Beer — and bananas — are heading to a prominent spot in downtown Huntersville
A new brewery, 760 Craft Works, is opening Friday, May 5 in downtown Huntersville, bringing new life to the town’s former police administration building.
Father and son owners Trey Ramsey and Wagner Ramsey said the brewery is a family affair, with everyone pitching in to get the business off the ground. They have close ties to the Lake Norman area, having lived there previously before moving back once again.
They’re looking to create a “comfortable, welcoming third space for retirees, as well as people like me, a 30-something with a toddler and a dog,” Trey Ramsey said.
The brewery’s name is a nod to Lake Norman, even. As many people who live in the area know, Lake Norman is 760 feet above sea level at full pond.
What 760 Craft Works has that you won’t find at any other breweries in the Charlotte area is banana trees. Trey Ramsey is a bit of a plant hobbyist, and his banana trees are in 30-gallon pots on wheels that will move around the property.
“I have gotten bananas off them in the past two summers,” he said. He’s also had experience growing key lime, Meyer lemon and avocado trees, so don’t be surprised to find a space filled with plants — some of which may end up in the beer.
Here’s what else you’ll find when 760 Craft Works opens:
The drinks: You’ll find light and dark lagers, along with a mix of West Coast IPAs, hazy IPAs, kettle sours and big stouts. “We’ll have a pretty good mix of drinkable, lighter, refreshing beers and flavor bombs,” Trey Ramsey said.
But 760 Craft Works won’t just be “a hangout for beer geeks,” he said. It will also have cider and selections from small-production wineries.
The food: There won’t be a kitchen at the brewery, but you’ll still have food options. There’s a parking pad for food trucks outside, and 760 Craft Works is also partnering with nearby Slice House Pizza. A QR code ordering system is in the works, so you can order up a Chicken Parmigiana pizza or a Sophia’s Stromboli to eat while you drink. Salads, wraps, sandwiches and pasta are on the menu, as well.
The space: 760 Craft Works’ taproom is about 2,500 square feet, with 4,000 square feet more outdoors. On the patio, there’s a built-in firepit, along with a 750-square foot pergola and trees providing afternoon shade. There’s room to grow out there, as well — the property sits on 1.7 acres that backs up to Holbrook Park’s pickleball courts and the Carolina Thread Trail greenway that connects to Cornelius.
“We feel very fortunate to be part of the evolution of downtown Huntersville,” Wagner Ramsey said, noting that new apartments are going up nearby and the likelihood of foot traffic increasing.
One last thing to note: Even before the brewery has opened, we’ve got a pro tip for you. When storms knock out the power, you can count on 760 Craft Works as a place where you can charge your phone while you sip a beer and regroup. That’s all thanks to a natural gas-powered generator that came along with the building, formerly owned by the city of Huntersville.
“We’ll have cold beverages, and we’ll have the lights on, regardless of the weather,” Wagner Ramsey said.
760 Craft Works
Location: 100 Gilead Road, Huntersville, NC 28078
Instagram: @760craftworks
This story was originally published March 8, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
