The rapid fall of Sycamore Brewing

Sycamore dominated Charlotte’s beer scene. Now it’s fighting to survive.

The following article appeared in the December 17, 2025, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with smart and original local news for Charlotte. We offer free and paid subscription plans. More info here.

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LEDGER IN-DEPTH

A Charlotte success story unravels: Charges against Sycamore’s co-founder send its business into a nosedive

A few vans and a forklift moving inventory were spotted at Sycamore Brewing’s production facility on West 24th Street on Tuesday afternoon. (Photo by Lindsey Banks/The Charlotte Ledger)

by Ashley Fahey, Tony Mecia and Lindsey Banks

It took Sycamore Brewing nearly a decade to become Charlotte’s largest brewery.

Now, its business is collapsing over the course of just a few days.

As police charged co-founder Justin Brigham with more sex-crime felony charges this week, Sycamore’s business seemed to be drying up on all fronts — with an empty South End taproom, the impending closure of its outpost at Charlotte’s airport and a retail distribution network that seemed shaky amid a backlash from bars, grocers and beer-drinkers.

Since it started in 2014 with a small taproom in South End, Sycamore has benefited from fortunate timing, savvy marketing and ambitious distribution deals that spread its beer throughout the Southeast.

But since Thursday, when Brigham was charged with statutory rape involving a 13-year-old girl, the company has been spiraling — despite the efforts of Sycamore officials, including Brigham’s wife and co-founder, Sarah, to decouple Justin Brigham from the brewery.

It’s hard to imagine how the company, with its brand tarnished and customers staying away, can hang on unless it can start selling beer again.

It’s unclear whether Brigham remains co-owner

Company officials haven’t granted media interviews, and Sycamore’s public comments since Thursday have consisted only of two social media posts. In each one, Sycamore has tried to distance itself from Justin Brigham, who is being held without bond in the Stanly County Jail in Albemarle.

The initial post — signed by Sarah Brigham, using her maiden name, Sarah Taylor — said that “Justin is divesting all of his interest and will have no further involvement” in Sycamore. The second post referred to him as a “former owner.”

The relationship between Justin Brigham and the company is important because much of the opposition to buying Sycamore beer seems to stem from people not wanting him to profit from the business.

An N.C. Secretary of State business filing for Sycamore Brewing LLC shows the business filed an amended annual report on Monday that lists Taylor as the sole managing member of the entity. The previous report, filed in April, lists both Sarah Taylor and Justin Brigham as managing members.

But whether Brigham has actually relinquished his ownership interest so quickly is unclear.