New Brew Exclusive to CLT
CLT’s concessions lineup (managed by HMSHost by Avolta) just got a little hoppier, thanks to a new brewing company establishment and an exclusive new beer.
“First in Flight” Pilsner will be available on tap exclusively at Sugar Creek Brewing’s new location on Concourse A, which opened in late February.
The draft was developed under the guidance of Sugar Creek’s co-founder, president, and native Charlottean Joe Vogelbacher, who is also a Master Cicerone — one of only 19 in the world. That’s a special designation for a professional beer connoisseur who has studied beer, passed a rigorous certification program and achieved the highest level of expertise.
“It took me about five years of studying for it, maybe a couple of thousand hours of studying,” said Vogelbacher. “And I am a licensed engineer, a college graduate, and really, it was harder than any exams I took in college!”
Flavorful Finish
Vogelbacher says CLT customers can expect a crisp and refreshing beer with a clean finish and all-American ingredients. “We get our hops flown in from the Yakima Valley of Washington, and our grains come in from Minnesota,” he added. “It’s crisp but still has some backbone and some malty sweetness and some hint of the bread crust, caramel and cracker, with floral hop aroma.”
The company’s trademark is “First in Taste,” and the beer’s name also pays tribute to North Carolina’s aviation pioneering history. Its location on Concourse A is intentional.
“If you look at where the Airport has graciously placed us, it’s right at the beginning of the Wright Brothers' path, which is really cool,” admits Vogelbacher. “So, you can trace that path, and we thought, well, you might as well have a beer dedicated to them while you’re tracing that path, so that’s where we came up with ‘First in Flight’ beer.”
Locally Owned & Founded in 2013
Sugar Creek Brewing was established in Charlotte in 2013 by Vogelbacher and co-founder Eric Flanigan. It currently operates in a renovated warehouse on Southside Drive near Uptown, with plans to move to Gastonia, N.C., to the former Cavendish Brewing Space in late 2026 or early 2027.
They’ve been a CLT vendor for eight years, supplying beer to many Airport restaurants, and Vogelbacher said they are thrilled to have finally landed their own location.
“We’re excited to bring our handcrafted, expertly formulated Carolina beers to the patrons of one of the busiest Airports in the world and be able to put money right back into the Charlotte community.”