Babe With A Book And A Beer Goes To Asheville
For my 26th birthday this past December, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to go somewhere completely by myself. Most people want to spend birthdays with people. And usually I do, too. But not this year. I took 3 days and drove the 3 hours to Asheville in my teeny, tiny 2004 Pontiac Vibe, planned nothing except for a cheap Airbnb, and a suitcase full of comfy clothes. No sparkly dress, no plan to pick up a keg for me and all my friends, and no expectations.
I had my best birthday yet.
I decided to write up a blog post of all the spots I visited in Asheville in case you ever want to take a trip down there yourself. It's worth it.
1. Sierra Nevada Brewery
Since I came from Atlanta, Sierra Nevada was outside the city of Asheville, but on the way as I was driving in, so it was the perfect first stop on my trip.
The drive-up their property instantly blew me away. It is incredibly similar to Wisconsin's New Glarus Brewery with their greenery and landscape. And the building is beautifully sculpted and for a Sunday afternoon, the parking lot was packed.
I was starving after three hours on the road so I got their duck fat fries and a couple 8 oz pours of beers. I would have loved to drink more (they had a killer lineup of beers) but I still had a 30 minute drive into the city. I tinkered around the gift shop and bought a tin tacker and a tank top and then did the self-led tour through their brewery. I would have loved a full tour, but they were sold out when I got there. So, if you plan on doing a full tour - sign up beforehand online.
I got their Hop & Sour and their Danksgiving beer.
2. French Broad River Brewing
Next, I drove over to my airbnb, checked in and walked down the hill to French Broad Brewing as I listened to White Negroes on audio on an absolutely beautiful day.
As soon as I sat down at the brewery, a man struck up a conversation and bought me a beer for my birthday. He also offered me a ride on his motorcycle which I politely declined. This brewery was great for old classic & clean styles, the bar top was gorgeous, and it was super dog-friendly (picture me surrounded by 18 dogs sprawled across the floor).
I drank their Frog Horn IPA first, one of their flagship beers, ringing in a 6.5% ABV and 64 IBUs. This was a West Coast Style IPA with a caramel malt backbone including a blend of pale and crystal malts that balance out the hoppiness for an easy drinking experience. Dry hopping gives it lots of hop flavor and aroma without too much bitterness.
I got their Goldenrod Pilsner (5.1% ABV, 25 IBUs) which is one of their small batch beers that is crisp, clean, and refreshing and features German Nobel hops for bitterness accentuated by a light grainy malt character made from the finest German barley. It has a medium-light body and a high carbonation level.
3. Catawba Brewery
The great thing about Asheville, especially considering breweries, is you can walk to so many of them. Each neighborhood is saturated with breweries so you can pick a neighborhood for the night, save on Lyfts, and walk to each new spot. So after French Broad, I walked two minutes over to Catawba. There was one bartender and I was one of the only patrons at the time, so I had this brewery basically all to myself and I read a huge chunk of Isabel Allende's Long Petal Of The Sea.
While French Broad had West Coast IPAs, ESBs, and Pilsners, Catawba had beers on the other end of the spectrum - lots of sours, white ales, and stouts. I wish I had stayed here longer because they had an amazing selection of beers and I regret that I didn't try more.
I started with their White Zombie White Ale. Fun fact, this started as a seasonal Halloween brew and because it was so popular, it became a year round staple. Zombie is made according to the Belgian Witbier tradition of using unmalted wheat to create the light body and white sheen. Additions of coriander and orange peel give Zombie a fruity and spicy character, while the hops are subtle and lightly detected. It has magnum and golding hops, flakes wheat malts, an ABV of 5.1% and IBU of 7.
I also drank the Peanut Butter Milk Stout and their Horchata White Ale (not pictured). For the PB Stout, it was brewed with Chocolate Malts and Midnight Wheat, it was conditioned on locally-sourced cacao nibs, whole roasted North Carolina peanuts, and Madagascar vanilla beans. Clocking in at 5.4% ABV and 52 IBUs, it was a great beer. The Horchata White Ale was my favorite. Brewed with rice, vanilla and cinnamon, this White Ale is meant to taste very similar to the traditional Mexican beverage Horchata. I used to get wasted on Horchata in high school. Made me nostalgic.
