This downtown location was Asheville Brewing Company’s second site, and offers the popular Thursday night Randall infusing of often surprising foods into various ABC beers. Sometimes the result is awesome. One popular infusion comprises Escape Artist (formerly Houdini) ESP (Extra Special Pale) mixed with jalapeño peppers — this concoction is fantastically mind-blowing — it’s termed “Fire Escape”.
ABC also cans some of their beers with Asheville’s first microbrew cannery.
The “Brew and View” location was Asheville Brewing Company’s first, where second-run movies are shown and pizza is served. This site on Merrimon also includes an arcade, and is popular with families. Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co., which opened in 1999, was only the second microbrewery in Asheville.
Popular brews here include Rocket Girl, Shiva IPA, and Ninja Porter.
http://www.craggiebrewingco.com/
I find Craggie to be quite adventurous, creating unique ales such as the popular Antebellum Ale, the Burning Barrel, and Yo La Mango IPA — check out this eclectic list here.
Green Man brews some consistently great beers from their location in downtown Asheville, my favorite being their IPA. Their pub is noteworthy for its dedication to football (er, soccer), and games from around the world are shown regularly on many TVs inside. Regulars line up to play rounds of darts, and beer aficionados appreciate Green Man’s cask-conditioned hand-drawn ales.
http://www.highlandbrewing.com/
Asheville’s first, largest, and best-known brewery, Highland sells their consistent brews across the state and the Southeast region. I once found Highland Gaelic in a hotel in Orlando, FL. Highland first brewed out of the basement of Barley’s in downtown, but now has a big production and bottling line in an old movie studio in East Asheville. Highland offers a great mixed 12-pack in grocery stores, but my favorite Highland offering is their tasting room where, for a few days per week, the latest experimental beers (and best, if you ask me) are sold on tap, while supplies last.
Website: http://www.lexavebrew.com/
The “LAB”, as it’s often referred to, takes a different approach than have the other local breweries, with a more upscale atmosphere. The Lexington Ave Brewery has a popular 92 foot curving bar, custom-built tables, brick walls, multi-colored lights on the brewing tanks, and a separate music venue.
LAB has won medals at the Great American Beer Festival.
http://www.oysterhousebeers.com/
This nanobrewery sells their beers at The Lobster Trap in downtown Asheville, including Oyster House’s most well-known (and quite delicious), the Moonstone Stout, which is brewed with 5 pounds of oysters.
This gem in Black Mountain is difficult to find, but oh so worth it for their numerous (and organic!) beers. The last time I was there, they had several stouts on tap — their own and select others’, including my local all-time fave beer: the Valdez stout, a wondrous amalgamation of Dynamite Roasting coffee and Pisgah’s dark-roasted creamy stout. Each alone is out of this world, but together they are Ashevillicious!!!
Website: http://monkpub.com/
The downtown location includes American craft brews upstairs and a Belgian beer bar downstairs, while the south location pours numerous craft beers, including its own small-batch beers from its nanobrewery.
If you hadn’t guessed by now after reading some of my other establishment descriptions, I live in the east side of West Asheville, close to the River Arts District. That being the case, I consider Wedge to be my neighborhood brewery. Since there are so many breweries in Asheville, I figure everyone around town has their own neighborhood brewery. Cool, eh? How many cities can claim that?
Anyway, Wedge is a great hangout spot, best in nicer weather, as you can relax outside with your friends and a delicious Wedge brew. They’re right off the railroad tracks in the River Arts District, so quite often a train will lumber by, sometimes boisterously so. Accordingly, Wedge names many of its beers with train-related themes, such as Iron Rail IPA.
I visit Wedge often, and keep a glass growler handy for refills for when I want to bring a fresh 64 ounces home with me. One caveat (or advantage, depending on your perspective) is that most of Wedge’s beers are higher gravity, so take it slowly and appreciate the consistently good flavors. Since luckily I can walk there, I needn’t worry about driving after a 10% abv brew.
Oh yeah, in the warmer months you can sometimes catch a film projected on the side of a truck. Check out their website for scheduled dates and times.
So if you’re ever up for heading to Wedge, and would enjoy some company, give me a shout – perhaps I’ll be free to walk/bike down to meet you!
RT @RelyLocalAVL: Yum! New Menu Items at Bandido's Burritos in West Asheville! #avleat #wavl http://t.co/LJNcBIhI RT @Ashevillicious: New brewery coming beside Orange Peel? http://t.co/DWSjtbaV #avlbeer
Have you had your Pho yet? Pho R Us is NOW OPEN in South Asheville at 1950 Hendersonville Rd. #avleat #savl http://t.co/QaKS1ioY
RT @RelyLocalAVL: Yum! New Menu Items at Bandido's Burritos in West Asheville! #avleat #wavl http://t.co/LJNcBIhI Yum! New Menu Items at Bandido's Burritos in West Asheville! #avleat #wavl http://t.co/LJNcBIhI
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