Drinking Beer in Charlotte

[grodney]

8 minutes ago, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

1700 South Blvd just got a demo permit for the small squat retail building. The big brick building is tied to American Beerworks, which is opening a Brewpub in Atlanta. FYI, the brewer... Mitch Steele... is from Stone Brewing, so that scool.

https://whatnowatlanta.com/mitch-steele-american-beerworks-team-to-open-beltline-brewpub/

Interesting.  Sounds like I should add it to the map.  Here was the earlier article on the sale of the land and the investigative work to tie it to American Beerworks: http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2017/02/07/high-profile-real-estate-in-south-end-sells-for.html

Article says focus is on Atlanta right now but South End is too good to pass up.....but probably nothing happening for a couple years.

[grodney]

20 hours ago, InSouthPark said:

I heard Bold Missy already had a soft opening on Saturday. Not sure if open daily yet or not. 

Ahhhh yep, I missed that....friends and family apparently....pics/comments on their facebook.  I checked with them, and they will not be open to the public prior to the Grand Opening.  Stated hours for the Saturday May 13 Grand Opening are 5pm-10pm.  Maybe it's just me, but that's really odd.

 

[InSouthPark]

42 minutes ago, grodney said:

Ahhhh yep, I missed that....friends and family apparently....pics/comments on their facebook.  I checked with them, and they will not be open to the public prior to the Grand Opening.  Stated hours for the Saturday May 13 Grand Opening are 5pm-10pm.  Maybe it's just me, but that's really odd.

 

I guess one day is enough to work out the kinks? Odd indeed. Most places don't have a "grand" opening until after weeks of soft openings. Guess they are confident...maybe even bold! haha

[NeverSummer]

Just saying...

[tozmervo]

Have wicker, will drink

[grodney]

DrinkingCiderInCharlotte: We went to GoodRoad yesterday.  Unfortunately, they were having a Grand Opening event, so they weren't doing flights and you were forced to buy a $5 commemorative mug.  ANYWAY, that place is awesome.  What a great job they did.  Really impressed with everything.  Tons of space inside.  A cool upstairs.  A patio outside that probably needs some shade.  Roll-up doors between the patio and the biggest seating area.  Pity it's not a brewery....or that I'm not into cider.  They did have about 3 beer taps (including Hop Drop).  I had the hopped cider and it was drinkable.....I mean pretty good for cider....just can't drink more than about 1.  They also had 2 or 3 meads on tap.....which I think were theirs.  Oh and this was the first I'd seen QPS since it opened.  Wow this whole street is amazing as a party zone.

 

 

[hambone931]

4 minutes ago, grodney said:

DrinkingCiderInCharlotte: We went to GoodRoad yesterday.  Unfortunately, they were having a Grand Opening event, so they weren't doing flights and you were forced to buy a $5 commemorative mug.  ANYWAY, that place is awesome.  What a great job they did.  Really impressed with everything.  Tons of space inside.  A cool upstairs.  A patio outside that probably needs some shade.  Roll-up doors between the patio and the biggest seating area.  Pity it's not a brewery....or that I'm not into cider.  They did have about 3 beer taps (including Hop Drop).  I had the hopped cider and it was drinkable.....I mean pretty good for cider....just can't drink more than about 1.  They also had 2 or 3 meads on tap.....which I think were theirs.  Oh and this was the first I'd seen QPS since it opened.  Wow this whole street is amazing as a party zone.

 

 

I went to good road a few weeks ago and was impressed with their ciders. I planned to go again yesterday, but passed when I found out about the grand opening/effective cover. Why do places do this? I could understand if they were expecting HUGE crowds.

[grodney]

1 hour ago, hambone931 said:

I went to good road a few weeks ago and was impressed with their ciders. I planned to go again yesterday, but passed when I found out about the grand opening/effective cover. Why do places do this? I could understand if they were expecting HUGE crowds.

I think they might have been expecting a huge crowd....they had auxiliary taps in the back room and outside the patio.....we were there from 12:15 to 1, and no such crowd was forming.  Realize that's super-early though, so it probably picked up.  All the cool kids had to be at Sycamore Spring Fest, didn't they?  Anyway, certainly wouldn't have gone if I'd known about the Grand Opening.....wasn't on my radar and never even checked since they've been open like a month.  We'll probably go back sometime to sample all the ciders and meads.....pair it up with a stop at Sugar Creek.

[CLTProductions]

55 minutes ago, grodney said:

I think they might have been expecting a huge crowd....they had auxiliary taps in the back room and outside the patio.....we were there from 12:15 to 1, and no such crowd was forming.  Realize that's super-early though, so it probably picked up.  All the cool kids had to be at Sycamore Spring Fest, didn't they?  Anyway, certainly wouldn't have gone if I'd known about the Grand Opening.....wasn't on my radar and never even checked since they've been open like a month.  We'll probably go back sometime to sample all the ciders and meads.....pair it up with a stop at Sugar Creek.

I went as well and it was pretty darn crowded. Very annoying with the tickets but the mead was FANTASTIC and so is the space

[UPNoDa]

Did anyone notice Carowinds has their own brew that hails from Benford Brewing in Lancaster? Planning a trip down after Memorial Day weekend to try it out.  

Any UPer's tried it yet?    If so, thoughts?

source: http://cpfoodblog.com/what-is-carobrew/

[nowensone]

Hmmm... perhaps the label should say brewed in "Carolina".

[grodney]

7 hours ago, nowensone said:

Hmmm... perhaps the label should say brewed in "Carolina".

Why?  I don't get it.

Anyway, it's their Irish Honey Ale.....not limited production at all, as the article claims.  As for taste, it's fine as far as light beers go.

