City Brew Tour Charlotte just launched in the summer of 2021, providing all-inclusive tours of breweries in Charlotte! They let us join a tour to see what it is all about and share our experience with you!
Your ride for the day!
What is City Brew Tour Charlotte?
“You drink…we drive, guide, and educate.” —sound pretty good to me! City Brew Tour Charlotte is a way to experience multiple breweries with a designated driver and learn more about both the brewing process and the breweries themselves in Charlotte. You get to go behind the scenes at breweries, learn about the history of beer on your journey, and taste a variety of local beers.
City Brew Tour Charlotte has both public and private tours for events such as bachelor/bachelorette parties, birthdays, and corporate functions. The tour starts and ends in front of The Westin in Uptown, Charlotte.
Things to know:
You need to wear closed toed shoes, as you’ll be going into the brewing space at breweries.
The breweries change for each tour, so what we experienced may be different than what you experience! City Brew Tour Charlotte partners with several breweries in the city so it’s not the same set stops each time.
The van has a cooler in the back, so if you purchase any beer to-go you can keep it cold for the rest of the tour.
The beers are selected for you by the guide, but if you want to try something different you’re welcome to buy it separately.
Overall we enjoyed our experience and it would be great for people visiting Charlotte or new to the CLT beer scene. My one critique would be that we did feel quite rushed at stops 2 & 3, but overall I would recommend it!
The brewery dog at Armored Cow
Stop 1: Armored Cow Brewing
Armored Cow Brewing was the first stop on our brew tour! They opened in 2019 in the University City neighborhood in North Charlotte. They have multiple gluten-free beers which is pretty unique for a brewery! We tried four beers at Armored Cow and got to go into the brewhouse to see where the magic happens. We also got to meet their adorable brewery dog and learn about the first half of the brewing process.
Delicious Juicy IPAs at Resident Culture
Stop 2: Resident Culture Brewing Company
Resident Culture was the second stop for us on City Brew Tour Charlotte! Resident Culture is my favorite brewery in Charlotte so I was super excited it was included on the tour. They opened in 2017 and are located in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte. Resident Culture is known for their IPAs, but their Lagers and Stouts are not to be overlooked either! At Resident Culture we went behind the scenes to see and learn about the second half of the brewing process and tried three beers.
Lunch flight at Midwood Smokehouse with local brews
Stop 3: Lunch at Midwood Smokehouse
Our third stop on the brew tour was Midwood Smokehouse for lunch. We visited the location in Park Road Shopping Center, and their original location is in Plaza Midwood. City Brew Tour Charlotte orders ahead for everyone, so be sure to mention on your reservation if you have any dietary restrictions. The menu included their famous BBQ and a few side dishes. There is also a preset beer flight of local brews. Our flight included beers from The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, Wooden Robot Brewery, NoDa Brewing Company, and Catawba Brewing Company.
Behind the scenes at Lower Left Brewing
Stop 4: Lower Left Brewing Co.
Our final stop of the tour was Lower Left Brewing Company. Lower Left opened in 2019 and they are located in the Lower Southend (LoSo) neighborhood of Charlotte. They always have a good variety of beers on tap and a nice patio. Here we sampled a few more beers and went behind the scenes to see their small brew space. From Lower Left we headed back to Uptown to be dropped off at City Brew Tour Charlotte’s hotel partner, The Westin.
Behind the scenes at Resident Culture