Twenty Six Acres Welcomes You to Concord #WhereRacingLives

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

 

Beer laws are often archaic and a detriment to business growth. Some states have outdated distribution laws that make it difficult to get beer to the consumer. Other states have alcohol limits on beer, many of which make no sense because there is virtually no alcohol limit on other adult beverages. North Carolina has its share of unusual and nonsensical alcohol laws, but changes to these outdated regulations has breathed new life into the burgeoning craft beer scene, leading to new brewery openings across the state. One of these relative newcomers is Twenty- Six Acres Brewing, located at 7285 Westwinds Blvd NW in Concord, just outside of Charlotte.

Come to the Business Park 

Twenty- Six Acres Brewing is a small to medium size brewing operation. Utilizing a 15 barrel brewing system along with a 2 barrel pilot system for special releases, the folks at Twenty- Six Acres keep the suds flowing with a strong lineup of regular, seasonal, and experimental beers.

Twenty- Six Acres Brewing is located in a business park and boasts a spacious interior. Dog friendly and kid friendly, Twenty- Six Acres Brewing offers a laid- back, chill type of vibe complete with foosball, board games, and televisions for sports viewing. The brewery takes its name from the original 26 acre plot of land that formed the original founding of the city of Concord back in 1796. Its name is based on the past, but the inside is modern and new, designed with contemporary comfort in mind.

High Performance Beer

The taproom at Twenty- Six Acres Brewing features approximately 15 beers with wine and cider available to round out the options. I sampled a total of nine house beers when I visited. 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:

• Amber Ale, American Amber/Red, 4
• Corban Avenue, Blonde Ale, 4
• Industrious People Ale, American IPA, 4.25
• Orley Fick Dungus, Black IPA, 3.75
• Russian Imperial, Imperial Stout, 4
• Second Rodeo, American Porter, 4.25
• Second Rodeo Joe, Porter, 4.5
• Unicorn Milk, Cream Ale, 4
• Viking Spider, Imperial IPA, 4.5

Overall Average Rating: 4.14

As a fan of dark beers, I really liked Second Rodeo Joe Porter, a coffee- accented dark brew that satisfies from beginning to end. But I found many great things to like about Viking Spider as well. They add honey to the recipe, helping to smooth out any rough edges, resulting in a double IPA that is deceptively strong and with a higher IBU than its taste suggests.

Race to Concord

Twenty- Six Acres Brewing is a welcoming, clean, and highly approachable brewery not far from the Charlotte Motor Speedway and it was the first brewery I visited on my beer tour of Cabarrus County. The brewery scene here is relatively young, but the handful of breweries presently in operation have jump- started operations quickly and are producing beers of great distinction to a populace thirsty for crafted suds.

Approaching Twenty- Six Acres Brewing for the first time, it didn’t seem like a brewery was anywhere to be found. The location, in a business park, is not something one expects and from the outside, you wouldn’t necessarily realize that a brewery exists here. Only if you take a good look does the word “brewing” come into view but once inside, you know you’ve arrived at a cool place of brewing artistry, worthy of many hours of your time.

Twenty- Six Acres Brewing was opened in 2016 and it sports a nice size interior with a good deal of seating, games, televisions, and of course, plenty of beer. I took a quick tour of the brewhouse before settling in to sample the brew and during my chat, I learned much about the brewery, its founding, its challenges, and its many successes. I learned that Twenty- Six Acres distributes only in North Carolina at the moment and self- distributes right now. I also learned that they just started canning their beer for the first time! This is a sure sign that Twenty- Six Acres Brewing is going places.

This brewery would win most any visitor’s seal of approval for its atmosphere and friendly personnel but even if it didn’t offer the best appearance or service, Twenty- Six Acres Brewing would win accolades for its beer. They brew many delicious, solid, all- around likeable beers at this brewery with a beer made to match any taste or mood. When I visited, I was craving dark, roasty beer and I found the solution to my desires with Second Rodeo Joe. There are many tasty brews in the bunch, however, and I bet if I paid a return visit, I would likely walk away with a different favorite. There is a perfect beer to match the moment, and that is a sure sign of a brewery that is doing something right.

Chatting further with Twenty- Six Acres Brewing personnel, I learned that the brewery churned out approximately 900 barrels of beer last year and is on pace to easily surpass that figure in 2018. I also learned that- surprise- the IPA are not the brewery’s best-selling beers! That distinction belongs to Corban Avenue Blonde, a highly quaffable, agreeable beer, virtually impossible not to like.

Outdated alcohol laws often stifle economic growth and restrict consumer choices. The good news is that these laws are quickly going by the wayside in locales across the United States and the changes made in Cabarrus County, North Carolina have already been felt in many positive ways. Twenty- Six Acres Brewing is a prime example of the excellence made possible when lawmakers come to their senses and let beer loving entrepreneurs do what they do best and it’s a brewery that belongs on your must- visit list. So pay a visit to Twenty- Six Acre Brewing the next time you’re in the Concord, North Carolina area. And tell them Great Beer Now sent you.