be filled with your favorite kombucha. We also have reusable cups. But we don’t stop there. We also like to partner with other local business owners that use their businesses to promote sustainability, recycling, and upcycling.

One of these local businesses is 2 Chicks with Scents owned by Bitsy Crawford and Kara Ryder.

It all started when owner Bitsy’s medical issues made her job as a chef too difficult to manage. She began making candles and other health products with essential oils in her home. Pretty soon friends and family began asking for her products and before she knew it, 2 Chicks with Scents was born. Officially started in 2012, 2 Chicks with Scents became a sustainable business that prompts health and wellness through essential oils, crystals, aromatherapy.

Now, almost seven years later, Bitsy and her partner Kara make salves, balms, element sprays, bath salts, soy candles, and essential oil blends. When they first started, they sourced mason jars from China, but soon realized the unneccesary waste and expense. Then they poured candles into whatever containers they had available. Even as 2 Chicks with Scents grew, they kept with the theme of recycling and upcycling, and even added in a way to support other local businesses.

All of the candles are hand poured at 2 Chicks with Scents into recycled or upcycled containers from the community. Friends and customers give old jars, teacups, and even beer bottles to Bitsy and Kara to use for their candles. In fact, Panacea saves the old Unity Vibrations bottles we sell and donate them to Bitsy to use for her business.

2 Chicks with Scents gets all of the pottery they use from local artists. These products are not just for candles. After the candles have burned out, you can use these containers as drinking glasses, pen or toothbrush holders, or for anything you need around your home or office. You can even bring the containers back to themfor a discounted candle refill. By doing this, 2 Chicks with Scents encourages their customers upcycle and recycle.

This is true even with the soy candles. The 2 Chicks team uses locally sourced soy for their products, which also double as a moisturizer. While many people think that candles are single use items, you can enjoy 2 Chicks with Scents’ candles and use the wax as a natural moisturizer, making a typically single-use item a multi-use item.

But 2 Chicks with Scents does more than just recycle and upcycle. They also make sure that all of their products come from companies that care about the environment just as much as they do.

The wooden wicks that they used are bought from Wooden Wicks, a small company based out of Oregon, that sustainability creates its products and helps plant more trees in the environment. Also, all the crystals that 2 Chicks with Scents are sustainability and naturally gathered. All of the plastic products that Bitsy and Kara use are BPA free, and when they need to buy jars for candles, they buy from a company that makes the jars from recycled glass.

2 Chicks with Scent sustainably provides Wilmington and the surrounding areas with great products all while helping support other local businesses. You can find their products at Madame Meerkat’s Cabinet of Curiosities, Going Local, local Farmers Markets, and on their website. Help support 2 Chicks with Scents as they support sustainability, recycling, and upcycling in our community.

Kombucha on Kampus

With a new semester in full swing, it’s easy to get caught up in the rush. But don’t let that stop you from getting your kombucha. Rich with probiotics and antioxidants, kombucha is a great way for students and teachers to promote their health and well-being all while enjoying a delicious beverage.

You can even find Panacea Craft Kombucha on the UNCW campus, providing students with easy access to the all the ’bucha benefits.

UNCW students, teachers, staff, and visitors can enjoy their favorite Panacea flavors on campus. The P.O.D (Provision on Demand), located in the Fisher Student Union Building, offers Panacea Craft Kombucha on tap Monday-Friday from 7am-10pm. Panacea is also available at Seahawk Crossing, open from Monday-Friday from 6:30am-9pm and Saturday-Sunday from 9am-9pm.

Bring your own refillable container or grab one when you fill up. Single use cups are also available.

So, whether you need an early morning pick-me-up or need some energy to get through a late-night study session, UNCW has all your kombucha needs covered.