October 21, 2022
Fall is all about leaf peeping, cozy sweaters, pumpkin patches and … beer.
The seasonal shift means that our favorite Cabarrus County breweries are rolling out seasonal brews and hosting special events. You don’t want to miss out on these limited releases and opportunities to celebrate the season.
“One of the best ways to celebrate [fall] in Cabarrus County is to enjoy at least one pint from every brewery in the county,” says Dr. Alan Dobson, owner of Old Well Brewery in Mt. Pleasant. “It’s a great time to be adventurous and taste a beer style you’ve never had before.”
Seasonal Beers
Yep, it’s pumpkin spice season. At Twenty-Six Acres Brewing Company, the beer list includes Imperial Flash Gordon, a seasonal beer with the roasted sweetness of malt grains and hints of pumpkin spice, as well as Basic Snitches, a sour coffee beer with notes of coffee, vanilla and pumpkin spice.
In October, Pumpkin Pie Thrift Shop, a smoothie sour, will be on the menu at Percent Tap House, while Old Well Brewery will be pulling pints of Vanilla Pumpkin ale.
Other seasonal beer releases include Fuzzy Sweater, a peach and spice blend from Southern Strain Brewing Company; Dr. Funkenstein, a fruited sour ale with black raspberries, blueberries and plums and a dash of flaked oats from Cabarrus Brewing Company; and Midnight Cravings Stout, a combination of chocolate, coconut and vanilla, available at Pharr Mill Brewing & BBQ.
Old Armor Beer Company will launch Ghost Army Black IPA and Don’t Drink This Carmel White Stout just in time for Halloween; Save a Pear Cider from Tipsy Hare Ciderworks is a nod to Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
High Branch Brewing Company continues an annual tradition, releasing variants of their Summer Body Imperial Stout. It starts with the base beer and then includes daily additions from coffee, cacao nibs and maple to walnuts and vanilla beans. Their Ghosted Hazy Pale Ale is perfect for Halloween get togethers.
Special Events
Mark your calendars! Cabarrus County breweries have scheduled several seasonal events to honor the changing season (and, of course, Halloween).
On Oct. 26, 2022, High Branch is hosting a Halloween-themed trivia night. Answer spooky questions and wear a costume to be entered into a raffle to earn a gift card. Costumes are also encouraged at the evening yoga session on the same night. Then on Oct. 29, Iron Axe Society is setting up outside the High Branch taproom so you can practice your axe-throwing skills.
Also at Gibson Mill, Cabarrus Brewing’s Halloween Costume Contest is on Saturday, Oct. 29 with live music and food trucks. On Monday, Oct. 31, bring the candy you planned to pass out at home to the brewery. The CBC Halloween Candy Crawl features family-friendly trick-or-treating in the taproom from 5-8pm.
Raise a glass to the bands that take the stage at Pharr Mill. The Harrisburg brewery has live music booked on Oct. 29.
Old Armor will also hold festivities on Oct. 29. Their Halloween Bash begins at 8pm and moves to the new Kingpin Underground for a costume party, DJ, and haunted arcade. This veteran owned and operated brewery also hosts a Veterans Day Celebration on Nov. 11 and 5K For Heroes on Nov. 12.
On Oct. 29, Halloween at Southern Strain will also feature a costume contest and live DJ, plus food specials from in-house Hot Box Next Level Kitchen.
Stay tuned for even more happenings to come, and don’t miss out on opportunities to fall in love with new beers, new breweries and new events that will become fall traditions.
Want More Beer?
To learn more about all of our local breweries, check out this article about Cabarrus County’s craft beer and cider scene.
