The Middle James concept came from home brewer Mike Smoak and professional brewer Andrew Viapiano, a duo who met while making a beer at one of Charlotte’s biggest breweries and wanted to do something more sports-focused.

Mike won a home brew competition which landed him the opportunity to make his beer at a local brewery where Andrew was the head brewer; and Andrew got his start as a professional brewer five years ago with an internship at Triple C. The two became fast friends and wanted to do something of their own. After more than 3 years of planning and construction, Middle James opened in August of 2019.