We sampled flights across the list of brews. We were not disappointed. The bourbon lager and milk stout were my faves. Barman was helpful and generous with info and pours. The venue and bars have awesome architecture with lots of wood and brick, great lighting and sound. We are planning our niece's wedding and reception to take advantage of both floors. We'll write more reviews after. read more

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Great place to grab a beer! They have a lot of private events, so it may take a few tries before you get to actually drink the beer. I do wish they had a taproom separate from event space. Service is wonderful, they have non alcoholic options, drinks other than beer, and a really beautiful atmosphere with all the fairy lights hung up. I do recommend, just keep in mind you may have to come back if they're having an event! read more

Friendly service / great staff. Came In on a Friday night in the winter and found ample Seating and super friendly service, With a great selection of beers. Settled on the seltzer and was not disappointed. Beer, seltzer, wine you name it they have it! Def worth a Stop in Wilmington read more

Ironclad Brewery - Seltzer & lobby - Breweries Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Friendly attentive service. We were a group of seven on a quiet Friday afternoon. They offered us water as we pulled two tables together. I loved the Port City Peach. It's light and refreshing, perfect after a heavy sweet brunch (pancakes and syrup). They have flights of five choices. I think the Azalea Smoked Plum would pair so well with fall soups. read more

Ironclad Brewery - Port City Peach - Breweries Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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I have walked past this brewery several times but never went in, until now. It's a good place to try some locally brewed beer. I would recommend. They have a lot of beers on tap. Something for everyone, with the exception of dark beer lovers. Now this said, I'm sure they brew different beers all the time. They just didn't have dark when I was there. There beer itself is good. The building, in and outside, is great. No outside seating, but the inside seating can fit a lot of people. There is also a second story, which to my understanding is used for special events. Overall, recommend. Just an FYI, at the time of this review, there is no food here. read more

Ironclad Brewery - the interior of the restaurant - Breweries Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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This was a GREAT find off the Wilmington Ale Trail! Nice ambiance & even better beer! Uh... Service? Check that box too. BTW, Danyel is a marvel. Talk to her about your EVENTS, too! read more

Ironclad Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Vital Statistics: Location 5 Stars Beer 4 Stars People/Service 4 Stars Hours....There's the rub. Ironclad seems popular for events, and that's great. Unfortunately, in three trips to Wilmington, I've found them closed for private events more than open for possible customers. I finally found them open on this trip, and I was able to try their beer for the first time. They have a wide variety of beer, and many of them were good, including the Pablo Escobier, guapa guava, and Zola Chai Brown. If you can find Ironclad open, be sure to drop in. It's in a wonderful spot and the people are great. read more

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Great beer! Very pretty space. In an old building that has been fixed up and redone nicely. Would love to see a private event here. read more

Ironclad Brewery - Bar - Breweries Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

SUPER SLOW SERVICE. Zero sense of urgency. I could run circles around those girls. Was semi busy, but zero customer service. Basic beer & neither had zero idea about any of them. Nice establishment with tons of potential in downtown Wilmington. They won't survive unless changes are made. Follow me for more bar advice. read more

We went to several breweries this day and this place has my favorite beer, but my least favorite feel. There was no live music and not many people there. They can't help that they don't have outdoor seating, and what they done to this place is wonderful. This will have to be our winter or rainy day brewery. read more

Ironclad Brewery - a man sitting at a table - Breweries Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

We just had our wedding at Ironclad and I could not say enough good things about this venue!! The space is absolutely beautiful. We worked the most with Danyel and she was phenomenal, highly recommend working with her!! She went absolutely above and beyond making sure we had everything we wanted or needed. She set up all of our decor and made it look even better than I imagined. She was at our rehearsal on Friday, stayed all night to do last minute touches, was there on Saturday to do day of set up with our other vendors, and showed up early Sunday so we could get our stuff. She made our day that much more special and we are so, so grateful for her!!! read more

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My aunt and uncle got married here. Really awesome staff and venue. The downstairs was beautiful for the ceremony, then upstairs was great for dinner while the downstairs was flipped for the reception. Gregg and the lady bartenders we're awesome. Very hospitable and went above and beyond. read more