3. Hillman Brewing
This was my favorite brewery on the trip. No one recommended it to me, which was surprising. I stumbled upon it because again.....walking distance from my airbnb! The outside was delightful, the beer board was creative, and the beer was delicious.
I decided to get a flight here, something I rarely do anymore after becoming a bartender, but there were too many goodies that I wanted to try and was already getting kind of....intoxicated. I drank their ESB (Extra Special Bitter) that won a silver medal at GABF in 2018 and a Gold Medal in 2019 at GABF, huge accomplishments. It was toasty and nutty with a bit of caramel malt character, firm hop bitterness, but overall very well balanced. I tried their Four Fat Baby Belgian Quadrupel - a 10.1% ABV beer with 29 IBUs. This won the bronze medal at GABF in 2017. It has dark caramel and dried fruit notes. It was a very easy drinking Quad and I was super impressed. I tried their My Latest Regret Fruited Sour at 5% ABV and 19 IBUs. This is a brown raspberry sour with a perfect balance of fruit, caramel, tartness, and roasty notes. Lastly, I tried their Funky Cold Medusa NEIPA at 7% ABV and 27 IBUs.
I met a woman named Grace at this brewery and I spent the rest of the night here with her. She was traveling from Florida to New York and decided to stop in Asheville to explore by herself. I really connected with her - she was independent, also on a solo road trip, gorgeous and had a lot of self-awareness and I greatly enjoyed her company. We talked about ex boyfriends, traveling by yourself, my blog, and her life when she lived in New Zealand. I could tell she really wanted to move back and was trying to figure out a way to get there. To my surprise, one of the bartenders at Hillman also lived in New Zealand and it was fascinating to hear them talk about their time abroad. They were drawing maps on napkins of hiking spots and it inspired me to someday turn one of my domestic road trips to an international solo trip. I was going to head to one more brewery and invited Grace to split a Lyft, but she was tired from sitting in Florida traffic all day. I exchanged numbers with Grace and if it didn't snow, we were going to make plans to go hiking and possibly to a live music show the next night. In the morning, I woke up to it snowing and didn't text her and she didn't text me either and I regret that.
I hopped in a Lyft heading towards Wicked Weed and got breakfast spot recommendations from him - he was hip, young, cute, and clearly stoned so I knew he wouldn't let me down.
4. Wicked Weed Brewing
This brewery is a part of Anheuser-Busch's Brewer's Collective so I don't know whether to call it craft anymore, but it became highly recommended and it did not disappoint. This is also the first place I got ID'd and the female bartender bought me a free beer for my birthday, which is a really small act, that made me feel really good.
I truly do not remember what beers I drank at all. I sat at the end of the bar and had the bartender pour me her favorite beers and sat in my thoughts and enjoyed my last day being twenty five. I eavesdropped on the couple next to me at the bar. He was wearing a colorful striped shirt and she was wearing a pretty, white turtleneck sweater. I created a "how they met" story in my head and sipped my beer and dreamt about getting into writing again.
After Wicked Weed, I was exhausted and kind of drunk so I walked back to my airbnb, hopping in my pajamas, and fell asleep to Austin Powers on Netflix before midnight, missing a phone call from my best friend Sarah in Minnesota. The next day, I would wake up twenty six years old.
5. Over Easy Cafe
I know immediately upon waking up that I wanted to start off 26 with a Bloody Mary. I attempted to drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway for some views since it was snowing and hiking seemed out of the question considering I didn't have warm enough clothes, but BUMMER....the Parkway was shut down for the winter. So I hightailed it over to Over Easy Cafe, recommended by my Lyft driver above.
It was delicious. My Bloody Mary was thick and beautifully garnished and the perfect amount of pizzazz with its spice. And my favorite breakfast always, is a good rendition of Eggs Benedict. When I heard it was their daily special, I knew it was fate. The best Eggs Benedict I've ever had!
6. Downtown Books
Full on eggs benny, I hopped down the street to Downtown Books. Every birthday I splurge on a book or two, and this year I went a little crazy. This used book store was adorable and had so many new releases for half price and it was organized extremely well - easy to navigate, fun to wander, and filled with creative additions (like a blind date with a book).
