From hazy IPAs to wild sours!
NoDa, named for its main street North Davidson, is an artsy neighborhood within Charlotte. From good food to striking and colorful street art, this part of Charlotte has got it all. It’s even densely populated with good, local craft breweries all lined up for you to enjoy. Go brewery touring with your friends on a beautiful spring day then take the LYNX light rail home. We’ve listed all the ones we thought were the best in the area, so here they are!
1. NoDa Brewing
What’s a NoDa brewery roundup without mentioning the crown jewel itself? NoDa opened up in 2011 and has since expanded to three other locations (the CLT airport, the OG and Camp NorthEnd). Its distribution is continuing to expand to other parts of the city (and other nearby states) as well, and they deserve it! NoDa is a fan favorite with beers like Hop Drop & Roll being a top contender. Their fall seasonal pumpkin ale ‘Gorgeous’ even won gold at the American Beer Fest last year. So get a flight and try ’em all.
Where: 2921 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28206
2. Birdsong Brewing
Birdsong was born from humble beginnings. A couple of friends, a desire for a neighborhood brew spot, and a business idea. Now, Birdsong has got some delicious crafties on tap in a seasonal rotation (and some that are being brewed year round). They’ve got some summer specials like the Strawberry Lemonade Sour and the Fake Plastic Trees Hazy IPA, as well as some year round favorites like the Jalapeño Pale Ale and Lazy Bird Brown Ale. We have to mention their cans as well. They’ve got some of the best designed cans of the bunch.
Where: 1016 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28206
3. Heist Brewery
Heist Brewing has got everything–from food to German beer to the first Hazy IPA in North Carolina called CitraQuench’l. They opened their doors in 2012 as NC’s first craft brewhouse and have since expanded in 2017, adding a 30 barrel production facility. Try their Bramblin’ Blackberry Cider or their High Fives, which is a New England Pale Ale.
Where: 2909 N Davidson St STE 200, Charlotte, NC 28205
4. Divine Barrel Brewing
Divine Barrel is lovingly hand-crafting their beer in aged barrels for perfectly aged and fermented beers. While Divine Barrel doesn’t discriminate about the types of beers they brew, their heart is with wilds and sours. We’d recommend following the trail and trying out their sours like their Zest Intentions, a fruited Berliner Weisse or their Results May Berry which is a sour gose. They also do Pilsners, Indian Pale Ales, and Stouts so theres a little of everything.
Where: 3701 N Davidson St Suite #203, Charlotte, NC 28205
5. Protagonist
Protagonists’ beers are ode to classic styles and have expanded to two locations: NoDa and LoSo. Their NoDa Clubhouse is a sleek and modern taproom perfect for warm spring days where you want to be surrounded by the clanking of beer glasses and the company of friends. Protagaonist offers their beers on tap but they also have a “Fridge of Curiosities’ where they offer carefully curated favorites from around the world. You can also get beer cocktails or wine if you fancy, and they’ve got snacks ready in case you get a little peckish. Try their Notorious R.B.G. which is a Gruit/Ancient Herbed Ale or a Danks Obama, which is an IPA.
Where: 3123 N Davidson St Suite 104, Charlotte, NC 28205
6. The Chamber by Wooden Robot
Wooden Robot is a 15-barrel urban farmhouse brewery that draws inspiration from Belgian farmhouse-style breweries and American craft brewing. Their NoDa location known as The Chamber, is the perfect place to spend a warm afternoon. They’ve even got an awesome rooftop biergarten here, so we’d highly recommend heading over with some friends on a crisp spring Saturday and enjoying what they’ve got on tap. The ‘If You Like…’ is a Piña Colada Sour and the ‘What I’m Having’ is a Hazy Session IPA. Or try their ‘Mad Vanillin’, a Vanilla Stout.
Where: 416 E 36th St STE 100, Charlotte, NC 28205
7. Free Range Brewing
Free Range is a labor of love from North Carolina natives who believe in community outreach, creativity, and, of course, good beer. They’ve run community events in the past like artist showcases, live music, and pop-ups to give you a little entertainment and good food with your crafties. Their menu consists of a lot of NC flavors, like the Cup of Ambition, a Carolina Pale Ale with Kumquats or their Susie Took Her Tea, a Carolina Grisette with meyer lemon, calendula flowers, poppy, and ginger straw.
Where: 2320 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205
8. Salud Ceverceria
Salud Cerverceria is bringing it back to good ole’ yummy flavors and vibes. From good beer to good bar snacks (like their Meatballs smothered in red sauce or their Cauliflower bites). They’ve got an interesting Blond Ale on tap called the Cafecito con Leche that is a Coffee Dessert Blond Ale with Vietnamese Coffee and lactose, and they’ve also got a Triple Hazy called the Que Jumo! Definitely come to Salud if you’re looking for something unique and fun-spirited.
Where: 3306-C N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205, United States
9. Petty Thieves
Petty Thieves is a craft brewery in Charlotte with cool and occult vibes going on. They’re always doing fun releases on their new beers on tap to pair with their live music carefully curated to ensure you jam out when you’re here. With a beer list that specializes in what’s lovely and weird, they offer things like the Burden of Boredom, a Boysen Berry and Blackcurrant wheat ale and the Did You Just Hear Something Crazy?, an IPA with Mosaic and Galaxy.
Where: 413 Dalton Ave Suite B, Charlotte, NC 28206