Drinking Beer in Charlotte

[grodney]

We might reach a saturation point of bottle shops before too long, and I like each one of them too much to part with, but if this is a place geared specifically towards the filling of growlers with lots of taps I think it will do fine.

Yep -- small chain out of Atlanta. Nice tap lists. Easy policy (1 time growler fee ($5**), then exchange for either size). No prices listed -- but if they're reasonable, they should do fine I think.

**Their site also says they'll fill your own growler, but they have to sanitize it first -- they don't mention if they charge a fee for that.

[SouthEndCLT811]

A growler shop across the street from a World of Beer that is already struggling?? Interesting location choice, wonder who will shutter their doors first

 

Honestly never thought of WoB struggling because the neighborhood couldn't support but rather the service you get there.  And I'm sure the lease is not cheap for that size of a space.  I lived in that building for three years and anxiously waited for WoB to open.  A couple months in I gave up on it ever being my neighborhood hang out.  

 

I am excited for this new place to open.  Good Bottle sustained the period where Junction, Silos, Fountains and Colonial weren't open so I think they should be fine.  And Common Market is a neighborhood staple.  So if anything this place will be a nice compliment to what we already have since it's a slightly different take on a craft beer shop.

Edited April 15, 2014 by SouthEndCLT811

[HopHead]

Honestly never thought of WoB struggling because the neighborhood couldn't support but rather the service you get there.  And I'm sure the lease is not cheap for that size of a space.  I lived in that building for three years and anxiously waited for WoB to open.  A couple months in I gave up on it ever being my neighborhood hang out.  

 

I am excited for this new place to open.  Good Bottle sustained the period where Junction, Silos, Fountains and Colonial weren't open so I think they should be fine.  And Common Market is a neighborhood staple.  So if anything this place will be a nice compliment to what we already have since it's a slightly different take on a craft beer shop.

 

Like you, I was excited when World of Beer opened. A seemingly endless line of taps for craft beer and numerous other bottled beers that you don't always find in many other bars. But sadly, yes the service there stinks. I don't think the fact that the place is usually sparsely patronized is because of location either -- though the parking situation isnt necessarily the best. I've come across maybe one knowledgeable person that serves beer there. The other 90% of bartenders that work there couldn't even tell you what most of the beers on tap taste like, let alone if one is a Pale Ale or IPA. You go to a place like Common Market or especially Good Bottle, everyone is very knowledgeable of everything they have on tap, had on tap or will have on tap. Charlotte has a great craft beer scene and World of Beer has clearly missed landing on the Titanic. A lot of other places have cashed in though. 

[CLTProductions]

Like you, I was excited when World of Beer opened. A seemingly endless line of taps for craft beer and numerous other bottled beers that you don't always find in many other bars. But sadly, yes the service there stinks. I don't think the fact that the place is usually sparsely patronized is because of location either -- though the parking situation isnt necessarily the best. I've come across maybe one knowledgeable person that serves beer there. The other 90% of bartenders that work there couldn't even tell you what most of the beers on tap taste like, let alone if one is a Pale Ale or IPA. You go to a place like Common Market or especially Good Bottle, everyone is very knowledgeable of everything they have on tap, had on tap or will have on tap. Charlotte has a great craft beer scene and World of Beer has clearly missed landing on the Titanic. A lot of other places have cashed in though. 

But what I don't get is, as management of WoB, you have GOT to know the complaints about service. Why not change it?? It has been years, is it because theyre making money so who cares? I really don't get it, is it the same principle as people paying $10 for beer at a stadium, people still do it so why change it? And yes, I agree the service at WoB is terrible.

Edited April 15, 2014 by Jayvee

[archiham04]

I stumbled in there once, before they opened to the public... The management was "training" the staff on beer.  It was hilarious to me to hear a group of grown adults play "repeat after me".  "Newcastle is from England", "Newcastle is from England" etc.

