Episode 10 – Heist Brewery
Heist Brewery
iTunes link – Podcast Garden link
Finally, the blog to go along with the podcast that is up and streaming! Before getting into the meat of this blog I’d like to point your attention to the new section on the page entitles Fitz’ Picks. Here I’ll be posting once every week, on Wednesdays, and giving a short blerg on the three best beers I’ve had in the week prior. I also hope to get some guest spots in this section from people you may have heard from before, but we’ll see! In other news, if you haven’t seen we are now on Instagram so follow us, at ThisIsOnTap, for pictures of what I am drinking, reading, eating or just whatever I feel like taking a picture of at the moment. If you are downloading the podcast from iTunes, please click the subscribe button and take two seconds to rate the podcast as well as leave a review for us. Head on over to Podcastland.com and vote for us so we can have a shot at winning podcast of the month, yes I’m going to ask you to do it every month until we win! Plus it only takes two seconds. And lastly, head on over to our friends at Cork & Oak to check out the article I wrote on our favorite breweries in the triangle! (Top 3 Favorite Breweries link) Shoutout to Michelle for being my editor on everything, too!
This story starts out at the end of sophomore year in college where Mike and I went to a party and Mike introduced me to this guy named John (it was weird and that’s why everyone still calls me Fitz). But that entire story will be saved for another time and another blog. The point is, he has been begging me to come to Charlotte and visit since he moved back to the area after college and especially since Mike and I started doing the podcast because he wanted to be a part of it. Over Veteran’s Day weekend I finally had a chance to do so, but Mike couldn’t come “because of his job” aka something he easily could have cancelled and came with. (Hence why we bash Mike so frequently in the podcast, plus it’s always funny to pick on Mike regardless what for and for that we love him.) I digress, John wanted to take me to his favorite brewery in Charlotte to do a recording and naturally I obliged. He likes good beer, but has a similar palate to Mike so I really had no idea what to expect out of the place and just figured it would be good!
Heist has a pretty awesome location in the NoDa area of Charlotte. They for sure had the biggest space I’ve been to since doing the podcast. It’s a huge brick building that looks like a warehouse with an awesome wooden fence that lines the side and has, only what I can guess to be, the Queen City skyline painted along it. The wrap around bar was modest in size compared to the projector screen TV on the wall or the amount of seating available at the high top tables. There was even more seating on the other side of the wall that creates a natural seperation between the bar and the “restaurant” which is facing the open kitchen area. They even have an upstairs area that has more seating and games and such as well as an outdoor patio on the back side of the building. The bartender was helpful and I wasn’t timid with B lining straight for him when we walked in the door to order our flights. He let us know that a few of their beers were not available because on Monday’s they rotate their kegs with new product, so whatever kicks over the weekend stays gone on a Sunday night. Which I understand and wasn’t bothered by because I was still going to be able to try some new beer from a place I’d never been, I was only a little bummed that I wasn’t going to be able to try this Raspberry Porter (I think) that was apparently pretty damn good (said John’s lady friend, I don’t know how trust worthy she is because she hates everything or that just means it was that freakin awesome and I missed out).
The main storyline here is that Heist makes session style beers. If you’re looking for something crazy, something with off the wall ingredients, something with layers and depths of flavors that you argue with your tastebuds about because you can’t place them…then you should probably go somewhere else. They are making good beer, by the books. There are pulled punches, it’s just straight forward which in this day and age of craft beer I appreciate the hell out of it! I’ve been to some places to order what I think is going to be what it says it is and my palate is getting tongue punched by something I was not expecting and did not want! All of the beers we tried tasted how they should, tasted what you expect them to taste like and I loved it. You keep doing you Heist and let the other places fail in making crack pot ideas of brews. I’ll take a perfectly brewed hefeweizen over a chocolate pretzel raspberry doughnut stout any day of the week and twice on Sunday, even though I love stouts more than any other style of beer. Also, the food at Heist is on point and from the people I know in Charlotte you’re doing yourself a disservice if you aren’t heading out there on Sunday to get brunch. But it is important to a place that is trying to make a name for itself in the food and craft beverage side of things at the same time to have food and beer that go well together. They know what their doing at Heist, bottom line, so go check them out!
Make sure when you do go out to enjoy your adult beverages in moderation and always drink responsibly, call a cab, pick a designated driver and CHEERS!
On Tap with Fitz and Mike 