“Complex, intense, clean, beautiful, interesting.” These words all mean the same thing to Ben Pierson, brewmaster at Lexington Avenue Brewery: a super-drinkable beer. It’s a goal he sets for all of his brews. “Our beers are not good, they’re great,” he says. “We won’t settle for anything less. Some are mild, some are for the big boys and girls, but if it’s not drinkable, it’s a waste of time and money. If I can’t capture your mind while you’re drinking that beer, you probably won’t want another.”
A relative newcomer to the Asheville brewing scene, LAB is in its third year of operation as a small batch, 15-barrel brewer. Pierson, who likens starting a brewery to scaling a sheer rock face (“Don’t fall off”) says beer sales have been great. His beers are characterized by his training and commitment to technical precision. “You get down to parts per million with everything. There are formulas for color, body, bitterness. You do it on paper first, and then it shows up in the glass.”
Editor’s note: Pierson resigned on May 9. The LAB will keep brewing.]
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