• Courtesy of The Unknown Brewing Co.

Charlotte's newest addition to the burgeoning craft beer scene is planning to throw down this Saturday for its grand opening celebration. The Unknown Brewing Company has garnered quite the buzz since stepping on the scene earlier this summer and with good reason. They are looking to make a big splash with a 30-barrel brewhouse inside a 25,000-square-foot space near the Bank of America Stadium.

Owner Brad Shell, a seasoned veteran of big craft beer (he worked at Sweetwater Brewing Company and consulted at Terrapin Beer Co. before becoming general manager of Rogue Brewing Co.) says this grand opening is 10 years in the making.

"I got a job at a brewery on accident by drinking there," says Shell. "I worked for 10 years, studying the craft and helped build three of the top 25 craft breweries in the nation. It's time to go big or go home."

Go big, indeed. The Unknown Brewing Company is dropping a fifth of its marketing budget on the grand opening shindig with music from Nashville-based DeRobert & The Half-Truths, Charlotte's Bubonik Funk and Brooklyn-based band The London Souls plus food from Three Amigos. They will showcase three flagship beers - Over the Edge (a USPA, 6.9 percent ABV), Head First (Pale Ale, 5.6 percent ABV) and No Shame (Wheat Beer, 5.1 percent ABV) - and plan to release a different specialty beer every hour on the hour throughout the grand opening event. Shell promises an unforgettable grand finale at 9:45 p.m., which will remain unknown until then.

One thing Shell is adamant about is that The Unknown Brewing Company is not about being mysterious or ambiguous. Rather, it is about living the unknown, living without boundaries and going after the adventure.

The taproom will be open this Saturday and tours will be given throughout the day. The Unknown Brewing Company is located at 1327 S. Mint St. The grand opening event is from 4p.m. to 10 p.m. Follow The Unknown Brewing Company on Facebook.