Ring in the holidays with Charlotte beers — including one naughty brewery
Toasting the holidays just got more festive with limited time holiday beers from some of Charlotte’s most beloved breweries. From cookies and milk to cinnamon and honey, the local brewers have gotten creative when it comes to mixing up some tasty and festive drinks.
THERE’S MORE: Friday afternoon marks the launch of Sycamore Brewing’s annual “naughty” ale (remember cans were pulled from the shelves after a complaint in 2019 and a bondage theme reigned supreme in 2020). We’ll update you the second we are allowed to share the details.
Update: Check out Sycamore Brewing’s naughty Christmas beer cans for 2021
Cheers!
Birdsong Brewing Company
Location: 1016 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28206
Neighborhood: Optimist Park
Holiday releases:
- Hip Hop Hooray IPA: West-Coast IPA with limited release for 10 year Anniversary.
Release Date: Available now
- Night Moves: Chocolate Raspberry Stout.
Release date: December 16
- MexiCali Stout: Mexican Chocolate Stout brewed with habaneros, cinnamon, cocoa.
Release date: Available now
- Book Ends (limited release in collaboration with Divine Barrel Brewing): Sour ale with blood orange a chai spices.
Release date: Available now
- Honey Pie: Double IPA brewed with local honey from Cloister Honey.
Release date: January 13
Brewers at 4001 Yancey
Location: 4001-A, Yancey Rd, Charlotte, NC 28217
Neighborhood: South End
Holiday releases:
- Frosted Sugar Cookie: Southern Tier full of soft and airy vanilla and cake notes, iced to perfection.
Release date: Available now
- Old Man Winter: Southern Tier well-balanced winter ale with earthy hop notes and fruity esters.
Release date: Available now
- 2XMas: Southern Tier combines traditional brewing ingredients with figs, orange peels, cardamom, cinnamon, clove and ginger root.
Release date: Available now
- White Cranberry Cider: Bold Rock Hard Cider with a union of Blue Ridge apples paired with the distinctive flavor of white cranberries.
Release date: Available now
- Orchard Frost: Bold Rock Hard Cider that blends Blue Ridge Mountain apples with hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, vanilla and caramel.
Release date: Available now
Divine Barrel
Location: 3701 N Davidson St Suite #203, Charlotte, NC 28205
Neighborhood: NoDa
Holiday releases:
I’d be a Cookie: A cookies & cream milk stout.
Release date: December 23
Gilde Brewery
Location: 3530 Dewitt Ln, Charlotte, NC 28217
Neighborhood: South End
Holiday releases:
- The Miner: Malt dried with fire after germination, resulting in very dark colors with roasted notes for a malty and crisp beer with a smooth, bright head.
Release date: Mid-December
Lenny Boy Brewing Co.
Location: 3000 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28217
Neighborhood: South End
Holiday releases:
- Merry Cranberry Kombucha: A non-alcoholic refreshing blend of fresh-pressed cranberries. and lemons.
Release date: Available now
- Cranberry Tart: A zesty sour ale fermented with cranberries, key lime, and cinnamon.
Release date: Available now
- Breakfast in Heaven: Annual Bourbon Barrel Aged stout with rich flavors of dark chocolate, sweet vanilla, and whole bean coffee complement the bourbon notes acquired from aging in Elijah Craig bourbon barrels.
Release date: November 26 (Served with a donut hole on launch day)
NoDa Brewing Co.
Location: 2921 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28206
Neighborhood: NoDa
Holiday releases:
- Captain Peanut Butter’s Chocolate Revenge: A big, malty and smooth Imperial Porter brewed with a massive amount of cocoa nibs to give dark chocolate notes and roasted peanut butter.
Release date: November 22 at select retailers, November 26 at NoDa Brewing Company’s North End Taproom
- Monstro: Toasted barley mass, rounded out by the vanillas, molasses and oak of bourbon barrel aging.
Release date: December 17
- Hoppy Holidays: Medium-bodied brew loaded with six hop varieties complemented by citrus notes and a brisk, piney aroma.
Release date: Available now
- Cranberry Gose: Tart gose beer fermented on fresh cranberries for a sweet and refreshing taste.
Release date: Available now
Olde Meck Brewery
Location: 4150 Yancey Rd, Charlotte, NC 28217
Neighborhood: South End
Holiday releases:
- Yule Bock: An authentic “Weihnachtsbock” (Christmas Bock).
Release date: November 26
Pilot Brewing
Location: 1331 Central Ave UNIT 104, Charlotte, NC 28205
Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood
Holiday release:
- Harvest Saison: Harvest Saison is a classic, pale colored, French style Saison brewed with a light touch of biscuit malt, roasted sugar pie pumpkins, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. It’s a 2020 U.S. Beer Open Bronze Medal Winner.
Release date: Available now
- Holiday White IPA: The White IPA is a fruity, spicy, refreshing version of an American IPA, but with a lighter color, less body and features Belgian yeast character. There’s complementary notes of orange zest, and it’s generously hopped with Citra hops, providing a pleasant grapefruit aroma.
Release date: Available now
- Secret Santa Stout: The Imperial stout is brewed with chocolate malt and rich fudge Ghana cocoa nibs. It’s full bodied with a pillowy mouthfeel, and dark chocolate flavors and aromas.
Release date: Dec. 11
- 2021 Barrel Aged Secret Santa Stout: In this version, the Secret Santa Stout is aged in Few Spirits maple syrup rye barrels, from Pennsylvania.
Release date: Dec. 11
- 2020 Barrel Aged Secret Santa Stout: The Imperial stout was aged in Hudson Distillery Maple Syrup barrels that held Hudson’s Baby Bourbon for 3 years, Vermont Maple Syrup for a few months and Hudson’s Short Stack Rye Whiskey for 6 months and Pilot’s Secret Santa Stout for 9 weeks.
Release date: Dec. 11
Sycamore Brewing
Location: 2161 Hawkins St, Charlotte, NC 28203
Neighborhood: South End
Holiday release:
- Barrel Aged Christmas Cookie Winter Ale: Contains Xmas Cookie and other barrel aged beer and an imperial barrel aged blonde stout rested for varying lengths of time in a variety of different Bourbon barrels including Basil Hayden and Maker’s Mark. Along with the sweet cookie and warm vanilla flavors of the regular Xmas Cookie, expect toasted oak, amplified vanilla, additional layers of caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon, spice, and discernible bourbon spirit flavor
Release date: November 20
Wicked Weed
Location in Charlotte: 5501 Josh Birmingham Pkwy, Charlotte, NC 28208
Neighborhood: Airport
Holiday releases:
- Barrel Aged Guilty Pleasures Milk & Cookies: Imperial Stout brewed with golden raisins, cinnamon, vanilla and tastes of dried fruit, oak, malty sweet and bourbon.
Release date: Available now
- Barrel Aged Guilty Pleasures German Chocolate Cake: Imperial stout brewed with chocolate and coconut, hints of dried fruit, oak, vanilla and bourbon.
Release date: Available now
- Barrel Aged Guilty Pleasures S’mores: Imperial stout brewed with chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon with hints of graham cracker, chocolate, vanilla, marshmallow, oak, bourbon.
Release date: Available now
- Barrel Aged Guilty Pleasures Espresso Cheesecake: Imperial stout brewed with natural flavors as well as coffee, cheesecake, dried fruit, oak, vanilla, malty sweet, bourbon.
Release date: Available now
This story was originally published November 19, 2021 at 10:03 AM.
