By Brian Beauchemin

January releases deliver a diverse range of styles and alcohol levels to start the new year. Local breweries feature beers ranging from lower alcohol sessionable lagers to a 9% ABV double IPA brewed with local honey. Hopheads will also enjoy classic West Coast, hazy and black IPAs. Add darker ales, a spiced beer, even a cheesecake dessert brew and this month truly showcases options for any beer lover. Unless otherwise noted, all beers are already available in taprooms and/or local retail establishments.  

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Birdsong Brewing

January marks the annual release of a crowd favorite, Honey Pie Double IPA. A solid malt foundation is complimented by a generous amount of locally harvested honey from Cloister Honey. Add a unique blend of hops delivering aromas of honeydew and grapefruit and it becomes clear why this 9% ABV IPA is often referred to as “heaven in a glass.” 

House Beat is a 3.2% ABV dark ale brewed with 100% North Carolina malt. The beer is a dark version of the brewery’s low alcohol summer “house beer.” You can find this draft-only lighter winter beer starting Jan. 15 in their taproom.  

A spiced winter ale, Shake the Frost is a medium-bodied, malty ale with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, orange zest, and ginger. The 6% ABV ale is available Jan. 22 on draft only in their taproom.  

Czech it Out is a 5.5% ABV Czech-style dark lager. Light notes of chocolate and caramel intertwine with a refreshing crispness thanks to the use of 100% Czech Saaz hops and German lager yeast. This complex, yet smooth dark lager makes for a solid winter treat to stave off the cold. Available in cans and on draft in the taproom Jan. 29 with wholesale distribution beginning Feb. 2.  

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Cabarrus Brewing

A taproom-only beer, First Lite is a light pilsner utilizing German malt in tandem with both German and American Hops. Brewed with German Tettnang hops and lightly dry-hopped with American Loral and Citra, the lager presents a subtle floral aroma and a delicate citrus finish. The exceptionally drinkable 2.5% ABV pilsner delivers an ultra-light body and a clean, crisp finish. 

Available Jan. 30 only in the brewery’s taproom, the 5.3% ABV German Pilsner stays true to its namesake. Brewed with 100% German malts and hops, the lager is a classic German-style pilsner with a light, crisp body, clean malt character, and balanced bitterness. Noble hop aromas deliver subtle floral notes and a dry, refreshing finish.

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NoDa Brewing

Aussie All Day is a hazy IPA brewed exclusively with Australian hops. The 6.8% ABV hazy showcases Hop Products of Australia (HPA) 033, accented with a healthy dose of Nectaron and Galaxy. Available on draft in their taproom.  

A 6.4% ABV winter saison, Shiver Saison brings warming spice, orange zest, and just enough kick to make winter a little more bearable.

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Olde Mecklenburg Brewing

Olympic Haze is a 6% ABV hazy IPA brewed to support U.S. Olympic bobsled athlete Macy Tarleton. One dollar from every pint sold will be donated to Macy’s 2026 Winter Olympics journey. The brewery will be posting content and telling her story as the Jan. 23 release date approaches. Brewed with Strata and Sultana hops for a juicy, fruit-forward profile, the hazy IPA is packed with tropical notes of pineapple, mango, orange, and passion fruit. It has a smooth, creamy mouthfeel with a strong hop aroma. The flavor is slightly sweet at first, followed by a mild, balancing bitterness in the finish. 

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Pilot Brewing

Available on draught and in cans starting January 23, Sky Ride IPA is a 6.8% ABV West Coast-style India Pale Ale with a smooth bitterness and hop-forward profile. The dangerously smooth brew exudes juicy grapefruit flavors, a bright orange zest aroma, and a crisp, dry finish. 

Raspberry Cheesecake Gose delivers bright, juicy raspberry flavor in tandem with smooth, cheesecake-inspired creaminess. Light, refreshing, and perfectly balanced, this fruited gose drinks easy while still feeling like a treat. Sweet and tart, the 4.2% ABV dessert-inspired beer releases Jan. 30 on draft and in crowlers. 

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Town Brewing

Dreamin’ in Bohemian is a 5.4% ABV Czech-style pilsner. Brewed with Bohemian-grown malt, a long decoction process, and an extra-friendly touch of Saaz hops, the beer delivers an initial malt-forward profile with a clean, crisp finish.

Brewed with Heritage Malt, Clovers in the Atmosphere is an Irish red ale. The brew is smooth and balanced with caramel malt sweetness, light toast, and a clean, dry finish. The 4.5% ABV ale releases Jan. 24 on draft only in the brewery’s taproom. 

Western Sky is a 5% ABV American wheat ale brewed with blood oranges. Crisp, smooth, and silky on the palate, this beer’s vibrant color and balanced profile signal the arrival of spring. It drinks like that first warm evening of the season – easy, comforting, and best enjoyed as the sun dips low in the western sky. Available Jan. 31. 

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Triple C Brewing

A Munich-style helles lager, Scout is brewed with premium Weyermann Pilsner malt and delicately hopped with Hallertau Mittelfrüh. This 5.2% ABV lager pours brilliantly golden with a bready malt aroma. Naturally carbonated and lagered for six weeks, it delivers a smooth, balanced profile with subtle floral hop notes and a crisp, clean finish. 

Releasing Jan. 16, Pineapple Pulp is a 6.7% ABV pineapple hazy IPA. The draft-only brew is a spin on the brewery’s Planet Pulp brewed with a unique yeast strain that boosts passionfruit and grapefruit-producing thiols and fermented with 168 pounds of fresh pineapple puree. 

Space Cadet, a classic black IPA, will be available Jan. 23. The 7% ABV black IPA is brewed on a base of American 2-row barley and flaked oats, with a touch of dark malts giving deep color and subtle roast without overshadowing the hops. Cascade, Chinook, and Centennial Incognito bring citrus and pine, while a dry hop of Strata, Simcoe, and Mosaic layer in blueberry and dank aromatics for a smooth, yet assertively hop-forward finish.