[kermit]

Here is the Charlotte Mag story on the Beer Growler:

• 45 taps (might expand to 60)
• Early summer opening
• Growler fills only, no bottles, no on premise (for a while)

 

http://www.charlottemagazine.com/Blogs/On-Tap/April-2014/Charlottes-first-growler-fill-store-to-open-this-summer/

[grodney]

Hate to ask it, but any predictions on the fate of Four Friends? Their tap room has been closed for months. Their beer, for me, was inconsistent back when I actually saw it on tap. Now I rarely see it. They're not very active in social media -- of course how active can you be when you don't have a tap room? Oddly, I saw them on tap at the growler station at Stateline Elite (in SC). I wonder if they are licensed to sell/distribute in SC?

Not trying to drag anybody through the mud -- just wondering if such a small and seemingly disorganized operation can stay afloat in Charlotte's scene?

Edited April 17, 2014 by grodney

[go_vertical]

I was wondering the same about them recently too. Was also wondering out loud to my friend the other day about the supposed Free Range Brewing. I'm a HUGE supporter of the local breweries and drink the Charlotte stuff about 90% of the time when I go out but I'm thinking this city is very close to hitting the saturation point in regards to what it can support currently. There are only so many taps out there and I think the established few (OMB, NODA, Birdsong, and Triple C) have gotten their claws firmly sunk in. Most of my beer-loving friends have their preferred local brewery by now and pretty much anything new that is tried just doesn't quite delight so they go back to what they know will hit the spot. It seems to me by now that if you don't have your business affairs in order or if your formulas/recipes aren't down to a science you are low hanging fruit. And any brewers still looking to get off the ground might have simply missed the boat. I think the honeymoon phase of the Charlotte craft scene is coming to an end and the customers here are becoming more demanding as to what they expect.

Having said all of that I am hopeful and optimistic about Sugar Creek Brewing. I really hope that one pans out. Love me some Belgian suds.

[nonillogical]

I was wondering the same about them recently too. Was also wondering out loud to my friend the other day about the supposed Free Range Brewing. I'm a HUGE supporter of the local breweries and drink the Charlotte stuff about 90% of the time when I go out but I'm thinking this city is very close to hitting the saturation point in regards to what it can support currently. There are only so many taps out there and I think the established few (OMB, NODA, Birdsong, and Triple C) have gotten their claws firmly sunk in. Most of my beer-loving friends have their preferred local brewery by now and pretty much anything new that is tried just doesn't quite delight so they go back to what they know will hit the spot. It seems to me by now that if you don't have your business affairs in order or if your formulas/recipes aren't down to a science you are low hanging fruit. And any brewers still looking to get off the ground might have simply missed the boat. I think the honeymoon phase of the Charlotte craft scene is coming to an end and the customers here are becoming more demanding as to what they expect.

Having said all of that I am hopeful and optimistic about Sugar Creek Brewing. I really hope that one pans out. Love me some Belgian suds.

I don't know about Free Range and even less about Dukbone, but I can say Sycamore is definitely still on the way. I think they will benefit from their location so hopefully they'll succeed, with a linear path between so many breweries in Southend.

 

I feel you overall though. I haven't given Unknown much of a second thought since their opening party, though every now and then I do hear about a tapping of something more experimental that at least sounds really good.

[go_vertical]

I had completely forgotten about Sycamore. I guess that's what happens when you have an amazing site such as this. You usually hear about this stuff so early in the planning phase that by the time it becomes a reality you have probably started to think it fell through. Good to hear the wheels are still moving for them. I look forward to sampling their creations.

[km1789]

I was by the Sycamore site the other day and they are well on their way. They have gutted the inside of that building and are moving along at a good clip. 

[grodney]

Coming Soon updates, listed in my personal evaluation of viability/likelihood:

Sycamore: Very active on Twitter. Build-out underway. Facebook Apr 17 photo shows trenches in floor for beer lines. March 11 update: "opening in a few short months".

Sugar Creek: Last FB Mar 24. Last tweet Apr 12. Stated June 7 launch with Grand Opening in July. My evaluation of viability here is due to being an OMB sub-lease.

Free Range: Signed lease in NoDa. Not very active on FB or Twitter, especially regarding the brewery. Jan 30 post saying they won't be pouring at QCBF because "all of our efforts should be put towards Free Range Brewing's opening in the coming months".

