October and November 2024

October and November were a wild ride. Things started off with a 12 day stomach bug for me before visiting Knoxville, The Tennessee side of the Smoky Mountains, Dayton, Grand Rapids, Southwest Michigan, and Hawaii (check out my Hawaii recommendations here). I watched the end of the regular season of college football, kicked off college basketball season, and arguably watched more NFL in the past month than I have in my entire life combined. I attended the inaugural Hops and Horsepower festival at the Charlotte Auto Show, shared beers with friends, celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time since college, and soaked up the remaining warms days in CLT. Over the course of the last two months I tried 186 different beers.

In no particular order, here were the best beers I had in October and November 2024:

Scorching Pledges of An Irreversible Nature; And In This, My Final Flame; For Memories We Made Together in Asheville; from Burial Beer Co. in Asheville, NC

Scorching Pledges of an Irreversible Nature is a Bourbon Barrel-Aged Barleywine with Congolese Vanilla Beans brewed in collaboration with Anchorage Brewing Company from Anchorage, Alaska. This is a blend of 12 to 24 month Barleywine aged in Buffalo Trace Rye and Wild Turkey Bourbon barrels with a small addition of Vanilla from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Barleywine is not always my favorite, but if Anchorage has their hands in it you know it’s going to slap. This is a phenomenal beer that blew me away.

And In This, My Final Flame is a Cuvée of Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout and Bourbon Barrel Aged Barleywine Ale. This beer was originally meant to be a Burnpile 2024-VIP Exclusive offering, but with the cancellation of the festival due to the hurricane, it was released to the general public. This is a blend of Barleywine aged for 12 months in Willett Bourbon Barrels and 16 month Imperial Stout aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels. Superb!

For Memories We Made in Asheville is a blend of Barrel-Aged Imperial Stouts from Burial, Other Half, Creature Comforts, Edmunds Oast, Halfway Crooks and Pinthouse. Each collaboration brewery sent a barrel to Burial while they could not brew after the hurricane to help. On top of this being an incredibly unique beer with world-class collaborators created after a tragedy, this is also the first in a series from Burial to help the Asheville brewing community recover from Hurricane Helene. From Burial, “We started Manifest Eternity, a fundraising program aimed to raise money for the hurting AVL brewing world, with the help of visiting brewers who have fell in love with our little town.”

Another Sip of Fear collaboration from North Park Beer Company in San Diego CA, Troon Brewing in Hopewell NJ, Brujos Brewing in Portland OR, and Fidens Brewing in Albany, NY

Another Sip of Fear is a Triple IPA Triple Dry Hopped with Citra, Eclipse and Manilita. With these heavy-hitter breweries involved is it any surprise that this is an absolute banger?

The Lovely Pumpkin from Percent Tap House in Harrisburg, NC

The Lovely Pumpkin is #13 in Percent’s Thrift Shop Series. It is an Imperial Berliner base heavily fruited with double pumpkin, triple marshmallow, vanilla soft serve, graham cracker, and pumpkin spices. It tastes exactly like pumpkin pie in a glass and is a true delight for this season. We also learned recently that they are opening a second location in Concord—can’t wait!

Bourbon Barrel Aged Ego Death Cashew Cluster and Bourbon Barrel Aged Ego Death Compost Cookie from Resident Culture Brewing in Charlotte, NC

The release of Bourbon Barrel Aged Ego Death is always an exciting time in Charlotte, and this year brought one new exciting variant and the return of a favorite:

The Cashew Cluster edition of Bourbon Barrel Aged Ego Death is a new version this year and delicious. It is a blend of Imperial Stouts aged in Willett Sour Mash Bourbon, Willett Sour Mash Rye, and Yellowstone Kentucky Bourbon barrels for a period of 18-27 months then conditioned on toasted hazelnuts and cacao nibs, then further conditioned on salted cashews and toffee.