 

[nowensone]

^ Bad pun, reference to the "Carolina" Panthers with no state distinction, the main label that shows both states, the fact Carrowinds straddles both states, and the name "Carobrew"; yet the label specifies [Lancaster] SC.  I don't always post when I drink beer, but when I do its often a bad one.

[grodney]

DrinkingBeerInNorthCarolina:  Wicked Weed sells out to A-B.  They're dead to me.  https://www.brewbound.com/news/anheuser-busch-purchase-wicked-weed-brewing

 

 

[CLTProductions]

Catawba opens Saturday!!!! Can't wait. 

[kermit]

2 hours ago, grodney said:

DrinkingBeerInNorthCarolina:  Wicked Weed sells out to A-B.  They're dead to me.  https://www.brewbound.com/news/anheuser-busch-purchase-wicked-weed-brewing

 Its pure speculation on my part but as a brewery that was about to bump into the 25,000 barrel cap (and one that had expressed reservations about switching to a distributor) its not impossible that A-B approached them about a buyout last year and WW said "No thank you." After the legislative defeat on the cap increase WW may have had second thoughts about that decision.

The owners get free of a business that had a ceiling on revenue (based on their stated reluctance to stop self-distributing), a ton of cash, and they could probably start again with a new business if they choose. NC looses a chunk of corporate tax revenue and a highly visible and innovative business. A-B gets to Goose Island another fine brewer. WW was not a huge business but this was a crappy day for the state's economy.

Edited May 3, 2017 by kermit

[kermit]

Glad to see Blue Blaze getting out in the wild and in cans too! (from the Knights thread) Double digit beer pricing is too expensive regardless of context. I am thinking of starting an NRA-like political organization that lobbies for the open-carry of alcohol and would prevent businesses from saying you cant bring your own booze inside. Seems fair.

Perhaps the constitutional phrase "well regulated militia...." was intended to refer to maintaining an appropriate level of inebriation?

"The only thing that can stop a bad guy overcharging for beer is a good guy with his own beer."

Edited May 3, 2017 by kermit

[mad_park]

2 hours ago, kermit said:

 Its pure speculation on my part but as a brewery that was about to bump into the 25,000 barrel cap (and one that had expressed reservations about switching to a distributor) its not impossible that A-B approached them about a buyout last year and WW said "No thank you." After the legislative defeat on the cap increase WW may have had second thoughts about that decision.

The owners get free of a business that had a ceiling on revenue (based on their stated reluctance to stop self-distributing), a ton of cash, and they could probably start again with a new business if they choose. NC looses a chunk of corporate tax revenue and a highly visible and innovative business. A-B gets to Goose Island another fine brewer. WW was not a huge business but this was a crappy day for the state's economy.

They had already decided to go w/ a distributor:

Gargantuan projects like the one Sherrill is heading at Red Oak aren’t rare, either. Olde Mecklenburg owner John Marrino has plans for a $7 million brewing facility in Cornelius. Both breweries have defied the odds of the cap while others — like Sierra Nevada and Wicked Weed — have moved to distributors to pump out their product.

http://www.nsjonline.com/article/2017/03/lawmakers-set-to-propose-bill-to-raise-craft-beer-distribution-cap-in-north-carolina?_h=0cca5c2b-de5b-47e9-93b4-b6c241716f24

 

And wouldn't WW still pay NC taxes? Does Sierra Nevada not pay taxes on their NC facility since they are owned by an out of state company?

[kermit]

^ I didn't realize WW had already gone to the darkside -- my bad.

I am not an accountant but I had assumed that corporate income taxes were paid based on head office location -- so (I believe) A-B will pay WW's corporate income tax in either Missouri or Belgium.

Edited May 4, 2017 by kermit

[InSouthPark]

5 hours ago, Jayvee said:

Catawba opens Saturday!!!! Can't wait. 

Great news on a crappy beer news kinda day!

[InSouthPark]

36 minutes ago, kermit said:

^ I didn't realize WW had already gone to the darkside -- my bad.

I am not an accountant but I had assumed that corporate income taxes were paid based on head office location -- so A-B will pay WW's corporate income tax in either Missouri or Belgium.

They have many distributors. Their beer is in TX, GA, CO, PA, and MA among others. 

[kermit]

12 minutes ago, InSouthPark said:

They have many distributors. Their beer is in TX, GA, CO, PA, and MA among others. 

Selling in other states doesn't necessarily mean they have a distributor. OMB sells in South Carolina after all. Having said that, apologies for my assumptIon that they were continuing to self-distribute. It was based on a Goodbeerhunting interview a couple months ago and they were emphatic that distributors took too big a cut to make using them worthwhile. In the same interview they also said they were not interested in selling out to a macro. Shrug.)

Edited May 3, 2017 by kermit

[KJHburg]

Wicked Weed of Asheville bought by A-Busch http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2017/05/03/anheuser-busch-snaps-up-one-of-north-carolinas.html?ana=e_ae_set1&s=scroll&ed=2017-05-03&u=oAaDx%2B74FoP4qOJ%2By4AU6dhJPpc&t=1493849844&j=78086191

[JRNYP2C]

8 hours ago, grodney said:

DrinkingBeerInNorthCarolina:  Wicked Weed sells out to A-B.  They're dead to me.  https://www.brewbound.com/news/anheuser-busch-purchase-wicked-weed-brewing

 

 

Totally agree.  Totally crossed off my list.  Never buying anything from them again.  And i will delete anything they have on UNTAPPD....

[nowensone]

WWWWTTTTTFFFFFFF????????????

I've had some flooring news personally in the past few weeks, that has upped my unsurprised threshold, but Wicked Weed, I would never have guessed that, EVER.  Why not announce that city-size asteroids are great for our mineral composition.

---------------

RIP - may Wicked Weed take over AB Matrix style and produce awesome beer en masse, and at a cheap price.