Dukbone: Fairly active on Twitter and Facebook, but not about the brewery. Last brewery update Dec 16: "We have located a building that we feel is nearly perfect for our craft brewery. Our main goals for the building are to have a large outdoor beer garden, and a large taproom that has plenty of space for "activities." This building has both, and much more. Staying true to our mentality of not following the norm, the building is also in an area that doesn't currently have a brewery, but could use one. What are we doing to determine if we will move forward with this building? We have had our engineer and contractor at the building working to determine the costs to bring the building up to code, and to determine the build out costs for the brewery. We have also been working with the city in an effort to tweak the traffic situation going in and out of the building. Once we get feedback on these items, we will know if this building is meant to be our home."

Thirsty Nomad: Active on facebook and twitter but not regarding brewery. Twitter says "nano-brewery in planning". Web page says: "We are currently putting the finishing touches on our business and marketing plans, and we are actively seeking investors. There's also crowdfunding campaign (i.e. Kickstarter) in the works."

I'm guessing Sugar Creek will open before Sycamore, but only because their space is presumably ready to go. I'm assuming Sugar Creek has all licensing in place. If not, delays in that might push them behind Sycamore and the inevitable build-out delays.

I don't know anything about Free Range. Apparently they have been active and actively pouring in the festival scene, but they're really quiet on social media. I would guess an opening late this year or early next year. But that's a wild guess.

Dukbone I continue to doubt if they'll ever open. They seem like a bunch of college kids with dad's money -- which means maybe they will! I hope they prove me wrong and that they are fabulous. They have said "2014" and "drinking this year but pouring next year" regarding several festivals -- so we'll see.

Thirsty Nomad I have no clue. If I had to guess, I'd say it will never happen on a commercial basis.

Charlotte Beer List:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmDt3ts8a8dLdDVkUWxkOEtoZmJZNUN2ZEhiZ19CWHc&usp=sharing#gid=0

Edited April 22, 2014 by grodney

[InSouthPark]

Coming Soon updates, listed in my personal evaluation of viability/likelihood:

Free Range: Signed lease in NoDa. Not very active on FB or Twitter, especially regarding the brewery. Jan 30 post saying they won't be pouring at QCBF because "all of our efforts should be put towards Free Range Brewing's opening in the coming months".

 

 

Free Range will likely come to fruition unless they hit some big snag.They signed the lease back in October but I haven't heard much since then. They make some incredible beers and are super nice guys. I know they worked a long time to develop their plan for their brewery and brewpub.

[Madison Parkitect]

This is only tangentially related to beer specifically, but every time I look at the annual Garden & Gun best bars issue, I wonder why in the world Charlotte doesn't have a bar that fits into the recent trend of speakeasy cocktail bars. A case could be made, I guess, that Charlotte is a beer and club bar town, but I would think it's big enough for just one bar where the bartenders are serious about craft cocktails and a historic nostalgia, even if it is a faked history. It seems like that kind of bar would do good business.

[ah59396]

This is only tangentially related to beer specifically, but every time I look at the annual Garden & Gun best bars issue, I wonder why in the world Charlotte doesn't have a bar that fits into the recent trend of speakeasy cocktail bars. A case could be made, I guess, that Charlotte is a beer and club bar town, but I would think it's big enough for just one bar where the bartenders are serious about craft cocktails and a historic nostalgia, even if it is a faked history. It seems like that kind of bar would do good business.

 

 

It's an evolving landscape.  To think we didn't even have a BREWERY until 5 years ago and then look at where we are now; I imagine it's only a matter of time.

[SouthEndCLT811]

This is only tangentially related to beer specifically, but every time I look at the annual Garden & Gun best bars issue, I wonder why in the world Charlotte doesn't have a bar that fits into the recent trend of speakeasy cocktail bars. A case could be made, I guess, that Charlotte is a beer and club bar town, but I would think it's big enough for just one bar where the bartenders are serious about craft cocktails and a historic nostalgia, even if it is a faked history. It seems like that kind of bar would do good business.

