Drinking Beer in Charlotte

[InSouthPark]

Here's a good piece in Charlotte Magazine on the new NoDa location.. They will have Monstro, Rob’s Salted Caramel Stout, Drop Dead Gordgeous among other beers on tap for Thursday. I plan on stopping by there this weekend.. What's even more exiciting is that NoDaRyzed, Woody & Wilcox and Ramble on Red will all be in cans soon. Additionally, they'll do a beer of the month in cans as well. 

http://www.charlottemagazine.com/Charlotte-Magazine/September-2015/NoDa-Brewing-set-to-open-its-new-brewery-and-taproom/

 

I worry a little bit about canning NoDaRyzed year round. It isn't that big of a seller (I can count the number of times I have seen it on tap around town lately on one hand) and in mostly definitely one of their beers that tastes best fresh (and rye beers are an aquired taste).  I think they would be better off canning their Par 4 session IPA which is really good and would move well all year.  I really like NoDaRyzed but not sure about the widespread appeal to make this a year round canned beer. Spring/Fall Seasonal? Sure, I can see it now, stacks of NoDaRyzed just sitting warm at the local Total Wine being "pallet aged".  W&W and RoR are great gateway craft beers and I think would do well.

[HopHead]

 

I worry a little bit about canning NoDaRyzed year round. It isn't that big of a seller (I can count the number of times I have seen it on tap around town lately on one hand) and in mostly definitely one of their beers that tastes best fresh (and rye beers are an aquired taste).  I think they would be better off canning their Par 4 session IPA which is really good and would move well all year.  I really like NoDaRyzed but not sure about the widespread appeal to make this a year round canned beer. Spring/Fall Seasonal? Sure, I can see it now, stacks of NoDaRyzed just sitting warm at the local Total Wine being "pallet aged".  W&W and RoR are great gateway craft beers and I think would do well.

I love NoDaRyzed as well, but agree with you. It appeals to a select group of beer drinkers.. pretty much any high ABV brew does. Perhaps they may not can as many as they would their other beers. I heard that Par 4 may be canned as well though. I really like the idea of the monthly canned beer. Hope they bring back Hoppy Holidays..

[Guest]

 

I love NoDaRyzed as well, but agree with you. It appeals to a select group of beer drinkers.. pretty much any high ABV brew does. Perhaps they may not can as many as they would their other beers. I heard that Par 4 may be canned as well though. I really like the idea of the monthly canned beer. Hope they bring back Hoppy Holidays..

I'd buy it, and fly a case home with me! Just like I do for Hop Drop and Jalapeño Pale Ale.

[HopHead]

I'd buy it, and fly a case home with me! Just like I do for Hop Drop and Jalapeño Pale Ale.

Well, I would too. LOL...

[11 HouseBZ]

I was able to go by NoDa's new spot the other day and talk to Mr Ford. He said there's a bit of confusion (mainly from the media) about the new location "opening". The taproom is the only thing opening right now. The brew house won't be open for a little while. There were construction crews all over the place trying to get it finished though. I don't remember when he said they'll be able to start brewing at the new location. The new taproom looks great and is huge. I'm really excited about this new location.

[grodney]

Yeah their weekly newsletter was pretty clear that they're just starting test batches on their new system, but the media hasn't been as clear.  "This week Todd and Chad will begin test-brewing on our new 60 barrel brewhouse!  While the process of mastering the new system may take some time, we are so excited to take the first step in providing Charlotte with more craft beer."

I can't wait for all the new canned offerings (RoR, WaW, Ryzed, whatever!), which the article says should start in the new year.

 

Oh by the way, NoDa has said they will not produce more than 24,999 barrels per year until the (self-distribution) law is changed.  OMB has been fighting the law too, but I hadn't seen them say the same thing until this week --- but now they have made the same statement (at least on the twitters).

 

[rugger62]

Beer list from QCBC (at Brevard Court) on opening day.  Prices are pint/pitcher/growler.  My Cinci dog was underwhelming, but it's first day and what do I want for $3.29?  Setup is food ordering and pickup on one half, bar with a little bit of seating on the other half.