The Compost Cookie edition is always a favorite. This is a blend of Imperial Stouts aged in Willett Sour Mash Bourbon, Willett Sour Mash Rye, and Yellowstone Kentucky Bourbon barrels for a period of 18-27 months then conditioned on toasted hazelnuts and cacao nibs, then further conditioned on butterscotch chips, dark chocolate chips, potato chips, pretzels, and graham crackers.

Even More Hydra: ETNYC Edition collaboration from Evil Twin Brewing Company in New York, NY and Mortalis Brewing in Avon, NY

Evil Twin NYC and Mortalis teamed up to create this Fruited Sour with blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, and cacao nibs. Chocolate in Sours is not usually my favorite but this was a surprise winner. The flavors balanced well and created a delicious result! I got this can via Tavour, straight to my doorstep.

Mitten Life; Old And Wise; Dunkelweizen from Seedz Brewery in Union Pier, MI

When visiting Seedz it’s impossible to have just one favorite beer. Their slow pours are magical and during my most recent trip to Southwest Michigan I had three particularly superb beers: Mitten Life is an American Lager, Old and Wise is an Einkorn Saison, and of course the Dunkelweizen is a classic Dunkelweizen. If you have not added this gem of a spot to your must-visit list, what are you waiting for?

Sweet Appalachia from Phase Three Brewing in Lake Zurich, IL

Sweet Appalachia is a Double Dry Hopped Hazy Double IPA brewed to support Western North Carolina after the devastation of Hurricane Helene, with a portion of proceeds going to BeLoved Asheville. This is a stellar brew, and the fact that it is for such a good cause just makes it even better. Also a shout out to Arabesque (2024) and Minutiae (2020) from Phase Three that I had tasters of at Salud’s Phase Three tap takeover—these were both fantastic!

Check back next month for my top beers of december! Cheers—Alexis

January 2024

January was a wild ride! I started off 2024 in Brazil before getting back home to Charlotte right in time for my birthday and then spent a couple of weeks bopping around Charlotte. In January I tried 99 different beers. Here were the best beers I had over the past month, in no particular order:

Pear Sauvie from The Ale Apothecary in Bend, OR

This is a Wild Ale with Mecca Grad Estate barley and rye malts, combined with Sauvie Island’s Crystal hops, brewed wild and naturally in the woods of Central Oregon. 100% naturally carbonated with pear juice. Unfiltered, open-fermented & barrel-aged. The Ale Apothecary’s unique brews are always a delight! I am a particular sucker for all things pear, so it is no surprise that this was one of my favorites this month.

A Rather Profane Sentiment Towards Things of This Kind collaboration beer from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC and TRVE Brewing in Denver, CO

This is an Imperial Stout with Toasted Hazelnuts, Madagascar Vanilla Bean, and Flamed Orange Peel. This collaboration was created to celebrate TRVE’s expansion to Asheville. Their new North Carolina taproom is slotted to open in early 2024.

Biggie, Biggie, Biggie from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA

Biggie, Biggie, Biggie is a Triple IPA dry hopped with El Dorado and Galaxy. Monkish continues to put out the bangers, particularly their Triples.

Methods of Excavation III from Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn, NY

Methods of Excavation is a Imperial Stout with almonds, cacao nibs, caramel chocolate ice cream, cinnamon, coffee, coconut, freeze dried ice cream, macadamia nuts, maple, marshmallows, molasses, Tahitian vanilla, vanilla wafers, walnuts, wild Thai bananas, and Madagascar vanilla. A wild amount of adjuncts come together in this brew to meld into a delicious beverage. Other Half has really nailed this style and I continue to be impressed.

Bueze (2023) from Transient Artisan Ales in Bridgman, MI

Bueze is a blend of 1, 2, and 3 year Weller Bourbon Barrel Aged Kentuckley Imperial Breakfast Stout with Comoros Vanilla Beans, Tugboat Coffee, and Maple Syrup. I snagged this while I was in Michigan last summer and was very impressed. The bottle came in a fun purple velvet bag which added some extra flair.

