Many NC bars & stores have pulled Sycamore beer. Some still sell, with a catch

While many establishments have removed Sycamore Brewing’s beer from their taps in the wake of charges against the former owner, others are taking a different approach.

The brewery’s co-founder and former co-owner, Justin Brigham, was arrested on multiple felony charges last week, including statutory rape and burglary in a case involving a 13-year-old girl, The Charlotte Observer reported.

Many bars and restaurants have scrapped the beer, but a handful are continuing to serve them, but instead of pocketing the profits, these venues are donating proceeds to local charities.

Here’s what you need to know.

Sycamore proceeds going to charity

A few North Carolina businesses in Charlotte, the Triangle and the coast are donating the proceeds from their remaining inventory to charity, with one bar continuing to work with Sycamore:

• East Frank Superette and Kitchen: The Monroe restaurant is selling remaining stock at a “pay-what-you-can” price, with 100% of proceeds going to a local organization supporting abuse victims, according to a recent Facebook post.
• Goodfellows: The Chapel Hill bar is continuing to work with Sycamore, donating a portion of future beer sales to the Orange County Rape Crisis Center. “Instead of dumping the beer and penalizing the innocent, hard-working people who rely on the brewery for their livelihoods, we’re going to continue to work with Sycamore going forward,” the bar wrote on social media.
• Freya’s Haus: The Wilmington restaurant is donating all profits from their remaining Sycamore inventory to their local rape crisis center to support community survivors, the Observer reported.
• Hoppin’: The Rock Hill taproom is donating all proceeds to SafePassage, supporting victims and survivors of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault, according to a recent Instagram post.
• Illumination Wines: The Fort Mill wine bar is letting customers pay what they want for Sycamore beer, with all the proceeds going to Sexually Abused Children’s Relief Endeavor (SACRED), a community effort to support sexually abused children and ensure they receive the help they deserve, the bar posted to Instagram.
• Piedmont Social House and Harry’s Grille & Tavern: All of the proceeds from Sycamore beer sales will be donated to Safe Alliance, and Piedmont Social House will match the total donation to further support survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

NC grocery stores pull Sycamore beer

At least three grocery store chains with locations throughout North Carolina have pulled Sycamore products, the Observer reported.

• Food Lion decided to remove Sycamore products and is discontinuing all future orders. The Salisbury-based grocer has over 1,100 grocery stores in 10 Southeastern states, including more than 100 in the Charlotte region and more than 60 throughout the Triangle.
• Lowes Foods also removed Sycamore’s craft beer cans from its grocery store shelves, the Winston-Salem based grocer confirmed last week. Lowes Foods has more than 80 stores in the Carolinas, including 10 in the Charlotte region and roughly 20 in the Triangle.
• Publix also is pulling Sycamore products from its shelves, spokesman Jared Glover confirmed. The chain has nearly 30 stores in the Charlotte area and about 10 in the Triangle.

The Charlotte Observer’s Kitty Muccigrosso and Chase Jordan contributed to this story.