By Amanda Fowler On 24 January 2016
As Charlotte’s beer scene has grown and expanded, so has the festival that focuses on featuring local brews. This year’s Queen City Brewers Festival on Saturday, February 6 brings 25 Charlotte-area breweries together, seven making their festival debut.
Full Spectrum, High Branch Brewing, Legion Brewing, Legal Remedy Brewing, Red Clay Cidery, Three Spirits and Wooden Robot will be making their first appearance at QCBF. All 25 breweries will bring favorite core beers and one “Super Brew” that will be a unique specialty beer.
“It’s important to reacquaint yourself with flagship Charlotte brews that are so well done,” says QCBF Organizer Nils Weldy.
A new partnership with Gravity Magazine will result in the first crowning of the “Best Brewery of QCBF.” Gravity has brought together Cicerone certified judges who will try one beer submitted by each brewer and, at the end of session two, name a winner during an on-stage celebration.
Since the festival started in 2012 and spent its first two years at Neighborhood Theater, it hasn’t had a consistent home. Weldy says the concept of the festival is constantly evolving and this new venue, The Fillmore, will bring it back to its traditional music venue roots. Tickets are more limited, which will result in a more intimate festival feel.
QCBF also serves as a fundraiser for ACEing Autism, a non-profit organization that uses the sport of tennis to positively impact the lives of children affected by autism spectrum disorders. The organization is built on a volunteer platform and QCBF, beyond raising funds, also serves as a catalyst for finding volunteers.
“There are so many families who need to be served,” Weldy said. “That is a function of the number of volunteers we have. This festival and the volunteer leads it produces are so impactful from a growth standpoint of the children of families we can serve.”
Haven’t secured your own tickets yet? They’re selling quickly at $45 each for either the 1 PM – 4 PM session or 6 PM – 9 PM. Ticket buying hint: there is more availability for that second session.
I got to take a peek at the QCBF beer list and here’s a few I’m excited about.
Many of the breweries are still “TBD” on their Super Brew so even more good beer is he
ading our way!
- Bayne Brewing Maple Wheat – A dark wheat beer made with maple syrup
- D9 Brewing Ezekiel 25:17 Black Sour – Brewed with candi sugar, date molasses and honey malt
- Full Spectrum White Ice Winter Warmer – Brewed with bourbon soaked vanilla beans and aged with bourbon soaked wood chips
- Legal Remedy Sequestered Horchata Saison – Belgian Saison inspired by a favorite Latin beverage with hints of cinnamon and almonds
- High Branch Yucatan Stout – With chili pepper and cinnamon
- Primal Brewery Devil’s Gas Pumpernickel IPA – A rye India Pale Ale with dark roasted malts and caraway seed
- Sycamore BBA South Mountain Cream Stout
