Tour De Charlotte! Gilde Brewery

The Basics

Location: Gilde Brewery, 3530 Dewitt Lane, Charlotte, NC 28217

Website: https://gilde1546.com

Facebook: gilde1546
Instagram: @gilde1546

Vibe/Atmosphere: Reimagined modern German beer hall; sleek, airy, upscale, inviting

Beers We Tried: Gilde Pilsner, Red Rooster Amber Lager, Oktoberfest Marzen, Smoked on Dewitt, Gilde Pale Wheat Hefeweissbier, Dark Hen Hefeweissbier Dunkel, Hop on the Light Rail Helles, Broyan 25 Wheat Ale, The Miner Schwarzbier, Urbok Einbeck Bock

Parking: free and paid lots, street

Important NC Beer Explorer Tip: When consuming alcohol, always have a designated driver. Be safe out there, friends!

We are big fans of faithful German brewing and authentic German food. Gilde Brewery, which opened its first US brewery/restaurant in Charlotte in 2022, promised both – in spades – and we wanted to see what the experience was like and get a behind-the-scenes peek. Spoiler alert! Gilde delivered on their promise!

Walking into Gilde, we were impressed. Everything pointed to close attention to detail, from the sleek pendant lights to the buckles adorning the chairs. The decor conveyed the traditional open and airy feel of a classic beer hall with contemporary design elements, creating a sophisticated yet inviting atmosphere.

We were immediately acknowledged and graciously greeted by Sean, the manager on duty, who made us feel welcomed and comfortable. The taproom was a little on the quieter side on a Friday afternoon, but it was easy to imagine lively tables full of Friday evening customers.

We settled into our food as we waited for General Manager Cory Clark to attend to some business upon arrival, and we were absolutely happy to do so. The food was very tasty and well-presented. Gilde offers a large, diverse menu but we focused on their classic German dishes, including schnitzles, wurst platters, pretzels, potato salad, and sauerkraut. The wurst is imported from Germany but almost everything else is scratch kitchen because everything begins and ends in house, as envisioned by head chef Dominik Kuehne, who relocated from Germany. Ben has traveled quite a bit in Germany and vouched for the quality and authenticity. Rebecca loved the juiciness of the sausage, the seasonings, and the crisp al dente feeling of the skin. She also thought the lightly grilled, house-made sauerkraut was a revelation: the classic tangy, salty, and sour flavors of fermented cabbage had a subtle smokiness and a slightly softened texture. Delicious!

Gilde, established in 1546 in Hanover, is one Germany’s oldest breweries. So, why did they pick Charlotte for their first location outside Germany? Quick history lesson: Queen Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Streilitz (Queen-Consort of King George III and namesake of NC’s largest city) was also the Queen of Hannover (or Hanover in English). That historical connection along with lots of local German business ties (BMW and Mercedes Benz) made Charlotte a logical choice. Gilde is run by German Brewmaster Willi Wallstab and owned by Mike Gaertner and Karsten Uhlmann.

(We demonstrate the best, highest use of AI here by showing Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz enjoying a cold one from Gilde Brewery. Note that AI decided she had six fingers, but we beg to differ.)

Gilde adheres to the Reinheitsgebot (German Beer Purity Law), which restricts ingredients to water, malt, hops, and yeast. That being said, brewmaster Willi is not afraid to paint outside the lines. They have 24 taps including a full range of faithful German lagers and wheat ales plus several hoppier styles and two “radlers” (German for “cyclist”) which are blends of lager and bittersweet lemonade. We had a long, enjoyable conversation with Cody (sidenote: both he and Rebecca are alumni of TGI Friday's) and sampled 10 highly palatable beers (see tasting notes below) before we finally had to run up the white flag!

We can't help but tell you a funny story about what happened on our way to Gilde. We walked into a funky, new looking restaurant on Dewitt we thought was Gilde, introduced ourselves, and asked for Cory. We got a very puzzled look and were told "You're in the State of Confusion” – which was the name of the restaurant! The manager, Darnell, was very courteous (and funny) and kindly redirected us.

But don’t you be confused! In a sea of craft breweries/brewpubs, Gilde stands high and proud! You can get something for every taste in both their food and beer menus without sacrificing the authenticity and attention to detail you would expect from a fine German restaurant or brewery!

NCBE's Beer Notes - Gilde Brewery

• Gilde Pilsner

  • Style: German Pilsner

  • ABV: 4.8%

  • Color: clear bright straw color, light head with lacing

  • Aroma: classic cracker pils aroma

  • Taste: starts balanced and bready, lightly hopped with mild bitterness. Floral and green fruit notes.

  • Mouthfeel: light, carbonated, crisp

  • Aftertaste: understated bittery finish

• Red Rooster

  • Style: Amber Lager

  • ABV: 5.5%

  • Color: yellow-gold

  • Aroma: malty

  • Taste: toasted grain, pecan, caramel, honey, frosted cornflakes

  • Mouthfeel: light

  • Aftertaste: lightly dry with hints of charred wood

• Oktoberfest

  • Style: Marzen

  • ABV: 6.%

  • Color: deep amber-gold, initial foamy creme head, slightly hazy

  • Aroma: faint malt

  • Taste: Malty, not bitter, but not too sweet. Faint taste of alcohol, whiskey notes, vanilla, wood, caramel

  • Mouthfeel: full-bodied

  • Aftertaste: short and balanced

• Smoked on Dewitt

  • Style: Smoked Lager

  • ABV: 6%

  • Color: light brown; delicate, short-lived cream head

  • Aroma: veggies on a charcoal grill

  • Taste: smoke, pepper, tart grilled fruit. The flavor combined with the mouthfeel was atmospheric.

  • Mouthfeel: tingly, cool-heat

  • Aftertaste: flowing finish with hints of baked apple, nutmeg, and cardamon

• Gilde Pale Wheat

  • Style: Hefeweissbier

  • ABV: 5%

  • Color: pale gold

  • Taste: spiced fruit notes, not tropical, nutty, grainy

  • Mouthfeel: light, highly drinkable

  • Aftertaste: short, delicate

• Dark Hen

  • Style: Hefeweissbier Dunkel

  • ABV: 5%

  • Color: dark brown

  • Aroma: caramel

  • Taste: chocolate, smoke, banana nutbread. Malty sweet.

  • Mouthfeel: medium

  • Aftertaste: lightly sweet

• Hop on the Light Rail Helles

  • Style: Hoppy Helles

  • ABV: 5%

  • Color: yellow

  • Aroma: fresh dill, cut grass

  • Taste: lightly sweet offset with grapefruit and lime

  • Mouthfeel: sparkling

  • Aftertaste: short (very drinkable)

• Broyan 25 (collaboration w/HopflyBrewing)

  • Style: Wheat Ale

  • ABV: 5.7%

  • Color: hazy gold

  • Aroma: citrus

  • Taste: mango, Chinese duck sauce, mild hops

  • Mouthfeel: light

  • Aftertaste: lightly bitter

• The Miner

  • Style: Schwarzbier (Dark Lager)

  • ABV: 5%

  • Color: black brown

  • Aroma: molasses cookie

  • Taste: clove, prune, balsamic vinegar

  • Mouthfeel: moderate

  • Aftertaste: astringent

• Urbok

  • Style: Einbeck Bock

  • ABV: 7%

  • Color: pale orange

  • Aroma: black licorice

  • Taste: pumpernickel, black currant, blackberry jam, black plum, clove

  • Aftertaste: malty

Tell us what you think about Gilde Brewery