Fun Beer, Lovely Guys collaboration brew from Percent Tap House in Harrisburg, NC and Funguys Brewing in Raleigh, NC

Fun Beer, Lovely Guys is a Kiwi Topped Strawberry Birthday Cake Smoothie Sour with Double Strawberry, Kiwi, Strawberry Cake Filling, Yellow Cake Batter, and Marshmallow. This was a superb Sour—the cake elements were incredible. I could drink far too much of this!

Coating Consistency collaboration brew from The Eighth State Brewing Company in Greenville, SC, WeldWerks Brewing in Greeley, Co, Tripping Animals Brewing in Doral, FL, Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn, NY, Moksa Brewing in Rocklin, CA and Bottle Logic Brewing in Anaheim, CA

Coating Consistency is an Imperial Stout with Toasted Coconut, Raw Coconut, Almonds, Walnuts, Muscovado Sugar, Vanuatu Vanilla, Indonesian Vanilla, West Papua Vanilla and Mayotte Vanilla Beans. Sheesh! What a killer collaboration. The vanilla really comes through strongly, but in a great way. It is no surprise that this was delicious given the fantastic breweries involved.

Check back next month for my top beers in February! Cheers —Alexis

February 2023

February flew by in a breeze but I somehow tried 152 different beers in this quick month. Bottle shares and beer flights always mean getting to try a wider variety of beers which I love! This list of beers has the best of the best that I had over the past 4 weeks which I rated a 4.5 or above on Untappd.

This month included a trip to Savannah and the Jacksonville Beach, Florida area to hang at the beach and explore the local brew scene as well as the local beer fest Queen City Brewers Festival, a bottle share, a Superbowl share, many visits to local breweries and lots of great beers at home in between.

In no particular order, here are the best beers I had in February 2023:

Even More Daily Servings from Trillium Brewing in Boston, MA and Evil Twin Brewing in New York, NY

Even More Daily Servings is a Fruited Sour with raspberries and marshmallow. This is an amped up version of Twice the Daily Serving which is already my favorite Sour, so add more fruit and marshmallow and it can only get better! Another superb collaboration from Trillium and Evil Twin.

Paulus from Schilling Beer Company in Littleton, NH

Paulus is a Helles Lager with Noble hops. Schilling crushes the Lager game and I am so excited to be seeing more of their beers around North Carolina. I enjoyed this at Salud Beer Shop in Charlotte, in a big ole dimple mug as it should be done.

Medium Raw from Root and Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

Medium Raw is a multi-oat/wheat Triple IPA with Citra and Freestyle Motueka hops. This was a fantastic brew from Root and Branch. Especially for it being a Triple IPA this was way too easy to drink and I wish I had more cans of it!

Searching For The Proof That We’ve Truly Lived from Percent Tap House in Harrisburg, NC and Forgotten Road Ales in Graham, NC

This is a wine barrel aged Farmhouse Saison with pairs, honey and locally grown Green Szechuan. It is pictured right in the photo above. These two breweries tend to be a little quieter in the North Carolina brew scene but are always cranking out delicious beers! This was a very interesting collaboration with superb flavor.

Flora (Batch 10) from Hill Farmstead Brewing in Greensboro Bend, VT

Flora is the wine barrel aged version of Florence, a wheat Farmstead Ale. This was barrel aged for over two years. Hill Farmstead continues to crush this style of beer.

Double Barrel Coconut Fionn from Angry Chair Brewing in Tampa, FL

Double Barrel Coconut Fionn is a rum and bourbon barrel aged Imperial Porter with hazelnut coffee and coconut. While in Florida a dark beer from Angry Chair is always a must. I enjoyed this one at 9 Zero Pour in Jacksonville, FL. The rich notes of coconut were fantastic!