We came to Wilmington to try some different breweries. My mom and I walked in. We asked to try two samples and the bartender acted as if we were an inconvenience. I mentioned that I didn't prefer the pickle (Whittt beer) and he made a snarky comment that the beer should be drank outside, which has nothing to do with my taste buds. My mom asked to sample another beer where he smarted off with another snarky comment. Once my dad and sister got there they asked to sample the three IPAs but just one sample of each for BOTH of them to try. They both got a beer and my sister's had something in the bottom. The bartender responded that the beer wasn't filtered and that the black stuff in the bottom was hops. I told him I didn't like my beer so the nicest thing he did was take mine off. We decided to leave and my sister put her beer on the counter and he make another jerk comment that she could have told him that she didn't like it, which she did. He continued to yell something as they walked out the door. We will NOT return to this establishment. Wilmington is a tourist attraction and for this guy to be so rude was unacceptable and unappreciated. Photo below to show the beer. I believe his name is Laren and if it is, I will not recommend this place to my worst enemy. read more

Ironclad Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Good beer and fast service. Decent atmosphere as well. Kinda tucked away but definitely worth checking out

Great place to hang and have conversation. Bartender was very knowledgeable and entire location has space to accommodate any size group. read more

Ironclad Brewery - Coconut Porter - Breweries Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

The beer was so good! Catelyn (I'm sure it's spelled wrong) was wonderful. A great ambassador for your city!!!

The first thing I am going to point out is that their space is beautiful. It has a very cool, rustic elegance to it. Perfect for events and listening to live music. Our second stop of the day and it didn't disappoint. The beers were delicious, and even better, they offered a variety of styles (not as easy to find in IPAland these days). The staff was very friendly and welcoming. We went during the COVID pandemic, so not much going on so speak of, but still a great spot! read more

This is a pretty cool brewery with delicious beer. The location of the brewery is in a old building that really has character. I had a refreshing IPA that quenched my thirst in the hot summer day. I had a fun time and would be back when I am in Wilmington. read more

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I live in Hampstead and live very close to the Ironclad Golf Course and so I have been wanting to check out the brewery downtown. Ironclad is in a great location right in heart of Wilmington, however, I feel like every time I try to go in on the weekend, there is always an event and it is closed to the public. I was downtown for a girls night during the week and finally was able to go inside! It is in this historic building that dates back to the 1920s. They do all of their own beers and they always have so many choices, including seltzers and they have wine on tap! They have some funny names for their beers which I always enjoy, like Cukes of Hazard and Hoppy Gilmore. I ended up going for the Brayton Kolsh which was a delicious beer, and my friend got the apple pie gose they had. Their space is huge, which makes sense since they do have events like weddings here and is a nice location if you are going with family and want to enjoy a beverage. read more

Ironclad Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Greg, the bartenders and all staff were amazing! They were so friendly and accommodating to our 14 person party. Delicious beer and a great atmosphere. we will be back! read more

We had a great time. The beers were great, and our bartender (Kaitlyn? Shoot, I forgot her name) was awesome in engaging conversation and very friendly. I really enjoyed my time here. read more

We reserved the upstairs room for a wedding welcome party for 40 guests on a Friday evening. The service provided by Ironclad before and during the event was excellent. I appreciated the guidance to identify additional vendors, and each vendor had prior experience working with each other, which made communicating needs and 'day of' activities simpler. The room was set up as requested with casual seating, as well as tables for dining. We were able to do final decorations in the afternoon before the event. I do recommend the floating candles as part of the decoration package - they were a nice touch. Our Spotify playlist provided music throughout the evening (we hope the downstairs folks appreciated the selections). And, of course, the beer and cider selections were perfect. A shout-out to Greg for his communication and direction in the weeks leading up to the event - well done! read more

Ironclad would get 5 stars from me if it weren't for their constant closing for events, which is fine- just makes it hard to plan a visit. We were lucky enough to catch them open on our first night in town. I was not disappointed. This is one of the best breweries I have been to. I loved there selection and the atmosphere was great. Next time I am in Wilmington I will be sure to constantly stop by and see if they are open. It really is worth it. read more