6. Malaprop's Bookstore & Cafe
Walking distance again, I hit up a second bookstore: Malaprop's. They are an independent outfit for fiction & nonfiction works that hosts book clubs, author events & serves organic coffee in the cutest spot! The staff picks section was my favorite, the workers helped me find every book I was looking for, and it was amazing. I spent around an hour and a half in here and read an incredible amount of book sleeves. I laid on the floor and read the first ten pages of a couple books, deciding on two to take home with me.
7. One World Brewing
With my new books in tow, I walked over to One World Brewing. I stumbled upon this spot as I was walking to another brewery. It was underneath a restaurant in the basement a few flights down. A good selection of beer, a chill vibe, and above all.......darts. And a brewery that has Prince lyric brews? Count me all the fucking way in.
8. Wedge
This spot was recommended by my beautiful friend Shelby. She Instagram DM'd me photos from a wedding she went to here and I was instantly sold. I had my big Canon T6i camera around my neck trying to capture graffiti photography shots and my paper bag with big fat books, Of course my bag ripped and my new books slid all over the muddy grass. I had my ginormous purse saddled over my shoulder, my camera bag, my camera in my left hand trying not to drop it and with my right hand I was embarrassingly failing at picking up hardcover books splayed across the ground. I finally got a handle on my self and walked into the brewery with the books balanced on my head. The entire brewery looked at me, assessed my situation, grabbed me a bag, and quickly poured me a beer, to which I am gracious. I was instantly floored by the creativity of the taproom, with details that sent me spinning. An Obama poster on the wall, bony fingers and chicken toes for tap handles, baby dolls & voodoo knick knacks hanging from the barracks, and Polaroids messily taped to the wall. I ordered their Mexican Lager and their Baltic Porter as I devoured half of The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead.
9. Archetype Brewing
I decided to stop at Archetype Brewing next because it was in a neighborhood I hadn't hit yet. The taproom was bare and mechanical with cement floors, mostly empty walls, low light and hilarious set of plastic pink flamingos. But, I found one wall with taproom tidbits to be fascinating and fun. They did a Staff Spotlight, something I always love at any business, especially breweries, because it bleeds local. It humanizes a spot and reminds you that a human had an idea, wanted to share it, and created a great place for people to camp out with good beer and better stories.
They also had a Bird's Eye View of the brewhouse, which is something I enjoy, because I'm a planner who loves a good outline. As you walk to the bathroom, you get a completely open look into their brewing area. Similar to an open kitchen at a fancy restaurant, this both befuddles me and astounds me.
I enjoyed this taproom, adored the Dream In Color Hazy beer, and am glad I stopped by.
10. Highland Brewing
Zooming over to Highland as the sun was setting, I was giggling with excitement for this one. It came highly recommended from both beer snobs and brew newbies. And from the instant I walked in, I knew I was going to love it. It is both open and cozy, riddled with ping pong tables, a stage for a DJ, comedian or in my case, a trivia MC. The bar was long and gorgeous with a tattooed, black-haired beauty with killer biceps and an adorable man with a flat-brimmed hat and a hoodie that poured me a free beer after he noticed I was wearing a Monday Night Brewing flannel. In the spirit of the snowfall outside twinkling down, I took his recommendation of their Cold Mountain Spiced Winter Ale. I sat at a long, german-style wooden table and did not know a single trivia answer and had a quarter-life crisis being 26 and being that dumb.
I bought a tin tacker and poorly hung it above my $5 garbage bin with cheap, skinny nails so I can reminisce on this time in my life that truly humbled me.
11. Funkatorium
I lyfted back over to the South Slope neighborhood. My craft beer fascination started three years ago with my introduction to sour beers, and with a recommendation from my friend Tyler, I knew I needed to stop by the Funkatorium. With an acid reflux diagnosis a couple years ago, I have a hard time stomaching multiple sour ales, so I went with one of their premeditated flights. I am coming to learn that the sight of a set of selected flight boards on a menu is the sign of corporatizaiton. While I understand the need for efficiency and ease of logistics, it always musters a sigh of the erasure of customization for the sake of convenience. I say this as a supply chain major saddled with a creative affliction.