 

 

Pitchers! Am I the only one super excited about properly priced pitchers!

My wife and I used to live in Pineville, and we both consider it the worst time of our single/married adult life. It wasn't because of the stupid sprawl-style traffic, though that stunk a lot, it was the fact that we had to drive 30 minutes to get a good craft beer with a decent atmosphere. Downtown Pineville is the MOST under utilized old downtown in the region, and has the worst traffic and ped safety since it's a state maintained road, (hopefully a road diet will help make it more ped friendly) so it is SO nice to see this. Hopefully it will start a trend. If only the Blue Line hadn't been rejected by the fearful Pinevillians.

Pineville reaping their just desserts for not allowing the light rail. fudge that town with a 10 foot pole. Make sure you don't drive after leaving there because I can assure you their Gestapo will be looking hard to make DUI arrests (not that I am ok with drinking and driving).

[emansius]

Time waster of the day: looking at how much money areas of Charlotte spend annually on beer...

http://www.esri.com/landing-pages/esri-demographics/oktoberfest?utm_source=esri&utm_medium=email&utm_term=118954&utm_content=article&utm_campaign=globe_2015

[grodney]

Paste Magazine's annual breakdown of pumpkin beers -- but this year it was all done blind.  D9 at #6!  NoDa at #18.  Both receive really nice words.  I love how Paste just HATES Pumking.  I find it undrinkable.  It's got to be blue dress / white dress of the beer world.

I haven't had D9's....hoping it pops up at Beer Growler.  Love NoDa's.  Love Dogfish's.  Having tried many others in the past, I just stick to those 2 unless something comes with a very strong recommendation. 

In other news, Sycamore bought the land they sit on, and are working with architects on expansion plans: http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2015/09/30/sycamore-brewing-eyes-expansion-purchases-south.html

Edit: DERP, forgot the link to Paste: http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/10/blind-tasting-and-ranking-45-pumpkin-beers.html

 

[cltcane]

Paste Magazine's annual breakdown of pumpkin beers -- but this year it was all done blind.  D9 at #6!  NoDa at #18.  Both receive really nice words.  I love how Paste just HATES Pumking.  I find it undrinkable.  It's got to be blue dress / white dress of the beer world.

I haven't had D9's....hoping it pops up at Beer Growler.  Love NoDa's.  Love Dogfish's.  Having tried many others in the past, I just stick to those 2 unless something comes with a very strong recommendation. 

In other news, Sycamore bought the land they sit on, and are working with architects on expansion plans: http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2015/09/30/sycamore-brewing-eyes-expansion-purchases-south.html

Edit: DERP, forgot the link to Paste: http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/10/blind-tasting-and-ranking-45-pumpkin-beers.html

 

I'm not a huge pumpkin beer fan, and while not a Charlotte beer, King Don's Pumpkin Ale from Catawba Brewing in Morganton is really good.  If you do like pumpkin beer, this one is worth trying IMO.  It always makes my mix-6 pack of pumpkin beers every year.

[grodney]

Finally got to Free Range on Saturday.  If you haven't been, I recommend it.  Great vibe, with sort of a kitschy 70s feel at times, which is a nice change from shiny-tables-and-exposed-brick.  Great selection of very different beers, and the 4 I tasted seemed to be done well.  No flights, but half-pints available.

Also went to the new NoDa.  Very odd -- plastic cups and no flights.  Probably just waiting on glassware and/or cleaning devices -- but how? -- they've had so long to prepare.  The place itself is fine but not remarkable.  Lots of empty space on the floor --- I'll be shocked if they don't put in more tables and chairs.  Many more taps, which is nice, and it seemed more staff to go with it.  We couldn't enjoy the large patio since the weather sucked, but there was a lot of seating out there.  They have a giant temporary tent over it, but shade will be an issue if that doesn't stay or get replaced by umbrellas or something.

