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| NoDa Brewing Company |
Anytime I get together with my friend Debby, it's reason to celebrate. We go way back - all the way to post-college days when we were roommates in Boston. We had some good times then, and after I moved out of the area, we've managed to meet up somewhere new every year or two, to continue our adventures. Our friendship is filled with memorable experiences, and this weekend in Charlotte, NC was no exception.
Although very knowledgeable about wine, Debby is just dabbling in the world of craft beer. Her daughter, Annie,who lives in Charlotte, is well immersed in the beer world, and so upon her enthusiastic recommendation, the three of us ventured out to one of the newest breweries in Charlotte.
NoDa Brewing Company is located in the North Davidson (NoDa) neighborhood, a once industrial area that has been rejuvenated, and is now an artsy locale inspired by SoHo in New York City. It's not quite there yet, but it's definitely one of Charlotte's hippest areas. The microbrewery's has a large open tap room, designed with an industrial feel. It is filled with solid wood tables and a long bar that extends the width of the building. Behind the bar are picture windows exposing the huge stainless steel beer vats. The tap room is open to visitors for a few hours most evenings. Tours are available during the hours the tap room is open. The Friday night we were there it was filled with happy folks enjoying a cold one (or two or three) to celebrate the end of the work week. It has clearly become a favorite with craft beer enthusiasts in Charlotte. After tasting the beer, we could understand why.
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| The colors of the beer are gorgeous. Are you thirsty? |
What did we have: We decided to buy two flights of four beers each. Since they were featuring five beers on tap that night, we had the opportunity to taste them all. The colors of all the beer are gorgeous. From rich reds to deep browns, they looked so inviting even before we took the first sip. Upon tasting the beer I was immediately reminded of the Oregon microbreweries I've visited. Their brews have a strong hop finish, characteristic of the northwest. My personal favorite was Ramble on Red, a balanced red ale with a subtle hop. Debby enjoyed that one as well. Annie, a real hop enthusiast, favored the NoDaRyeZ'd, a double rye India Pale Ale. I also thought the CoCo LoCo was noteworthy. It had an unusual chocolate coconut porter, almost black in color and more bitter than sweet. There is no food served at NoDa, however, outside is a food truck serving an assortment of Pan Asian tacos that can be purchased and eaten inside. We saw many folks enjoying an unusual teriyaki or curry taco. Seemed to pair well with the beer.
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| Good friends. Good beer. Good times. |
What was fun: When overflowing with locals enjoying a few pints after work, this lively tap room was filled with energy. Drinking good beer, in the company of good friends, surrounded by a crowd of happy folks, is always fun. It's exciting to discover a new microbrewery that has only been open a few months and is already producing high quality and interesting beer. As new microbreweries and brew pubs seem to be popping in every town and city in the country, producing consistently high quality and unique brews are going to be determining factors as to who succeeds. Being housed in a desirable location and offering a comfortable and inviting place to enjoy the beer will also be factors. NoDa seems to be scoring high in all these areas and I only expect they will see more success as they continue to experiment.