I was starving at this point of the night and I knew they had food. I could sense the white-shirted man with a curly ponytail next to me attempting to come up with something to say to initiate a conversation through my peripheral, so I asked him what was good here and oh boy, did he have an answer planned for me. He gave me a complete run-down of the food menu, solidifying my interest in the hot chicken sandwich. An old flame in Wisconsin always ordered the hot chicken sandwich when we went out and every menu I see now, my brain subconsciously succumbs towards any mention of the word chicken. And I always smirk when I see hot thrusted in front of it.
As I waited for my sandwich, he gave me a lovely introduction to his life story, one paraded with accomplishments as a chef and moves spread across the southeast. He lived in Atlanta at one point and we flummoxed over the MARTA expansion in regards to traffic, agreeing in anger over Gwinnett County's misguided racism in voting against funding public transit.
The beer did not impress me much and I didn't even finish my flight, but the chicken sandwich was outstanding.
12. Twin Leaf Brewing
I was on my way to Burial to end the night, but the wind was crusting gobs of snot against my face and I duck into Twin Leaf on my way because I, a strong Minnesotan woman trying to prove a point that doesn't need to be proven, did not bring a coat on this trip.
Everyone I spoke to, and have spoken to since, in regards to Twin Leaf were extremely nonchalant about this brewery. Which is confusing because when I saw the beer board, I was instantly intrigued and impressed. They had a diverse set of styles - a Tripel, sours that were fruited and barrel-aged, a corn lager, a habenero lager, a stout, a cider, a marzen, an IPA, and a gose. So many taprooms are suffocating themselves in certain styles. Why does a taproom need 17 IPA's?
The bartender was incredible here and gave me an elevator pitch on each beer and in noticing I was cold, offered me her scarf. I rubbed my fingers against my nose to warm it, thanked her, and told her a beer would do the trick just fine. I ordered their spicy fruit lager and it made this brewery pit stop the sweetest, unexpected surprise.
Their mountain wall art was such a sweet addition too as it looked just like the generic mountain tattoo I have on my arm. Everyone when they see it always ask me what mountain range it is and insinuate I must be a hiker. I hate hiking and I couldn't tell you a single mountain range, other than the Green Mountain.
You ask me why I dwell in the green mountain;
I smile and make no reply for my heart is free of care.
As the peach-blossom flows down stream and is gone into the unknown,
I have a world apart that is not among men.
If one more person ever asks me why I have the Coors Light mountains tattooed on me thinking they just came up with an original joke, I will combust.
13. Burial Brewing
I ended at Burial and had reached the point of exhaustion with decision-making that I told the bartender to pour me a beer he thinks is underrated. Sipped on a pilsner in their back room as they did last call and I wish I could say I contemplated something heavy, or life changing, as I spent my last few minutes of the first day of 26. But I just sat there and googled the Goo Goo Dolls, who got their name from an ad in a True Detective magazine and used to DJ at a gay bar before they hit it big.
14. Asheville Brewing Company
The next day was my last afternoon before I roly-poly'd on home. I walked into Asheville Brewing Co the literal second they unlocked the door. I ordered the SPAM pizza here and was actually pissed the fuck off when they alerted me that they were out of SPAM. So I had to get pepperoni & pineapple pizza instead and I thought I was being chill by getting one slice as I knew I wanted sushi afterwards. PSYCH. The slice of pizza is the size of your entire torso so I said fuck it and also ordered a ranch flight and a pile of fries and still got sushi after too.
This place literally felt like the local pizza joint from the show Full House. I don't know if these even exists in the show or if I'm making up this fictional place in my mind, but if Full House had a local pizza joint the Tanner fam went to, this would be it. For some reason, I wished I was wearing overalls and a scrunchie.
15. New Belgium
Said I was gonna order one beer here and hit the road, but signed up for a tour two minutes before it started because I figured it'd be cool with them getting bought out and hearing their story. Joke is on me because the tour was an hour and a half and I was with a group of people who had literally never drank anything other than Budweiser their entire life. For the first time ever in my entire life, I felt like the second smartest beer nerd in the room.
You know what, though? The tour was super informative and the tour guide was hilarious. Just read an article that New Belgium got bought out by a parent company that potentially funded genocide but the tour had a slide in the middle of it.
