THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, June 22, 1995 TAG: 9506210068
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Morsels
SOURCE: Ruth Fantasia
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
LATROBE, PA., has Rolling Rock. Golden, Colo., has Coors. Now Hampton Roads has its own beer - Steamship.
Lee Scanlon, who, with wife Brenda owns the Norfolk brewery, says they choose the Steamship moniker because it calls to mind the port area and it's quick.
``Can't you just hear people saying, `Give me a Steamship.'?'' says Lee.
But had life gone as planned for the Scanlons, Steamship wouldn't be Steamship and Norfolk wouldn't be the microbrewery's home.
A few years back, Lee, a Boston native and Culinary Institute of America graduate, and Brenda, who received her degree from Cornell's Hotel Management school, were working at a marina, campground and hotel complex in Brenda's home-town of Key West, Fla. They knew life had to change.
``We wanted to stay with the food-and-beverage industry and didn't want to deal with the public anymore. At least not on a daily basis,'' Lee says.
After a year of studying, the Scanlons decided to bet their bucks on brew. But where?
They decided on Atlanta.
Then, they vacationed with relatives in Corolla Beach, N.C., and toured Hampton Roads.
``We left Corolla Beach and headed for Atlanta,'' Scanlon said. ``We got as far as Augusta (Georgia) and said, `What are we doing?' and turned around. We decided we'd just left a great place to build a brewery.''
Though the Scanlons make their home in Corolla Beach, Steamship is in a nondescript warehouse on 24th Street in Norfolk.
There are lager tanks, a hot liquor tank, bottling machine, whirlpool and kettle. The brewery produces about 90 barrels a week.
Lee's brother, Mark Scanlon, gave up being a harbor pilot to become Steamship's brewmaster.
The Scanlons hope to make about 5,000 barrels of beer the first year. So far, reception to their first product, Steamship Captain's Lager, has been encouraging.
``We tried to design this beer to be a change-over beer,'' Lee says. It's intended to change mainstream beer drinkers into microbrew drinkers.
``It's still a golden lager (similar to big-name beers) but with more body,'' Lee says.
Steamship Captain's Lager costs about $6.59 a six-pack at Taste Unlimited, Farm Fresh stores, P.J. Baggin's, 22 Wine St. in Hampton and markets in Hampton Roads. It's also on tap at the Coastal Grill restaurant on Great Neck Road in Virginia Beach.
On July 1, the Scanlons will add Steamship Raspberry Ale to their line.
``We're trying for a distinctive raspberry flavor,'' Lee says. ``But don't expect it to taste like some wine cooler. This is beer.''
``Today it's quiet but on bottling days, you get that machine cranked up and hear it clanging away. It's a lot of fun,'' Lee says.
``Not a day goes by that we're not laughing about something,'' Lee says. ``And, we always have a beer to drink.''
It's just like being home. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by hristopher Reddick, Staff
Lee Scanlon is co-owner of Steamship Brewing Co., which recently
opened in Norfolk.
by CNB