Compass Rose Brewery opened this past May in North Raleigh. Now that they have been up and running for a few months and have their brewing operation underway they plan to celebrate with a Grand Opening party this Saturday, October 24th. To mark the occasion they’ll have live music, food trucks, and of course plenty of their own beers and guest brews on tap.
I’ve been to the brewery several times over the summer and it has quickly become one of my favorite places to hang out and enjoy a pint or two. Part of the reason is it is located very close to my house in North Raleigh. The brewery and taproom is just off Gresham Road in an industrial park situated between Litchford Road and Capital Boulevard. But convenience is only one aspect of Compass Rose that makes it a great spot.
Another big draw for me is that the taproom is very impressive. It’s around 5500 sq ft of open space with high ceilings, and reclaimed wood finishes with an industrial design look. There’s a ton of room with lots of seating including large picnic tables and long high-top tables making it the perfect spot to meet with groups of friends. There are several strategiaclly placed tvs including a large screen projector making it a nice option for watch games. They also host weekly events include Trivia, Open Mic Night, live music and a rotation of local food trucks. There are also board games and a large chalkboard wall for kids giving the space a family friendly vibe – and yes they are dog friendly too!
Of course, the main attraction is the beer, Compass Rose is 10 BBL brewery offering a rotating selection of their own craft beers along with guest beers from other breweries from NC and beyond. They typically have around 16 beers on tap in addition to wine by the glass. There is large glass wall which provides a nice view of their brewing tanks from the taproom. This Saturday at the Grand Opening Compass Rose will have six of their own beers on tap Saturday including their Oktoberfest, Saison, Pale Ale, Pumpkin Hefeweizen, IPA and Agave Cream Ale.
The party this weekend will also include live music and food trucks. “Fontaine”, a pop and rock band that recently moved to Raleigh from Boston, plays from from 1 to 4 pm followed by 80-90s rock band “Dispense As Written” playing from 7:30 pm until 11pm. Food trucks scheduled Saturday include Kat-n-Around (German Food) serving from noon to 6 pm along with Not Just Icing (Cupcakes) and Arepa Culture (awesome Arepas!) serving from 6 pm on.
Whether you plan to check out the Grand Opening Party this weekend or visit on another day I highly recommend a visit to Compass Rose. North Raleigh desperately needed its own brewery and with their great selection of beers and beautiful space Compass Rose has delivered a wonderful brewery and taproom to fill the need.
Compass Rose Brewery ~ Grand Opening Celebration Saturday October 24th
3201 Northside Dr #101
Raleigh, NC 27615 (map)
website: http://compassrosebrewery.com/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/compassrosebrewing
twitter: @CompassRoseBrew
instagram: @CompassRoseBrewery
The Triangle Explorer 
A minor correction — it’s actually located off Gresham Lake Road between Litchford Road and Capital Blvd. (Atlantic Avenue becomes Litchford Road at Dixie Forest).
Right you are Gary! I will fix that now. Thanks! 🙂
You would think I would get that right given I have driven that way home every day for the past 10 years. Thanks!