Beer nerd? Go to Asheville. Weird person that likes hiking? Go to Asheville. Foodie? Go to Asheville. Book lover? Go to Asheville. Birthday coming up? Go to Asheville by yourself.
I had my best birthday yet.
I decided to write up a blog post of all the spots I visited in Asheville in case you ever want to take a trip down there yourself. It's worth it.
1. Sierra Nevada Brewery
Since I came from Atlanta, Sierra Nevada was outside the city of Asheville, but on the way as I was driving in, so it was the perfect first stop on my trip.
The drive-up their property instantly blew me away. It is incredibly similar to Wisconsin's New Glarus Brewery with their greenery and landscape. And the building is beautifully sculpted and for a Sunday afternoon, the parking lot was packed.
I was starving after three hours on the road so I got their duck fat fries and a couple 8 oz pours of beers. I would have loved to drink more (they had a killer lineup of beers) but I still had a 30 minute drive into the city. I tinkered around the gift shop and bought a tin tacker and a tank top and then did the self-led tour through their brewery. I would have loved a full tour, but they were sold out when I got there. So, if you plan on doing a full tour - sign up beforehand online.
I got their Hop & Sour and their Danksgiving beer.
2. French Broad River Brewing
Next, I drove over to my airbnb, checked in and walked down the hill to French Broad Brewing as I listened to White Negroes on audio on an absolutely beautiful day.
As soon as I sat down at the brewery, a man struck up a conversation and bought me a beer for my birthday. He also offered me a ride on his motorcycle which I politely declined. This brewery was great for old classic & clean styles, the bar top was gorgeous, and it was super dog-friendly (picture me surrounded by 18 dogs sprawled across the floor).
I drank their Frog Horn IPA first, one of their flagship beers, ringing in a 6.5% ABV and 64 IBUs. This was a West Coast Style IPA with a caramel malt backbone including a blend of pale and crystal malts that balance out the hoppiness for an easy drinking experience. Dry hopping gives it lots of hop flavor and aroma without too much bitterness.
I got their Goldenrod Pilsner (5.1% ABV, 25 IBUs) which is one of their small batch beers that is crisp, clean, and refreshing and features German Nobel hops for bitterness accentuated by a light grainy malt character made from the finest German barley. It has a medium-light body and a high carbonation level.
3. Catawba Brewery
The great thing about Asheville, especially considering breweries, is you can walk to so many of them. Each neighborhood is saturated with breweries so you can pick a neighborhood for the night, save on Lyfts, and walk to each new spot. So after French Broad, I walked two minutes over to Catawba. There was one bartender and I was one of the only patrons at the time, so I had this brewery basically all to myself and I read a huge chunk of Isabel Allende's Long Petal Of The Sea.
While French Broad had West Coast IPAs, ESBs, and Pilsners, Catawba had beers on the other end of the spectrum - lots of sours, white ales, and stouts. I wish I had stayed here longer because they had an amazing selection of beers and I regret that I didn't try more.
I started with their White Zombie White Ale. Fun fact, this started as a seasonal Halloween brew and because it was so popular, it became a year round staple. Zombie is made according to the Belgian Witbier tradition of using unmalted wheat to create the light body and white sheen. Additions of coriander and orange peel give Zombie a fruity and spicy character, while the hops are subtle and lightly detected. It has magnum and golding hops, flakes wheat malts, an ABV of 5.1% and IBU of 7.
I also drank the Peanut Butter Milk Stout and their Horchata White Ale (not pictured). For the PB Stout, it was brewed with Chocolate Malts and Midnight Wheat, it was conditioned on locally-sourced cacao nibs, whole roasted North Carolina peanuts, and Madagascar vanilla beans. Clocking in at 5.4% ABV and 52 IBUs, it was a great beer. The Horchata White Ale was my favorite. Brewed with rice, vanilla and cinnamon, this White Ale is meant to taste very similar to the traditional Mexican beverage Horchata. I used to get wasted on Horchata in high school. Made me nostalgic.
3. Hillman Brewing
This was my favorite brewery on the trip. No one recommended it to me, which was surprising. I stumbled upon it because again.....walking distance from my airbnb! The outside was delightful, the beer board was creative, and the beer was delicious.
