Hello, Great Beer Now readers! This is the fourth 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!
History is rife with economic divide. Monarchs and other exalted leaders have called the shots and enjoyed special privileges throughout the ages while the everyday folks struggled, yet managed to survive. One brewery that pays homage to the “common” folks while also serving as a place where people of all economic classes can converge over a fine brew is Commoners Brewing, located at 1048 Copperfield Blvd NE #101 in Concord, North Carolina.
Everyday Place
Opened in September, 2017, Commoners Brewing occupies a space in the Copperfield Market- an area with a good deal of traffic and potential for high visibility. The brewery was named for the “common” people; the workers who helped build the city of Concord and whom most people can relate.
Inside Commoner’s Brewing, guests will find a modern space with a main level and upper level with an outdoor balcony. The brewery utilizes a 4 barrel brewing system and presently serves beer only on draft. The house beers are named for different people and/or events and each of them has a human story behind the title.
Everyday Beer
Commoners Brewing has approximately ten beers on tap at any given time and also serves wine. 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:
- Beer Masala, Spiced/herbed beer, 4
- Bo’s Black IPA, Cascadian Dark Ale, 4.25
- Drop the Bucket, American IPA, 4
- First Kiss, Blonde Ale, 3.75
- Mollies Revenge, Irish Red Ale, 4
- Momma Bear, American Brown Ale, 3.75
- Kettle Sour, Sour Ale, 3.25
- Pecan’s Last Flight, Baltic Porter, 4
- Perseverance, American IPA, 4.25
- UnCommon Blonde, Blonde Ale, 3.75
Overall Average Rating: 4.00
Beer served at Commoners Brewing is solid overall with no one beer dominating in the likability arena. Mollies Revenge Irish Red is the top seller with a few others following close behind. I recommend sampling several at first to discover the one you like best, but if you’re like me, you will find that each and every beer seems like it was made for everyday craft beer drinking.
Everyday People
Commoners Brewing is the brewery for the common folk. They owners of the brewery searched for a name and theme that they felt combined the recognition of everyday people and respect for those who helped build the city of Concord. They also wanted to emphasize a sense of communality among all people and this led to the eventual naming as Commoners Brewing.
Commoners Brewing has a fresh, clean look on the inside with an assortment of bar seats, table seating, and outdoor picnic tables. Roll up garage- style doors connect the inside and the outside and it’s one of the few breweries around that sports an upstairs, outdoor patio. The inside has televisions and assorted board games for your entertainment. And, like other breweries in the area, they are dog and family friendly so there is no need to leave the kids and pooch behind.
I spent time at Commoners talking with co- owner Tom Murray about the brewery and I was most interested in the name and theme. Tom told me about the decision to name the beers after actual human interest stories and he proceeded to tell me some of the stories behind the specific names. Everyone can agree that beer drinking is all about community and coming together so the decision to use human interest stories for the theme and naming of the beers is certainly a good idea and one I am surprised other breweries around the United States haven’t copied.
The beer at Commoners Brewing is comprised of agreeable beer that most anyone will find to their liking. With other brewery visits, I often find at least a beer or two that are over- the- top in some way, but there is nothing like that here. The beer seems like it was brewed, well, with common folks in mind. They seem to have taken care to avoid extremities and brew what everyone will enjoy.
Social classes have divided the people since the beginning of time. Beer helps bring people together like few other things can and Commoners Brewing is a tribute to not just the common people, but the idea that all people can and should live together as one. It’s a nice place to drink and chat with friends and friends to be, so pay a visit to Commoners Brewing the next time you find yourself in Concord, North Carolina. And tell them Great Beer Now sent you.
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