Former Sycamore brewer to open new brewery named Armored Cow featuring gluten-free beers

This 3,500-square-foot taproom will be at 8821 JW Clay Blvd. Expect 18 taps offering up a mix of regular beer and gluten-free beer. No bottling will happen right away, but there will be draft sales.

The taproom will have indoor seating for around 170 people (mix of high top and regular tables) and outdoor seating for about 60. There will be plenty of parking and a semi-private room available for event rentals.

Armored Cow is the brain child of Andrew Kalinoski, formerly the head brewer at Sycamore Brewing.

As a proud veteran, Andrew named the brewery “Armored Cow” which is a slang term soldiers gave to canned milk during WWII. Very cool.

Armored Cow will be the first Charlotte brewery to focus on gluten-free beer.

Andrew’s son and mother-in-law have celiac disease (they’re allergic to gluten).

“My mother-in-law is the reason I started brewing gluten free beers several years ago,” Andrew told me. “Since then, I have made quite a few new friends who have gluten intolerances.”

Armored Cow plans to have a wide variety of gluten free beers including an IPA, double IPA, blonde, pumpkin, pilsner, dark ale, Belgian and a wheat (buckwheat) beer.

“My hope is to give everyone the same experience,” Andrew explained to me. “We saved plenty of space for expansion on the gluten-free side, and I will not let there be a shortage!”

Note: Wooden Robot and NoDa Brewing also have offerings for those with gluten sensitivities.