Drinking Beer in Charlotte

[CLT Development]

7 minutes ago, InSouthPark said:

Places like Crunkleton didn't have to do restaurant inspections?!  So serving raw oysters, pork, fish, steaks didn't warrant inspections because it was a private club?  And they will have to install 50k of equipment to meet the restaurant standards?  Wild.

Someone came to me complaining about this, and I pulled out a tiny violin and played them a sad song. Crazy that Crunkleton was operating as a full-service restaurant without inspections and got away with it. So did Fairweather.

[CharlotteWkndBuzz]

Movement on the old D9 brewery at Savoy has started recently. What was empty now has new tank installations etc. Cleaned up the area, fixed the lighting and added picnic tables. This area will eventually be nice/busy when the new apartment tower eventually goes up. 

[InSouthPark]

2 hours ago, CLT Development said:

Someone came to me complaining about this, and I pulled out a tiny violin and played them a sad song. Crazy that Crunkleton was operating as a full-service restaurant without inspections and got away with it. So did Fairweather.

Yeah I thought this was for random places that would have a charcuterie plate you could buy, not a full blown restaurant.  At least customers didn't get sick or anything from the raw oysters at Fairweather. 

[grodney]

So is Hippin Hops open yet in that D9 space?  We're running out of "December".  Also, anybody been to "Labaratory"?  They SUPPOSEDLY brew BEER (in addition to soju)?   https://charlotte.axios.com/315931/owners-of-seoul-food-meat-co-to-open-a-new-brewery-and-soju-distillery-in-2023/

[grodney]

End-of-year Brewery List preview before I publish to reddit.  Any corrections welcomed!!!

Question: Labaratory (see above)

Coming soon: OMB Ballantyne, etc.  Suffolk Punch Birkdale.  Saucy Brew Works.  Hippin Hops (see above).  Another Brewery.

 

[grodney]

We went to Blue Blaze on Saturday......holy hell that area has boomed!  There are apartments under construction everywhere (including across the street from Blue Blaze), office/retail buildings everywhere, nice landscaping/sidewalk/greenway next to the brewery, and the mill is looking great.  I don't know anything about what's going in there or when, but it looks nice all cleaned up.  I know there was some news about Blue Blaze rent going up 5x or whatever, but I haven't heard anything since.  Anyway, this boom has to be what they were dreaming of when they first got that space long ago.......it just took longer than they wanted/hoped, I'm sure.

By the way, their Doppelbock and Scotch Ale were awesome.  I wish all their beer was that good, hahahaha.

Also went to Town (Hazy) and Birdsong (ESB).....after starting the day at Pinky's.  Had a Red Oak with lunch, like it was 2002 all over again.  That beer is pretty terrible for $6/pint.  Crazy how things have changed.

[Prodev]

On 12/26/2023 at 6:04 PM, grodney said:

 

Coming soon: OMB Ballantyne, etc.  Suffolk Punch Birkdale.  Saucy Brew Works.  Hippin Hops (see above).  Another Brewery.

 

 

Awesome list! Thanks for putting it together. I don't know if we should be holding our breath for Saucy. It's been nearly 3 years since it was formally announced and there are still no plans submitted for the project. While I'd love to see it still happen, it seems unlikely.

[SouthEndCLT811]

40 minutes ago, Prodev said:

Awesome list! Thanks for putting it together. I don't know if we should be holding our breath for Saucy. It's been nearly 3 years since it was formally announced and there are still no plans submitted for the project. While I'd love to see it still happen, it seems unlikely.

Supposedly going to start in March, we'll see..

https://www.constructionjournal.com/projects/details/45c131edc3c544c7afcfd292eb599ed1.html

[grodney]

2 hours ago, Prodev said:

Awesome list! Thanks for putting it together. I don't know if we should be holding our breath for Saucy. It's been nearly 3 years since it was formally announced and there are still no plans submitted for the project. While I'd love to see it still happen, it seems unlikely.

