Pour one out for Craggie: The brewery closes after three years

The first casualty of Asheville's craft beer scene has fallen. Craggie Brewing, which opened three years ago, will close its tasting room and brewery on Dec. 1. Retail sales will continue until the beer runs out.

Brewmaster and owner Bill Drew says Craggie's money has been in short supply for more than a year, and the financial pressure became too great to stay open. “We were probably at the point this time last year where I was thinking about closing because we were getting low on funds,” he says. “But we were able to find a way to keep it open for another year, so I'm proud of that.”

Drew says it's likely that the Hilliard Avenue brewery will continue to produce beer under different ownership. “There's some guys that have their own beer concept that they want to do here, so we're working with them,” he says. “They're business professionals with some homebrewing experience, so they're actually going to be keeping on some of the assistant brewers to help them learn the place and learn the system.”

With almost a dozen breweries already in Asheville and more on the way, has the craft beer market reached saturation? “It all depends on what you're brewing and who your clientele is,” Drew says. “I think it's harder these days to start out with grandiose ideas. Sometimes you have to start small and work your way up.”

Drew says he's not sure where he'll go from Craggie. He plans to stick around and help the new owners set up shop before he moves on. “The only advice I really pass out it: Make sure you love what you do and don't expect to get rich,” he says. “As the saying goes, if you want to make $1 million, start out with $2 million.”

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.