Whether you’re in the Charlotte area or throughout North Carolina, explore the Ridgeline Craft Beverage Trail. If you or your group enjoy visiting a mix of wineries, breweries, and distilleries, then the Ridgeline Craft Beverage Trail is perfect for you!
Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyard and Winery offers the whole package — from special events to tastings. Part of the Ridgeline Craft Beverage Trail, Baker Buffalo Creek Vineyard is the only winery to offer a dozen wines to taste. With an iconic red barn (Hickory Farms even used it in its advertising!) the grounds of this beautiful winery provide the perfect respite from our fast-paced lives. Relax in an Adirondack chair under some trees while sipping your glass of wine. It quickly becomes evident why so many couples choose this special place to exchange their vows.
Looking for a vineyard with refined wines and sweeping views? Then Veronét is just what you’re looking for! The newest addition to the Ridgeline Craft Beverage Trail, Veronet opened its doors in the fall of 2019. Currently serving eight different wines, Veronét offers a wine tasting flight – three 3 oz glasses of your choice for $12. Veronét also offers some of the fanciest charcuterie plates I’ve ever seen. The magnificent charcuterie plate contains two types of cheeses, three types of cured meats, crackers, dried apricots, mixed nuts, drunken tomatoes, apples, strawberries, whole grain mustard and fig spread .
Opening in 2014, Ole Dallas Brewery serves as a local gathering spot in Gaston County. Their menu includes four flagship beers: Pale Rebel Y’Ale (an American pale ale), Cross Roads IPA (a citrusy IPA), Wildcat Wit (a Belgian specialty), and Ole George’s Porter (a full-bodied ale). And if you like unusual beers, try the Jalapeñ Yo Face.
The only brewery in Cleveland County, Newgrass Brewing Company brought craft beer to the Uptown Shelby area. Located in the former Hudson’s Department Store, Newgrass features local farm products in their tasty craft beer and food. And, of course, the brewery preserved the strong bluegrass roots of the area – their logo is an upside-down beer bottle that looks like a string instrument neck. Grab a beer and enjoy live music most weekends, or enjoy your pint in their outdoor beer garden. Fostering a family-friendly atmosphere, not only can you drink your beer here, but the food is pretty spectacular. They even have a kids menu!
Do you prefer rum over beer and wine? Then a visit to Muddy River Distillery is for you! As the oldest legal rum distillery in the state, Muddy River opened its doors in 2011. The distillery began in an old textile mill that the owners found on Craigslist. With their initial success, the two owners ended up leaving their full-time jobs two years later. Robbie and Caroline Delaney invested their own money and time, with the help of friends and family. And they’ve made the best rum you can drink!
A Google map at www.thecommontraveler.net listsall the locations for ease of reference in planning your travel through all the points on the Ridgeline Craft Beverage Trail.
Have you found your favorite spot yet? No matter what, you’ll enjoy a fabulous day touring all six spots on the trail!
Happy travels!
Annick, The Common Traveler
www.thecommontraveler.net
