See inside Sycamore Brewing’s new two-story South End location

Driving the news: Sycamore’s new location opens on May 31.

State of play: The brewery closed its original location on Hawkins Street last fall to prepare to move into a new 21,000-square-foot space next door at 2151 Hawkins St.

Why it matters: Sycamore is among the top beer producers in North Carolina, according to data from the Brewers Association. Over the years, its original taproom became one of South End’s most popular hangouts.

Flashback: Sycamore has evolved just like South End.

• The brewery opened in 2014 in a renovated auto garage, in a part of South End that was full of old industrial buildings and long-empty factories.
• In 2019, owners Sarah and Justin Brigham sold their 1.6-acre property for $9 million to developer Portman Holdings.
• Today, high-tech office towers, luxury apartments and trendy shops fill South End.

Details: The brewery’s new two-story taproom includes a 6,000-square-foot second-floor patio and bar with rail trail and skyline views and the brewery’s Airstream food truck from the original location. The truck will serve classic burgers, plus vegan options.

• Sycamore’s 11,000 square feet of biergarten space will be dog-friendly.
• The property will include Sycamore’s new coffee shop on the first floor.
• Sycamore is in a new mixed-use development called The Line. It will be open daily from 7am until midnight.
• Parking onsite costs $5 for the first 90 minutes, which you will need to get validated at Sycamore. After 90 minutes, parking fees cost the standard garage rates.

Menu: The taproom’s menu includes a tart flambé pizza ($16), cheese pizza ($13), whipped goat cheese ($11) and an Italian sandwich ($12.50).

• Drinks include frosé, boozy popsicles, beer floats, cider, wine and cocktails on tap. There’s also grab-n-go breakfast, lunch and dinner in the biergarten and coffee shop daily, plus brunch on the weekends. Beers on draft start at $7. Wines start at $12.
• Cocktails on tap include a frozen margarita ($12), Bermuda rum swizzle ($13), frozen espresso martini ($14) and Aperol spritz ($14).

Of note: Sycamore started roasting its own coffee for coffee beers, like the coffee vanilla blonde ale, at its production facility in the Lockwood neighborhood near Camp North End.

• The coffee shop will also serve in-house cookies, plus pastries from local bakers. Drinks in the coffee shop start at $3.

Bonus: Sycamore’s run club meets every Wednesday at 6pm.

Zoom out: Sycamore has a seven-state footprint. You can buy their beer at retailers in North and South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia, co-owner Sarah Brigham tells Axios.

What’s next: They’re looking at distributing in more states and into adding taprooms. Charleston and Wilmington are at the top of Brigham’s list, Brigham tells Axios.

• There isn’t a timeline for expansion, she adds, but they’ll pursue it more once the new space opens.

Take a look around. 

Go deeper: Check out more anticipated openings.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published on March 28 and updated on May 30.