Birdsong Brewing to release Squirrels on Geese
What’s higher than the higher ground? Why, Squirrels on Geese, of course. Squirrels on Geese, Birdsong’s first bottled beer, is the brewery’s Higher Ground IPA aged in oak barrels that once held Chardonnay. It is the first of the “Take Flight” series, and only 600 bottles of it were produced. It will be released in June. [...]
On Hornets and Hops
British General Cornwallis and his men marched into Charlotte in 1780, five years after Captain James Jack had delivered the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence to Philadelphia. Cornwallis and his troops burned down the tavern that Captain James Jack and his father owned and lived in, and soon occupied the city — but not for long. [...]
East Boulevard Bar & Grill’s Colonial Dinner of 1775
While researching Charlotte’s colonial period for the book, I came across lots of information about what Queen City colonists were drinking. Since it wasn’t my focus, I didn’t really do much research on what they might have eaten in those same taverns that served up beers brewed with locusts, spruce, cedar berries and persimmons. Thankfully, [...]
How I Came to Drink (and Write About) Craft Beer
For three years, I lived in Beer City USA before people ever thought to assign that moniker to Asheville. Even then, though, the city laid claim to several local breweries and was really coming into its own as a beer town. The breweries were putting out great beers, bars and restaurants were committed to carrying [...]
Charlotte Beercast: “It Only gets Worse from here …”
Two weeks ago, I wrote about the inaugural Charlotte Beercast — now “it only gets worse from here.” Josh, Jeff, Ryan, Mark and Cesar take on the following topics in the second episode of the podcast: The Beer Advocate Bros.’ visit to Charlotte. How the big breweries are fighting the small guys, and how the [...]
Round Two of the Microbrewery Text Amendment
Last March, a microbrewery text amendment added a definition for breweries to the city’s zoning ordinance and also allowed breweries in urban industrial (UI) zones. Before this, they could only exist in light industrial (I-1) and general/heavy industrial zones (I-2). The amendment enabled The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery to purchase a new building just down the [...]
Total Wine Tastings for American Craft Beer Week / Book Signing at Total Wine
In celebration of American Craft Beer Week, Total Wine on Providence (in the Promenade) is doing a variety of tastings Thursday through Saturday. I’ll be there Friday night from 5-8 p.m. signing books, so come on out and try some new beers! Eric Gaddy, who took many of the great photos you’ll find in the [...]
NoDa Brewing TriUmphant Release
NoDa Brewing’s TriUmphant Tripel was the brewery’s first bottled offering, and they’re releasing it again at 10 a.m. this Saturday, May 18. This true-to-style Belgian Tripel was first released in March of last year during craft beer week. Bottles will be $12 each, with no limit as to how many you can purchase. The Tin [...]
New Drawings for Brawley’s Beverage Redesign
Last September, I wrote about Brawley’s Beverage remodeling and allowing for on-premise sales. Michael Brawley is still going forward with those plans, clearing out space so that he can fit some taps and a bar. Michael has released a mockup of what the newly-remodeled building will look like, which you can see below. The design [...]
Oskar Blues becomes the first craft beer in Charlotte Motor Speedway
NASCAR and beer go hand-in-hand, though it’s usually Bud, Miller or Coors that you see plastered on the cars making their laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway. While there are no craft brewery-sponsored race teams in NASCAR, at least fans will be able to drink craft beers in the speedway. Oskar Blues Brewery’s Dale’s Pale Ale [...]
