Charlotte, North Carolina has an exploding beer scene. The first brewery opened their doors in 2009 and since then it just continues to grow. Popular breweries from around the country are choosing to put taprooms in CLT because they know the demand is here.
With so many breweries to choose from it can be tough to know where to go for a high quality beer. The focus here is to solve that, and rank every brewery in town, so you know where to go for the best beer in Charlotte.
This list includes every brewery in Charlotte-proper, also known as every brewery inside the Interstate 485 loop. There are also tons of great breweries in the Charlotte suburbs—check out my guide here!
I will add a disclaimer: I am a beer snob and I love (almost) every brewery in Charlotte, so I don’t create this blog to put anyone down, but rather to be a guide to help others enjoy fantastic beers!
In ranking order, here is the Charlotte beer guide:
Burial Beer Co.
Coming in at the number one spot is Burial, arguably the best brewery in the state and one of the best in the Southeast. They are based out of Asheville and opened their Charlotte taproom in June 2022. Burial makes some of the most consistently fantastic beers—you can order in confidence knowing that your brew is going to be delightful each and every time. Their Hazy IPAs, West Coast IPAs, Stouts, and Lagers are what they do best.
Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood
Resident Culture Brewing Company
Resident Culture has been crushing the CLT beer game since 2017 and they expanded their reach with the addition of their South End taproom in 2022. Their flagship IPA Lightning Drops is always a best seller. Hazy IPAs, Stouts, and Lagers are what they do best!
Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood and South End
HopFly Brewing
HopFly opened their Charlotte brewery and taproom in February 2022 after years of success in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. On top of their killer space, their beers are superb. It’s a difficult decision on what to order when you’re at their taproom because you know each beer is going to be great. Hazy IPAs, West Coast IPAs, Sours, and Lagers are what they do best.
Neighborhood: South End
Fonta Flora Brewery
Fonta Flora is known as one of the OG North Carolina breweries slinging Appalachian Wild Ales out of their tiny Morganton taproom. They opened at Optimist Hall in February 2020 and continue to make fantastic beers. Their Wild Ales and Lagers are what they do best, but they’ve also recently perfected the Hazy IPA game.
Neighborhood: Optimist Park
Edge City Brewing
Edge City is not in your typical brewery neighborhood so it is easy to overlook this fantastic spot, but that would be a mistake. They opened in the heart of the pandemic and have been making delicious beers since day one. Their Sours and IPAs are what they do best, but everything they make is great!
Neighborhood: MoRa
DivinE Barrel Brewing
Divine Barrel focuses more on West Coast IPAs and Lagers than most breweries in CLT and they are always superb. They also make great dark beers like Stouts, Porters, and Barleywines. Their taproom is just past the main buzz of the NoDa neighborhood but absolutely worth the extra steps.
Neighborhood: NoDa
Petty Thieves Brewing Company
Petty Thieves is an eclectic spot near Camp North End that also tends to fly under the radar. They make a wide variety of beers that are more unique than your typical tap list. Their Saisons, Sours and Lagers are what they do best!
Neighborhood: North End
Monday Night Brewing
Atlanta-based Monday Night Brewing expanded to Charlotte in 2023. Their Garden Co. space has a sprawling outdoor area, killer pizzas, and tasty cocktails alongside their line up of beers. Their tap list always has a wide variety of beers available.
Neighborhood: South End
Heist Brewery
Heist first opened back in 2012 as the only brewpub in town. Their releases used to be the type beer nerds would line up for, but new breweries in CLT have raised the bar. Their flagship Citraquench’l is what they are best known for, but in general they excel with Hazy IPAs, West Coast IPAs, and Sours.
Neighborhood: NoDa and North End
Suffolk Punch Brewing
Suffolk Punch has really grown their beer quality recently. They have become more than just a fun bar and restaurant, but now a great brewery as well! Lagers, Sours and Hazy IPAs are what they do best.
Neighborhood: South End and SouthPark
Free Range Brewing
Free Range normally has one of the most unique tap lists in town. They love to make beers that are unusual but tasty. You’ll probably encounter a style you’ve never heard of before, and that is definitely the beer you should order. Saisons and Wild Ales are what they do best.
Neighborhood: Villa Heights and Camp North End
Triple C Brewing Company
Triple C has been a consistent mainstay in the CLT beer scene since they opened in 2012. Their beers tend to be more approachable and less focused on the latest beer trends. Porters and Stouts are what they do best!
Neighborhood: South End
Alongside Brewing
Alongside is the Charlotte taproom of Cornelius-based Ass Clown Brewing. They serve up Ass Clown beers and a full cocktail menu in their cozy, dog-friendly space. The beers are solid all around, but their Stouts are what they do best.
Neighborhood: South End
Salud Cerveceria
Salud is best known for their beer shop downstairs, but the brewery upstairs is also a gem. Their Dairlynerweisse Sour series is absolutely phenomenal and they also make great Lagers. Snag a Del Patio ashtray style and live your best life.
Neighborhood: NoDa
Wooden Robot Brewery
Wooden Robot opened their doors into 2015 and took Charlotte by storm with their Blonde Coffee Ale Good Morning Vietnam. They make a wide variety of styles and tend to stick to things that are easy drinking for the masses that visit their taprooms.