Ironclad seems like the black sheep of the Wilmington nano-brewery beer scene. Unlike some other breweries, Ironclad has a huge facility and ample seating space, but the place is never crowded. I wanted to judge for myself so my wife and I stopped by on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Unrelated to beer, but the first reason the place might not be crowded is that they didn't have NFL football on their giant projection screen in Week 3 of the season. They were showing a European soccer match (that no one seemed to be watching). In fact, the people next to me at the bar were wearing NFL jerseys and talking about fantasy football but there was no football to be found, in a bar at the start of football season. Really odd. Ok on to the beer. Started with a sample of the Pineapple IPA. To be honest, not that impressed. The beer was dull on flavor and hops, something you expect to find plenty of in an IPA. No worries, skipped that one and went to the Tropical IPA. Nice! It was well balanced, had a lot of flavor, and was super bitter. Flavors of grapefruit, pine, and resin. Grabbed a pint. Next I decided to switch gears and tried a sample of the Cookie Stout. Honestly, a bizarre beer. The bartender told me to expect spearmint and lavender (which I thought was super-strange in a cookie stout) but what I tasted was star anise. It gave the beer a medicinal quality that was rather revolting; like Robitussin. The only cookie I can think of that tastes like that was Italian anisette cookies my grandfather used to eat. The guys next to me tried a sample as well and did not like it (they all bought other beers). I decided to get back into my wheelhouse with the Hazy IPA (hilariously named "Haze Zeus"). Thick and dank, this looked like orange juice and tasted great with juicy hops and smooth bitterness. I really liked it and it was a great example of the New England style IPA. My wife had the saison which she really enjoyed. I tried a taste and thought it was a little sweet but I did like the taste. Overall, I think Ironclad is an okay brewery. Their IPAs seem to be good and you should definitely go try them. With their other beers, I think they are trying to experiment with some crazy flavors but it doesn't always work out. Whereas at other local nano-breweries you can take a shot in the dark on a full pint of almost anything, at Ironclad I would always get a sample first. Their beers are a bit erratic and you don't want to end up with a pint of something that sounded good on the menu but ended up tasting like cough medicine. read more

Ironclad Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

High class establishment. I'm walking around downtown Wilmington with my buddy and something is just absolutely ripping my stomach up. Pretty much I need to find the can or I'm gonna die. Ironclad Brewery is the first place we see and I tell my bud he can grab a beer while I go take care of business on their shitter. Place isn't too crowded, got a guy playing live music, sweet brewery smell. Super friendly employee told me exactly where the shitter was and I beelined there but I'm pretty sure he instantly starts working on getting my bud a beer. I'm in the bathroom stall now and there's a freakin sink in the stall. I am absolutely impressed with this little place and will be back hopefully when my belly feels a little better read more

Ironclad Brewery - Sink in stall - Breweries Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

I'm not really sure of the lack of stars for this brewery, because I had a positive experience. I gave them a chance anyway after looking at the Yelp reviews and I'm glad that I did! The place is huge, a lot of open space and room for seating. There weren't a lot of people there at all, ok we were the only ones there...but why??! It's a great place, people are nice, beers are good. I'm just confused. They have an upstairs too that is equally as big as the downstairs. The bartender was really nice and gave us a detailed description of the beers. They have some strong ones too! I would most definitely return to this place. I encourage people to give it a try, because I think it deserves a little more love! read more

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What a gorgeous space with a solid beer selection! Visited this past weekend and had two flights and a full pour and I can't say a bad thing about a single one of them. Thorough beer list with all the basics covered. The ambiance made it even more enjoyable. I learned that it's as well known for being an event space as it is a brewery, and it would make a great spot for a wedding reception. I would assume the beer list changes frequently, but the Zola Chai Brown and the Mango Milkshake IPA were my two favorites. The Doppelbock and Trippel were solid as well. Highly recommend a stop here if you're in town! read more

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If you are in the Military & looking to have a wedding here beware & make sure you will not be transferred. My future son in law is in the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton nearby. We Put down a deposit in July 2021 to hold a date in October 2022. We were told no refunds but since my son in law was in the military & his orders were subject to change they would refund the deposit if he was transferred. As fate would have it he was transferred to San Diego in September. We have requested a refund as we were verbally told if ample time is given they understand the situation given he is in the military & they would refund the deposit or we could switch the date if they come back. We obviously can't switch the date because he is now stationed at Camp Pendleton for the next three years. Our first email was replied to & we were told they would get back to us. Three weeks have passed with no reply. I do believe over a years is ample time to rebook the venue. Very disappointed in how they treat service members. Beware ! read more