 

I think Nan and Byron's tried that with the decor and drinks on the menu.  Unfortunately on Saturday night's it turns into a DJ and $2 Bud Light bottles.  See ah's comment about beer and club crowd.  Even in a likely speakeasy candidate it turns clubby.

[CLTProductions]

I think Nan and Byron's tried that with the decor and drinks on the menu.  Unfortunately on Saturday night's it turns into a DJ and $2 Bud Light bottles.  See ah's comment about beer and club crowd.  Even in a likely speakeasy candidate it turns clubby.

Nan & Byron's definitely has that vibe, but unfortunately after a few months in the Charlotte market, they realized they were in...Charlotte (hence the Saturday nights). Now I am not opposed to the club bar, I for one, enjoy club atmosphere....however I also really enjoy the quiet cocktail environment and just wish there were venues like that here. There seems to be enough of a clamour for it, it just never seems to happen, they start out with the right intentions, then dive into normalcy (see Bubble & 5 Church)

[Matthew.Brendan]

Could the Polk building support a brewery operation/bar/speakeasy lounge what have you? I have no idea why it is not already loft/office space but this would seem like a viable alternative, no?

[CLTProductions]

Could the Polk building support a brewery operation/bar/speakeasy lounge what have you? I have no idea why it is not already loft/office space but this would seem like a viable alternative, no?

Might be too big if anything....there would be a lot of empty space on the floors above, however I have beaten this to death on this forum but my god something has to be done with that building.

[Madison Parkitect]

Yeah, Nan and Byron's Saturday night parties always seemed so out-of-place to me. But I bet they make as much in that one night than all their other nights...

 

Someone on here mentioned something about the new uptown Duckworth's having a speakeasy place in the basement. That could be a cool place if they actually do it. Here's hoping...

[CLTProductions]

Yeah, Nan and Byron's Saturday night parties always seemed so out-of-place to me. But I bet they make as much in that one night than all their other nights...

 

Someone on here mentioned something about the new uptown Duckworth's having a speakeasy place in the basement. That could be a cool place if they actually do it. Here's hoping...

Yeah that is supposedly happening, and would be perfect, hope it happens.

[ScottCLT]

I actually had really high hopes that the Oak Room, beside All American Pub, was going to be a chill cocktail lounge. The decor and the name indicate what I would think would be a chill place, but it too is actually just a night club. Check out these photos from the inside, though:

 

http://oakroomclt.com/#media-tour

Edited April 22, 2014 by ScottCLT

[grodney]

 

Someone on here mentioned something about the new uptown Duckworth's having a speakeasy place in the basement. That could be a cool place if they actually do it. Here's hoping...

 

Yes, but speakeasy beer, by the sounds of it -- not speakeasy cocktails.  But still different, for sure.

 

"

Downstairs, roughly 1,400 square feet will be dedicated to The Cellar at Duckworth’s. It will feature a speakeasy-type feel and cater to beer connoisseurs, Duckworth says.

“It will be a whole different sort of destination,” he adds.

The cellar will offer a limited number of beer taps as well as its own menu, with fare along the lines of that found in a gastropub, he says.

"

Edited April 22, 2014 by grodney

[Madison Parkitect]

I actually had really high hopes that the Oak Room, beside All American Pub, was going to be a chill cocktail lounge. The decor and the name indicate what I would think would be a chill place, but it too is actually just a night club. Check out these photos from the inside, though:

 

http://oakroomclt.com/#media-tour

I was excited and then let down by the names of both Prohibition and the Oak Room.

[ScottCLT]

I was excited and then let down by the names of both Prohibition and the Oak Room.

Yeah, I remember when Prohibition opened and I wanted to love the idea so much. But my wife and I went there one night and immediately left after our first drink. That place is horrible...just another $2 Bud bar with a DJ. I hate that it replaced not one, but two excellent bars uptown. Madison's was always great, and on weekday nights, The Attic was great as well. The Attic was probably the most speakeasy-feeling bar in uptown aside from the weekends, with the Edison light bulbs above the bar, dark decor, and some decent indie music usually playing. Totally different on Friday and Saturday, but when I lived two blocks from that place, it was awesome place to go on a weekday night for a drink or two.