Old Mecklenberg Brewery

My latest visit to Charlotte allowed a visit to probably their most successful brewery, Old Mecklenberg.  Opening in 2009, the brewery features German styled beers.

From the street, it looks like most other breweries, but as you enter, you get a sense of the Biergarten, both indoors and out.

The brewery has 8 acres, which aside from ample tables, seems to welcome dogs and kids.  There’s certainly room to play.

They also offer a limited menu, mostly of a German bent.  I opted for a spicy sausage (Stiglmeier Gyulai) and Kielbasa, along with Bratkartoffeln (potatoes and bacon mixture) and German Potato Salad.   Service was swift and excellent.

To the left is their Captain James Jack Pilsner, which was…nicely ordinary, a break from the hop bombs that I’m more frequently tasting.  Better yet was the Fat Boy Baltic Porter.   Sadly, though a fairly heavy  hitter and a beer enjoyed over time, it escaped proper photographic capture. 

The brewery doesn’t appear to do much experimentation.  They’re purists – malt, hops, yeast, water only – and offer the following five beers as their mainstays:

I’ve also had their Oktoberfest beer, which also quite good.  Their summer options… not so impressive.  Regardless of claims of legitimacy, I don’t get excited about mixing beers with Coke or Sprite.

I caught this brewery on a fine Autumn day, which soon neared evening.  Tours are offered on weekends, and… oh, well, they’re all the same anyway.  Stainless steel tanks.

Not my favorite styles of beer, but these are solid accompaniment for fun and good times, both of which can be had on site.