There is sea glass jewelry and then there is Pem Bryant’s jewelry. The Roanoke Island resident truly is an artist with vision who is prolific regarding new designs.

Not only is Bryant passionate about his medium, he is knowledgeable about what the glass used to be before it was naturally tumbled in the sea. His expertise doesn’t stop there. Bryant is an educated jewelry designer and master craftsman – a big departure from the usual wire-wrapped sea glass jewelry artists.

A trained goldsmith, Bryant pushes himself to always being ahead of the curve in fashioning what rightfully can be called fine jewelry.

This artist has shown his work in art exhibitions and is frequently seen at the local craft shows. He operates out of a private studio, but has a website, Facebook page and showcases his jewelry in the Dare County Arts Council Gallery in downtown Manteo. You can purchase his jewelry online and also at the Manteo Farmer's Market in the summer! 

The jewelry is breathtaking. His sea glass is not altered, but used just as it appeared on the shore where it was collected. The colors vary including sea blue and greens, rich cobalt and even rare red.

Bryant takes no shortcuts in his craftsmanship. Examine the work closely and imagine the countess hours it takes to design a single piece of jewelry.

You can view his work year round and learn more about this avid beachcomber at his website. As an artist, he holds varied hours, but he is vigilent in responding to website inquiries.  He also posts upcoming shows online. Bryant is available year round. 


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Kill Devil Hills
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Shopping
Brew Thru

Brew Thru

No trip to the Outer Banks is complete without cruising through Brew Thru, the Outer Banks’ original drive thru convenience store. Whether you’re looking for a refreshing cold beverage of Coke, Pepsi and other soft drinks on the go, stocking up your cooler with refreshments to enjoy at the beach or piling up on beer and wine for a party, Brew Thru is a fun and unique experience all vacationers need to see for themselves.

Drive-Through Beer & Gear

Brew Thru is Your One-Stop Shop at the Beach

The year was 1977, and Dana and Becky Lawrentz were chatting with friends over brews in their hometown of Akron, Ohio. They got to talking about a gas station convenience store in the area that had built a makeshift drive-through. Everyone agreed it would be pretty great if you could actually drive through a convenience store and pick up everything you needed without getting out of the car. But what would you call a place like that?

Well, you’d call it a Brew Thru.

It was an idea they couldn’t shake, so the Lawrentzes moved to the Outer Banks and built the first Brew Thru with the help of a partner. The idea was that people could come buy everything they would need for their trip to the beach—beer, wine, soft drinks, snacks, ice—without getting out of the car. That same year, a t-shirt salesman visiting the store and talked them into adding t-shirts to their product line—and 44 years later there are now more than five million Brew Thru t-shirts out in the wild.

The Lawrentzes’ daughter Brandy and her husband Philip Foreman purchased the business from them in 2002, and they now operate five locations across the Outer Banks.“We love being the one-stop shop for folks on the way to their beach house,” Foreman says. “Our car tenders are the friendliest people at the beach. We’re here to greet you, get you everything you need for your trip, load it up in the trunk for you, and have you leaving with a smile on your face.”

The store is quite expansive, featuring more than 100 brands of beer, dozens of wines and even a vast selection of cigars—not to mention all the snacks, t-shirts and other gear. To make ordering a little easier, customers in line get a menu—fondly known as the Summer-y—that outlines everything available at the store. These Summer-ies are also available in many of the beach rentals, which allows vacationers to decide what they want before driving through.

For customers who would like to get out and stretch their legs, there’s the Brew Thru Shop in Kill Devil Hills, where you can find their world famous t-shirts and other gifts. New t-shirt designs are created each year, making a yearly Brew Thru t-shirt a favorite of locals and annual visitors to the Outer Banks.

The Foremans both grew up in the Outer Banks, and they love that Brandy’s parents’ vision for a friendly and convenient place for people to grab their brews and other beach stay essentials is continuing to flourish.

“Our family has been welcoming people to the Outer Banks since 1977,” Foreman says. “We love this beautiful place, and we want everybody to get to enjoy it.”

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