Neighborhood: South End and NoDa
Pilot Brewing
Pilot focuses more on the classic and Belgian beer styles than most CLT breweries. Expect to see a Dubbel on the tap list alongside a Brown Ale. This is the type of spot where a flight is recommended so you can try a variety of their brews.
Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood
Panzu Brewery
Panzú is a Caribbean brewery with solid beers and Hazys are what they do best. Their beer menu is a little simple but it works. They also have a tapas-focused food menu, a front patio, cocktails, and frequent specials.
Neighborhood: Mint Hill
Lower Left Brewing Company
Lower Left is one of Charlotte’s smallest breweries quietly putting out solid brews. Their Hazy IPAs are always tasty and their taproom exudes chill vibes only.
Neighborhood: LoSo
Legion Brewing
Ranking Legion number 18 in a city that runs on their flagship Juicy Jay is probably not going to go over super well, but here we are. Legion has 4 locations across the city where the atmosphere and delicious food keep bringing people back for more. Despite popular opinion around Juicy Jay, an IPA, Berliner Weisses and Lagers are what they do best here.
Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood, SouthPark, Wesley Heights, South End (Trolley Barn)
Hippin Hops Brewstillery
Atlanta-based Hippin Hops Brewery opened two locations in Charlotte: They have Another Brewery in Villa Heights that strives to be a neighborhood bar with their own beers on tap alongside a small food menu. Hippin Hops Brewstillery is located in Uptown with their beers, cocktails, and hookah.
Neighborhood: Uptown and Villa Heights
Town Brewing
Town typically has a pretty standard tap list with solid beers. Broken Tarted, a Sour, is their best seller alongside several Hazy IPAs.
Neighborhood: Wesley Heights
NoDa Brewing Company
NoDa is one of Charlotte’s oldest and largest breweries. They opened in 2011 and their distribution in particular has grown wildly. Their West Coast IPAs and seasonal/holiday beers are always a good choice.
Neighborhood: NoDa and Villa Heights
Protagonist
Protagonist tends to have a pretty consistent menu of their mainstay beers but their special releases and collaborations are what they do best. They started on a tiny brew system in their original NoDa taproom (since closed) and then grew massively with their LoSo space that opened in 2020.
Neighborhood: LoSo
Lost Worlds Brewing
Lost World Brewing opened their CLT taproom in Metropolitan in spring 2024. Their original location is near Lake Norman in Cornelius. They have an adventure theme with solid beers. They also serve cocktails.
Neighborhood: Midtown
Hi-Wire Brewing
Asheville based Hi-Wire Brewing opened their colorful Charlotte taproom in July 2022. Their 10W-40 Stout series with rotating unique ingredients is always fun to try, but if Stouts aren’t your style they’ve always got a variety of beers on tap.
Neighborhood: South End
Lenny Boy Brewing Company
Lenny Boy is best known for their kombucha you can find across the city, but their beers are also solid. Their Sour program is well developed and they always have a beer on tap for any palate.
Neighborhood: South End
Armored Cow Brewing Company
Armored Cow is the only brewery in the University area of Charlotte. They specialize in gluten free beers and always have a good variety of beers available. Their Hazy IPAs and Stouts are what they do best!
Neighborhood: University
Birdsong Brewing Company
Birdsong is a great spot to sit outside on their patio and have a nice, easy-drinking beer. They tend to generally make lower ABV beers and their flagships are CLT classics.
Neighborhood: Belmont
Vaulted Oak Brewing
This brewery is housed in a converted bank and joined the scene in 2021. Their goal is approachable beers for any palate, and their tap list reflects that. Their West Coast IPAs and Sours are what they do best!
Neighborhood: MoRa
Sycamore Brewing
Oh Sycamore. A Charlotte mainstay that opened their doors in 2014 that has since transformed into an incredibly popular spot in South End. Their flagship IPA, Mountain Candy, is wildly popular and they tend to focus on the haze craze.
Neighborhood: South End
The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
Olde Meck is Charlotte’s oldest brewery—they opened in 2009 and paved the way for craft beer in Charlotte. They are a German-style brewery and beer garden so you’ll find classic German beers on tap.
Neighborhood: LoSo
Sugar Creek Brewing Company
Sugar Creek opened their doors in 2014. They focus on Belgian-style beers and more classic-style brews, but you’ll still find some of the trendier beers on their tap list.
Neighborhood: LoSo
Brewers at 4001 Yancey
This taproom is home to Southern Tier Brewing Company & Distilling, Sixpoint Brewery, Victory Brewing Company and Bold Rock Hard Cider. Due to having 3 breweries, a cidery and a distillery under one roof there is always something for everyone here. The beers from these breweries all tend to be pretty standard, but be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the ones brewed in Charlotte and try one of those small batches out.
Neighborhood: LoSo
Southern Strain Brewing
Concord, NC based Southern Strain opened a taproom in Plaza Midwood in 2022. Their beers are pretty standard but they do occasionally make fun one-offs that are quite unique!
Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood
Gilde
Gilde is a large German brewery with standard German beers. Expect to always see a Hefeweizen, Shandy, German Pilsner and Red Ale on tap. They were established in 1546 in Germany and opened in LoSo CLT in 2022.
Neighborhood: LoSo
*To note—some folks will refer to LaBARatory in the Urban District Market as a brewery—it is not. They are a soju distillery. Thanks for coming to my TedTalk.