 

 

[Niner National]

Finally got to Free Range on Saturday.  If you haven't been, I recommend it.  Great vibe, with sort of a kitschy 70s feel at times, which is a nice change from shiny-tables-and-exposed-brick.  Great selection of very different beers, and the 4 I tasted seemed to be done well.  No flights, but half-pints available.

Also went to the new NoDa.  Very odd -- plastic cups and no flights.  Probably just waiting on glassware and/or cleaning devices -- but how? -- they've had so long to prepare.  The place itself is fine but not remarkable.  Lots of empty space on the floor --- I'll be shocked if they don't put in more tables and chairs.  Many more taps, which is nice, and it seemed more staff to go with it.  We couldn't enjoy the large patio since the weather sucked, but there was a lot of seating out there.  They have a giant temporary tent over it, but shade will be an issue if that doesn't stay or get replaced by umbrellas or something.

 

 

I hit Free Range a few weeks back. I had 4 beers, although I don't really remember which ones. I liked their space, but I thought their beer was unremarkable. Maybe just not my style.

[HopHead]

IMO Free Range is one of the more creative breweries in the state. Reminds me a lot of Fonta Flora... 

[grodney]

Here's an attempt at a fancy map showing the nearest brewery to every spot in the U.S.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/10/06/find-out-which-beer-is-made-closest-to-you-with-this-crazy-map/

Unfortunately, it's only as good as the source data -- which isn't very good.  The area around Charlotte is a joke of errors -- breweries that have gone under or never existed at all.  I enjoyed discovering "Golden Cock Brewery" (ahem), off Providence in Olde Providence.  I had never heard of that one.  Based on twitters, facebooks, and blogspot, they were active online from approx Jan 2011 to Jun 2012, with their last post being "Looks like we may need to re-adjust our scale and timetable.". 

In actual brewery news, Free Range has changed their hours -- opening earlier on Sundays.  New hours are Th,F 5-11; Sa 1-11, Su 1-7.

 

[HopHead]

Golden Cock Brewery?? LOL... There are endless NSFW jokes to be make with that one. 

[grodney]

Friday quick-hitters:

- Growler shop (and pub/eatery) with 100 taps coming to Ballantyne(ish) near Midwood Smokehouse: http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2015/10/08/construction-starts-on-new-craft-beer-concept-for.html  It's a national franchise, but this is only the 2nd location to open, and they claim to be extremely focused on local beers and being brewery-like (tap takeovers, run clubs, etc.). http://growlerusa.com/craft-beer-pubs/nc-charlotte-ballantyne/  Facebook makes it look like construction is well underway, but looks like at least a month or two to me.

- I stumbled on another "coming soon" brewery.  It's a homebrewer in Stallings, but from the looks of his social media, at least he's gone as far as some of the legwork with the local and national agencies, as well as mixing it up with NC ABC.  It's called "4 chambers" --- his website is dead, but he's active on twitters and the facebooks.

- Sugar Creek released 6-packs of their Belgian Pale Ale this week, picked up by lots of bottle shops and HT and Total Wine.  Their trade dress is so cool.  Great to have another local option at the grocery store.

- Three Spirits last public estimate was "mid October".  On the facebooks, the wife(?) of the brewer posted "hopefully in about 3 weeks" on Sep 28.

- This space reserved because I swear I had one more but I can't think of it.

 

Edited October 9, 2015 by grodney

[NeverSummer]

I went to Free Range for the first time, as well.  I was pretty shocked at the prices.  $4 for a 1/2 pint of 3.9% beer?!?  Who are they kidding?  The ideas are mildly creative, but at those prices, the beer needs to be superb.  Sadly, it was not.  I'll stick with the other breweries in town who deliver the goods at a fair price.

[InSouthPark]

 

Really? Their beers are priced appropriately. I had a full pint of their 6.5% amber IPA and it was $5. All of their beers were $5 for a pint or snifter (12oz) and half pours for $3/4. 

EDIT: No idea why it is quoting HopHead in this post!

