Asheville’s Burial Beer Co., widely regarded as one of the top breweries in the country, will open a new Charlotte taproom and bottle shop on Saturday, June 11.

Why it matters: Burial is a favorite among beer drinkers in Asheville and across the country. Its expansion to a spot that’s a stone’s throw from Legion will make it a sort of brewery block.

• “I am literally shout-from-the-rooftops thrilled,” one person tweeted after news broke that Burial was coming to Charlotte.

Quick background: Burial Beer Co. started back in 2013 as a one-barrel nanobrewery in South Slope, Asheville. As their customer base grew, they realized they would need to expand in order to increase production and keep up with demand. “Charlotte was there on our radar since day one,” says Doug Reiser, co-owner and Burial COO. Reiser says Charlotte has Burial’s second-largest following in the country behind Asheville.

The big picture: Plaza Midwood’s identity is a constant source of conversation, as devotees hope to retain some small-business feel in an era when the land is worth more than most of the buildings.

• Boris & Natasha owner Hope Nicholls moved her clothing store farther out on The Plaza over a year ago after growing disillusioned over how much Plaza Midwood is shifting — and pricing out smaller independent businesses like hers.

What to expect: The taproom will have an indoor bar area, outdoor beer garden and a rooftop deck. Beer enthusiasts can expect a wide selection on tap including barrel-aged sours, stouts, wild ales and rustic lagers. Reiser describes his vision of the bottle shop as being a “farmers market of beer.”

• For drinks, there will also be weekly beer releases, VISUALS wine, cider and vermouth, as well as Forestry Camp and Burial wares.
• Food-wise, the taproom will soon host an on-site food truck with a burger, veggie burger, salad and loaded fries on its menu.
• At the bottle shop you can also purchase vinyl records, T-shirts and funky $10 sunglasses from Boris & Natasha, which moved to a new space on The Plaza in 2021.

Location: Burial Beer will be located at 1214-1216 Thomas Ave.

Go deeper: With an influx of new development, does Plaza Midwood risk losing its identity?

Editor’s note: This article was last updated on June 10, 2022 with the latest information on Burial’s opening. It was first published in March 2021.