Back in July, the Drinking Made Easy team came to Asheville. Drinking Made Easy is an online television program that showcases alcohol and drinking in cities across the country. Their goal in Asheville? Visit nine breweries in one day, then identify the local beers they’d tasted in a blind taste test. Host Zane Lamprey and […]
Nothing wrong with getting educated … about beer, with informal discussion led by a panel of Asheville’s beer enthusiast.
After a Dec. 14 meeting with the CEO of the California-based brewer Sierra Nevada, Asheville brewer Ken Schaller confirms that the company is looking at a 50-acre site on the French Broad River and that local brewers feel a bit more comfortable with the prospect. (photo by Max Cooper)
According to Thirsty Monk owner Barry Bialik, Sierra Nevada Brewing CEO Ken Grossman told Asheville brewers that Sierra Nevada is considering a 50-acre site on French Broad River, but no decision has been made yet.
Tonight, Dec. 12, Henderson County commissioners voted to offer a $3.75 million economic-incentive package for an unnamed company; word is, that company is California-based craft brewer Sierra Nevada. (***This post was updated at 9:18 p.m. with more from the meeting***)
A Dec. 12 public hearing regarding incentives package for an unnamed company may be for Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.
Brewer interview: Bill Drew of Craggie Brewing Company Ever wondered who exactly is behind those local brews you’re sipping? We have. So we decided it would be fun to run a series of interviews with the brew masters behind Western North Carolina's beers. First up is Bill Drew, owner and brew master at Craggie Brewing […]
Reporter Jake Frankel and beer columnist Anne Fitten Glenn discuss the state of beer business and culture in Asheville.
Raise a glass and celebrate beer, food, the holidays and anything else you see fit. CalCast, the community calendar podcast from Asheville FM and the Mountain Xpress, offers plenty of reasons for good cheer.
As part of this week’s cover package on the local beer business, we prepared an extensive timeline of the high points in its evolution, from when the Smoky Mountain Brewery first opened its doors in 1993 in Waynesville to Asheville Brewing Company’s current plans to start offering the area’s first canned brews.
The old adage that the business of booze is recession-proof — or recession-resistant, anyway — seems to be panning out for local brewers. Despite tough economic conditions the last few years, the local beer scene has been abuzz with new breweries, expansions and growing acclaim. Since 2008, Asheville has birthed four new independent, locally owned […]
1993: Smoky Mountain Brewery opens in Waynesville. It closes four years later. 1994: Oscar Wong and John McDermott start Highland Brewing Co. in the basement of Barley's Taproom in downtown Asheville. 1997: The Blue Rooster, Asheville's first brewpub, opens next to Barley's featuring Highland beers exclusively. It closes a year later. Laughing Seed Café co-owner […]
At Echoview Farm in Weaverville, hop bines curl upward toward the sun. Hops helps bring out the particular flavors in different styles of beer, owner Julie Jensen explains. And while Western North Carolina’s moist climate is not ideal for large-scale hops production, certain specialty varieties are being cultivated at Echoview, Hop’n Blueberry Farm and through […]
Beer is primarily a tasty water delivery method. Water makes up approximately 90 percent of what you’re imbibing in beer. And while beer lovers geek out about varieties of hops and yeast and malts, we often ignore the crucial ingredient of water.
Separating rumors from reality
Greg Koch, Stone CEO and co-author, will be in Asheville on Friday, October 28, promoting his new book and telling stories. And, of course, drinking and sharing Stone Brewing beers.
Munich-based beer lovers have celebrated Oktoberfest for more than two centuries. The brewcentric festival has evolved into a multiweek smorgasbord of hearty German food and drink attended by millions. The fest is emulated by cities around the world, especially those with a stout brewing culture — and Asheville is no exception. In my opinion, Oktoberfest is one of Germany’s biggest gifts to the rest of the world (along with the Christmas tree).
a href=”“The city of Asheville has named two finalists in its search for a new community-media project: Ponderwell, a Web-development firm, and Mountain Xpress. Both are based in Asheville. Ponderwell was founded by Michael Tracey and Martin Haywood. Xpress is an independent media outlet owned by Green Line Media Inc. The winning project, which will […]
Brent Manning and Brian Simpson want to take drinking local to a whole other level with their new malt house in West Asheville. Think about it. You may support local breweries by quaffing their beers, but some ingredients — i.e., the malts — typically are grown and processed 3,000 miles away, then shipped here. Manning and Simpson are striving to change that with the Riverbend Malt House.
Brewgrass cometh It’s time again for the Southeast’s biggest and best beer fest, Brewgrass. The celebration of brews and bluegrass will be held on Saturday, Sept. 17 at Martin Luther King Jr. Park, from noon until 7 p.m. Organizers had planned to hold a number of tickets to sell to locals from Barley’s Taproom. Unfortunately, […]
It’s festival time! Brewgrass, French Broad Fall Fest, Green Man Hop Fest and more.