Thanks.  There's already a bunch out-of-date.....and reddit helped me clarify a few others.  I'll post an updated list sometime soon.

Speaking of which, I see Midnight Mulligan is officially gone now......but Weathered Souls appears to still be very much alive?  What happened at Midnight Mulligan?  Crappy beer isn't enough to turn away the hordes.  They had a great place with their own parking.....in a booming area.  Maybe not booming enough?  Didn't use social media enough?  I'm curious if anybody has more scoop.

[Prodev]

1 hour ago, grodney said:

Thanks.  There's already a bunch out-of-date.....and reddit helped me clarify a few others.  I'll post an updated list sometime soon.

Speaking of which, I see Midnight Mulligan is officially gone now......but Weathered Souls appears to still be very much alive?  What happened at Midnight Mulligan?  Crappy beer isn't enough to turn away the hordes.  They had a great place with their own parking.....in a booming area.  Maybe not booming enough?  Didn't use social media enough?  I'm curious if anybody has more scoop.

Weathered Souls actually put itself up for sale, so their days are probably numbered pretty soon too. I've been in there twice and it wasn't busy either time. I'm actually surprised how little activity there is in all of the places on that strip in LoSo. State of Confusion is sucking wind pretty hard. SupperClub seems like it's doing just okay, which you'd think there'd still be hype and crowds with the newness factor. Phat Burrito seems to be doing fine, but it's also small and casual and probably does nothing for the nightlife vibe/feel to help the other places. Gilde seems to be the one with the most consistent crowd on that block, although I wouldn't say they're killing it by any measure. 

[InSouthPark]

Midnight Mulligan must have disappeared like a fart in the wind.  Don't remember seeing anything about it shutting down.

I never got to Weathers Souls (even though I really like their BBA stouts).  But with 5 parking spots and dogs not allowed, I found other places to go. 

[CLT Development]

2 hours ago, Prodev said:

Weathered Souls actually put itself up for sale, so their days are probably numbered pretty soon too. I've been in there twice and it wasn't busy either time. I'm actually surprised how little activity there is in all of the places on that strip in LoSo. State of Confusion is sucking wind pretty hard. SupperClub seems like it's doing just okay, which you'd think there'd still be hype and crowds with the newness factor. Phat Burrito seems to be doing fine, but it's also small and casual and probably does nothing for the nightlife vibe/feel to help the other places. Gilde seems to be the one with the most consistent crowd on that block, although I wouldn't say they're killing it by any measure. 

I know, transit, blah blah, but parking is an absolute hassle over there, and until there is a critical mass of residents, I think everything is doomed over there unless the offering is high quality. Weathered Souls really wasn't great the few times I went there, really mailed it in on all fronts, hell they didn't even remove the showers from the yoga studio. State of Confusion has terrible food, and is somehow a mix between cajun, argentinian, and peruvian — pick a lane —  and is way too big, maybe they just want us to be confused? SupperClub's is perplexing considering that it's trying to be a duckpin bowling place, with fine dining food. Really just bad concepts over there. Goldies is an absolute gem, though I think their food service will suffer, there is not enough room to cue, eat and while having the ability to enjoy the live music en masse.

Edited January 16 by CLT Development

[CLTProductions]

21 hours ago, Prodev said:

Weathered Souls actually put itself up for sale, so their days are probably numbered pretty soon too. I've been in there twice and it wasn't busy either time. I'm actually surprised how little activity there is in all of the places on that strip in LoSo. State of Confusion is sucking wind pretty hard. SupperClub seems like it's doing just okay, which you'd think there'd still be hype and crowds with the newness factor. Phat Burrito seems to be doing fine, but it's also small and casual and probably does nothing for the nightlife vibe/feel to help the other places. Gilde seems to be the one with the most consistent crowd on that block, although I wouldn't say they're killing it by any measure. 

It is pretty crazy how little traction LoSo Village has gained. Weathered Souls has seemed to struggle since day 1 and the space is available for lease now. Days are for sure numbered. Gilde has a consistent local crowd, but what they paid for that build out and such, they definitely are not killing it. State of Confusion had a strong start but they GOT to be taking a bath now, there's no way its making money. I know Phat Burrito has got to be hurting as well.