I decided to get a flight here, something I rarely do anymore after becoming a bartender, but there were too many goodies that I wanted to try and was already getting kind of....intoxicated. I drank their ESB (Extra Special Bitter) that won a silver medal at GABF in 2018 and a Gold Medal in 2019 at GABF, huge accomplishments. It was toasty and nutty with a bit of caramel malt character, firm hop bitterness, but overall very well balanced. I tried their Four Fat Baby Belgian Quadrupel - a 10.1% ABV beer with 29 IBUs. This won the bronze medal at GABF in 2017. It has dark caramel and dried fruit notes. It was a very easy drinking Quad and I was super impressed. I tried their My Latest Regret Fruited Sour at 5% ABV and 19 IBUs. This is a brown raspberry sour with a perfect balance of fruit, caramel, tartness, and roasty notes. Lastly, I tried their Funky Cold Medusa NEIPA at 7% ABV and 27 IBUs.
I met a woman named Grace at this brewery and I spent the rest of the night here with her. She was traveling from Florida to New York and decided to stop in Asheville to explore by herself. I really connected with her - she was independent, also on a solo road trip, gorgeous and had a lot of self-awareness and I greatly enjoyed her company. We talked about ex boyfriends, traveling by yourself, my blog, and her life when she lived in New Zealand. I could tell she really wanted to move back and was trying to figure out a way to get there. To my surprise, one of the bartenders at Hillman also lived in New Zealand and it was fascinating to hear them talk about their time abroad. They were drawing maps on napkins of hiking spots and it inspired me to someday turn one of my domestic road trips to an international solo trip. I was going to head to one more brewery and invited Grace to split a Lyft, but she was tired from sitting in Florida traffic all day. I exchanged numbers with Grace and if it didn't snow, we were going to make plans to go hiking and possibly to a live music show the next night. In the morning, I woke up to it snowing and didn't text her and she didn't text me either and I regret that.
I hopped in a Lyft heading towards Wicked Weed and got breakfast spot recommendations from him - he was hip, young, cute, and clearly stoned so I knew he wouldn't let me down.
4. Wicked Weed Brewing
This brewery is a part of Anheuser-Busch's Brewer's Collective so I don't know whether to call it craft anymore, but it became highly recommended and it did not disappoint. This is also the first place I got ID'd and the female bartender bought me a free beer for my birthday, which is a really small act, that made me feel really good.
I truly do not remember what beers I drank at all. I sat at the end of the bar and had the bartender pour me her favorite beers and sat in my thoughts and enjoyed my last day being twenty five. I eavesdropped on the couple next to me at the bar. He was wearing a colorful striped shirt and she was wearing a pretty, white turtleneck sweater. I created a "how they met" story in my head and sipped my beer and dreamt about getting into writing again.
After Wicked Weed, I was exhausted and kind of drunk so I walked back to my airbnb, hopping in my pajamas, and fell asleep to Austin Powers on Netflix before midnight, missing a phone call from my best friend Sarah in Minnesota. The next day, I would wake up twenty six years old.
5. Over Easy Cafe
I know immediately upon waking up that I wanted to start off 26 with a Bloody Mary. I attempted to drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway for some views since it was snowing and hiking seemed out of the question considering I didn't have warm enough clothes, but BUMMER....the Parkway was shut down for the winter. So I hightailed it over to Over Easy Cafe, recommended by my Lyft driver above.
It was delicious. My Bloody Mary was thick and beautifully garnished and the perfect amount of pizzazz with its spice. And my favorite breakfast always, is a good rendition of Eggs Benedict. When I heard it was their daily special, I knew it was fate. The best Eggs Benedict I've ever had!
6. Downtown Books
Full on eggs benny, I hopped down the street to Downtown Books. Every birthday I splurge on a book or two, and this year I went a little crazy. This used book store was adorable and had so many new releases for half price and it was organized extremely well - easy to navigate, fun to wander, and filled with creative additions (like a blind date with a book).
