NoDa Brewing has, in it's short time on this earth, become one of my favorite places in Charlotte.
First and foremost they brew excellent beer. And they brew it about 2 miles from my house. And every single person involved loves brewing beer more than most people love their mothers. Two of these three things are integral to a quality craft brewery, the other is just a geographical bonus.
But let's look past that. Every Tuesday they brew a new small-batch NoDable Series beer that you can only get at the tap room that night (and very occasionally the next day if the batch hasn't run out). Lavender coriander Belgian wit, breakfast stout, farmhouse IPA. They really take the opportunity to play around.
The tap room is open in the late afternoon and evening so don't expect to park it here all night. Pop in after work to sample their wares and be on your way by 8. The beers run between $4 and $5.50 (maybe $5, i forget). So really, you are getting the best of both freshness and economy!
...also, they leave pretzels on the bar. Because they are nice people.