I don't get it? Is there just not enough residential there yet? Not enough parking? Not enough quality concepts? Goldie's near by is KILLIN IT. I guess it is probably what CLTDEV said, just not compelling enough concepts to make it down there. Most are meh no doubt. SoC's space is SO cool, but yeah absolutely way too big.

 

As for MMB, i think crappy product is enough to turn people away these days if you are not well known or a prime location

Edited January 17 by CLTProductions

[go_vertical]

I've been in Phat Burrito a few times now and I have never seen it busy.  I think the fact that this little stretch is sort of hidden off both Clanton and South Blvd means that a ton of people that pass by don't even know there are businesses that have opened up back here.

I think this area is still in the early stages of its transformation.  Even with the residential projects that are currently under construction in the immediate area (corner of South and Scaleybark, across South beside Goldies, and the two or three over on Tryon) the active uses around here are still spotty at best with there still being a sizeable number of underutilized or flat out dead lots.  I rarely ever see anyone "choosing" to stroll along Clanton or Tryon and I get why, they're stroads that are not attractive stretches.... yet.

The opening of the above mentioned apartments will help some, but I think a few more holes will need to be plugged (Autozone on South, the old library branch at Scaleybark, Clanton needs to become more pleasant to walk down, etc.) before more businesses that aren't directly on South can be considered a success.

[grodney]

Interestingly(?), Midnight Mulligan was the most recent True Charlotte Brewery (first category below) to open.....and that was over 2 years ago.

I think my list is mostly up-to-date now.......although somebody told me that Weathered Souls hasn't ever brewed here.....not sure if that's true.  But as above, they're not sticking around long anyway.

 

[InSouthPark]

14 hours ago, grodney said:

Interestingly(?), Midnight Mulligan was the most recent True Charlotte Brewery (first category below) to open.....and that was over 2 years ago.

I think my list is mostly up-to-date now.......although somebody told me that Weathered Souls hasn't ever brewed here.....not sure if that's true.  But as above, they're not sticking around long anyway.

I saw the ad Weathered Souls had for the taproom: it advertised "never used" brewhouse.  It's possible they had a pilot system but they newer brewed up a full batch of anything.  Pulled this from a FB group I am part of:  "Have an updated tap list on untapped. . Have bottles that you sell in San Antonio in Charlotte. Have a Charlotte only bottle release. Have Charlotte only brewed beers. Have your membership include Charlotte. Cut your price from $10 for 5 oz. You will sell more. Lots of ways to improve your brand."  - The owner Marcus agreed with all of that except the price for the stouts. 

 

[AltNative]

On 1/16/2024 at 4:50 PM, CLT Development said:

State of Confusion has terrible food, and is somehow a mix between cajun, argentinian, and peruvian — pick a lane —  and is way too big, maybe they just want us to be confused? 

Their other "restaurant concept" STIR is the exact same way. Menu is all over the place with no direction and certainly no quality. I swear almost everything comes out of a freezer. If STIR wasn't in their great location with the awesome outdoor space it too would be dead. 

Also, their drinks are complete a$$, and that's like their whole thing

[SouthEndCLT811]

1 hour ago, InSouthPark said:

I saw the ad Weathered Souls had for the taproom: it advertised "never used" brewhouse.  It's possible they had a pilot system but they newer brewed up a full batch of anything.  Pulled this from a FB group I am part of:  "Have an updated tap list on untapped. . Have bottles that you sell in San Antonio in Charlotte. Have a Charlotte only bottle release. Have Charlotte only brewed beers. Have your membership include Charlotte. Cut your price from $10 for 5 oz. You will sell more. Lots of ways to improve your brand."  - The owner Marcus agreed with all of that except the price for the stouts. 

