These Charlotte breweries have the highest ratings, according to the Untappd app
In the era of up-to-the-minute updates, it’s no surprise that even the act of drinking a beer has been brought into the social-media space. In the time since launching in October 2010, Untappd has allowed users in the craft beer scene the ability to log the beers they’re consuming, optionally rate their find on a five-point scale (five being the highest), see what others are imbibing, and explore the surrounding beer scene.
Having a difficult time deciding between two new-to-you brands? Compare their Untappd ratings, or even see what your friends are saying. Many Charlotte breweries (and bars, as well) are also Verified Venues on the service, allowing potential drinkers to see current tap lists. Visiting from out of town and unsure where to go? Bring up a list of breweries in a certain radius.
But, according to Untappd’s millions-large user base, how does the Charlotte beer scene stack up? Who’s making a positive impression, and who might need to tweak some recipes? We chewed through ratings of Charlotte’s breweries, and sorted the results by ranking.
Who’s going to be on this list? Any of the 19 currently-open breweries that calls Charlotte “home,” instead a satellite location. Also, we’ve limited this specifically to Charlotte, with a follow-up focusing on breweries in the greater Mecklenburg area.
So how does your favorite brewery stack up against the others? Who’s suddenly on your radar? All data is current as of 2/20, so without further adieu….
(19) Three Spirits Brewery
Brewery Rating: 3.58 (6,672 ratings)
Most popular beer: Ain’t No Hop Steppin’
Beer’s rating: 3.53 (1,032 check-ins)
Specializing in traditional “comfort beers,” the southernmost Charlotte outfit sports a decidedly Dickensian vibe in homage to the brewery’s “Christmas Carol” namesake.
5046 Old Pineville Road
(18) Bold Missy Brewery
Brewery Rating: 3.59 (2,869 ratings)
Most popular beer: Rocket Ride
Beer’s rating: 3.58 (570 check-ins)
Bold Missy anchors the northern end of a 2.2 mile stretch of road occupied by 7 breweries, with a focus on classic beer styles brewed in tribute to influential female figures.
610 Anderson St.
(17) The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
Brewery rating: 3.61 (85,630 ratings)
Most popular beer: Copper
Beer’s rating: 3.55 (44,567 check-ins)
The oldest brewery of the bunch, this venerable Queen City operation has a steadfast focus on Germanic beer styles, with the verdant LoSo-area biergarten an absolute warm-weather must-visit.
4150 Yancey Road
(16) Hyde Brewing
Brewery rating: 3.62 (1,036 ratings)
Most popular beer: A Patchwork Orange
Beer’s rating: 3.73 (253 check-ins)
Literally steps away from the New Bern Lynx station, Hyde deftly manages a clean yet comfortable aesthetic, with guest taps, cocktails, coffee, and small-plates complementing the house-made beers.
2911 Griffith St. B
(15) Blue Blaze Brewing
Brewery Rating: 3.67 (11,688 ratings)
Most popular beer: Black Blaze Milk Stout
Beer’s rating: 3.78 (1,928 check-ins)
Living up to its trail-blazing namesake, this brewery’s close proximity to an Uptown-connecting greenway adds to the outdoor appeal and seemingly cements its identity as a treehouse for adults.
528 South Turner Ave.
(14) Sugar Creek Brewing Company
Brewery Rating: 3.67 (38,206 ratings)
Most popular beer: Sugar Creek Pale Ale
Beer’s rating: 3.65 (14,952 check-ins)
After buying the original OMB location turn-key, this LoSo-area brewer of Belgian-inspired beers shifted to a more-nautical theme inside, while expanding their outdoor presence in the hotbed of LoSo nightlife.
215 Southside Dr.
(13) The Unknown Brewing Co.
Brewery Rating: 3.67 (105,303 ratings)
Most popular beer: Over The Edge
Beer’s rating: 3.72 (34,069 check-ins)
Just a few blocks south of Panthers HQ, this pregame hotspot is undergoing a significant expansion and impressive facelift, with a must-see upstairs patio and eventual distillery as parts of the plan. [Related: Unknown Brewing unveils can design for ‘Feather Light,’ Charlotte’s first true light beer.]
1327 S. Mint St.
(12) Thirsty Nomad Brewing
Brewery Rating: 3.7 (4,928 ratings)
Most popular beer: Seeker
Beer’s rating: 3.73 (717 check-ins)
Tucked into a nondescript stuccoed office park, this nanobrewery isn’t afraid to use its small system to its advantage in concocting adventurous offerings alongside established styles.
4402 A Stuart Andrew Blvd.
(11) Lenny Boy Brewing Co.
