Charlotte Happenings is your monthly guide to events and things to do in and around Charlotte, NC.
Issue link: http://charlottehappenings.epubxp.com/i/803895
Although they produce wildly different beers, the breweries that immediately followed The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery's opening have enjoyed similar success. NoDa Brewing Company and Birdsong Brewing Co. opened in 2011. In 2015, when Olde Meck moved into its new space, Birdsong moved from its original location behind CenterStage@NoDa to a larger location in the neighborhood, and NoDa Brewing opened a production facility in North End. NoDa Brewing still produces sour beers and smaller batches at its original location, but it is temporarily closed to the public. Triple C Brewing Co. and Heist Brewery opened in 2012, and they have since expanded as well. Triple C is bringing a private events space and pilot system into a building across the street, where it will also house the brewery's growing barrel program. Heist has expanded its brewpub by adding a new taproom called The Canteen, which provides more space for the hop-hungry patrons who show up—from near and far—anytime the brewery releases cans of its hazy New England-style IPAs. To keep up with the demand for those IPAs and other beers, Heist is also building a production brewery with an on- site butcher and bakery in North End. Like the Lower South End district, North End is undergoing a revitalization of its own. In addition to NoDa Brewing and Heist, Sycamore Brewing, whose bustling South End location has only been open a little more than two years, is also bringing a production brewery to the neighborhood. The brewery will not be open to the public but will help crank out more cans and supply Sycamore's taproom with more beer. Lenny Boy Brewing Co. produced beer and kombucha as Sycamore's neighbor for years. And now it has expanded into a much larger brewery on South Tryon Street, where it's been able to ramp up production of beer and kombucha (both alcoholic and nonalcoholic). Over the years, the Charlotte area's brew hubs haven't just expanded their reach in terms of local ZIP codes; they've also broadened their portfolios. Opening in nearby North Carolina suburbs, like Mint Hill, Lake Norman, Belmont and in South Carolina, each new brewery finds its own niche through classic or contemporary styles. Whether you're looking for sours, stouts, traditional German or Belgian styles, or citrus-soaked IPAs (of the West Coast or New England variety), local taprooms have you covered. NoDa Brewing Company PHOTO BY KYO H NAM APRIL 2017 43