Charlotte breweries have put your favorite beers in cans — and on grocery shelves
For Birdsong Brewing Co., having 60 barrels of fresh Higher Ground IPA is usually a beautiful thing.
It’s one of the brewery’s best-selling beers, and it’s popular at bars and restaurants around the city. But with most of those establishments closed except for takeout and no longer ordering kegs because of coronavirus, Birdsong needed to do something with all of that beer.
Owners Tara and Chris Goulet got on the phone with Jenny Sassman, the brewery’s social media manager and sales representative, and the three agreed to do something they never thought they would do. They put the beer in cans.
Despite many requests from fans, the brewery had refused to can Higher Ground because it must be stored cold and consumed quickly for the best experience. If the brewery distributed it all over town, it would lose control over how the beer was stored and served.
Rather than waste all that beer, the staff at the brewery decided to package it in four-packs. Tara Goulet threw together a label (urging drinkers to “Keep Cold, Drink Today!”) and got quick approval from the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.
While that solved one issue, it created another.
“The next problem was that we didn’t want to promote it and announce that we were going to be releasing it,” Tara Goulet said. “We knew lots of people would be showing up at once, and we thought that would be irresponsible of us.”
So Birdsong snuck it in as a new option to its daily menu on Friday, March 27. That was as close as the brewery came to announcing the arrival of a beer many had requested for years.
Still, people gradually noticed. The brewery avoided the big lines, and Higher Ground has been the best-selling beer out of the taproom since its debut.
But will it remain in cans once COVID-19 is all over?
“For right now, we’re saying no,” Goulet said. “This is really just for this time period.” Many beer drinkers would love nothing more than to enjoy a pint at their favorite local bar, brewery or bottle shop. But if there’s any consolation right now, it’s that some of the city’s most popular beers are finding their way into cans for the first time.
Legion Brewing
Like Birdsong’s Higher Ground, Legion Brewing’s Juicy Jay is one of Charlotte’s most popular IPAs — but it wasn’t available in cans until now. The brewery was at max capacity at its Plaza Midwood location and was doing everything it could just to keep up with draft sales, founder Phil Buchy said. “We were excited about it and always wanted to do it,” Buchy said. “We just didn’t think it would be this year. We had to pivot and move forward to adjust to the current reality.”
Juicy Jay can now be found in area bottle shops, as well as every Harris Teeter and Whole Foods Market in Charlotte. Publix will be next. The response to the new cans has been overwhelming.
“We actually have customers picking it up before we can even put it on the shelf,” Buchy said.
In addition to Juicy Jay, Legion also canned Carolina Sparkle Party, a Berliner weisse; Mind Ya ‘Biscus, a hibiscus pale ale; Flicker Daze, an American wheat ale; Penguin Pils, (the pilsner formerly known as Project Pils); and Sláinte, a dry Irish stout. Legion will also soon can Brown Paper Bag, an American lager.
NoDa Brewing
NoDa Brewing Co. has been just as busy, canning its Valencia Pale Ale and 1775 Pale Ale. The brewery’s OG Kölsch will be canned on April 24, and second batches of Hop So-Low IPA and Zuper Heroes are on the way (both sold out quickly online).
But the beer some were most excited about has been around for nearly a decade. Ramble on Red was one of the first three beers that NoDa Brewing Co. brewed when it opened in 2011. It had a very limited can run a few years ago, but has otherwise only been available on draft. NoDa introduced cans of the beer with a fresh new label this past Monday.
“It does have its fans and a loyal following out there,” said Suzie Ford, president at NoDa Brewing Co. “People are really excited about it. The new packaging gives it a fresh look, too.”
Cabarrus Brewing
New packaging is just another way breweries can help market their beers in these times. While not a new beer, Concord’s Cabarrus Brewing Co. did recently package its Cotton Blonde Ale in 12-packs. Twelve-packs often provide a better value and, maybe more importantly these days, save consumers a shopping trip later. The larger packaging can also help the beer stand out in a crowded beer aisle.
“I hate to use a big beer term, but it gives a nice billboard effect,” said Tyson Fink, wholesale director at Cabarrus Brewing Co. Now more than ever, Fink spends a lot of time in area stores checking on the brewery’s inventory and making sure stores have everything they need.
“You can tell more beer is being sold [in grocery stores] and I’m pretty sure it’s that way across the board,” Fink said. “Those people who would go to a restaurant or bar now need to pick up their beer from the store.”
Of course, many are still picking up to-go beers from their local breweries, which have a larger assortment and often more limited beers as well. Cabarrus Brewing Co. recently sold out of its new Bloody Mary Gose at the brewery’s “Brew-Thru.”
While all of these new beers and new packages are a welcome move for consumers, they have also become a necessity for breweries looking to get through a very tough period.
“It’s a brave new world right now,” Buchy said. “I’m excited to see the ingenuity of the industry responding to the challenges. The community support we’ve seen has been really heartwarming, and I just want to say thank you to everybody.”