It's never open, how would anyone know? This place is closed for private events on a regular basis. I was visiting Wilmington for a week, and every day that I attempted to try this brewery, it was closed for a private event. I returned in the spring, for 3 days it was closed for private events. If you are a beer fan, avoid this place because it will likely be closed Sunday through Saturday. read more

Ironclad - ugh...come on guys... are you a brewery or are you a wedding space??? You were going to be our first stop of day two of our epic Wilmington brewery tour... right after lunch at Copper Penny and right before New Anthem - we were right there at noon for your doors to open and then... The door opens and we're asked "are you part of the wedding" - as an ominous thought went through my mind, part of me wanted to say "yes, we're the beer tasters" - but in reality the answer was "no". The next words from her were "we're closed for wedding for the next three days". Then the door closed and my dreams were crushed. So - throw your virtual lettuce and rotten tomatoes at my low star review but wouldn't you be disappointed too to travel 4 hours to be told that they're closed - and closed for the next three days. Why wouldn't you post that on your website? Beer drinkers come from all around the state, out of state even - and prime visiting days are Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Why wouldn't you have a small 20 x 30 foot space set aside somewhere in that mansion as a secondary tasting room for when the majority of the premises are being used for an event? Sometimes you get only one chance to showcase your products to the beer drinking public.... read more

What a great place with tons of space! The service was excellent and the servers were very nice and in what seemed to be a cheerful mood. Kinda helps that this was also a Yelp event, not to mention it was my first! This brew house had a very large first deck with a small stage in case y'all want to get your Michael Jackson on, and second deck with bar and overlook to the stage area below! As if beer wasn't amazing enough, the brewery actually created and named a beer The Yelp ESB! A dry and definitive taste yet not too over powering for the lite beer drinker, and it went down real smooth. This place served great for a social get together. I came with high expectations and "Yelp dun blowed 'em outta da water." This is why The Ironclad Brewery has gained the all time BOO-YAH!!! For making my first Yelp event one I will always remember! BOO-YAH!!! read more

Ironclad Brewery - The Yelp ESB BOO-YAH!!! - Breweries Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Best way to start your day? Brewing beer! Today I headed over to Ironclad with Kristen from Kids Making It to work with the brewing team to produce the Yelp beer for our upcoming holiday party. It was a great opportunity to network and learn more about the brewing process. Ethan the headmaster is both welcoming and knowledge. His team, Lydia and Nash do a seamless job of crafting local brews. I am super excited to taste the finished product. Honestly the reviews do not do this place justice. The venue is breathtaking and the staff are a pleasure to be around. Dogs are welcome on the bottom floor and this large event space has everything you would need for an event. read more

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Ironclad is the newest brewery in town, opening this past March, and they've got some work cut out for themselves. You walk into the brewery and are immediately impressed by the space. Not only is it a huge space featuring a huge downstairs and tanks out in the open, but they also have a balcony with additional seating. Plus, you can't help but admire the building, beautiful exposed brick, two bars directly across from one another and eye catching lighting. They've also have a projector television and a large stage with an impressive sound system. Unfortunately, they're missing a key aspect of a brewery, beer that draws people back. I didn't have a single beer during my tasting (of all seven of their beers) that would've brought me back for another pint. Some were okay, but none were memorable. Hopefully since they are a new brewery, they're still working out the kinks and they'll get a handle over their brewing process. Plus, for such a huge space, it's surprising that they don't have food, just beer and wine. They do encourage you to BYOF (bring your own food) and eventually the idea is to have food trucks outside (unfortunately, Wilmington doesn't have a large food truck scene as of yet though). You can purchase any 4oz pour and "make your own flight" for $1.75/pour or purchase a pint for $4+, so prices are just over what Front Street Brewery offers and just under what Flytrap offers. One thing I did notice is that the brewery doesn't have the water jets to clean the glasses before they pour (making for a smoother pour). I'm very curious to see Ironclad becomes, but right now I get the feel that someone dumped a bunch of money into making a beautiful brewery without thinking about the logistics of the space. I could see this place currently as a music venue or dance space, but the brewery side is a little lacking (in beer light). I'd give them a few years to settle in before making this a destination spot. read more

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Enjoyed a beer at this brewery. Looks new and is beautiful with their lights strung on the ceiling. It used to be a car dealership. Neat! Good selection of beers. You have to pay a $1.00 for membership that lasts indefinitely. Just keep the card with you!;) read more

