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| - The Lady and I, while back in Denver earlier this year, visited an ipourit bar and thought to ourselves, "man, we should totally open this concept up in Charlotte..." And then somebody beat us to the punch. Good job, somebody. You win, okay? You're better than us.
Hoppin' is a bright, beautiful space with a refreshingly natural color scheme and it's a pleasure to be in there. Just makes you happy, you know? It's lined with pictures of animals that hop, but I had to get a friend to explain that to me to get the joke haha.
The IPourIt tech works very well - you just have to make sure to press your wristband completely up against the wall, and YOU HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO POUR! Luckily, there are nifty little explainers on each tap handle to help you - although there are some people that just can't be helped :P There was an awesome selection of brews, from rare to things you'd find at every bar. The prices are actually really decent. This is the place you go when you don't want a full beer, but want to sample a bunch of things. It's like tapas, for alcohol. Speaking of, they don't just have beer! There's a whole wall for wine and champagne that function on the same tech for those non-hoppers.
Upstairs is yet MORE taps, as well as a small deck, and small indoors space for darts. There's a variety of seating options; my two friends and I were able to find a place pretty easily. From the wrapping balcony a-la-Amos-Southend, you can survey all of downstairs like the Lion King that you are. There's a stage in the corner for DJ set ups and live music as well, and I have to return to hear the acoustics!
Outside is a nice patio, semi-covered, with yard games and a nice wrapping fence along with some other picnic tables. The tables, although large, are lacking support and a top coating (they need sanding and a beam in the middle of the bench - bad!).
Payment and check-in are super easy and the whole thing just works. I can't wait to see how Hoppin' progresses and I'll absolutely be back any day of the week, especially if/when they get rare releases!
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