Opening soon: Long-awaited German brewery Gilde opens this weekend in LoSo

What: Gilde will have an interior bier haus and outdoor bier garten, all with a capacity for 350 customers. Expect authentic German beer and cuisine, including sausages and pretzels.

Why it matters: The fact that one of Germany’s oldest brewers has expanded into Charlotte is a nod of confidence in the local beer industry, which has been growing at a breakneck pace ever since the city’s first brewery, Olde Mecklenburg, opened in 2009.

• “What we see here is a very beer addicted (population) and … breweries that open again and again, which is a mark that the people here like beer. So they will have a lot of fun together at our brewery,” Gilde president Mike Gaertner said.

“This is the place to be if you want a traditional German beer brewed by a German brewmaster,” he said.

What to expect: Willi Wallstab, a renowned German brewing master, is moving to Charlotte to lead the brewing at Gilde. They’ll have six staples, all brewed on-site according to German Purity Law: Pilsener, Kellerbier, Urbock, Red Rooster, Lemon Radler, and Pale Wheat.

• Gilde will have a rotating set of craft beers, too.
• Two-star Michelin chef Stefan Hermann leads Gilde’s culinary program. Expect traditional German food such as sausages, pretzels and spätzle (a German pasta).

“As the original craft beer innovators, we will immerse guests in centuries of German brewing heritage combined with the creativity of the American beer movement,” Uhlmann said in a statement.

Zoom out: Hannover, Germany-based Gilde has been around since 1546. In 2019, Karsten Uhlmann, the brewery’s CEO, shared with me how the company plans to grow into Charlotte in phases. For the last few years, Gilde has been selling its traditional beers (like pilsners and hefeweizens) at local grocery stores.

• Ultimately, this Lower South End location will serve as the North American headquarters and be capable of producing 500,000 barrels per year — or roughly 25 times the capacity of Olde Meck, which is currently Charlotte’s biggest brewery.

Flashback: In early 2021, Gilde bought the LoSo property, which is a quick walk to the Scaleybark light-rail stop, from Charlotte developer Beacon Partners for $3.1 million, according to the Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds. The building was previously home to the furniture store Reinvented Charlotte, which closed in 2018, the Observer reported at the time.

• The building is also close to The Station at LoSo a planned mixed-use development that’ll have offices, restaurant and retail space, a hotel and apartments.

Location/hours: The exact address is 530 Dewitt Lane — across the street from The Station at LoSo, a mixed-use development that’ll have offices, restaurant and retail space, a hotel and apartments.

• Gilde will be open from 3-10pm Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday and from 3-11pm on Friday and Saturday.

Here’s a look around:

Editor’s note: This story was last updated on Feb. 22 to include updated information on the opening.