After 8.5 years, The Unknown Brewing Co. prepares for ‘The Last Dance’ closing party
Most brewers have a little rockstar in them, but few have embraced that lifestyle as fully as Brad Shell.
He and his wife, Lisa, founded The Unknown Brewing Co. in 2013 with a simple motto: Live Without Boundaries.
It wasn’t just some cliché or marketing speak. It was a philosophy Shell lived by, and a call for others to do the same.
Now, after announcing that the brewery will close and that HopFly Brewing Co. will soon move into the space, Shell has had time to think about his brewery’s legacy.
“The story I’d like the legacy to be left with is, ‘Has Unknown affected the culture of Charlotte? Have we really done our job to make people live a different life than this day-to-day b---s--- that we live?’” Shell said. “Live without boundaries started out as a gimmicky calling, but we’ve never strayed from our message.”
That’s an understatement. The night he got the brewery’s certificate of occupancy, before there was actually a brewery or taproom at all, Shell drove a Volkswagen Golf GTI inside the vacant building, laying down rubber and kicking up smoke as he did donuts in the space that would eventually become The Unknown Brewing Co.
He’s had no shortage of memorable moments since, many of which are being shared every Monday on the brewery’s Facebook page. Here are just a few, in no particular order:
Ran Charlotte’s Shortest Marathon, a 0.26-mile race ending with Oreo cookies and beer.
Dressed as dinosaurs and held a flash mob at a food truck rally to promote the release of Vehopciraptor double IPA.
Brewed the “most American beer ever” with a list of ingredients way too long to list here.
Inspired others to get weird through the Strange Brew festival.
Led hundreds of cyclists on a no pants ride through uptown Charlotte.
Invited about 80 homebrewers to bring their systems into the brewery for a “Supermegaultra Collaboration,”
Offered a keg party for information on the brewery’s stolen van, which led to it being found just 42 minutes later.
Started the Brewers Charity Championship.
Pivoted to produce hand sanitizer during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Used a helicopter for the #cltpourchallenge.
Welcomed musicians like Petey Pablo and Unknown Hinson, as well as many local acts.
Filled just about any vessel during “improper glassware nights.”
Held the Bacon Beer Bash, as well as annual barbecue and chili competitions.
Sold nearly every beer for a buck at dollar beer nights.
And, most recently, attempted to break the world record for flip cup.
Phew. That’s just a fraction of the happenings at the brewery, and it barely touches on the beers themselves. While core beers like OTA IPA and Pre-Game Pilsner were popular at bottle shops and in the taproom, the brewery’s special releases — often brewed with exotic ingredients and wrapped in over-the-top labels — garnered the most attention.
There was Kitten Snuggles, an imperial farmhouse ale brewed with milk sugar, apricots and catnip. The brewery sold calendars filled with photos of Shell and his teammates posing with kittens. On the spicier side there was Russian Roulette, with a Carolina Reaper version hidden in each four-pack. Many loved Bright Ass Tank Top, a rum-barrel-aged gose brewed with key limes.
But perhaps the beer that was talked about the most was the brewery’s second bottle release, La Jordana del Escorpión en Fuego Hacia la Casa del Chupacabra Muerto. In the interest of space, we’ll call this one Escorpión en Fuego from here on out.
Two new releases (and one’s an old favorite)
Released shortly after Dia de los Muertos in 2014, Escorpión en Fuego was an imperial Mexican lager brewed with serrano peppers, agave nectar and 99 food-grade scorpions before being aged on tequila-soaked oak staves.
Shell often gets requests to bring it back, and fans of the beer will be happy to know he’s doing just that this Friday. This iteration is similar to the first, with additions of fresh lime zest and Neomexicanus hops. This time it will come in four-packs of 16-ounce cans, which will sell for $14.99.
Unknown will also release No Regerts, a blend of each of the brewery’s previous anniversary beers with fresh blackberries. Those will be in 500-ml bottles for $15.99 each. There will be around 100 cases of Escorpión en Fuego and only around 100 bottles of No Regerts, so both are limited. They will be available for purchase when the taproom opens at 4 p.m. this Friday.
Giving back is no gimmick
It would be easy to look at a scorpion beer and call it a gimmick, but for Shell the beers and events were always authentic — no matter how absurd they seemed.
“All the things we’ve done have not been for the gimmicks,” Shell said. “We have to live for something more in this life. Let’s try new things every day.”
More often than not, those events also raised sizable donations for a range of charities. Shell said that one of the things he was most proud of was raising more than a million dollars for charity over the past eight years.
When considering who he would sell the brewery to, he knew he didn’t want to let a big regional brewery come in that might not be as involved in the local community.
That’s where Rocky Mount’s HopFly Brewing Co. came in.
“They’re a younger crew with plenty of passion and a lot of resources,” Shell said. “They have a very modern approach to craft beer, and I just think Charlotte could use more of that from an outside perspective. For us, we believe it’s someone the community can be proud of and we think they’ll also give back to the community.”
Ginger ale will continue
While HopFly will soon take over the brewery and taproom space, Shell won’t have to look far for his next venture.
He’ll no longer have to manage five separate businesses (the brewery, taproom, distillery, food truck and ginger ale company). Instead, he’ll now focus exclusively on The Unknown Ginger Ale Company. That brand’s ginger ale was his best-selling product over the past year, and he’s excited to be able to continue to innovate and grow the brand.
He’s getting ready to release a ready-to-drink Moscow Mule, and has his eyes on other cocktails and mixers, as well. The company’s three ginger ales (regular, spicy and cranberry) will soon be stocked at a major local chain. He’s got a team that will handle production and sales, leaving him to focus on research and development, brand awareness and quality control.
“I just want to be that creative person,” Shell said. “As the business becomes more intricate, it just takes me farther away from my passion. The good news is that through the ginger ale company I can re-excite that passion and do some awesome things on that side. My job is to be Brad.”
The Last Dance
In true Unknown fashion, Shell’s planning to go out with a bang. This Saturday’s 8.5ish Anniversary Music Festival, also dubbed “The Last Dance,” will feature five bands, wrestling between sets, fireworks, water guns and new beers.
For Shell, it’s another opportunity to live out that motto he started the brewery with eight years ago.
“If Charlotte ever believed in the fact we could live without boundaries, let’s do it this weekend,” Shell said. “We’ve got bands and fireworks, music and wrestlers. I’m trying to figure out how to get this helicopter in here, and how can we take our pants off?” If you can’t make the party this Saturday, don’t worry — there will still be time to swing by The Unknown Brewing Co. for a beer. The taproom’s last day open will be Saturday, Aug. 21, with a more laid back celebration than the previous weekend’s.
“I’m going to just sit out there and put a bunch of barbecue on the smoker,” Shell said. “Anyone who wants a free sandwich come by; I want to shake your hand and say thank you.”
The Unknown Brewing Co.
Location: 1327 S. Mint St., Charlotte, NC 28203
Neighborhood: Gold District
Instagram: @unknownbrewing
This story was originally published August 12, 2021 at 11:19 AM.