Ironclad Brewery - Lights - Breweries Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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I'm currently sitting at the upstairs bar at Ironclad and I'm surprised that it's not more crowded. I'm drinking a session beer which is light and very drinkable. The decor is beautiful, exposed beams, sleek lighting, open space. It would be a great venue for a wedding or large party. I'm not sure about the previous negative reviews because I'd much rather be here than some other, more well known breweries. That being said, I really hope this place does well because it's a great atmosphere, solid beer, and really well thought out design. Give it a try! read more

Ironclad Brewery - The Golden Ale and Strawberry Wheat - Breweries Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

I have tried a handful of new breweries that have gotten better with time so hopefully this will be the case for Ironclad. The beers were alright, it was my least favorite out of the breweries that we visited. I was excited to try the White Squall which is brewed with white chocolate but was not impressed. The brewery itself is awesome, the building is beautiful and the space is huge! read more

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Ironclad has an awesome space with some potential for cool events, but the fact of the matter is that their beers just aren't good. We came here a couple of months after they had opened, and were so excited to see such a cool venue. We ordered a flight with most of their offerings and there honestly wasn't even one standout. Their beers are just kind of flat and tasteless. The space is huge and they have a nice projector screen that they were showing Sports Center on while I was there. The service was nothing exceptional and the person manning the bar seemed to have no clue about the beer. That is super disappointing when you are trying beer on site and there is no one there to tell you about it. I think this place works better as a bar/special events space than it does a brewery. You can't call yourself a brewery and not have the beer be your main priority. I could see this being a good spot to watch the game, and they do have some beer choices that are not of their own making. I actually discovered one of my favorite stouts here, Double Barley Steakcake Stout. Hopefully they can get their act together, but as of now it is definitely not a destination brewery. read more

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I have been to Ironclad twice, once for a wedding rehearsal dinner and again recently while visiting Wilmington. I think an important take away, as we learned from the bartender, is that Ironclad is first and foremost an event space, marketed as a club. She mentioned something about being required to ask visitors to sign up for the club, but we were not asked to do so. Because of this, if a wedding or other event books the space, it will take precedence over being open for general business. While this makes total sense, you may want to confirm they are open before making a special trip. From the standpoint of an event space, it is beautiful. The building is a large, two story industrial building, with the beer brewed downstairs. Our event was upstairs, with a full bar. This is great for people who may not like beer, but I will say that Ironclad brews a wide spectrum of beers to fit all tastes. Because they are considered an event space, they do not serve food. For events, all food is catered from an outside vendor. I note this so you don't expect there to be menu options if you drop by for a drink. read more

We really, really, REALLY wanted to love Ironclad. We really did. They have a fantastic venue - cool atmosphere, vaulted ceiling, huge bar, two stories, tons of seating, great downtown location - perfect! The first issue (not a dealbreaker) is Ironclad doesn't offer any food. They do, however, allow you to bring food in from local restaurants. There's a pizza shop around the corner so you certainly won't starve. Some of the local food places will even deliver to Ironclad. The real issue is the beer. Ironclad is a brewery. My husband and I are beer drinkers. Our friends are beer drinkers. My go-to is IPAs while my husband prefers stouts. In the summer I might go for a wheat beer and my husband a sour. We've been to Ironclad 5 times over the past year and neither of us have ever had a good beer. When we talk to friends they report the same problem. It was so bad one time the beer (an IPA) tasted exactly like ranch dressing. It was undeniable. Something was seriously wrong. I politely told the bartender, who very nicely apologized and offered a new glass. We thought maybe the first glass had been tainted by someone's ranch dressing at some point (I wasn't eating anything, especially not ranch but maybe it was a dirty glass). Second glass is poured of the same beer and still tastes like ranch. Like I said, we really want to like Ironclad - it's such a cool venue and in the perfect location. But since they don't serve food and their beer isn't good there is no reason to go there. I hope they're able to turn it around. read more

It has been almost 2 years since I've been here and there has been a significant and positive change. There were 4 of us plus a baby and the person serving the beer was great. He was informative, attentive and genuinely interested in his craft. The beer was great, he made good recommendation. Definitely would make a stop here and enjoy the beautiful interior and wide selection of beers. read more