Downtown & ITB Beers

Honestly, it’d be perfect if they can do the road/sidewalk work in conjunction with all the development construction that will be going on the next few years, so that everything wraps up around the same time. But by 2022 I imagine one or two of these nearby developments will already be in the thick of it.

I was there a few weeks ago and liked the space and they had decent beer selection. The pizza is from a Vic’s food truck and it was very tasty.

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Is Vic’s pizza and food truck different from the Vic’s Italian at city market or same people?

Same people: http://www.vicsitalianrestaurant.com/vics-pizza-bus

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Update that it appears that Bowstring has increased their seating area by a pretty good amount. Drove by tonight, but ended up in Glenwood South. I’m sure I’ll be swinging by again especially with the warmer weather.

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This is a very subjective topic, but IMO the best beer in Raleigh is found at:

  1. Bhavana
  2. Trophy
  3. Neuse River
  4. Gizmo

But, as my palate becomes more consolidated, craving the essence of beer, the true regional winner is Red Oak.

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I agree with this ranking

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Funguys is a sleeper pick in Raleigh that not many people know about (also in this area)

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Aren’t they the one that does all the “smoothie beers”? I have heard of a place around here that does them and have been wanting to try.

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yep that’s them! I actually haven’t tried them but I should now that you mention it - Available On-Site

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I’d throw in Lynnwood Brewing and Raleigh Brewing to @evan.j.bost 's list. An underrated beer place in my opinion too is Wye Hill.

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Barrel Culture makes some decent ones as well.

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I’m a bit surprised Crank Arm isn’t on this list. While I may not love all their beers, they have some great seasonal and barrel aged options throughout the year.

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Last month they had the 2022 U.S. Open Beer Championships. There were over 150 styles/categories they judged and also ranked the top 10 breweries in the US. In their top 10 nationally they have Pilot Brewing from Charlotte. I’m not sure if this qualifies Pilot Brewing to be NC’s best or what? I’ve personally haven’t been to this brewery or had any of their stuff, and this is of course all subjective to the opinions of the judges :man_shrugging:

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I tend to lean more to the ones that brew your stereotypical craft brewery beers like funky IPAs and Sours so I’d go

  1. Funguys
  2. Barrel Culture
  3. Altered State

But there’s another tier for ones that brew just great “regular” beers that I think are more widely appealing, like Trophy and Raleigh Brewing

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Lonerider takes 3rd in the Brown Ale! Sweet Jose is one of my fav’s.
Wicked Weed takes 1st for a Heffe - another of my favorites.
There are several NC breweries that placed in the top 3 by class of beer.
Thanks for the link @ahops0428 a perfect way for me to avoid this morning’s administrative paperwork crap that I’ve got to deal with today.

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Any bottle shops around carrying Old Milwaukee? Nearly impossible to find.

The problem that I’ve noticed with Raleigh breweries from visiting other cities is that we have can’t miss beers. Any beer ranking will have Funguys and Barrel Culture rated very highly, but the locations leave something to be desired.

I’ve never liked Lynnwood’s beers but they admittedly have the best brewery experience. Maybe if we could connect all of the Atlantic Ave/Wake Forest Rd breweries better, they could create better spaces for themselves and become a more coherent area. Just a hope!

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Raleigh could definitely benefit from having a brewery district. Charlotte has a couple, Asheville has a couple, even Graham’s three breweries are all a short walk from each other. Raleigh’s breweries are a bit more sprawled, and the highest concentration is going to be in this pedestrian-hostile area. Make this neighborhood more walkable, and you might have something.

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Seems like the IronWorks development and surrounding Warehouse developments are slowly becoming just that!

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