Other Lands blends brewery, cafe, coffee house, and bar

Brewery, cafe, coffee house, bar, Other Lands is all these things and more

Large windows stream natural light into the bright white space at Other Lands, which opened in early December adjacent to the North Main neighborhood in downtown Greenville. Despite the 25 taps lining the back wall, you would not automatically identify this place as a brewery. Yet, at its heart, Other Lands pays homage to owner Mel Wilcox’s passion for beer.

Wilcox, who earned a Master Brewer certificate from the prestigious program at University of California, Davis, before settling in Greenville in 2020, was preparing to open a brewery here when the pandemic threw a wrench into his plans. The delay wasn’t all bad, though. At the time, he was a stay-at-home dad and his wife was working full-time as a nurse.

While caring for his young daughter, the Furman grad and native of Birmingham, Alabama, fell in love with cooking. That led him to wonder whether it was feasible to create a kitchen at the brewery and add food, coffee, and cocktails to the mix, and before he knew it, his original brainchild had fermented into something more complex.

Nimble Other Lands Offerings

Wilcox provided the recipes for the original menu at Other Lands, though since opening, he’s hired Juniper James (from the now-shuttered Resident Diner) to manage the kitchen. Dishes such as hand-cut, twice-fried french fries and a patty melt with cheddar and grilled onions on house-made sourdough rank as best-sellers. Daily specials might include crustless quiche and both sweet and savory hand pies. “We’re a scratch kitchen,” the brewer says proudly. “We designed our menu to be small, nimble, and affordable.”

Located in a building right behind the cafe, the brewery facility is “sized to scale upward,” Wilcox explains. “The idea is to grow into our system.” He has experience in making all styles of beer, from his preferred easy-drinking lagers to hazy IPAs and fruited beers. Sours and experiments in wild fermentation are on tap for the future.

Beyond beer, the beverage program at Other Lands includes coffee drinks made with Methodical’s locally roasted beans. There’s a nitro cold brew on draft, along with a Negroni and an Old Fashioned—in addition to a full bar. Curated by the cafe’s neighbor Mission Grape, the wine selection spotlights small family-owned and sustainably produced wines.

The name Other Lands derives from a Walt Whitman poem. “The ethos of the name hits on wanderlust and finding a place where you can put down roots,” says Wilcox. He was also inspired by the history of the building, once a neighborhood grocery and deli. Perhaps the tagline distills the cafe’s essence best as a “space for slow,” where people can unplug, create relationships, and enjoy good food and drink.

Recipes

Ostara’s Black Spring

Mel Wilcox concocted this beverage for spring, combining a cocktail with coffee from the cafe’s espresso program.

Makes one cocktail

Note: If you’re making your own coffee liqueur, that needs to be done 4 days ahead.

Ingredients

• 1 oz homemade coffee liqueur (see recipe below), or substitute Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur
• 1.5 oz Botanist Gin, or any botanical gin
• 3 dashes dry Curaçao
• ½ oz Rich Lavender Syrup (see recipe below)
• 1 oz freshly made cooled espresso (we use Methodical La Pastora, but you can substitute cold brew concentrate)
• Orange slice for garnish

Assemble the Cocktail

1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake for about 15 seconds until cooled and aerated.
3. Double strain to catch any ice shards.
4. Serve in a rocks glass and garnish with an orange slice.

Rich Food-Grade  Lavender Syrup

• 1 Tbsp lavender buds
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup water

1. Gently heat lavender buds, sugar, and water in a small pot.
2. Stir until sugar is fully dissolved.
3. Let it rest until cooled to room temperature.
4. Strain out lavender buds and discard.
5. Store in the refrigerator and bring back to room temperature before use.

Coffee Liqueur

• ¼ cup finely ground coffee (or espresso)
• 2¼ cups water
• 1 cup turbinado sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1½ cups light rum

1. Mix coffee with 1¼ cups water in a sealed jar and steep for 12 hours.
2. Strain into a clean jar.
3. Make a simple syrup by boiling 1 cup water with 1 cup turbinado sugar; let it cool.
4. Add all the syrup, vanilla bean, and rum to the jar with the coffee. Steep for 3 days.
5. Remove vanilla bean and bottle the liqueur.

731 Rutherford Rd., Greenville, 864.203.3642, otherlandsbrew.com