Infiltrator from Root and Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

Infiltrator is a multi-oat/wheat IPA brewed and dry hopped with New Zealand grown hops from Freestyle Hops. Normally it is difficult for a single IPA to be overly impressive when you can pack so much more flavor into a Double or Triple IPA, but Infiltrator is a top-notch beer. I’ve had this beer in the past and am always impressed by just how incredible it is!

Genealogy of Morals: Buena Vista Organic from Hill Farmstead Brewing in Greensboro Bend, VT

From Hill Farmstead: “We have chosen three barrels as the base for this single country origin coffee and cacao nib variation. After aging more than 26 months in select bourbon barrels, we conditioned the beer atop organic Buena Vista beans from Caranavi, Bolivia, sourced and roasted by our friends at The Coffee Collective in Copenhagen, Denmark, as well as organic Bolivian cacao nibs.”

Check back next month to see my top beers of March! Cheers—Alexis

The Best Breweries Within 1.5 Hours of Charlotte

The city of Charlotte has a ton of fantastic breweries, but sometimes you get sick of going to the same places all the time or you want to get out of town for a little adventure. Here are the best breweries within an hour and a half drive from Charlotte that are worth exploring:

Fonta Flora Whippoorwill Farm in Nebo, NC

Distance from Uptown Charlotte: 1 hour, 36 minutes

Okay yes, this is slightly further than an hour and a half but I promise you it’s worth those six extra minutes. Fonta Flora has been a powerhouse in the North Carolina brew scene since they opened in 2013. They are consistently pushing the boundaries with their Wild Ales and have absolutely nailed the Lager game. They recently dipped their toes into the Hazy IPA world as well with several collaboration brews and they have each been phenomenal.

In 2018 the Fonta Flora opened Whippoorwill Farm. This location is an expansive farmland with a plethora of outdoor seating and a small barn that houses the brewery and indoor seating. Singlewyde is their onsite food truck that makes incredibly delicious wood fired pizzas and other fantastic snacks. There is no better way to spend an afternoon than at on the grassy lawn of Whippoorwill Farm.

High Branch Brewing in Concord, NC

Distance from Uptown Charlotte: 30 minutes

High Branch is located in Gibson Mill, an old—you guessed it!—mill, with a food hall coming soon. They opened in 2015 and were originally in a smaller space in the mill. They make superb beers of all styles, but their Hazy IPAs and Fruited Sours are their best work.

Newgrass Brewing Company in Shelby, NC

Distance from Uptown Charlotte: 55 minutes

Newgrass is best known for their insanely flavored Fruited Sours, and for good reason, but don’t sleep on their Stouts either. A flight is definitely the best approach at their taproom to try a variety of their brews. They have a two story taproom with games and a small side patio space. They also offer a full farm-to-table food menu with delicious eats.

LESSER-KNOWN BEER CO. in Winston-Salem, NC

Distance from Uptown Charlotte: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Lesser-Known is the newest brewery in Winston-Salem and already the best brewery in town. They focus on underrepresented beer styles, the majority of which are Lagers. Lesser-Known is just south of downtown and has a nice patio space as well as a small indoor taproom. They have a small food menu when they don’t have a food truck onsite. They are quickly gaining notoriety and should not be missed. Inside their taproom The Walk In has guest taps and guest bottles as well.

Slow Play Brewing in Rock Hill, SC

Distance from Uptown Charlotte: 32 minutes

Slow Play is located right behind Winthrop University’s campus just across the border from Charlotte in South Carolina. They make great IPAs and Fruited Sours in particular, and you are bound to find a style you like on their large menu. They have frequent live music and other events to keep you entertained and a nice patio for relaxing outdoors.

Cibi Cibi is their onsite food truck serving up hot chicken sandwiches, smash burgers, and an array of other tasty dishes and sides. This is one of the best food trucks in the Charlotte area, so be sure to arrive hungry.

