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 first beer at OMB was their Southside Weiss (OMB is on the south side of Charlotte). This is an American style hefeweizen, curious to me in a German themed brewery, but there you go. I matched it up with a 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).

Here’s what the brewery says about Olde Mecklenburg Southside Weiss:

If you enjoy a good wheat beer, why are you settling for just “good”? Southside Weiss is an unfiltered wheat ale that’s smooth, fresh and fantastic. Citrus notes courtesy of the noble “Mandarina Bavaria” hop complement its subtle, wheat-inspired sweetness. The result is an easy-drinking ale with a crisp, clean finish. Why settle for a good wheat beer when you can have a Southside Weiss?

Olde Mecklenburg Southside Weiss has an alcohol content of 5.4% by volume with 16 IBUs. I paid $5.54 for a large 22-ounce glass. Six-packs run $9.99 each.

My glass of Olde Mecklenburg Southside Weiss arrived a hazy yellow color with a thick pillowy head of foam and a tart, gently citric wheaty nose. Taking a sip, I got a lot of crackery wheat up front in the palate but was disappointed at the lack of banana and clove. I then thought to myself this was more of an American wheat, and it proved that’s what the brewer was aiming for.

Still, the tart crackery wheat finish here served perfectly to refresh and wash down my delicious German meal. Judged as an American wheat at a reasonable price, then, I’ll give it 4 stars, and next time I visit OMB, I’ll be sure to enjoy one again.

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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