Edited October 12, 2015 by InSouthPark

[grodney]

Blue Blaze posted pics of their brewing equipment being delivered.  And also posted that their Kickstarter is 50% over (time-wise) but only 20% funded.

Unrelated, anybody ever see QCBC busy?  I go by there during lunch a lot, and they are not busy.  At all.  I fear for their long-term survival, unless they're doing a really good beer business.

 

 

 

 

[Niner National]

Blue Blaze posted pics of their brewing equipment being delivered.  And also posted that their Kickstarter is 50% over (time-wise) but only 20% funded.

Unrelated, anybody ever see QCBC busy?  I go by there during lunch a lot, and they are not busy.  At all.  I fear for their long-term survival, unless they're doing a really good beer business.

 

 

 

 

I ate there 2 weekends ago on a Saturday at lunch time. It was reasonably full, but their food is so cheap, I'm not sure that 8-10 people eating $4 hot dogs can keep that place afloat.

The hotdogs weren't good IMO. JJ's has really made me re-evaluate what a good hot dog is. QCBC is nowhere near JJ's quality.

The chili looked pretty good, but I didn't have any. I'm not sold on their concept. I think they'll struggle.

[grodney]

I stopped in Salud last night and asked about their brewing operation (they had announced a 1bbl system for supplying in-house taps with guest brewers' brews).  They told me they probably weren't going to do it after all -- not enough space.  They considered brewing at a different site and bringing it in-house, but that's against NC rules.  

Well, apparently I was misinformed.  Salud is now officially a brewery, as they have fired up their nano system, and it is indeed on-site.  Hard to classify them as a brewery, but hey, they're brewing beer and serving it on-site, so that's good enough for me.

[grodney]

I stopped in Salud last night and asked about their brewing operation (they had announced a 1bbl system for supplying in-house taps with guest brewers' brews).  They told me they probably weren't going to do it after all -- not enough space.  They considered brewing at a different site and bringing it in-house, but that's against NC rules.  

Well, apparently I was misinformed.  Salud is now officially a brewery, as they have fired up their nano system, and it is indeed on-site.  Hard to classify them as a brewery, but hey, they're brewing beer and serving it on-site, so that's good enough for me.

Edit: I'm confused by Salud's web page regarding their on-site nano (1 bbl) vs beer being brewed at Benford in Lancaster SC:

"

Our 1-barrel system nanobrewery will feature rotating beers from award winning local homebrewer Denny Deaton. We’re excited to source local ingredients and work with experimental hops to create unique beer recipes. Our beers will be brewed at Benford Brewing in Lancaster,SC. They have a beautiful farm setting with fresh spring water we look forward to sharing our beers with you. Cheers
Beers produced by the system will be available in-house at Salud Beer Shop.

"

 

 

[caterpillar2]

Am I the only one around that hates craft beer. My problem with all of the new brewhouses is that I can't get my Stella. I am just glad that I can get drunk on some craft beer quickly and overcome the horrible taste. I don't mean to offend those lovers of the crafts, I just can't stand the taste of those I have experienced so far. Am I alone?

[elrodvt]

Am I the only one around that hates craft beer. My problem with all of the new brewhouses is that I can't get my Stella. I am just glad that I can get drunk on some craft beer quickly and overcome the horrible taste. I don't mean to offend those lovers of the crafts, I just can't stand the taste of those I have experienced so far. Am I alone?

I doubt you're alone in having an unsophisticated palate. ;-)

Seriously, keep trying, and ask for a light lager. That should ease you into it.

[SouthEndCLT811]

Am I the only one around that hates craft beer. My problem with all of the new brewhouses is that I can't get my Stella. I am just glad that I can get drunk on some craft beer quickly and overcome the horrible taste. I don't mean to offend those lovers of the crafts, I just can't stand the taste of those I have experienced so far. Am I alone?

If you really want to try and like it you can try Brewpublik.  When I signed up it had a questionnaire that you get to list your favorite Macro brews.  Based off your style preferences they'll find beers they think you'd like.  You can give that a try for a a little while to find what styles are enjoyable to you then seek them out at the local breweries.