Here’s a brewery with a really neat story behind it: Olde Mecklenburg Brewery and Restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina. This past weekend found me working in Fort Mill, South Carolina, about 10 miles away from OMB as they abbreviate it, but my hotel was a scant .9 miles from the brewery itself-walking distance for sure. How did that happen? I’ll never tell.

I dropped by Olde Mecklenburg Brewery for dinner and a few beers the first night of my stay-I liked it so much I came back for more the following night. Olde Mecklenburg Brewery has a wonderful setup, with a full bar area and separate lounge area, a restaurant hall, and a massive bier garden complete with an outside bar building.

There’s also an interesting story behind OMB. The brewery opened its doors in 2009, founded by a transplanted Bostonian named John Marrino who decided Charlotte needed a brewery. As a former employee of a German company operating in the US, John had been to Germany and was so impressed with German beer he themed his brewery on it. The rest is history.

My second beer at OMB was their Fruh Bock. This is a Maibock in style, or pale bock. I ordered it up after enjoying a delicious Teller Plate ($12): your choice of two sausages (I chose a bratwurst and a knockwurst), a roll, mustard, and two sides (I chose sauerkraut and bratkartoffeln, fried potatoes with bacon and onion) in the dining area and took my bock and moved out into the biergarden to enjoy the warm weather and to get a look at their brewhouse.

Here’s what the brewery says about Olde Mecklenburg Fruh Bock:

In German, Früh means “early,” but it’s also
short for Frühling, which means spring. Our seasonal “Spring Bock” captures the promise of warmer days ahead, combining a slight malty sweetness with a refreshing touch of citrus aroma from its noble Bavarian hops. The result is an amazingly fresh, crisp beer that masks a higher alcohol content in its smooth character.
There’s no better way to greet a fresh spring
day than with spring’s freshest beer:
Früh Bock from OMB.

Olde Mecklenburg Fruh Bock has an alcohol content of 6% by volume with 28 IBUs. I paid $4.95 for a 16-ounce glass. Six-packs run $9.99 each.

My glass of Olde Mecklenburg Fruh Bock arrived a clear orange amber color with a light creamy head and a hint of soft cooked corn nose. The beer is medium to full bodied with light toasted malt and more of the sweet cooked corn notes which I often find in this style. The beer finishes wityh a balancing grassy bitterness, and is all too easy to drink.

I found Olde Mecklenburg Fruh Bock truly delicious, and had I had more time I'd have had another. Wanting to remain fresh for work the next day, however, I limited myself to two beers. All the same, hoisting my glass for the final sip and emptying my glass, it was a sure thing that the next night I'd be bock.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

(G)=Growler

 

 

 



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