On Tap

Not Your Grandfather’s Beer

Sour Ale Innovator Turns Nine

by Lori Helms photographs provided by D9 Brewing Company

Fruits, nuts, chocolate, vanilla — all ingredients that come to mind in great culinary pursuits.

But in beer?

Well, of course. If you’re a fan of the ever-popular sour ales cranked out by D9 Brewing Company, these are not new adventures in flavor. Since its first concoction almost a decade ago, the Cornelius-based craft beer fan favorite has been delighting sour ale devotees with a spectrum of tastebud teasers. These definitely are not your grandfather’s beers.

The company recently celebrated its ninth anniversary and, to hear Aaron MJ Gore tell it, there’s a lot more on tap where those interesting flavor combinations are concerned. He’s the senior director of business development for D9’s parent company, Bevana, and has a resume in craft brewing as complex as D9 Brewing Company’s drinking experiences. And as the company looks forward to its next year of production and experimentation, Gore says it’s critical that they continue to lead the charge in staying true to its brand tag line — “First in Flavor.”

“We’re slipping into the new generation of craft brews, the new era,” he says of D9’s next sour ale experiments. He acknowledges that nine successful years in the business is a true milestone, but also recognizes that the intensely competitive and constantly evolving craft brew industry environment means it’s not safe to park yourself on a barstool and prop up your feet on the closest and most popular keg. “Nine years in craft brewing is the same as 100 in traditional beer years,” Gore says, adding it’s important that D9 continues to evolve before its possible competitors pass it by. He says the goal is not to become the heritage craft brew brand, but rather the perennial innovator.

“We were focused from day one on pushing the boundaries of what beer could be and finding new and unique flavors that no one else had ever experimented with before,” says Andrew Durstewitz, founder and CEO of D9 Brewing Company. “In a way, we were one of the true trailblazers for all of the crazy, adventurous, interesting breweries that have come to define craft beer.”

And they have the bona fides to prove it.

D9 Brewing has won several awards as one of the craft brew industry’s flavor pioneers, and is one of the Southeast’s largest and fastest-growing breweries. In addition to its original Cornelius brewery and taproom, D9 now has locations in uptown Charlotte and in Hendersonville in the western North Carolina mountains, which opened in April 2021. Lake Norman sour ale enthusiasts can enjoy regular events at the Cornelius location, including food trucks, live music, trivia nights and “Fire Pit Fridays.”

Thirsty to learn more? Belly up to D9 Brewing Company’s Cornelius taproom bar at 11138 Treynorth Drive, visit www.d9brewing.com or call 704.457.9368.