March 2021 Issue

Rob Pruiett began his adventure in micro brewing on December 1, 2003, when he and his father, Lannie Pruiett, purchased the Aiken Brewing Company from Dan Beavers. Rob had moved with his wife and 4-year-old twins from Nashville to Aiken to be closer to his parents. The timing was right because after the move his mother Mary was diagnosed with cancer; they were fortunate to spend 8 years together before she passed away. Rob reflects, “Mary Pruiett was everyone’s hero. Her legacy is everything to me. Ensuring family first, my mother was amazing. She started as a secretary at Whirlpool in the 70s, and by the time she left she

And so it begins, rightly so, right next door to the Bella Magazine Studio, in downtown Aiken, South Carolina — the first brewery on my beer journey. I moved to Aiken in 2001 from Golden, Colorado. I distinctly remember that The Aiken Brewing Company was one of the first places I stopped into and ate at, well, because it was a brewery. It’s a whole different experience to sit down and drink the beer when you know more about who is making it, how it is made, and how the business came about. Georgia passed the brewpub law right before the Summer Olympics in Atlanta in ’93 — it allowed

Irish whiskey cocktail is obligatory for March because the whole month is basically St. Patrick’s Day, right? What else is there in March? Well … Julius Caesar’s death, but what would we drink to honor that? Wine? Ouzo? Exactly — so whiskey it is. You immediately reach for your bottle of Bailey’s. Et tu Brute? Hold on, y’all. What if I told you the best Irish coffee has exactly zero Bailey’s Irish Cream in it? Sure, you can definitely end up with a tasty beverage with the quintessential Irish cream, but hear me out. This recipe will make you forget everything you thought you knew about the Irish coffee. The

Sean Butler, AKA Little Sean, has been a core member of Fuse since just before we opened here in Aiken. After his interview, we realized we had a lot in common — thinking outside of the box and making sure that our ingredients were as fresh and locally sourced as possible. His position at Fuse is extremely important, as he is responsible for the first and last bites most tables will have. The kid is crazy, and that comes through in the best way in his dishes. You Will Need • 7” spring form pan • mixing bowl • cookie sheet Filling • 12 oz goat cheese (Trail Ridge has

As the live music landscape continues to shift, it’s nice to know these places in Aiken are doing great things to keep music alive and keep patrons safely entertained. Solo Singer/Songwriter Josephine Johnson Did you always know what you wanted to be when you grew up? I did. As a toddler I sang Jackie Wilson songs into my mom’s wooden mixing spoons. A couple years later I sang along with Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” until the cassette tape snapped. In high school I did musicals and played guitar. My whole life I’ve always known I am a musician. I didn’t know, however, the twists and turns it would