Like two star-crossed lovers, the universe conspired to make me fall for the Queen City. I scored a…read morefirst-class upgrade on the flight in, Enterprise ran out of standard cars and handed me the Keys to a convertible, and I ate the best grits of my life topped with Milwood's crispy brisket. That was just half a day in, so naturally, I started feeling like Charlotte had passed me a note, "I like you, stay longer."
The one thing I failed to respect was the Carolina summer sun. I desperately needed a hat. Sure, I could have gone to Target or the bike shop I passed earlier, but any civilized man knows the best place to buy a cap is a brewery. Untappd pointed me toward one of the most popular breweries in a city full of popular breweries: Burial Beer Co.
Since I was driving, I kept things responsible and sampled taster-sized pours, spacing them out with non-alcoholic mocktails and 0.0 beer like a grown man who still wanted to remember where he parked. Burial also offers cocktails, ICEEs, low-ABV session beers, THC beverages, wine, and self-serve water. The menu helps you navigate the offerings with color-coded sections: cocktails in blue, light-bodied beers in neon green, dark ales in orange, and high-ABV options in pink. Food isn't available onsite, but delivery gets the green light.
I grabbed a corner seat at the bar, not because I wanted to brood, but because the post-brunch crowd had arrived in full force with babies, buddies, and dogs. Every bartender and guest I spoke with treated me like I had wandered into a neighborhood clubhouse instead of a brewery. They gave recommendations, bought me a drink, and one even helped me pick out a hat. Southern hospitality is alive and well at Burial Beer Co., a place that turned a shopping trip into a welcome party, proving that Charlotte knows how to beat the heat with good pours, good people, and better merch.