Drinking Beer in Charlotte

[InSouthPark]

 NoDa basically pees great hoppy beers (HDnR, Hop Cakes, NoDaRyezed, Hoppy Holidays, etc). 

Water just shot out my nose! 

[grodney]

Whoa, Triple C just announced that they leased the building across the street, and the parking that goes with it.  They say start using the parking immediately, and stay tuned for more info on their plans for the building.

 

[Guest]

Whoa, Triple C just announced that they leased the building across the street, and the parking that goes with it.  They say start using the parking immediately, and stay tuned for more info on their plans for the building.

 

Fairwood or Griffith?

[InSouthPark]

Whoa, Triple C just announced that they leased the building across the street, and the parking that goes with it.  They say start using the parking immediately, and stay tuned for more info on their plans for the building.

 

Very interested to hear their plans. They can use the parking for sure, but it's never that hard to get a spot that they need to lease an entire building just for parking. The tap room is big enough, they just expanded the brewery, so I have no idea what it could be!

Could it be a barrel aging facility? They do like their wood!

Fairwood or Griffith?

Fairwood according the the picture on FB

[NeverSummer]

Fingers crossed they turn the new space into a barrel aging space...

[Deleted.]

Fingers crossed they turn the new space into a barrel aging space...

Do they need all of that space? Seems like a lot. 

 

Edited November 6, 2015 by Piedmont767

[InSouthPark]

Also, has OMB ever won a medal of consequence?  Their beer is so mundane.

oldemeckbrewOMB WINS GOLD -- We are excited to announce OMB won a Gold medal at the European Beer Star competition in Germany, amid a crowded field of 1,957 beers from 45 countries. Our popular Mecktoberfest seasonal won the German-style Märzen category. We're the first and only NC brewery to win Gold at Euro Star.

 

[kermit]

oldemeckbrewOMB WINS GOLD -- We are excited to announce OMB won a Gold medal at the European Beer Star competition in Germany, amid a crowded field of 1,957 beers from 45 countries. Our popular Mecktoberfest seasonal won the German-style Märzen category. We're the first and only NC brewery to win Gold at Euro Star.

 

awesome, I am glad they are getting some recognition for their German styles. Its hard to stand out locally when you focus on old-school beers, but some of their stuff is really great.

[grodney]

Cans cans cans.

Birdsong will start canning Lazy Bird Brown soon --- the label appeared on the tweeters yesterday.  They also have Mexicali cans out right now.  Very strong coffee flavor, though not as much as last year I don't think.  I still can only BARELY detect the chile -- I wish it were a tad stronger.

Triple C releases cans of White Blaze winter ale this weekend.

[Deleted.]

Don't know if this has been discussed but NoDa Brewing has a new automatic canning line, which can fill 141 cans in a minute! Woah that's a lot of beer! 

[InSouthPark]

Don't know if this has been discussed but NoDa Brewing has a new automatic canning line, which can fill 141 cans in a minute! Woah that's a lot of beer! 

This new canning line should improve the consistency of Hop Drop. They are spending a lot of money on QC for this canning line. The mobile canning company they used resulted in some wildly inconsistent Hop Drop. Heck I even returned a 4 pack once as it tasted like sh!t (and I am a huge fan of it). The draft versions I have had never really change much so the canning line (oxidization) had to be the culprit. Noda acknowledged this many times as well as they built up the new brewery. 

[grodney]

Don't know if this has been discussed but NoDa Brewing has a new automatic canning line, which can fill 141 cans in a minute! Woah that's a lot of beer! 

Yep, we've discussed it.  And NoDa has said they will start year-round canning Ramble on Red, Woody & Wilcox, and NoDaRyzed, along with much more canning of seasonal beers.  And all of that is wonderful news.

[InSouthPark]

Delete. Rogue tweet on old info

Edited November 13, 2015 by InSouthPark

[grodney]

I might tell the breweries I'm "doing a story" and ask them: What is your taproom beer sales as a % of your revenue?  I don't think any of them would answer me.  But I've been wondering about this lately, as I observe the different models.  (Ideally, we would separate out growler sales and of course cans/bottles to go, and only include pints/flights in the taproom sales figures.)

Noda has small taproom(s) and short hours, but is everywhere (bars, restaurants, growler shops, stadiums, arenas), and has cans everywhere.

Birdsong and Triple C are similar (in my opinion) but not as big.

Sycamore and Wooden Robot, on the other hand, are almost nowhere outside their taprooms.  Some growler shops, some bottle shops, some restaurants?  I don't know, I don't see them, but maybe they are wider than I think.  But they stay open long hours, attract the 20-somethings that like to spend money, and apparently do a booming taproom business.  Especially Sycamore, I don't know about Wooden Robot.

OMB, of course, has food on top of the taproom beer sales, and obviously has a huge bottling business, and is very widespread in bars/restaurants.

It wouldn't surprise me if Sycamore taproom sales are 90% of revenue.  It wouldn't surprise me if NoDa taproom is 10% of revenue.  Thoughts?  Others - Sugar Creek, Lenny Boy, Heist, Free Range?

