Charlotte breweries navigate uncertainty amid tariffs, changing market

State of play: Charlotte has more than 40 breweries, not including several dozen in surrounding towns.

• We spoke with representatives from Birdsong Brewing Co., Divine Barrel Brewing, Heist Brewery, Hopfly, NoDa Brewing and Olde Mecklenburg Brewery (OMB) about the state of Charlotte's beer industry.

Driving the news: Many brewery owners tell us they are bracing for the impact of tariffs.

• OMB, Charlotte's oldest craft brewery, known for its German-style beers, sources many of its products from Europe. Its bottle caps, for example, are sourced from Italy, chief operating officer Jim Birch tells Axios. It's unclear how much this will cost them.
• Hopfly sources roughly 50% of its hops from Australia and New Zealand, which will also be hit with tariffs, Schulz says.

Between the lines: Following a pre- and post-pandemic brewery boom, a handful of local breweries have closed in recent years due to rising rent, construction or location.

• "People are drinking and spending less," Jacob Virgil, NoDa Brewing's strategic development director, says, prompting brewery owners to adapt and offer more than hops.

Zoom in: NoDa Brewing and Resident Culture launched their own lines of hemp-derived THC seltzers.

• It's not uncommon to find beverage options that are not beer at breweries — many sell wine, cocktails, seltzers and other nonalcoholic options. Plus, most breweries either have a kitchen or food trucks onsite.

The other side: Breweries like OMB and Birdsong have no interest in adding THC options.

• OMB, known for its biergarten and massive taprooms in LoSo and Ballantyne, has avoided the trends, Birch tells Axios. People go there for the German beer experience, he says, adding that he thinks their core product will span the test of the current economic cycle.
• Birdsong has food trucks onsite and offers nonalcoholic options, wine and cider, but they don't have a kitchen or TVs. These extra offerings aren't essential to their bottom line, Birdsong co-owner Chris Goulet tells Axios. "Birdsong is all about the beer and the people, and that's kind of it," Goulet says.

The intrigue: Whenever we report about a new brewery opening in Charlotte, people run to our Instagram comments section to complain.

• The sentiment is so trite that one brewery owner from Atlanta opened a taproom in Charlotte called "Another Brewery."

• But that's akin to saying, "Charlotte has too many restaurants," says Schulz, who moved Hopfly's production facility and primary taproom to Charlotte from Rocky Mount in 2022.

Case in point: Hopfly's total production increased by 60% in 2024 and by 70% for their wholesale business, Schulz says, adding that he thinks Charlotte has the best beer market in the state.

The bottom line: Breweries are no longer just tap rooms with craft beer. They're third spaces for people to play trivia, join a run club, work remotely from, let their kids run wild, listen to live music — the list goes on.

What's next: Plenty of Charlotte breweries have expansion plans.

• Distro Beer Hub, a new beer hall that will also serve cocktails, wine and nonalcoholic beer, plus food, will open in South End next month. Heist and Divine Barrel, plus Asheville's DSSOLVR and Winston-Salem's Incendiary Brewing, will each have a stall there.
• Heist also plans to reopen its NoDa location this summer, according to Lisa Antonacci, Heist's sales director. It's been closed since a fire last summer, but the Canteen at the NoDa location is open for run club on Mondays and trivia on Wednesdays.
• OMB plans to open locations in Mt. Holly (late 2025) and Cornelius (2028).
• Suffolk Punch will open a new spot in Birkdale Village this year.
• Sycamore Brewing plans to open a new location in Cotswold Village Shopping Center next summer.