Queen City’s Catawba Brewing: Mixing Cereal and Beer

The Queen City arm of Catawba Brewing offers an ideal place to meet up with picky friends or to explore a range of new beers. Who says beer and cereal don’t mix?

Not At The River

Less than 1.5 miles from the Charlotte city center is Catawba Brewing tap room. This part of the city is best described as a former industrial area now actively transitioning to typical urban sprawl. This is fairly typical of so many fun areas around East Coast cities but it does not make it any less enjoyable.

Parking is not too bad but the availability around this complex is limited. If you live locally, I recommend trying to take advantage of some of the public transit. One of the ends of the CityLYNX light rail system (Sunnyside Ave) is only a half mile from the brewery. If you want even closer, there is a bus route less than a 1/4 mile from the brewery.

Heist Brewing is not far from this and was also one of the reasons we swung by, however we did have to drive. This area is only somewhat walkable. On the flip side, this is also a great oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the City Center area.

Snap, Crackle, Pop Vibes

The building of the Queen City Catawba Brewery is a former Kellogg’s factory. Much of the esthetics of the old facility are still seen. I work in industrial environments so I love seeing stuff like this.

The seating flows from a gracious outdoor patio into the gigantic interior space. They answered the question of “what would it look like if we made a brewery in a massive warehouse.” That being said, the seats and tables are custom made for the space and even have the brewery logo in the backs of the bar stools.

Since the room is so massive, it echoes a good bit. Only having a few friends and a handful of other groups in the area, it still sound very active. You can easily spread out and find a place away from others. We opted to stay inside since it was 98F+ outside.

The folks here are very dog friendly. Quite a few pups were inside relaxing on dog beds their owners had brought. I love dogs but some of these dogs would bark occasionally and this echo chamber made it sound much louder. During peak evening hours, I would be surprised if there were any dogs inside.

White Zombie and More!

Catawba Brewing is well established NC brand. You likely have seen or had one of their beers if you fancy yourself a brew or two in the Better Carolina (and even the Carolina of which we do not speak). This was a shameless draw for me when trying to decide where to go. Their classic “White Zombie” is a tasteful crowd pleaser that guarantees a great afternoon with friends.

I was really impressed by the shear volume of small batch options that were on tap. On top of that, they were actually great too! In the summer I am a sucker for sours or anything with fruit. I tried one called the Crimson Dawn and was blown away.

If you get hungry while you kick back, there is a neat table service that you can utilize here. You are able to place orders with local restaurants that can be delivered to your table. Technology is amazing.

I cannot recall what everyone else tried but the resounding feedback was positive from the small batch options. From what I understand these rotate fairly frequently so definitely check out these limited time options when you visit.

Mixing Cereal and Beer

The quirkiness of the Kellogg’s factory building stuck with me. Yes hundreds of other breweries in the US use old industrial complexes. Nonetheless, something about the idea that there might have made rice krispies where they now serve beer seems like top tier satire to me. The combination of regionally recognized beer brand and small batch brews from the same people make me really happy. There are some parallels in their success with Red Oak.

Overall

Catawba Brewing is a echoey brewery that most craft beer drinks in NC would recognize. Their unique small batches make for a fun time with your artisanal drinkers. The space is unique and also inviting to anyone who might be in the area. Check out this urban oasis then next chance you get.

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