6. Malaprop's Bookstore & Cafe
Walking distance again, I hit up a second bookstore: Malaprop's. They are an independent outfit for fiction & nonfiction works that hosts book clubs, author events & serves organic coffee in the cutest spot! The staff picks section was my favorite, the workers helped me find every book I was looking for, and it was amazing. I spent around an hour and a half in here and read an incredible amount of book sleeves. I laid on the floor and read the first ten pages of a couple books, deciding on two to take home with me.
7. One World Brewing
With my new books in tow, I walked over to One World Brewing. I stumbled upon this spot as I was walking to another brewery. It was underneath a restaurant in the basement a few flights down. A good selection of beer, a chill vibe, and above all.......darts. And a brewery that has Prince lyric brews? Count me all the fucking way in.
8. Wedge
This spot was recommended by my beautiful friend Shelby. She Instagram DM'd me photos from a wedding she went to here and I was instantly sold. I had my big Canon T6i camera around my neck trying to capture graffiti photography shots and my paper bag with big fat books, Of course my bag ripped and my new books slid all over the muddy grass. I had my ginormous purse saddled over my shoulder, my camera bag, my camera in my left hand trying not to drop it and with my right hand I was embarrassingly failing at picking up hardcover books splayed across the ground. I finally got a handle on my self and walked into the brewery with the books balanced on my head. The entire brewery looked at me, assessed my situation, grabbed me a bag, and quickly poured me a beer, to which I am gracious. I was instantly floored by the creativity of the taproom, with details that sent me spinning. An Obama poster on the wall, bony fingers and chicken toes for tap handles, baby dolls & voodoo knick knacks hanging from the barracks, and Polaroids messily taped to the wall. I ordered their Mexican Lager and their Baltic Porter as I devoured half of The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead.
9. Archetype Brewing
I decided to stop at Archetype Brewing next because it was in a neighborhood I hadn't hit yet. The taproom was bare and mechanical with cement floors, mostly empty walls, low light and hilarious set of plastic pink flamingos. But, I found one wall with taproom tidbits to be fascinating and fun. They did a Staff Spotlight, something I always love at any business, especially breweries, because it bleeds local. It humanizes a spot and reminds you that a human had an idea, wanted to share it, and created a great place for people to camp out with good beer and better stories.
They also had a Bird's Eye View of the brewhouse, which is something I enjoy, because I'm a planner who loves a good outline. As you walk to the bathroom, you get a completely open look into their brewing area. Similar to an open kitchen at a fancy restaurant, this both befuddles me and astounds me.
I enjoyed this taproom, adored the Dream In Color Hazy beer, and am glad I stopped by.
10. Highland Brewing
Zooming over to Highland as the sun was setting, I was giggling with excitement for this one. It came highly recommended from both beer snobs and brew newbies. And from the instant I walked in, I knew I was going to love it. It is both open and cozy, riddled with ping pong tables, a stage for a DJ, comedian or in my case, a trivia MC. The bar was long and gorgeous with a tattooed, black-haired beauty with killer biceps and an adorable man with a flat-brimmed hat and a hoodie that poured me a free beer after he noticed I was wearing a Monday Night Brewing flannel. In the spirit of the snowfall outside twinkling down, I took his recommendation of their Cold Mountain Spiced Winter Ale. I sat at a long, german-style wooden table and did not know a single trivia answer and had a quarter-life crisis being 26 and being that dumb.
I bought a tin tacker and poorly hung it above my $5 garbage bin with cheap, skinny nails so I can reminisce on this time in my life that truly humbled me.
11. Funkatorium
I lyfted back over to the South Slope neighborhood. My craft beer fascination started three years ago with my introduction to sour beers, and with a recommendation from my friend Tyler, I knew I needed to stop by the Funkatorium. With an acid reflux diagnosis a couple years ago, I have a hard time stomaching multiple sour ales, so I went with one of their premeditated flights. I am coming to learn that the sight of a set of selected flight boards on a menu is the sign of corporatizaiton. While I understand the need for efficiency and ease of logistics, it always musters a sigh of the erasure of customization for the sake of convenience. I say this as a supply chain major saddled with a creative affliction.
I was starving at this point of the night and I knew they had food. I could sense the white-shirted man with a curly ponytail next to me attempting to come up with something to say to initiate a conversation through my peripheral, so I asked him what was good here and oh boy, did he have an answer planned for me. He gave me a complete run-down of the food menu, solidifying my interest in the hot chicken sandwich. An old flame in Wisconsin always ordered the hot chicken sandwich when we went out and every menu I see now, my brain subconsciously succumbs towards any mention of the word chicken. And I always smirk when I see hot thrusted in front of it.
