Bloom & Bottle with Brew Flowers
Since you have found yourself here, you are likely a kindred spirit of mine. This means that you love craft brews and can’t get enough of beautiful flowers in your life. One of my goals in starting this blog was to find other Brew Flowers like myself. I am also on the hunt for spots we would appreciate and brews we MUST try. In a little neighborhood in a busy city, I found the perfect Brew Flower spot! I’m not sure how I found this gem, but I remember reading about it somewhere and immediately putting it on my brew list.
Not really celebrating my birthday for a few years, Mac suggested a mini road trip and I picked Charlotte. I made a pretty big list of spots I wanted to check out, but Bloom & Bottle was one of my top picks. I grabbed Poppy (don’t give me hoppy), Golden Wheat, and Lady Bitterroot and we loaded up the mini-van and headed to the big city.
After about a three-hour drive to Charlotte, we pulled into the parking lot of Bloom & Bottle. The parking lot sat next to the fenced patio crowned with a wooden pergola. I could see the start of vines and shrubs, and my guess is that this space would be amazing in the warmer months. For our visit, it was a bit too cool to sit outside and sip.
A sidewalk sign proclaiming “Come for the BEER stay for the atmosphere” welcomed us as we found the main entrance under the beautifully designed shop logo. Inside we were met with bursts of green plants and florals everywhere! While there were buckets of fresh cut flowers, flowers could be found painted on the walls, and on the cans of special brew! The tap wall was plastered with colorful stickers and Doug (the owner) made my day by putting up two Brew Flowers stickers!
We grabbed some brews to sip and took in the atmosphere. We all grabbed a sour, which somehow fit the floral, fruity feel of the space. Julia helped us with our selection and pours and was so delightful. We grabbed a table that was perfectly placed giving us a view of both the street and the patio. Bloom and Bottle, itself doesn’t offer food, but you can have food delivered or bring your own. We had some salty snacks, thanks to Golden Wheat, and thoroughly enjoyed our beers and junk food amongst the plants.
Julia also introduced me to Doug, the owner. I had to find out his inspiration in starting his bottle shop. Doug told me that he had a military buddy that had some land in Mooresville, NC. Doug had helped him start up farming the land, which lead to farming flowers, which lead to floral arranging. Doug also explained that while people were encouraging him to do flowers and wine (which he also carries), he was a “beer guy.” So beer and flowers made sense to him. Frankly, I couldn’t agree more! I really loved hearing Doug talk about his journey. You could tell he was passionate about it and that his work truly brought him joy. I especially appreciated when he started to nerd-out over his flower sources. Doug also told me about a flower, beer, and bookstore in Raleigh, Brewery Bhavana (new addition to my list).
We had a great experience at Bloom and Bottle. I wish I could do a better job of telling you how great it felt to be surrounded by pretty plants, flowers, and artwork while you sip a special brew. If you do make the trip, expect to pay slightly higher prices than the grocery store. Remember this is a bottle shop. You’re paying for the atmosphere, premium beer selection, and you are supporting a small business. I think that at Bloom and Bottle it is well worth it, as it is clear that Doug takes great care in his brew and floral selections. Also, be sure to check them out on Facebook and Instagram as they will let you know about events like $4 pint specials and visiting food trucks!
I would really love to visit again when it’s warmer. I think sitting on the patio and bringing some local lunch to complement the specialty beers, would be an amazing afternoon.
Haul from Bloom & Bottle
These happy yellow flowers held up great all weekend even on the ride home with no water!
Top Row, from left to right:
Maiock Appalachian Springtime Lagerbier from Fonta Flora
Fat Orange Cat Brewing "The May Queen" DIPA
Bottom Row, from left to right:
Maple Blueberry Lemon Grunt Sour by Untitled Art
Bounty by Brewery Bhavana
Half 'n' Half by Ology Brewing Co and King State Brewing
Fauna Sour IPA by Hudson Valley Brewery
Jelly Not Jam (Orange, Pineapple, Banana) by Burley Oak Brewing Company
