Charlotte Life - Tanya Birch

Pet-Friendly Beer Destinations: Charlotte

Every opportunity I can, I venture to spots where my dog can join me for happy hour. It’s often paired with long walks from our current apartment in uptown Charlotte, too – an attempt to get some outdoor physical activity in first, with a beer stop in between.

One of the parts I love so much about this city – and the south overall – is the pet-friendly culture. There’s so many great spots that I could probably create my own guidebook from it (hmm..future writing idea?), but for now let me just highlight a few of my favorites –

Birdsong Brewery: Noda neighborhood

This brewery holds a special place in my heart. It was my relaxing escape – to send out a few more emails and finish up my work – after working nearby in the Belmont neighborhood of Charlotte at a loud construction site (a brewery and taproom-in-planning I opened as General Manager) in late 2016/early 2017. We moved out of Charlotte in 2019 but when we returned in 2022, it was one of the first breweries I couldn’t wait to revisit. Presently, I head there at least once a week with my dog Barley to enjoy a beer and get some work done. Dogs are welcome both inside and outside the taproom; Birdsong is a welcoming, laid-back taproom with a wonderful crew of people. Free peanuts – the peanut cracking plays a dual role in keeping you both occupied and thirsty – usually a food truck, and some awesome, consistent beer, of which my go-to is the Rewind Lager.

The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery: Lower South End neighborhood

After moving to the state of North Carolina in 2015, the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery (OMB) was one of the first breweries that my husband and I ever visited in Charlotte. It gave us something we never expected to experience in the U.S.- a feeling of being transported to Germany, relaxing at a biergarten in Munich; we loved sipping on a Hornets Nest Hefeweizen while reminiscing about our travels, and life abroad during the period we lived in the UK for two years. While admittedly I may be a little biased at recommending this – my husband now works here – I also truly love it for its authentic German ambience, and equally consistent, high-quality beers. Oh, and the dog factor! The 8-acre outside biergarten means you lots of open space to enjoy a beer and not feel packed in amongst other people, kids, or dogs.

Bloom & Bottle: Belmont neighborhood

Bloom & Bottle describes their business as a “friendly neighborhood bottle shop and floral workshop.” They carry lots of craft beer on tap, as well as wine and prosecco, and a bottle/can selection of both alcohol and non-alcoholic beers. Dogs are welcome outside on a small back patio, as well as inside, so it’s also a great rainy day option. There are two dog beds set up along a wall by a window – where you’ll often be greeted by the owners’ two friendly dogs – and next to it a big shared dog bowl. The welcoming display of flower centerpieces along with the fresh flowers for purchase in the back of the shop make this place a memorable environment and pleasant night-out.

The Hop Shop: Plaza Midwood neighborhood

With a great selection of European beers – the Belgian styles and German styles are my favorites – as well as its pet-friendly vibe, I can easily spend hours here enjoying their beer selection and playing cards or board games with my friends. It’s a long, narrow establishment, but it has separate couch areas and tables in the front, and even a swinging chair inside, that allow you to make each area your own and relax.

Town Brewing Company: Wesley Heights neighborhood

Town Brewing’s easy outside ordering window and spacious outdoor setup – large picnic tables everywhere – is also very dog-friendly. It’s also a short walk from the Wesley Heights and Irwin Creek Greenway system, and a beautiful 2+ mile walk for me from uptown, past the Bank of America stadium and along the pedestrian and biking trails.

Their menu of flatbreads and sandwiches are easy, delicious food options that pair well with the solid beer choices.

Charlotte’s pet-friendly culture is amazing, and as may be obvious by now, the destinations I frequent regularly revolve around my dog Barley, whose always by my side.

I hope this post provides all those living in Charlotte like me with some new ideas for your next happy hour with your dog.

Charlotte Uptown Walk: Getting Inspired

This morning I set off on my usual Saturday morning walk with my dog Barley through the uptown neighborhood. I love these long walks, but today this walk was extra special and inspiring! The feeling of inspiration is something I’ve desperately been missing in my life ever since getting diagnosed with, and fortunately conquering, cancer this past year.

But enough about cancer. I want to talk about something way more positive and important today: Easter Eggs.

As I walked through one of my favorite uptown Parks, The Green, I passed by a number of large easter eggs on display, all part of an art exhibit for the Charlotte SHOUT festival, a multi-week festival that celebrates “Charlotte’s creativity and innovation through art, music, food, and ideas.”

Each of the eggs on display – a baker’s dozen – features work by a local Charlotte artist. Barley’s standing by one called Hidden Gems, by the artist Taryn Hare, and her description says “My concept behind this piece was to create a larger-than-life crystal gem. I chose the Amethyst gemstone because this crystal represents peace and balance. It has the power to rid an environment of negative energy and transform that into a high frequency of love. I wanted my egg to be a symbol of peace and love in the city. I titled the piece Hidden Gems as a play on words. Highlighting the tradition of hiding Easter eggs and the resemblance the egg has to a gemstone. I want my piece to spark the same excitement and joy a child has spotting their first egg during a hunt.”

I felt lots of negative energy earlier this week myself. I was almost home after a 7-hour drive on the road from visiting my sister-in-law in the Outer Banks. It appeared there was standstill traffic up ahead, so I braked briefly while going 70 mph in the left lane; the driver behind me must have thought I was brake checking him and his road rage instincts kicked in; he violently changed lanes and cut me off, slamming on his brakes and leaving me no choice but to slam on my brakes, too, barely avoiding a major collision. When I changed lanes to avoid any more escalation, he recklessly pulled in front of me again and slammed on his brakes. I was so scared. Fortunately I was able to back away from him enough to avoid anything else bad happening in this situation, but the rest of that day I just felt sad; I couldn’t shake the negative thoughts and feel positive again.

Which brings me back to this egg. Getting rid of negative energy is something I think we all need in this world today. The spark of excitement, and the little joys in life – like the pleasure a child gets from spotting their first egg – is a way for us to remind ourselves to break away from the negative energy we may experience from others.

One of my other favorites was this egg called The Crown, by the artist Neidy Perdomo, who says that this piece is “not only an artistic representation of the Queen City, but a reminder of the greatness that lives within each of us, and that you have the power to create your own reality. I hope this piece challenges your perspective, it is up to you to make your life something beautiful.”

Time for me to take advantage of all this art, food, music, and innovation in Charlotte the next two weeks through the remainder of this festival.

What an amazing way to start the day and to remember to appreciate the little things, or in this case, big things – like giant easter eggs in an uptown park.