Monday Night Brewing’s entry into Charlotte’s burgeoning craft brew scene brings an outdoor focus.

by Michael J. Solender 

Monday nights on the town in South End recently got a bit more social. So did the rest of the week, with the opening of Monday Night Brewing’s new Garden Co. taproom just off the Rail Trail at South Tryon and Rampart streets. 

Monday Night Brewing Garden Co. — so christened as the taproom boasts more than an acre of green space — has gobs of outdoor seating, a lush lawn, canopied patio bar and dog-friendly environs to enjoy the nearly two dozen craft brews on tap alongside handcrafted Neapolitan pizzas. 

“We’ve had our eye on the Charlotte market for quite some time,” says Jeff Heck, co-founder and CEO of Atlanta-based Monday Night Brewing. “It’s a growing and vibrant city and accessible to our home base. This neighborhood and physical location is also special and is a big driver behind why we opened here.”

Charlotte becomes MNB’s fifth location since their Atlanta launch in 2013. Heck says the brewery’s origins come from hosting years of backyard brew parties and get-togethers at his Midtown Atlanta backyard. Today, MNB has a second location in the Big Peach and taprooms in Nashville, Tenn., and Birmingham, Ala.

Queen City beer enthusiasts will find an oversized main taproom fronted by the huge outdoor lawn. Inside, there are plenty of conversation areas, two massive woodburning Italian pizza ovens cranking out thin-crusted, slightly charred pies (try the Peppadew, with caramelized onions, piquante peppers, sausage and buffalo mozzarella).

The beer? All handcrafted in Atlanta and trucked up Interstate 85 weekly. Bestsellers include Dr. Robot, a blackberry-lemon sour; Taco Tuesday, a crisp Mexican-style lager; and Prague Fog, a toasty dark Czech lager. MNB also features handcrafted cocktails with their own proprietary spirits, wine and soft drinks.

Come for the fellowship and corn hole, stay for the beer and pizza. 2217 S. Tryon St.  SP