Brewery Visit: The Unknown Brewing Company

Whenever I travel, be it for business or pleasure, I always experience an inextricable desire to find and visit new breweries wherever I might be.  This is part of what makes me a beer nerd I suppose, but I also find that visiting a city’s breweries is a quick and easy way to experience the culture of the city as a whole.  Granted, different breweries might embody different parts of the city’s identity, but it is still always a fun and revealing endeavor to experience a slice or two of that pie. 

A few Saturdays ago, I found myself leaving my wife just after breakfast with her soon-to-be-wed cousin and the rest of her bridal party to prepare for the evening’s wedding festivities.  With several hours before I could even check in to my hotel, I set off to kill time in beautiful Charlotte, North Carolina.  Given the hour and my lack of sleep, caffeine was a necessary part of my immediate future, so I parked at a coffee shop and plotted out my day. 

Let’s be honest, if I could have found a brewery open at 10 am, I probably would've gone.  That way, I might have even managed two visits before 2!  But alas, most force you into a small amount of responsible decision making by not opening until noon or later.  After a few fruitless attempts to find a tour that I could squeeze in, I settled on a brewery that I’ve wanted to visit for a while:  The Unknown Brewing Company.

Unknown Brewing is in a little industrial district that’s actually quite close to the city.  Evidently they are actually the closest brewery to “uptown” and had to do some legal maneuvering to get some of the existing laws amended so that they could be that close.  Nevertheless, the brewery sits right in the shadow of uptown Charlotte, so the area is not all that busy, but still right up against the skyline.

Their taproom is straight up awesome.  Before you even walk in, there is a small patio by the sidewalk with outdoor seating, and once you walk in, it’s almost a sensory overload.  Upon further examination, you’ll find that the taproom portion is basically a square with the cold room and bar in the middle.  In the front and to the sides, there are plenty of tables with a plethora of different games and cards and whatnot. 

Continue along to the back side where the bar (and popcorn machine!) is located, you’ll find that the only thing dividing the space from the brewery is glass.  There’s even a little mini bar up against the window so you can sit and gaze upon the beautiful array of stainless steel tanks.  The industrial brewery space is actually huge.  They have a large open area back there, which I learned is often rented out for wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, and other large events.  So if you’re looking for event space in Charlotte, look in to these guys! 

After taking it all in, I grabbed a seat at the bar and surveyed the menu.  As is my wont when presented with several delicious or intriguing options, I settled on a flight.  See notes on the particular beers at the end.  All of the beers were quite tasty, and post-flight I grabbed a Vehopciraptor Double IPA to nurse while watching football and chatting with the bartenders.  A little bit of beer talk revealed that they had just brewed a very interesting concept that I would have honestly never thought of.  I’m sure I’ve forgotten some of the finer points, but the gist was an imperial Mexican lager with tequila soaked something and brewed with scorpions.  Yes, scorpions.  Apparently one can get food grade scorpions from Thailand... Anyway, if you’re in Charlotte and they’ve released this, please try it and tell me how it is.  I can’t shake my curiosity. 

   

Overall, I had a great couple of hours hanging out at the Unknown Brewing Company.  I would have loved for the wife, a friend, or even Hacksaw himself to have been able to join, but going solo provided the opportunity to engage with the bartenders and the locals that come in, which is always fun.  Though it was a pretty light crowd at lunchtime on Saturday afternoon, I would imagine that it fills up pretty nicely in the evenings and would make for a great time.  Whether you’re flying solo or have a huge group, Unknown has a place and a pint for you.  If you’re in the area, go check them out!

Visit:  1327 S Mint St, Charlotte, NC

Website

Tasting Notes:

Ginger Wh^at?!:  This was a ginger wheat ale (the ^ is to insert an ‘e’), which was actually quite refreshing and delicious.  I’m not always the biggest fan of wheat beers, but I could easily knock a few of these back at a tailgate or cookout.  Certainly piques my interest in brewing a beer with ginger, maybe for next summer.

Southern Hospitalitea:  An amber ale brewed with breakfast tea.  Definitely intriguing, though the tea was definitely understated.  A solid malt backbone gives it the signature amber flavors, so overall a good beer, but I would’ve liked the tea to shine through just a tad more.

Tele-porter:  Really nice porter.  Great balance of sweetness and roasted flavors, with the coffee notes really shining through.

Over the Edge IPA:  Really good American IPA.  Lots of floral and citrus aromas and a delightful lingering bitterness.  I picked up a six pack of cans to take back to the hotel too! 

Vehopciraptor Double IPA:  Okay, if you’ve read this blog much, you know I’m a sucker for a good double IPA, so this one was a really nice sipper after I finished the flight.  Aside from a crafty hop pun, Vehopciraptor combines a sturdy malt backbone with a plethora of hops to pound your taste buds back to Jurassic Park.

Cheers,

Jacob