 

There was quite the Reddit thread so take it FWIW but a few "highlights".   Reports of trying to bypass ALE laws in NC.  Other comments on inconsistency of kitchen being open during weekend or when open lack of full menu.  This last part my wife and I experienced trying to go one night ~7pm, had menus out and could see people in the kitchen window but when we went to order food we were told the kitchen was closed.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Charlotte/comments/18igioe/weathered_souls_brewery_recently_expanded_to/

Quote

Didn't RTFA - but I can tell you they never got around to hiring a brewer or actually brewing beer - they were trucking it in from TX where their original location is.

Quote

Turns out they were caught by ALE back in February for shipping beer directly from TX, rather than utilizing an in-state distributor, and not receiving label approval for their products.

It's a shame they couldn't get traction in Charlotte; I loved their barrel-aged stouts. It's just weird that their beer was only available at their taproom with no outside local distro.

 

Edited January 18 by SouthEndCLT811

[CLTProductions]

2 hours ago, InSouthPark said:

I saw the ad Weathered Souls had for the taproom: it advertised "never used" brewhouse.  It's possible they had a pilot system but they newer brewed up a full batch of anything.  Pulled this from a FB group I am part of:  "Have an updated tap list on untapped. . Have bottles that you sell in San Antonio in Charlotte. Have a Charlotte only bottle release. Have Charlotte only brewed beers. Have your membership include Charlotte. Cut your price from $10 for 5 oz. You will sell more. Lots of ways to improve your brand."  - The owner Marcus agreed with all of that except the price for the stouts. 

 

Yeah they never brewed here in CLT

[kermit]

Made my pilgrimage of sadness to view the husk of Palmer St Arcade Bar (RIP) this morning. I was surprised to discover that it is now home to Alongside Brewing (I did not go inside). The web site (and google maps listing) talks much more about bourbon and cocktails than I would expect from a brewery. Mazel Tov I guess.

https://www.alongsidebrewing.com/

[CLTProductions]

21 hours ago, kermit said:

Made my pilgrimage of sadness to view the husk of Palmer St Arcade Bar (RIP) this morning. I was surprised to discover that it is now home to Alongside Brewing (I did not go inside). The web site (and google maps listing) talks much more about bourbon and cocktails than I would expect from a brewery. Mazel Tov I guess.

https://www.alongsidebrewing.com/

It's basically just a Charlotte tap room for Ass Clown brewing, but also having liquor? The decisions business owners make is baffling to me

[kermit]

Confirming what we already knew:

Quote

Blue Blaze Brewing's is in its final weeks in Charlotte's west side. Owner Craig Nunn shared a letter Saturday, saying the brewery would shutter operations in March. Its final weekend will be March 8th through 10th.

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2024/02/10/blue-blaze-brewing-brewery-charlotte-closing.html

Hat tip to the West Side pioneer.

[InSouthPark]

15 hours ago, kermit said:

Confirming what we already knew:

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2024/02/10/blue-blaze-brewing-brewery-charlotte-closing.html

Hat tip to the West Side pioneer.

According to some on Reddit, they have made no plans to secure a new site and have known for a long time they were leaving.  So that sounds like the end of Blue Blaze. Never went even though I am sorta over that way occasionally.  The beers I have from them were fine, just not something I go out of my way for in our brewery landscape. Without a taproom, no one is buying their canned offerings for long. They seems like a good neighbor but you also have to make enough money to pay rent. 

[InSouthPark]

DreamChasers brewery in Waxhaw is closing up next month.  Rent increase was too much. They had a buyer lined up but the landlord wouldn't approve it because the new owners "didn't have business ownership experience". 

That is a shame for Waxhaw as I know a lot of residents frequented it often.  I have a been a few times (when I am out that way already) and it was usually busy. 

https://www.facebook.com/Dreamchasersbrewery/posts/pfbid026o29qt1CdebsdSMDxwGUh5BdDo

Also...something going on with Wooden Robot. They have closed both taprooms until further notice 

 

[tozmervo]

The whole industry is on the struggle bus. 

For Many Craft Breweries, the Apocalypse is Now - Paste Magazine