Sycamore and other local breweries among top beer producers in the state
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Mountain Candy cans on canning line. Photo courtesy of Sarah Brigham/ Sycamore
Three of North Carolina’s 10 largest craft breweries are based in Charlotte, per recent data from the Brewers Association.
Sycamore (No. 5), Olde Mecklenburg Brewery (No. 7) and NoDa Brewing Co. (No. 8) are among the top beer producers in the state. Hi-Wire (no. 6), based in Asheville, recently opened a taproom in South End.
Why it matters: Charlotte’s in a brewery boom. We added 10 to our local brewery guide in the last year and we’re anticipating several others to open in the next year.
Yes, but: Brewery closures are on the rise nationally and experts say 2022 will be a ‘make it or break it‘ year for many breweries.
Between the lines: The annual data — published for its members in the New Brewer journal — is the most comprehensive breakdown of the state’s craft beer industry, Axios’ John Frank reports.
- Not all craft brewers are represented in the rankings because some did not submit both sales and production data to the Colorado-based Brewers Association, the industry’s trade group.
- Excluded are local breweries that don’t meet the definition of independent — less than 25% of the brewery is owned or controlled by a beverage alcohol industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.
Zoom in: Sycamore, which opened its doors in November 2014, has seen the largest rise in production year over year, according to the Brewers Association data. And the brewery’s about to move to a larger location this winter.
- Plus, Sycamore also grabbed the top spot as the largest Carolina-owned craft brewer sold in grocery stores, according to figures from market research firm IRI.
By the numbers: This year, Sycamore will produce about 30,000 barrels of beer. That’s approximately 7.5 million pints, co-owner Sarah Brigham tells Axios.
- Their current taproom has about 1,800 square feet of indoor space and 9,000 square feet of outdoor space.
- That’ll grow to 10,000 square feet of indoor and 11,000 square feet of outdoor space in the new building next to its current location.
“This incredible growth has happened in less than eight years with a team of fewer than 50 employees,” co-owner Sarah Brigham said.