Brewery Rating: 3.71 (28,454 ratings)
Most popular beer: Citraphilia
Beer’s rating: 3.76 (4,339 check-ins)
Lenny Boy is the only all-organic brewery in the state, and doubles as Charlotte’s only kombucha producer as well. Since settling into a new facility, there’s seemingly space galore, and special events abound.
3000 S. Tryon St.
(10) Birdsong Brewing Company
Brewery Rating: 3.73 (95,320 ratings)
Most popular beer: Jalapeño Pale Ale
Beer’s rating: 3.71 (27,457 check-ins)
An array of 220 solar panels lines the roof, but taproom visitors experience a more woodsy vibe coupled with an expansive patio and clear view to brewhouse goings-on.
1016 N. Davidson St.
(9) Sycamore Brewing
Brewery Rating: 3.74 (50,802 ratings)
Most popular beer: Countryside IPA
Beer’s rating: 3.77 (6,591 check-ins)
If Charlotte has a Millennial Mecca, this South End spot would be the de facto place for younger patrons to split a pitcher of beer with friends while sitting around a fire pit, listening to live music.
2161 Hawkins St.
(8) Free Range Brewing
Brewery Rating: 3.75 (14,113 ratings)
Most popular beer: Cream Of The Crop
Beer’s rating: 3.59 (1,167 check-ins)
Sporting a clean aesthetic of subway tiles meets rustic farmhouse, Free Range puts their smaller-sized brewhouse to great use, featuring a regularly-rotating tap list that still manages to feel familiar.
2320 N. Davidson St.
(7) Legion Brewing Company
Brewery Rating: 3.75 (32,292 ratings)
Most popular beer: Juicy Jay
Beer’s rating: 3.86 (11,908 check-ins)
Smack in the middle of Plaza Midwood goings-on, this facility went from storing sheet music to brewing beer on a large scale, with many nods to the recent past repurposed throughout the space.
1906 Commonwealth Ave.
(6) Triple C Brewing Co.
Brewery Rating: 3.75 (80,248 ratings)
Most popular beer: Baby Maker
Beer’s rating: 3.86 (19,893 check-ins)
While founded with a hop-forward focus, recent years have seen Triple C releasing more barrel-aged beers, thanks to an expansion across their South End street affording a private-event space and second, smaller brewery.
2900 Griffith St.
(5) NoDa Brewing Company
Brewery Rating: 3.84 (214,621 ratings)
Most popular beer: Hop, Drop ‘n Roll
Beer’s rating: 4.02 (113,251 check-ins)
With their original facility shifting to strictly beer-brewing, a newer, significantly-larger nearby location shifted a vinegar factory into an industrially-efficient yet quite-comfortable space.
2921 N. Tryon St.
(4) Heist Brewery
Brewery Rating: 3.89 (54,091 ratings)
Most popular beer: Citraquench’l
Beer’s rating: 4.38 (5,425 check-ins)
NoDa’s only brewpub keeps expanding, first into a neighboring space and now into a second, separate production facility in nearby North End, all in an effort to keep their tap lines full of craze-worthy hazy IPA.
2909 N. Davidson St. #200
(3) Wooden Robot Brewery
Brewery Rating: 3.89 (63,131 ratings)
Most popular beer: Good Morning Vietnam
Beer’s rating: 4.1 (10,414 check-ins)
South End crowds flood into this brick-walled taproom, purposefully wrapped around the brewery’s production space, with an upcoming expansion affording less elbow-rubbing and more small-plate noshing. [Related: Wooden Robot Brewery’s new gastropub set to open in March — get ready for beer cheese, bacon crisps and more.]
1440 S. Tryon St., Suite 110
(2) Resident Culture Brewing
Brewery Rating: 3.96 (9,885 ratings)
Most popular beer: Perception Check
Beer’s rating: 4.2 (859 check-ins)
Taproom visitors have an unobstructed view to a stainless-steel row of serving tanks that serve the beer directly, with barrel-lined walls and hanging plants providing a welcome natural feel, and the covered patio a must-visit.
2101 Central Ave.
(1) Salud Cerveceria
Brewery Rating: 4.02 (3,655 ratings)
Most popular beer: Füd’r Salud
Beer’s rating: 4.08 (538 check-ins)
Visitors to this chic taproom space might become so enraptured with hanging plants and clean tilework that they forget they’re standing above the ground-level wild-ale production space, with brewing happening just down the street through a contract with Heist Brewery.
3306b N. Davidson St.
Photos: Jonathan Wells, CharlotteFive files
This story was originally published February 26, 2018 at 11:30 PM with the headline "These Charlotte breweries have the highest ratings, according to the Untappd app."