In a medical emergency, every second counts. There are decisions that must be made in a heartbeat, treatments that need to be administered rapidly, and an infinite number of potential dangers that must be averted.
Dr. Michael Kaup, a board-certified emergency medicine specialist, is no stranger to the strenuous pace that comes with working in emergency medicine. In fact, he thrives on it.
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“I like the fact that you can see a large variety of patients, make quick decisions and differential diagnoses and get them started on a treatment plan all in a couple of hours,” says Dr. Kaup, who spent three decades working in the ER.
Growing up in Tipp City, Ohio, Dr. Kaup explored a few different avenues for what his future might hold until his eyes were opened to medicine.
“My wife and I both were involved in a youth group called Medical Explorers that took high school kids around to different medical environments to see if they were interested in that field,” he says. “I ended up going into medicine, and she went into aerospace working with NASA.”
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He would try on a few different medical specialties, from child psychology to anesthesiology to radiology, before discovering his passion for emergency medicine. He followed that passion to Hilton Head Hospital, where, for more than 30 years, he built a reputation for quick thinking and confidence that impacted countless lives. Earlier this year, he decided to make the change to an urgent care environment, bringing his acumen and experience to the Beaufort Memorial Express Care clinics in Bluffton, Okatie and Port Royal.
“Both the ER and urgent care have the variety of different issues you face, but the ER is certainly a little more urgent,” he says, adding with a laugh. “After 30 years, I don’t necessarily need that energy rush. I am very satisfied helping with relatively minor issues.”
Less Adrenaline, More Hops
It’s no surprise, then, that when he’s off the clock, Dr. Kaup pursues a hobby that requires a healthy dose of patience. As an avid craft beer homebrewer, he got his start like many brewers did, at his kitchen stovetop.
“I only did about three to four batches at first, with limited success,” he says with a laugh.
Whether it’s a hoppy IPA, a velvety smooth stout or a robust rye, he finds joy in the almost meditative pace that comes with brewing. When treating patients, especially in an emergency or urgent care setting, decisions yield often instantaneous results. When brewing, those results can take weeks, and the deliberate pace of it all is about as far from a hospital clinic as you can get.
“I like the hands-on way of gathering my ingredients, going from a sack of grain that I grind myself in a grinder, heating and treating the water, adding hops in different times of the brewing process, and coming up with an end product,” he says. “And it lets me use a little of my chemistry background.”
When Dr. Kaup, who is fondly referred to as “Doc” by his fellow local homebrewers, upgraded from the stovetop to a full brewing system with electric pumps, kettles and controls, he found that chemistry was just part of it.
“You get chemistry, plumbing, construction, a little engineering, a little mathematics, figuring out ingredients,” he says. “You get to use a lot of your skills.”
As someone who briefly entertained the notion of a culinary career while in high school, homebrewing hits the sweet spot of art and science. He’s been successful at it, too — he won a homebrewer competition hosted by River Dog Brewing Company a few years ago. The winner got to brew a batch at the brewery, which was then served at a local craft beer festival.
“I won with my Dark Laddie, a 10% ABV Russian Imperial Stout,” he remembers, adding that he flavored it with Madagascar vanilla beans, Makers Mark-soaked oak chips and Kona cold-pressed coffee.
Craft Beer Advocate
Brewing isn’t Dr. Kaup’s only outlet for advancing his epicurean interests. He currently serves as the vice president of the board for the Hilton Head Island Wine and Food Festival, the multi-day extravaganza that has become one of the Lowcountry’s top-tier spring events.
“Not only is Doc a thought leader, but he also is a hands-on guy who rolls up his sleeves and gets to work,” says Jeff Gerber, executive director of the festival. “You’ll find him setting up and breaking down tables, delivering ice to vendors and organizing and running the auctions.”
Those auctions allow the festival to provide scholarships to USCB and Technical College of the Lowcountry hospitality students every year.
“The person who ran these for years moved into an emeritus role,” Gerber says. "Doc stepped up to take charge of this vital operation for the organization.”
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Naturally, with craft beer becoming a larger part of the foodie conversation, Dr. Kaup was the first to stand up and introduce his favorite brews to the menu.
“I suggested adding a craft beer event to the festival, and we did the first one in March 2022,” he says. “It turned out to be a success.”
That’s an understatement. What organizers called Craft Beer at the Beach instantly became one of the festival’s most quickly sold-out events, prompting a return this past year and ultimately an expansion into its own standalone event.
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