The company walks the walk when it comes to giving back to the local community. Chris explains, “We made a conscious decision several years back that wewould intentionally focus on small non-prof- its that don’t have large corporate sponsors. A couple of cases of beer or a keg for a fundraiser makes a big difference.” It’s clear they do make a big difference. In 2018, Birdsong supported over 165 organizations and neighbors benefiting animals, clean water, bicycling, LGBT rights, human health, arts & music and education. In addition to financial contributions, the brewery donated over 6900 beers and 100 gift baskets. Their list of formal sponsorships includes Birdsong Cyclocross Team, CharMeck Adopt-A- Stream - Little Sugar Creek, Charlotte Pride, Charlotte Visitors Bureau, Charlotte Knights Baseball Team, Sustain Charlotte and WNCW. The brewery also hosts a bi-annual clean-up of Little Sugar Creek which runs beside the brewery and offers a prize for the most unique items found in the creek. So far, the winners have included a purple toilet and a coyote skull. Birdsong beers are available across all of the Carolinas, both North and South Carolina.
Last is the Rewind Lager. “Conor always wanted to make a Pilsner style. The water profile in Charlotte is almost exactly the same as Western Czech Republic. Once he learned that, he was hell bent on figuring out how to make a Pilsner. Until two years ago, we didn’t really have enough fermentation space to do it because it’s so much slower. So, we’re excited to finally have it,” said Chris. Experimenting with different beers and series of beers is part of the fun for the brewers. The brewery offers five seasonal beers, taking advantage of Charlotte’s long summers to add an extra summer beer. The brewery also creates a set of series beers, alternating between an IPA series and a Sour with a few others thrown in for fun. Birdsong celebrates this creativity with a new, weekly limited release in the taproom every “Thursty Thursday.”
95
94
DECEMBER 2020 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter