One of Charlotte’s largest breweries is now selling its beers in the Triangle

Thanks in part to new beer legislation, one of Charlotte’s oldest and largest breweries is making its first appearance in the Triangle.

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, one of the cornerstones of Charlotte’s beer scene, is now selling its beers in the Triangle. The 10 year-old brewery inked a deal with Tryon Distributing, which will get OMB beer on store shelves in 19 counties.

The brewery credits North Carolina’s loosened beer law with its expansion. Earlier this year, state lawmakers raised the cap on how much beer North Carolina breweries could produce before they were forced to sign with a distributor. Charlotte breweries Old Mecklenburg and NoDa Brewery sued the state to raise the cap, a case known as the Craft Freedom suit, which worked through the court system for nearly two years.

In the spring, the General Assembly doubled the cap to 50,000 barrels of beer before requiring a distributor.

While Olde Mecklenburg did sign with a distributor, it can also self-distribute its beer back in the Charlotte area.

“It’s a win-win for everyone,” said John Marrino, founder of OMB, in a release. “Not only does it benefit our homegrown brewer-manufacturers, but also our North Carolina-based distributors and local retailers. The new law allows all three tiers of the state’s beer industry to grow together. It creates a virtuous investment cycle where more of our dollars are pumped right back into our local communities through our homegrown businesses.”

Olde Mecklenburg produces German style beers, including an altbier, pilsner, amber ale and an Oktoberfest style lager.

This story was originally published September 26, 2019 at 5:12 PM.