The city’s brewing community mourns Dan Wade of Wooden Robot Brewery
When things like this happen, there are no words. Nothing can prepare you to hear of a tragic event that took the life of a person well known not only to you but the community you’ve been involved in for so long. It’s still unbelievable to write this, as so many mourn the sudden loss of Wooden Robot Head Brewer and co-founder Dan Wade, who died yesterday after an accident at the brewery.
During my coverage of the Charlotte craft beer scene, Wooden Robot stood out from its opening almost 10 years ago. A lot of that was due to Dan—one of the best brewers in Charlotte, if not the best.
Man, it’s hard to write that word. “Was.” It doesn’t seem true. It seems trivial to talk beer, but that’s what Dan truly loved. Like many in the industry, he started as a homebrewer in college at the University of Florida. But not many brewers further their education in brewing with a master’s degree, and very few (if any) travel across the pond to do so. Dan was not like other brewers. So there he was, learning the craft of brewing and distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Dan was super-meticulous in his brewing process—highlighted in this 2021 article by Editor Greg Lacour. Reading through that piece, it’s hard not to see his passion in creating each beer, taking time to ensure everything is followed through to perfection, beginning with the hop selection. That’s one of the reasons why Wooden Robot’s beers are so revered, including Overachiever being named the top beer in this magazine’s 2021 beer bracket and Good Morning Vietnam placing in the Final Four the year before.
I remember visiting Wooden Robot in South End shortly before it opened for a preview article I was writing. As was the case for many brewery openings, Dan and co-owner Josh Patton had a tasting flight set up for me. Ten years ago, mind you, was “peak IPA,” so that’s how a lot of breweries were judged by craft beer drinkers. But on that day, Dan pointed to what he thought would be the brewery’s flagship beer. You don’t often see a coffee vanilla blonde ale become a flagship. But holy hell, did Good Morning Vietnam blow me away and, true to form, quickly become Wooden Robot’s best-selling beer, even in a land of endless IPAs.
Charlotte craft beer and breweries have long been a punching bag and low-hanging fruit for this city. But what people don’t realize is this community has rallied around each other in tough times. I’ve seen it time and time again, and it was quickly on display yesterday. Many of these brewers and brewery employees are close, so when word spread Tuesday, everyone was quick to close ranks and let Wooden Robot’s employees, friends and family grieve properly.
Once Wooden Robot shared the news, stories poured in through social media. Fellow brewers, employees, people who met Dan at Wooden Robot or a beer festival, bottle shop owners who carried his beer, folks who simply enjoyed his creation—all wanted to pay tribute. The staff behind UNC Charlotte’s craft beer certificate program posted that Dan and Josh were the first owners contacted when the university was putting together the curriculum on how to start a brewery seven years ago, and they continuously checked in over the years to see how they could help. I never knew that, but it’s incredibly cool.
Of course, while it was his passion, Dan was much more than a brewer. I knew him as quiet and humble, and always with a smile on his face. He had an affinity for pups, and he loved his wife , Sam, more than anything. The two welcomed a little boy into the world on New Year’s Day. As I write this sentence, my fingers are trembling, and tears are welling up because, as a parent, that thought is absolutely unimaginable. But then I think about that young man as he grows up, and how many stories like the ones above he’ll hear, filled with joy and kindness.
Dan will be missed tremendously on so many levels. It was an honor to know him, and his memory will be felt and live on through the Charlotte craft beer community and beyond.
Matt McKenzie
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