An Afternoon at the OMB

Last weekend, with friends in town, after visiting The Flying Saucer for lunch, we headed over to the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery.  The Husband had been once before shortly after they first opened and I’d been looking forward to checking it out ever since.

The brewery is located in a semi-industrial area, tucked away on a small side street with a small but appropriately sized parking lot.

Once inside, it has the beginning feelings of a hofbrauhaus.  Lots of tables and chairs and a small bar in the back.

The Tap Room currently has two beers on tap – the OMB Copper and the OMB Kolsner.  You can try each in a half pint for only $1.50.

It’s an honor system billing set-up.  With your first beer, you get a coaster and they make a tally mark on it.  Each time you get another, another tally mark is added until you’re ready to go home 🙂

The four of us started with the OMB Copper.  It was light and refreshing!

After enjoying some pretzels, while waiting for a tour of the brewery, we also each had an OMB Kolsner.  Also very good!

About halfway through our second 1/2 pint, one of the owners arrived and was available to provide a tour.  OMB opened earlier this year and lucked out when it came to buying their equipment.  Another local brewery, South End Brewery, (I believe) closed last year and had a full brewery set-up to sell.  It worked out well for OMB as it would have been mighty expensive to ship all of this equipment from somewhere else.  They only had to move it a few miles down the street!

The owner walked us through the whole brewing process and shared with us jars of hops and barley to smell.  After the tour, the four of us broke off from the group and had the owner show us the cold room, where all of the kegs are stored.  They’re also in the process of creating their Oktoberfest beer and we learned a little bit about that.  I can’t wait to try it!

OMB’s general market is to the many local restaurants in Charlotte.  Many of our favorite restaurants, such as the Waldhorn, serve it.  We highly recommend you give these beers a try if you find yourself in a restaurant or bar serving them.  Also head out to the brewery if you’re in town!  Saturday afternoons they open around 3 and are open into the evening.  The owners are not permitted to sell food as it would make it a restaurant but there is a group that sells brats and other german food in the parking lot if you get hungry 🙂

For more information on beer brewing, check out the Husband’s website www.gingerbreadpirate.com and our friend Matt’s www.brewandbake.com.  Both give great info for any of you who are interested!

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