Hello, Great Beer Now readers! This is the sixth and final entry in a multi- part series highlighting the Great Beer Now Race to Taste Beer Tour 2018, a trip through Cabarrus County North Carolina that highlighted the best beer and whiskey the area has to offer. Cabarrus County is right outside Charlotte and a short drive from the airport so it’s easy to get to and the beer scene, while relatively young, has so much to offer. Cheers, and have fun following along as I explore!
Are you the type of person who sets goals and aims to not only achieve them, but also to exceed them whenever possible? I like to think of myself that way and I often view moderate, albeit realistic goals as the minimum expectation. There is a brewery in Concord, North Carolina that Strives to excel in every single way when it comes to beer and that brewery is appropriately named High Branch Brewing, located at 325 McGill Ave NW, Concord North Carolina.
Aiming High
High Branch Brewing, like other breweries in Cabarrus County, is a young operation. Opened in November, 2015, High Branch is owned by husband and wife duo TJ and Maureen Creighton. And like many other breweries before it, High Branch was the direct result of a person- TJ Creighton in this instance- becoming enamored with making beer following the purchase of a home brewing kit. One thing led to another and TJ’s infatuation eventually moved from the level of a hobby to that of a small business operation and full time gig.
High Branch Brewing is situated in the historic Gibson Mill and is, appropriately, located higher than ground level, on the second floor of a large building containing many other businesses. The brewery has both indoor and outdoor seating and dogs are welcome on the outdoor patio. There is no kitchen at High Branch, but it is common to find food trucks just a few steps away and guests are welcome to bring food from the trucks or from other outside restaurants into the brewery to eat with their beer.
With production, High Branch utilizes a 5 barrel brewing system and does some barrel aging. The beer is available on draft and there is also a small amount of canning for immediate sale. There is no canned distribution to stores, but this could, of course, change at some point in the future.
Exceptional Brew
High Branch Brewing has approximately ten beers on tap at any given time. Here is a summary of the beer I tried, listed in alphabetical order by name, followed by the style and my Untappd rating on a five point scale:
- Farmers Fate, Saison, 4
- Is It Hoppy, Double IPA, 5
- Pounder, Barrel Aged Pale Ale, 4.5
- Six to 1, American IPA, 4
- Unstable, American IPA, 4.25
Overall Average Rating: 4.35
High Branch Brewing certainly aims for quality with its beer. They focus on Belgian inspired beers and IPA, for the most part, and every beer rates well above average. I cannot remember the last time I visited a brewery and rated the beer this highly. My only regret is that I didn’t have time to try even more beer, and to grab another serving of Is It Hoppy, which was my personal favorite of all.
Overachievement Accomplished
High Branch Brewing is a family affair. Developed out of the love for making excellent beer, High Branch Brewing joins hundreds- perhaps even thousands- of other startup breweries that began with one person’s love for homebrewing.
I visited High Branch Brewing one afternoon and I could tell right away that this was going to be a casual experience. The interior of High Branch Brewing is carved out of an historical building and you can tell it was intended as a relaxed place to drink beer and chat with newfound friends. It does have some modern flair to combine with the historical elements and it’s an interesting mixture. I spent my time perched at the bar with beer in hand, but there are inside tables and chairs for seating, too, along with picnic table seating on the outside patio.
I chatted it up with co- owner TJ Creighton and took a tour of the facility during my visit, learning more about High Branch and its mission. It was fun to learn more about the brewery and its goals, but what was even more enjoyable was the beer itself! I don’t visit many places where I rate the beer so highly overall and judging by the five beers I sampled, I would bet that others in the lineup are just as good or even better. I truly fell in love with Is It Hoppy Double IPA and had to order another serving before leaving. My Uber driver would be forced to wait, as there was no way I was going to depart without another glassful of this stupendous creation.
Achieving goals is always satisfying, but exceeding goals is even better and High Branch Brewing has certainly overdone itself in terms of beer quality and service. They aim to reach the ‘high branch’ in everything they do and I can say with confidence that the beer brewed and served here is as good or better than that of some of the best breweries in the land. It’s an experience your taste buds deserve so pay a visit to High Branch Brewing the next time you find yourself in Concord, North Carolina. And tell them Great Beer Now sent you.
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