As I waited for my sandwich, he gave me a lovely introduction to his life story, one paraded with accomplishments as a chef and moves spread across the southeast. He lived in Atlanta at one point and we flummoxed over the MARTA expansion in regards to traffic, agreeing in anger over Gwinnett County's misguided racism in voting against funding public transit.
The beer did not impress me much and I didn't even finish my flight, but the chicken sandwich was outstanding.
12. Twin Leaf Brewing
I was on my way to Burial to end the night, but the wind was crusting gobs of snot against my face and I duck into Twin Leaf on my way because I, a strong Minnesotan woman trying to prove a point that doesn't need to be proven, did not bring a coat on this trip.
Everyone I spoke to, and have spoken to since, in regards to Twin Leaf were extremely nonchalant about this brewery. Which is confusing because when I saw the beer board, I was instantly intrigued and impressed. They had a diverse set of styles - a Tripel, sours that were fruited and barrel-aged, a corn lager, a habenero lager, a stout, a cider, a marzen, an IPA, and a gose. So many taprooms are suffocating themselves in certain styles. Why does a taproom need 17 IPA's?
The bartender was incredible here and gave me an elevator pitch on each beer and in noticing I was cold, offered me her scarf. I rubbed my fingers against my nose to warm it, thanked her, and told her a beer would do the trick just fine. I ordered their spicy fruit lager and it made this brewery pit stop the sweetest, unexpected surprise.
Their mountain wall art was such a sweet addition too as it looked just like the generic mountain tattoo I have on my arm. Everyone when they see it always ask me what mountain range it is and insinuate I must be a hiker. I hate hiking and I couldn't tell you a single mountain range, other than the Green Mountain.
You ask me why I dwell in the green mountain;
I smile and make no reply for my heart is free of care.
As the peach-blossom flows down stream and is gone into the unknown,
I have a world apart that is not among men.
If one more person ever asks me why I have the Coors Light mountains tattooed on me thinking they just came up with an original joke, I will combust.
13. Burial Brewing
I ended at Burial and had reached the point of exhaustion with decision-making that I told the bartender to pour me a beer he thinks is underrated. Sipped on a pilsner in their back room as they did last call and I wish I could say I contemplated something heavy, or life changing, as I spent my last few minutes of the first day of 26. But I just sat there and googled the Goo Goo Dolls, who got their name from an ad in a True Detective magazine and used to DJ at a gay bar before they hit it big.
14. Asheville Brewing Company
The next day was my last afternoon before I roly-poly'd on home. I walked into Asheville Brewing Co the literal second they unlocked the door. I ordered the SPAM pizza here and was actually pissed the fuck off when they alerted me that they were out of SPAM. So I had to get pepperoni & pineapple pizza instead and I thought I was being chill by getting one slice as I knew I wanted sushi afterwards. PSYCH. The slice of pizza is the size of your entire torso so I said fuck it and also ordered a ranch flight and a pile of fries and still got sushi after too.
This place literally felt like the local pizza joint from the show Full House. I don't know if these even exists in the show or if I'm making up this fictional place in my mind, but if Full House had a local pizza joint the Tanner fam went to, this would be it. For some reason, I wished I was wearing overalls and a scrunchie.
15. New Belgium
Said I was gonna order one beer here and hit the road, but signed up for a tour two minutes before it started because I figured it'd be cool with them getting bought out and hearing their story. Joke is on me because the tour was an hour and a half and I was with a group of people who had literally never drank anything other than Budweiser their entire life. For the first time ever in my entire life, I felt like the second smartest beer nerd in the room.
You know what, though? The tour was super informative and the tour guide was hilarious. Just read an article that New Belgium got bought out by a parent company that potentially funded genocide but the tour had a slide in the middle of it.
Beer nerd? Go to Asheville. Weird person that likes hiking? Go to Asheville. Foodie? Go to Asheville. Book lover? Go to Asheville. Birthday coming up? Go to Asheville by yourself.
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