NoDa Craft Beer Trail

Sip on signature suds in this artsy neighborhood.

With an overflowing supply of breweries and award-winning local brews, Charlotte’s craft culture reigns supreme. Explore the city’s craft beer kingdom, one neighborhood at a time.

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Time/Distance Estimates

ROUTE ONE

Birdsong to NoDa Brewery

2.6 miles
50-min walk
15-min bike ride
Easy intensity

ROUTE TWO

Birdsong to Divine Barrel Brewing

2.2 miles
45-min walk
15-min bike ride
Easy intensity

Neighborhoods to Note

Belmont, Villa Heights, Optimist Park, NoDa

Grab a scooter

Download the app and start the adventure.

Keep an eye out for Bird or Lime scooters, one of the easiest ways to get to the next hot spot. Wear your helmet and scooter responsibly (ie: don't scoot under the influence).

View official North Carolina safety rules

1GRAB A DRINK

Birdsong Brewing Co.

Discover Birdsong Brewery, a booming craft beer staple since it opened in 2011. Specializing in unique ales and beers, grab your drink of choice and make your way to their outdoor patio. Grab your friends and a few flights and challenge them to a throwback round of giant-sized Jenga.

2FOOD & DRINK

Choose from a variety of food and drinks at Optimist Hall

The former textile mill now serves as 147,000-square-feet of gathering space populated by local restaurants, offices and retail companies.

Fonta Flora for refreshing craft beer

Take a seat at Fonta Flora, a Morganton, NC-based brewery, known for using ingredients from local farms in their creative craft beers. Located on the ground level of Optimist Hall, there’s plenty of places to unwind with a cold one; head inside their 2,400-square-foot taproom or bask in the sun on their 5,000-square-foot outdoor patio. Choose from distinct brews that their loyal followers love like the Hop Beard IPA or Lake James lager.

The Dumpling Lady for Sichuan specialty noodles

Papi Queso for a melted grilled cheese

El Thrifty for a trendy Instagram picture

3GRAB A DRINK

Free Range Brewing

Free Range Brewing, a cool taproom specializing in farmhouse ales, IPAs and sours brewed in small-batches. Owners – and siblings – Jason, Jeff, Sarah and Brittany Alexander dedicated more than 10 years to grow this NoDa brewery. Grab a pint of Cream of the Crop, a Carolina Cream ale, or A Very Long Year, a Carolina dark chocolate stout.

4FOOD & DRINK

Heist Brewery

Head over to Heist Brewing, less than a mile away from Free Range Brewing. Expect hazy IPAs, pilsners and fruited sours, plus cocktails like the Spring into Action (hibiscus infused with tequila) and The Golden Sour (whiskey with cherry bitters). While you’re there, treat yourself to comfort food staples like spinach dip, flatbreads and mac and cheese.

5Take a seat

Unique beer shops in downtown NoDa

Protagonist Clubhouse

Next, walk through Downtown NoDa before sidling up to Protagonist Clubhouse, a 1,700-square-foot nano-brewery with beers influenced by classic styles and named after the Protagonists who inspired them. Located in the heart of NoDa, this intimate setting offers a front-row seat to one of Charlotte’s most eclectic neighborhoods. Pair your Quaid porter or Mr. Diamond fruit beer with bar snacks, hot dogs and charcuterie and cheese plates.

Salud Beer Shop

6GRAB A DRINK

The Chamber by Wooden Robot

Discover The Chamber by Wooden Robot, a 15-barrel urban farmhouse brewery using 100% local malt and fresh fruit, herbs and other artisanal ingredients in their drinks. With 6,000 square feet of outdoor space and a sprawling rooftop deck, plus rotating weekly food trucks, this place is a one-stop-shop for a good time.

7CHOOSE A PATH

Continue up to N. Davidson or veer off to NoDa Brewing Company

Option 1: Divine Barrel Brewing

Head to Divine Barrel Brewing, an industrial-style craft brewery specializing in barrel-aged wilds and sours. Divine Barrel Brewing’s name is derived from the team’s passion for quality beer and the significant role wood plays in fermenting and aging. For a blast of tangy and juicy peaches, go for the Carolina Cobbler Peach sour. For a jammy weisse fermented with vanilla, order the Ice Cream Paint Job.