Percent Tap House in Harrisburg, NC

Distance from Uptown Charlotte: 26 minutes

Percent Tap House is the closest brewery to Charlotte on the list but it is still overlooked. Percent is a quaint little brewery in a shopping center in the CLT suburb of Harrisburg. They are part beer bar, serving up some killer guest taps. Their own beer is top notch as well—their IPAs, Fruited Sours, and Stouts have all been great. They have a small indoor taproom and a patio for enjoying your brews.

Royal Bliss Brewing in Denver, NC

Distance from Uptown Charlotte: 30 minutes

Royal Bliss is located in a shopping center in Denver, just northwest of CLT. Their IPAs, Pale Ales, and Pilsners are their strengths and there is always good vibes. They have a nice turf patio space, an upstairs deck, and spacious taproom overall. Their beers are great, but their grilled cheese sandwiches are next level. The Carolina Mac Melt with macaroni, muenster, and mozzarella (pictured above) is one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I’ve ever had.

Incendiary Brewing Company in Winston-Salem, NC

Distance from Uptown Charlotte: 1 hour, 16 minutes

Incendiary in located in the Bailey Power Plant with industrial vibes and large outdoor space. They opened in 2018 with noteworthy IPAs and Lagers. Snag a pizza from Cugino Forno next door to enjoy with your brews! I also recommend checking out Fiddlin’ Fish while you’re in the Winston-Salem area!

What are your favorite breweries Worth the drive from Charlotte? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

The Best Breweries in the Charlotte Suburbs

Charlotte has a lot of fantastic breweries and the Charlotte suburbs are packed with breweries as well. Some of these are better than others, so this guide will share the best breweries outside of the 485 loop in the Charlotte suburbs.

Want to stay within the city limits? Check out my Charlotte guide here. Looking for more breweries on the South Carolina side of the border? Check out my blog on the YoCo Brew Trail.

Here are the best breweries in the Charlotte suburbs, in no particular order:

Keepsake Brewery: Gastonia, NC

Keepsake is putting out delicious easy drinking beers in Gastonia. Their specialty is Lagers which they make extremely well. They have a cozy taproom and back patio space.

High Branch Brewing Co.: Concord, NC

High Branch is located at Gibson Mill in Concord and makes some stellar brews. Their IPAs and Stouts are what they do best but they always have a variety of beers on tap. The taproom vibes are chill, they have an outdoor space, and frequently host food trucks and events.

Slow Play Brewing: Rock Hill, SC

Slow Play is in Rock Hill! You can generally find almost any style of beer on their tap list, but their Sours are what they do best. They always have fun events happening such as live music, a disc golf league, and more!

King Canary Brewing: Mooresville, NC

This is a unique brewery in a converted house on Lake Norman. They have a nice outdoor space and seating upstairs and downstairs inside. There are some partial lake views from some areas of the brewery as well. King Canary specializes in IPAs and has great vibes.

Percent Tap House: Harrisburg, NC

Percent Tap House is a beer bar, bottle shop and brewery in a Harrisburg shopping center. They always have a large selection of guest taps available and their house made brews are delicious. They have a small indoor space and an outdoor patio with frequent food trucks. Their Sours are what they do best.

Replay Brewing: Fort Mill, SC

Replay is a game-themed brewery at Kingsley in Fort Mill. There are pinball machines, arcade games, video games and more. They always have a variety of beers on tap but their Sours and Lagers are what they do best. You can get food from the neighboring restaurants such as the delicious Taco Molino.

Royal Bliss Brewing Company: Denver, NC

Royal Bliss makes insanely delicious grilled cheese sandwiches and great IPAs. They have a lovely outdoor space with a turf patio area and an upper deck along with their indoor seating. Royal Bliss is a great spot to visit after a hike at Lake Norman!

What are your favorite breweries in the CLT suburbs? Let me know in the comments! Cheers—Alexis