By Brian Beauchemin

February provides us with Valentine’s Day and typically a wide range of thoughts on the day. Many feel it’s a day to showcase love for someone special while others believe it’s just a day when Hallmark lines their pockets with our hard-earned cash. Whichever side of the fence you fall on, our Charlotte brewers provide us with their own diverse range of beers. Chocolate-covered cherry stouts, peanut butter, and bourbon barrels deliver hearty and sumptuous warming sips to share. Looking for something lighter? Several true-to-style lagers find their way into taprooms as do fruited beers to harken the call for spring to arrive. Unless otherwise noted, all beers are already available in taprooms and/or local retail establishments.

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Birdsong Brewing

The barrel-aged imperial stout, Turtles on Pterodactyls, returns to the brewery’s taproom on draft only. Brewed with cinnamon, brown sugar, and cacao nibs and then rested in Great Wagon Road Whisky barrels, the smooth and dark stout boasts a drinkable 10.5% ABV.

Fabulous and funky, Rain is a smooth American sour ale brewed with blueberries and strawberries. The brew has big juicy berry notes and a hint of effervescence on the palate with a pleasant, clean finish. The 6.2% ABV sour ale releases in their taproom February 12 and in wholesale distribution February 16. 

Made with 100% North Carolina malt, Golden Hour is a 5% ABV spring ale. Bright, balanced, and easy drinking, this spring ale showcases a smooth malt base with just enough hop character to keep things interesting. Soft notes of bread and honey mingle with a crisp, floral hop finish. Available in the brewery’s taproom February 26 and in distribution March 2.

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Cabarrus Brewing

This month the brewery is making three German style beers and sticking with the styles for their names. All three brews will be taproom only drafts. Brewed exclusively with German malt, hops, and yeast, German Pilsner is a 5.3% ABV pilsner with a light, crisp body, clean malt character, and balanced bitterness. Noble hop aromas deliver subtle floral notes and a dry, refreshing finish. 

Altbier is a 5.2% ABV Dusseldorf-style altbier. The medium-bodied brew delivers a subtle toastiness, layered with aromas of caramel and freshly baked bread balanced by a firm bitterness and a dry finish.

A collaboration with Town Brewing, Munich Dunkel is a 4.9% ABV Munich dunkel. The lager is smooth and malt-forward, with aromas of toasted bread, caramel, and cocoa balanced by a low to moderate bitterness. Available late February.

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NoDa Brewing

AphroStoutsiac is a small-batch 6.3% ABV American oatmeal stout. Made for those chasing Cupid’s arrow on Valentine’s day, the robust and chewy stout was brewed with cocoa nibs, fermented on black cherry puree, and rested on vanilla beans. 

Available February 13 on draft in the brewery’s taproom, Olde Gaffer is a 4.5% ABV dry Irish stout. The gluten-reduced brew is poured on nitro providing a smooth velvety finish. 

Say goodbye to winter and hello to spring with the brewery’s seasonal Carolina Quencher Tropical Wheat Ale. The 5.2% ABV refreshing tropical wheat ale is fruited with passion fruit, orange, guava, mango, and pineapple. Available on draft and in cans in their taproom February 20 and Carolina retailers starting February 23.

Available February 27, Ember Lager is a gluten-reduced, lightly reddish-hued American amber lager brewed with a blend of European and American malts. The 4.8% ABV lager is light and balanced providing malt complexity rounded out by bright American Palisade hops.

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Pilot Brewing

Late Czech Out, a 2025 World Beer Cup Gold Medal Winner, returns on draft. The 4.7% ABV Czech dark lager is rich, dark, and subtly sweet with light roast character, hints of chocolate, and a perfectly balanced noble hop finish. Smooth, clean, and endlessly drinkable with the option of a draught nitro version.

Releasing February 13, Barrel Aged Pilot’s Reserve is a 9% ABV Belgian-style dark strong ale. Layers of fig, raisin, and dried cherry lead into caramelized sugar, toasted bread, and gentle spice from expressive Belgian yeast. Time spent aging in Buffalo Trace Rye Whiskey barrels adds depth and nuance including subtle oak, vanilla, and warming rye spice woven seamlessly into the malt-forward base. Complex and beautifully balanced, the Belgian quad is built for slow sipping and quiet appreciation.

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Triple C Brewing

Baby Maker, the popular 8.5% ABV imperial IPA, is built around an excessive dose of dank hops resting on a sturdy malt backbone that keeps it dangerously drinkable. Heavy additions of Cascade, Simcoe, Centennial, and Columbus hops bring intense fruit character, highlighted by ripe grapefruit aromas and smooth, low-perceived bitterness.

Two variants of the 9.2% ABV Chocolate Covered Pretzel Imperial Stout return on Valentine’s Day. Bourbon Barrel Aged CCPS-Barrel Select is brewed with a decadent blend of roasted cacao nibs, Madagascar vanilla, and a touch of sea salt. The stout offers layers of chocolate-covered cherries, sweet fig, warm crème brulé, and fudgy brownies, finishing lush and velvety. This variant rested in the finest bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace, Willett Family Estate, and Wild Turkey for nearly a year. 

Bourbon Barrel Aged CCPS-Roasted Peanut, also aged for almost a year in a blend of Buffalo Trace, Willett, and Wild Turkey bourbon barrels, was further conditioned on roasted peanuts for added depth. Indulgent flavors of peanut butter cups, dark chocolate truffles, salted caramel, and tiramisu create a smooth, dessert-like finish. 

Available February 20, Greenway juicy IPA returns with a refreshed hop profile showcasing Simcoe and Idaho 7. More hops follow through a whirlpool addition of hand-selected Citra and Citra Incognito and a generous dry hop of Nectaron, Galaxy, and Citra Lupomax. Bursting with fresh-squeezed orange and pineapple aromas, the 6% ABV juicy IPA drinks smooth with gentle bitterness and a soft, glowing haze.

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Vaulted Oak Brewing

Chaos Nectar is a 5.5% ABV hazy IPA loaded with Cashmere hops. Flaked oats and wheat provide a velvety mouthfeel and an easy drinkability. 

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