Popular regional brewery Fonta Flora opens Charlotte location

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A taste of Appalachia is coming to the Queen City. Morganton-based Fonta Flora Brewery is set to open its doors at Optimist Hall at 3 p.m. Thursday.

Known for its emphasis on seasonal flora, Fonta Flora brews 50-70 varieties of beer annually, using as much North Carolina malt as possible. Most of its secondary flavoring ingredients come directly from local farmers, as well.

“For the last six years, a lot of amazing folks from Charlotte have been loyally trekking to Morganton and Nebo to support Fonta Flora,” founder and CFO Michael Kren said in a news release.

“We are humbled and grateful for these folks, and we thought it was time to return the favor and bring Fonta Flora to them.”

Optimist Hall marks the brewery’s third location, joining the original taproom in downtown Morganton, and its production facility and taproom in Nebo, North Carolina.

Your704: Optimist Hall Your704: Optimist Hall

The Charlotte tasting room will offer draft beer and packaged product available to take home.

Though Fonta Flora’s lineup of offerings will change almost daily, a sampling of beers guests may find at Optimist Hall include (while supplies last):

Optimist DIPA -- a double India pale ale, double dry-hopped with Citra and El Dorado.

Undercurrent Barrel Aged Imperial Coffee Stout -- a collaboration with neighbors at Optimist Hall’s Undercurrent Coffee.

Plus Love -- an Appalachian wild ale aged on Ohio Paw Paw fruit and local North Carolina peaches.

Fonta Flora will be open from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, go to fontaflora.com.

Optimist Hall is located between uptown and NoDa at 1115 N. Brevard St. For directions and parking information, click here.

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