Fall beers are here from Olde Mecklenburg, NoDa and Sycamore
Did you feel that?
On Monday morning, when you stepped out, something was … different. No more instant sweat upon leaving. What you felt, my friend, is what we call a cool fall breeze. And when fall is here, that also means it’s time for local fall craft beer season.
Many say this is their favorite time to drink beer, particularly because of the enjoyable weather and also with the styles that become available. And this week, three local breweries are releasing seasonals that are sure to have people throw on their favorite sweater and head to the taproom. Here’s a look:
Mecktoberfest – Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
This space has long sung the praises of Olde Mecklenburg’s Märzen-style lager. It came in at No. 3 on Charlotte’s Top 50 local craft beers and has also captured awards stateside (silver at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival) and overseas (gold at the 2015 European Beer Star competition).
The outstanding balance of malts, sweetness and a slight existence of hops on the back end makes this a solid go-to for the season. One time when I was attempting to put this beer into words, I simply said, “It tastes like fall.” When pressed to elaborate, I added “Just try it, and you’ll understand.” (They did).
Mecktoberfest was released at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery this past Monday and is now available on tap and in six-packs to go. It will also be available at local craft bottle shops and grocery stores. And circle the weekend of Sept. 22-24, as OMB will hold its annual Mecktoberfest celebration, complete with Oktoberfest music, food and beer.
Gourd Have Mercy – Sycamore Brewing
Sycamore’s pumpkin amber ale has been a fan favorite ever since being brewed a couple of years ago, and the brewery is stepping it up this year by canning Gourd Have Mercy for the first time. You’ll be able to get it on draft or in 4-pack cans beginning Thursday at 4 p.m. To celebrate the release, Papi Queso will feature a special “harvest melt grilled cheese” with spiced pumpkin, kale, Fontina cheese and hazelnut sage pesto. And on Sept. 16, Sycamore is putting on Pumpkin Fest 2017, where the brewery will have several fall and pumpkin beers on tap along with a full day’s lineup of live music, four food trucks and special giveaways as well.
Gordgeous – NoDa Brewing Co.
NoDa’s always looking good with its fall seasonal, which features more than 50 pounds of pumpkin and 42 pounds of brown sugar per batch. Gordgeous is also brewed with several spices, including allspice and cloves, to give it a little kick to go along with the sweet taste. The taproom is opening early on Friday (noon), where you can try the beer on tap and the brewery will also have 4-packs for sale. For the later-arriving crowd, TIN Kitchen will be serving up food starting at 5 p.m. and live music begins at 6:30 p.m.
Other popular fall seasonals expected soon include Birdsong’s St. Tuber Abbey Ale (Sept. 14) and Triple C’s Eyes of the World (Sept. 29). Look for details on each release in a future post.
