CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Friday, Aug. 2 is International Beer Day and a new study found North Carolina ranks No. 1 in the nation for loving craft beer, so it's no surprise that Charlotte is chock full of craft breweries serving up specialty beers.
Inside Birdsong Brewing Company, crafting beer is like crafting the perfect song. It's in the name, after all. A systematic symphony, all about the process that owner Chris Goulet is time-consuming.
"It can take as long as 50 days," Goulet said. "But it's worth it. It's a labor of love."
Bridsong's staff works diligently to capture each different and tasty note. With so much competition, Goulet says Birdsong must hit the right note with every batch.
"From 2017 to 2020 there was a huge boom where all these breweries opened and 40 were in the city," he said.
As Charlotte's craft beer scene grew, so did the pressure to remain on the cutting edge with tasty, fresh beer to keep customers returning. The result is good for craft beer lovers.
"If you go up North Davidson, by the time you get to Sugar Creek, I think you pass eight breweries," Goulet said. "I think the whole level has come up and we really do put out phenomenal products as a state and city."
And while plenty of new places have opened in recent years, 2024 has been tough on Charlotte's craft beer scene with several popular beermakers closing up shop. Goulet said the market is saturated and is more competitive than ever. He also said rent prices could be an issue for breweries that occupy space in fast-growing neighborhoods.
Contact Austin Walker at awalker@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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