Cabarrus Brewing Demonstrates What Really Matters #WhereRacingLives

Hello, Great Beer Now readers! This is the second 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!

 

What makes a brewery great? Most of us have our own way to differentiate one brewery from the next and just about everyone is more than ready to offer their two cents on which brewery they prefer to others. Great beer is often cited as the key to a successful and highly regarded brewery, but there is more that factors into the word ‘greatness’ than quality suds. The facility makes a difference. The variety of beer is important. The quality of service is critical as well. Oh, and let’s not forget the importance of people to a successful brewery because they matter also. One brewery that seems to have all of these ingredients in place and all the makings of a high quality experience is Cabarrus Brewing, located at 329 McGill Ave., Concord, North Carolina

Space Inside and Out

Cabarrus Brewing is an impressive operation. The interior is large in size and, with its end- to- end picnic table style seating, it takes on the look of a beer or dining hall. There are meeting areas for private parties and the outdoor space is impressive as well, with covered sections and a large beer garden where craft beer fans convene when the weather permits.

Cabarrus Brewing utilizes a 15 barrel brewing system and presently sells beer in draft form and in cans. The brewery sponsors events throughout the week, with yoga, trivia, and other activities. The brewery even has its own cycling and run clubs which help keep the emphasis on people which, many would argue, is where it belongs.

Variety is Key

If you like variety of beer options, you will love Cabarrus Brewing! They have more styles and flavors than one could possibly sample in a single sitting, even though I gave it my best shot. 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:

• Vanilla Coffee Blonde, Blonde Ale, 4
• Rocky River IPA, English IPA, 4
• Boll Weevil, Brown Ale, 3.5
• Cabarrus Cotton, Blonde Ale, 3
• Red Hill Amber, American Amber Ale, 3.5
• Reed’s Gold, Golden Ale, 3.75
• Clear as Day, American IPA, 4
• Chocolate Wasted, Porter, 4.25
• Irish Red, Irish Red Ale, 4
• C.R.E.A.M., Cream Ale, 3.75
• Nitro Boll Weevil, American Brown Ale, 3.75
• Nitro 1792, English Bitter, 3.75

Overall Average Rating: 3.77

With so many beers to try, it’s difficult to narrow down to one favorite. I liked each of the IPA I tried and truly enjoyed the Chocolate Wasted Porter. But every beer had something to offer in its own unique way and there is so much variety, you would have to be an obsessive nitpicking fanatic to not find a beer to your liking.

What Matters Most

Cabarrus Brewing is a relatively young operation. Opened in 2016, it occupies a space that once housed a textile mill and it has grown quickly since then, moving up the ranks to the top of the local craft beer scene in terms of production and physical space.

I visited Cabarrus Brewing one late afternoon when I was touring the breweries in the area and like anyone who visits Cabarrus, the first thing I noticed was the sheer size of the place. The interior is BIG, with rows of communal seating and private meeting spaces on two levels. Once you make the trek to the bar, you realize just how large Cabarrus is and the outside is equally impressive. There was no live music when I visited, but they feature live music on weekends and I would imagine that the outdoor space could very well become one of the most rockin’ places to be during the warm season when bands, brews, and craft beer fans occupy the spacious beer garden.

I spent a good deal of time at Cabarrus Brewing touring the facility and chatting it up with personnel. Co- owner Steve Steinbacher talked at length about the beer scene in Cabarrus and the importance of keeping things local. Cabarrus strives to serve the people of Concord and the surrounding area, not just with great beer, but also by showing its aptitude as a corporate citizen. Cabarrus Brewing is actively involved in supporting non- profit causes in the area and strives to make living in Concord as excellent as it can be.

Cabarrus wasn’t very crowded when I visited, due mainly to the fact that it was a Tuesday afternoon which, as most craft beer fans already know, is often the slowest time of the week at any brewery. With the lack of people, I was able to get a good look around and assess what the brewery was like while also imagining what it must be like on weekends when the place is packed with craft beer drinkers and their families. There is space for a large number of bodies inside and outside Cabarrus Brewing and I bet that it’s a hopping place when the workweek draws to a close. Judging by weekend pictures of the interior that others have shared online, my prediction appears to be accurate.

There is much that goes into the makings of a great brewery and looking back at my visit to Cabarrus Brewing, I would be hard- pressed to identify anything I didn’t like and appreciate. Large interior space with plenty of elbow room? Check. Quality beer brewed fresh and delicious? Check. Food offered on site? Check. Private meeting spaces? Check. Strong sense of community involvement? Check. Entertainment and activities throughout the week? Check. Family and dog friendly? Double check. Add to that the meticulous service and knowledgeable staff and you have all the makings of a first class brewing operation.

Judging breweries is a popular past time but as Cabarrus Brewing demonstrates, excellent beer is only part of the equation. Beer does make a difference, of course, but what really makes a brewery stand out in the pack are its people and community involvement. Cabarrus Brewing emphasizes the importance of people every day and proves that individuals, not the liquid in a keg, are the most valuable assets on a brewery’s balance sheet. I liked what I saw and learned, and I’m convinced you will as well. So pay a visit to Cabarrus Brewing the next time you’re in the Concord, North Carolina area. And tell them Great Beer Now sent you.