Tourism News
Beer, Cheese, Sunglasses, and More: Local Products from the Myrtle Beach Area

Palmetto Cheese is a special take on everyone’s favorite spreadable lowcountry snack – pimento cheese! This delicious treat was first whipped up by Sassy Henry for tailgating parties in Atlanta, but grew into a brand of its own when she and her family moved to Pawleys Island. Sassy and her husband, Brian, took over the historic Sea View Inn in 2002 and she taught her friend & employee, Vertrella Brown, how to make the special dip. Brown started making the Palmetto Cheese recipe for guests, and it was an instant hit. Now you can find Palmetto Cheese in 8,500 retail locations in 40 different states. Vertella Brown is pictured on the lid, as Sassy believes that she is the embodiment of their tagline, the Pimento Cheese with Soul.”

Grits have been an essential in the Southern diet ranging back to the plantation days and maybe even before. Palmetto Farms is a company that prides itself on having served South Carolina and the rest of the country since 1934, offering up delicious stone-ground Carolina grits. In 2007, Palmetto Farms became the number one producer for old-fashioned, natural, stone-ground grits. These tasty grits can be found at Lowes Foods, Whole Foods market, Mast General Store, Rivertown Bistro, Trader Joe’s, and Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, DC.

While people in Myrtle Beach certainly stay hungry for tasty items, they also seek delicious beverages to quench their thirst throughout the year. The Myrtle Beach area is home to quite a few businesses that concoct their own beer, wine, and liquor.

New South Brewing is situated in downtown Myrtle Beach and offers locals and visitors tours of their facility as well as beer tastings. This local microbrewery started in 1998, and since then the company has been pumping out fresh, flavorful, and refreshing lagers and ales. And, while New South’s original mission was to make only draft beers, they added cans to their inventory in 2009, making their tasty brews more readily available to the public. Chances are, if you go to any bar or restaurant along the Grand Strand, you’re more than likely to find New South beer on the menu. The beer is also available for purchase at select retailers such as Food Lion, Walmart, and Scotchman.

Carolina Vineyards Wine is a local working winery that is located in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The winery is owned and operated by Tim and Carrie Walker, who have been creating their wines since 1999. Visitors to the area can try out Carolina Vineyards Wine selections in their tasting room at Barefoot Landing. Carolina Vineyards has 4 different labels they offer, including fruit wine, wine made with varietal grapes, traditional wines, and many other choices. The winery also operates alongside Boardwalk Winery, which is located at Broadway at the Beach. Though you may not be able to find these wines in stores across the country, they are available for order through the Carolina Vineyards website.

Another local wine company that is worth noting is Twisted Sisters Wine that is produced at La Belle Amie Vineyard in Little River. La Belle Amie Vineyard is a popular attraction that is home to a wine tasting room, shop, and outdoor area where events are often held. The land itself holds a lot of history, as the vineyard has been owned by the Bellamy family since the 1800’s and was once the site of a tobacco plantation. Perhaps this is why so many people flock to La Belle Amie year after year to sip on their extensive list of locally made wines, ranging from classic red and white wines to blush and fruity wines.

Trey and Bryan Boggs of Anderson, South Carolina decided they wanted to make their own legal version of moonshine that would appeal to the public; and that’s how Palmetto Distillery was born. The Boggs brothers found success with their idea of creating South Carolina’s first legal moonshine and eventually opened up a tasting and retail store just south of the Myrtle Beach State Park. Here, visitors 21 and up can taste moonshine and whiskey, as well as shop for clothing, sauces, pickles, hot sauces, mixers, and much more.

If you’ve been to Pawleys Island, you’ve most likely been to the Pawleys Island Hammock Shops. But if you haven’t, there is something you must know about: the Pawleys Island rope hammock. This special hammock was first created in 1889 by a riverboat captain named Joshua John Ward. His special hammock, which uses a three-strand type of rope, led his family to open the Pawleys Island Hammock Shops back in 1938. To this day, visitors to Pawleys Island can go to the Pawleys Island Hammock Shops and see these Pawleys Island rope hammocks being woven—and they can take one home, too! Pawleys Island Hammocks may also be ordered online and make perfect gifts for your loved ones.

There is nothing better than relaxing in a Pawleys Island Hammock and enjoying the sunshine, but you’re going to need some sunglasses, too! Swell Vision, based out of Pawleys Island, was founded by Mitchell Saum who had a mission to create affordable sunglasses that looked great and were made from sustainable materials. He created Swell Shades – handcrafted bamboo sunglasses that are in keeping with his mission to provide a quality, eco-friendly product to the public. In 2014, Swell Shades partnered with the Green School in Bali, Indonesia, donating a portion of their sales in order to provide tuition to Balinese children. Swell Shades can be purchased online as well as found in retailers all across the United States, and even in countries like Austria and Indonesia!