Gold medal sips: These Charlotte breweries came out on top at the NC Brewers Cup
With so many Charlotte area breweries churning out great craft beer in North Carolina, it’s hard to select even a handful to call the best of the best. That’s where the NC Brewers Cup competition comes in.
This year, the competition celebrated its 13th anniversary of crowning winners in North Carolina’s craft beer scene. In all, 934 entries were submitted by 126 independent North Carolina craft breweries to create what the organization calls the largest commercial competition in the Southeast United States.
Whether you’re a beer expert or a newbie looking to figure out what styles you like, the winners list can create a pathway to new tastes for you to try.
Here are each of the Charlotte area gold medal winners, along with the winning beers and the category for each:
Birdsong Brewing Co.
Location: 1016 North Davidson St. Charlotte, NC 28206
Gold medal winner: Rewind (American-Style Lager)
“We’re so honored that Rewind Lager took home gold at the NC Brewers Cup!,” the brewery team said in a statement to CharlotteFive. “This beer has been a favorite of ours since we first brewed it, but we’re thrilled to know it’s the favorite out of all of the American-style lagers that it was up against.”
Cabarrus Brewing
Location: 329 McGill Ave NW, Concord, NC 28027
Gold medal winner: Sew Juicy (Juicy/Hazy Pale Ale)
Cabarrus Brewing’s Vanilla Coffee Blonde also won bronze in the Field and Spiced Beers category. “Thank you all who have continued to support us through all these years!,” the brewery posted via Instagram.
Divine Barrel Brewing
Location: 3701 N Davidson St Suite #203, Charlotte, NC 28205
Gold medal winner: Beer Flavored Beer (American Hybrid Styles)
Gold medal winner: Largesse (European Sour Ale)
Divine Barrel shared via Instagram: “It’s humbling to earn a single medal at the #NCBrewersCup, but our jaws are on the floor with how much y’all love what we’re up to over here in the Nodahood.”
The brewery also took home silver for its Czech Pils in the Pale European & International Lager category and a bronze for The Big Lubelski in the Historic Beer category.
Hi-Wire Brewing
Location: 340 W Tremont Ave Suite 140, Charlotte, NC 28203
Gold medal winner: Czech Premium Pale Lager (Pale European & International Lager)
Hi-Wire released the lager over the summer in celebration of its 11th anniversary, featuring “subtle spice and herbal notes, balanced by a slightly bready maltiness and a touch of sweet honey from floor-malted Bohemian Pilsner Malt and Czech Saaz hops.”
Hoptown Brewing Co.
Location: 107 Plantation Ridge Drive, Mooresville, NC 28117
Gold medal winner: Town Ale (British Pale & Bitter Ale)
Hoptown’s Town Ale offers “notes of biscuit, chocolate toffee, and a nutty finish.” The team posted: “We’re beyond excited to announce that our *Town Ale ESB* just won GOLD in the British Pale & Bitter Ale category at the 2024 NC Brewers Cup!”
Lenny Boy Brewing Co.
Location: 3000 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28217
Gold medal winner: Raspberry Kaleidoscope (Brett, Mixed Culture, & Wild Ales)
Gold medal winner: Tropicalus (Belgian Ales)
“Cheers to the brewers and everyone who’s been riding with us,” said Lenny Boy’s Instagram post touting the wins. It added: “And congrats to all the other NC Breweries who were recognized at the NC Brewers Cup!”
NoDa Brewing Company
Location: 2921 N. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28206
Location: 2229 N. Davidson St., Charlotte, NC 28205 (event space)
Gold medal winner: Gordgeous (Field & Spiced Beers)
Not only did NoDa Brewing’s Gordgeous take gold, but its Radio Haze Hazy IPA won a silver in the Juicy/Hazy Pale Ale category and its Carolina Quencher Tropical Wheat Ale took bronze in the Fruit Beers category. “We’ll take one of each, please!,” the NoDa team posted.
Pilot Brewing
Location: 1331 Central Ave UNIT 104, Charlotte, NC 28205
Gold medal winner: Beekeeper’s Ale (American Pale Ale)
Pilot Brewing brought home multiple wins in the contest. In addition to its gold win for Beekeeper’s Ale, it also earned silver for its Dunkles Bock in the German-Style Bock Category and bronze for its Pub Ale in the British Pale & British Ale Category.
“Proud to share the spotlight with all the other #NCBrewersCup champs out there,” Pilot posted via Instagram.
Primal Brewery
Location: 52 Ervin St, Belmont, NC 28012
Location: 16432 Old Statesville Rd, Huntersville, NC 28078
Gold medal winner: Corruption by Proxy Imperial Stout (Stouts)
Primal celebrated its gold medal win, posting: “Got a beer run on the books? Come on by for a taste of the best – our Corruption by Proxy took Gold in this year’s #NCBrewersCup!”
Resident Culture Brewing Co.
Location: 2101 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
Location: 332 W Bland St Suite C, Charlotte, NC 28203
Gold medal winner: Festbier (Amber European Lager)
Resident Culture said via Instagram that it was “Honored and stoked to welcome home TWO medals from the 2024 @ncbrewersguild’s NC Brewers’ Cup Competition!”
In addition to its Festbier gold, the team also won bronze for its NARC Sea Salt + Lime in the Specialty Beer category.
Seaboard Brewing
Location: 3232 South Boulevard Suite 101, Charlotte, NC 28209
Location: 213 N Trade St, Matthews, NC 28105
Gold medal winner: Zuganator (German-Style Bock)
“Today was a good day,” Seaboard posted on Instagram, celebrating its gold medal win for Zuganator. Untappd describes the beer — not currently in production — as featuring “a deep amber color and a rich, malty flavor with hints of caramel, toffee, and dark fruits.”
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