Written by Molly Ashline
Driving by 804 West Gate City Boulevard, one would notice a broad, tan building hugged by a couple of colorful bungalows. A glance would not reveal a rich familial history and the current community endeavor of Oden Brewing Company, which, though technically part of the Glenwood neighborhood, is just a stone’s throw from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG).
Once home to Good Luck Beverages, a Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale subsidiary in Alabama, the Oden Brewing building has gone through its paces. The bottling factory was at its heyday in the early to mid-twentieth century. William “Fate” Oden was the owner and operator. His picture is still prominently displayed behind the bar at his namesake today. Good Luck Beverages was one of ten bottling plants in the city at the time, alongside familiar names like Canada Dry and Cheerwine. Bottling has dried up in the town, but the Oden family, still owners of the space, kept up with the times by pivoting to brewing beer and good times. They have fifteen taps with a rotating selection of old-world and new-world brews, everything from West Coast IPAs to Dunkels, and even experimental styles like a “Hopfenweisse” have poured through them.
Stepping into Oden Brewing Company is like stepping back in time. The Odens, descendants of Fate, filled the space with a hodgepodge of eclectic vintage furniture. Leather chairs, old library desks, gaming tables, satin sofas, and wooden office rollers that lean way back can be spotted throughout, as can hints of the past bottling venture. Hefty metal scales and other equipment dot the main level. Buffalo Rock signs line the footboards of the bar, and the pocked concrete floor hearkens to its factory roots. But these maintained remnants do not indicate that Oden is behind on the times. The brewery has been lovingly updated and restored in ways that matter for modern comfort.
Oden Brewing, at its heart, aside from its beer, is a place of community. Their expansive beer garden is shaded by an old oak tree with long leafy branches that stretch over the length of the grassy yard and stepping stones. It also contains a covered stage, over a dozen picnic tables, wrought iron garden furniture, and wooden rocking chairs for any of the three covered porches. Live acts often occupy the stage. Oden does not limit itself or its patrons to one style of music either. One can listen to hymns in the morning and folk music in the afternoon on Sundays. UNCG jazz students show up on Thursday nights for swoony and swingy stylings. Of course, there’s pop, southern, and regular old rock ‘n roll on weekend nights. Once a year, the Bazooka Circus punk rock festival rolls in for a late-night concert packed with local and regional talent in one of the rare times Oden Brewing would not be considered family-friendly. The brewery does not set itself apart from having live music—most breweries do. The difference with Oden is the scope and creativity that the ownership and the employees put into each event.
There is weekly bingo and trivia, but there is also a monthly craft night and book club. The book club meets by Oden’s indoor Free Little Library, which honors one of their former patrons and events host who passed. Artwork from Charlotte Oden, local artists, and current employees line the walls and enhance the space. In addition, the Full Circle Market is a monthly artisan craft fair that brings in dozens of small local businesses to sell their wares and interact with each other. Larger-scale festivals like the Biere de Femme beer and Little Big City festivals take advantage of the large facility and abundant parking. The brewery has been put to various uses and is always looking for ways to innovate. For those of us who need an activity to go along with drinking, there is always something to do or see at Oden. For those who need a quiet moment to take in the southern breeze, there’s a spot on the porch to watch the road or a train pass through the Gate City.
Aside from the primary structure, three abutting houses of the Odens are slowly and carefully undergoing restoration. Also undergoing restoration is the second level of the main building, which will eventually be a private events space. A few other ideas for the houses are floating around. A coffee shop, cocktail bar, cigar lounge, small inn, and window service restaurant are all possibilities for the ancillary buildings since Oden opened its doors as a brewery four years ago. Whatever the result, the outcome will be a unique complex centered around the beer garden and the community. The expansion will serve more needs and interests within a common area where people can casually float from building to building. Right now, it’s still a work in progress. As with all old things, parts creak, wobble, or peel, but that is the restoration process.
Preservation is only a beautiful part of the time. When Fate closed the doors on Good Luck, the area fell into disuse and disrepair. Only a few spare a glance for vacant lots or abandoned buildings, but the Odens have developed their space into one that is functional, beautiful and feels like home. If the mantra of Oden Brewing was not “Drink good luck,” it could easily be “See the beauty in everything.” The business has taken the bad with the good and has struck a balance of looking to the future while remembering the past.
