SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — After eight years in business, Edward Teach Brewing will close its doors mid-month.
Located in a renovated fire station at 604 N. Fourth St., the brewery’s last day of operations will be Sunday, Feb. 15. Edward Teach has been at the center of controversy for two years and revealed its final day of service on social media last week.
READ MORE: Edward Teach ABC permits canceled in June, brewery responds to former owner’s arrest
CATCH UP: All Edward Teach reporting from the last few years
“For a little over eight years, this place has been so much more than a brewery. It’s been first dates, trivia nights, ‘just one mores,’ and friendships that turned into family. And that only happened because of you,” the post indicated, with management also thanking customers who imbibed and business partners that carried Edward Teach beer on its shelves and taps.
Gary Sholer opened Edward Teach in 2017, which became best known for its Teaches Peaches among a lineup of other brews. A source familiar with the matter said employees have been exiting in the last year or so, making it harder to keep operations running smoothly.
Two years ago, Sholar made headlines due to assault allegations put forth by a local musician. Madonna Nash detailed on social media in December 2023 that her daughter, local musician Asia Daye Norris, and a friend, Paige Grant, were part of an altercation with Sholar at Edward Teach during a show Norris was performing there in November. Daye and Grant said Sholar communicated threats and assaulted them, which he denied.
Sholar sued Nash for defamation, claiming the post led to multiple thousands of dollars worth of lost business as stores began pulling Edward Teach beer from its shelves. The incident also led to a product-tampering lawsuit Sholar filed against a former employee, but it was eventually dropped — as was the lawsuit against Nash. She eventually took down the post, apologized for its creation and agreed to host a music fundraiser with the brewery, which was held last spring.
The brewery also filed a claim against Norris and Grant, but eventually dropped it; however, both women have maintained their accounts, as detailed in an interview with Port City Daily. Norris and Grant took out self-initiated warrants for assault allegations, but the DA’s office dropped the charges.
However, the ALE stepped in during the incident and found the women’s accusations legitimate, as well as learned the brewery had been operating under expired permitting. ALE charged Sholar with multiple infractions, to which he pleaded guilty to failure to superintend a business for which an ABC permit was issued and took an Alford plea for disorderly conduct on the premises of his brewery.
Fast-forward to summer 2025 and Sholar was at the center of another assault charge, only this time with a Longhorn Steakhouse employee. Law enforcement were called to the Mayfaire restaurant last July, due to a victim enduring a head laceration. The Wilmington Police Department indicated at the time the restaurant employee said a customer, Sholar, allegedly threw a porcelain plate at the employee’s head and cut his scalp.
The incident attracted national headlines and Sholar was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault inflicting serious injury after he turned himself in. He posted the $1,000 bond and the case is still pending in court, with the next date scheduled for March 12 in courtroom 317.
Sholar also filed a civil case against the Longhorn employee, claiming he was assaulted first. But the civil suit was eventually dropped due to inaction.
However, a few weeks prior to the Longhorn incident, Sholar transferred Edward Teach into a trust overseen by his sister, Amy Ottaway. He was not able to hold an ABC permit from the 2024 misdemeanor charges — though Edward Teach permits were canceled in June due to unpaid fees. The brewery was closed for a bit, with a notice on the door saying it was “due to renovations.” It reopened before Labor Day 2025, with the permits reinstated under Ottaway’s name.
According to Jeff Strickland, public affairs director of the North Carolina ABC Commission, Edward Teach remains in good standing without violations in the system currently. The brewer received active commercial (brewery, malt beverage wholesaler, malt beverage special event), retail (malt beverage and unfortified wine), and four salesmen permits upon Ottaway submitting an application in August. The brewery immediately received temporary permits which were issued permanently in November 2025.
According to Edward Teach’s social media post, the brewery’s last day on Feb. 15 promises to be a “big celebration, with laughs and probably a few tears. Come raise a glass with us one last time. Drink the beer. Share the stories. Soak it all in.”
At Port City Daily, we aim to keep locals informed on top-of-mind news facing the tri-county region. To support our work and help us reach more people in 2026, please, consider helping one of two ways: Subscribe here or make a one-time contribution here.
We appreciate your ongoing support.