[HopHead]

I might tell the breweries I'm "doing a story" and ask them: What is your taproom beer sales as a % of your revenue?  I don't think any of them would answer me.  But I've been wondering about this lately, as I observe the different models.  (Ideally, we would separate out growler sales and of course cans/bottles to go, and only include pints/flights in the taproom sales figures.)

Noda has small taproom(s) and short hours, but is everywhere (bars, restaurants, growler shops, stadiums, arenas), and has cans everywhere.

Birdsong and Triple C are similar (in my opinion) but not as big.

Sycamore and Wooden Robot, on the other hand, are almost nowhere outside their taprooms.  Some growler shops, some bottle shops, some restaurants?  I don't know, I don't see them, but maybe they are wider than I think.  But they stay open long hours, attract the 20-somethings that like to spend money, and apparently do a booming taproom business.  Especially Sycamore, I don't know about Wooden Robot.

OMB, of course, has food on top of the taproom beer sales, and obviously has a huge bottling business, and is very widespread in bars/restaurants.

It wouldn't surprise me if Sycamore taproom sales are 90% of revenue.  It wouldn't surprise me if NoDa taproom is 10% of revenue.  Thoughts?  Others - Sugar Creek, Lenny Boy, Heist, Free Range?

Sugar Creek was probably near 90% at one time. But now that they are bottling and seem to be in restaurants more frequently it's a lot less I would guess. Lenny Boy, Heist and Free Range probably are closer to that number. I hope that Free Range starts bottling some of their stuff soon. Never been disappointed when I've been to their taproom or Goodbottle. 

[grodney]

I've always been surprised by the number of places on Sugar Creek's Beer Finder page: http://sugarcreekbrewing.com/beer-finder/

I can't imagine Free Range bottling with only a 3.5 barrel system, and I've never seen them *anywhere* on tap (not that I get out *that* much, but I do follow the tweets and whatnot).

[grodney]

Free Range has extended their hours (again).  Now open W,Th,F 5-11; Sa 1-11; Su 1-7.

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, grodney said:

Free Range has extended their hours (again).  Now open W,Th,F 5-11; Sa 1-11; Su 1-7.

I really wish someone would open at Noon on Sundays. Would love to tailgate at one of these places. Generally I tailgate at Craft/Unknown. But I'd like to others. 

[InSouthPark]

Noda opens at noon during the football season.  The website hour don't reflect it but I know they make it known on the Twitter.

[grodney]

 

13 minutes ago, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

I really wish someone would open at Noon on Sundays. Would love to tailgate at one of these places. Generally I tailgate at Craft/Unknown. But I'd like to others. 

I haven't gone through and verified my list of Operating Hours lately, but this is what I have for Sunday opening:

10 Heist
12 Birdsong, Triple C, Lenny Boy, Unknown, Sugar Creek, Sycamore, Primal, Bayne, 
1 D9, Free Range, Wooden Robot, NoDa NorthEnd, Salud

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

Edited November 17, 2015 by grodney

[grodney]

By the way, Sycamore opened at 9:30 last Saturday, and had Roots Food Truck making breakfast.  It was glorious.  That's how you start a football Saturday.

They had cold brew coffee on tap, and mimosas, and beermosas whatever that is, and of course beer which is where I stayed.

[11 HouseBZ]

I'm really excited about Three Spirits opening later this month. Charlotte five did a brief write up with new photos of the interior. Of which I think it looks great. I also really like the vibe he's going for. The only thing I couldn't tell from the photos is if it will have a patio. Even if they don't cheers to a new Charlotte brewery. 

 

Not sure if this link works. 

 

http://www.charlottefive.com/three-spirits-brewery-plans-to-open-in-charlotte-later-this-month-heres-what-you-need-to-know/

[grodney]

A new food truck is going to be outside Wooden Robot on a regular basis.  Sounds like an ingenious end-around to opening a kitchen and all the regs and construction that go with that.  http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2015/11/17/queen-citys-first-craft-beer-inspired-food-truck.html

 

 

[InSouthPark]

1 hour ago, grodney said:

A new food truck is going to be outside Wooden Robot on a regular basis.  Sounds like an ingenious end-around to opening a kitchen and all the regs and construction that go with that.  http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2015/11/17/queen-citys-first-craft-beer-inspired-food-truck.html

 

 

I think this will start a trend at a few places (but definitely not all). Many other big breweries I have been to around the country do this now.  Oskar Blues does this with the Chub Wagon in Brevard. Full time onsite food truck. Granted there isn't a damn thing around Oskar Blues brewery, but no worrying about people having to leave to get a bite to eat.  Dogfish Head in Milton, DE has the same thing. No kitchen but a permanent food truck right outside the door.

I can see Free Range doing this as well in the future. Their plan from day one was to open a farm to table brewpub.

[Deleted.]

5 hours ago, grodney said:

A new food truck is going to be outside Wooden Robot on a regular basis.  Sounds like an ingenious end-around to opening a kitchen and all the regs and construction that go with that.  http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2015/11/17/queen-citys-first-craft-beer-inspired-food-truck.html

 

 

If only the food truck had beer on tap! Then if the food truck goes to other events, such as Food Truck Friday, then I could get dunk and have a better time!  But they probably can't sell beer.