Nestled by the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains (or is that Brew Ridge Mountains), Asheville has adopted the name Beer City and has rapidly established itself as the craft brewing center of the southeastern United States. The Asheville metro area is home to about 18 craft breweries/brewpubs and is symbolic of the overall surge and success of the craft brewing industry in North Carolina.
According to the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild, North Carolina is now the top brewing state in the South with a respectable 132 operating craft breweries/brewpubs generating about $791 million per year in revenue. That revenue stream translates into approximately 3000 brewery jobs and another 7000 related industry jobs in the “Tar Heel State”. And the craft beer industry in North Carolina is rapidly growing. In addition to the surge in small craft breweries, major breweries such as Sierra Nevada, Oskar Blues, and New Belgium are contributing to that growth by locating their eastern operations in this area.
Beer City
The Asheville metro area consists of a progressively liberal community surrounded by beautiful natural wonders. The area is consistently named one of the nation’s top travel destinations.
You’ll also find fresh farm-to-table foods; music and art; unique and eclectic craft artisans; and lots of seasonal festivals including Asheville Beer Week.
Asheville is the former playground of the rich and famous. People such as the George and Edith Vanderbilt, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John D. Rockefeller, and Edwin Grove came to the Asheville area for rest and relaxation. Their fingerprints can still be found at places such as the Biltmore Estate and the The Omni Grove Park Inn.
A few weeks ago I revisited Asheville to attend the 2015 Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference. Some of you may remember my 2013 Asheville visit that I wrote about here. This year’s trip gave me the opportunity to visit some fresh places and make new friends. I’m excited to share my experiences in a series of posts starting with Highland Brewing Company.
Highland Brewing Company
Started by retired civil/structural engineer Oscar Wong in 1994, Highland Brewing Company became Asheville’s first legal brewer since Prohibition. He started Highland Brewing “as a hobby” in the 3,500 square foot basement of Barley’s Taproom in downtown Asheville using mostly retrofitted dairy equipment.
Twelve years later (October 2006), brewing operations moved to a larger facility in east Asheville that once housed a movie production studio. In 2014, Highland production was about 38,000 barrels of beer annually for sale in nine states. Currently, Highland Brewing brand beers sell in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington D.C. With an ongoing expansion, production should soon top 60-65,000 barrels.
This year, Leah Wong Ashburn (Oscar’s daughter) took on the role of President at Highland Brewing.
John Lyda serves as Highland’s Brewmaster and is Vice President. A Siebel Institute graduate and Asheville native, John has been with the company since its inception.
A magnificent friend and relative, cousin Pam, facilitated my visit to Highland Brewing Company. When Pam learned I would be in Asheville, she contacted a former student of hers – Kevin Wheeler, Head of Operations for Highland Brewing. Kevin was very gracious and provided an exclusive, behind the scenes tour of the brewery. He also introduced me to Highland’s new Head Brewer, Hollie Stephenson.
The brewing facilities at Highland are large and impressive. Daily brewery tours provide visitors with insight into brewery operations. I strongly recommend that any first time visit to Highland Brewing include a tour.
The Tasting Room is open seven days a week and provides ample seating. A large selection of Highland beers are available. Indoor concerts are held regularly on the weekends.
An outdoor meadow with picnic tables provides the opportunity to enjoy Mother Nature while sampling beers.
A rooftop bar installation occurred during the week of my visit. Check this out!
Highland Brewing’s Gaelic Ale was their first beer. It is their largest seller, accounting for about half of the brewery’s total production. This amber ale features a rich malty flavor. I thoroughly enjoyed my sample.
The beer that excited me the most was released during the Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference – King MacAlpin Double IPA. King MacAlpin is Highland’s first release in a new family of beers known as the Warrior Series. The Warrior Series of beers will feature bold aromas and flavors. To lead the series, new Head Brewer Hollie Stephenson created this double IPA “hop bomb” named after the first king of Scotland. It is packed with 5.5 pounds of hops per barrel. When asked about the beer Hollie said, “Highland is known for balanced traditional styles, rather than high-gravity hop forward beers. If there is balance, this beer is balanced in its extremes. It clocks in at 90 IBUs, with slight malt sweetness, and is double dry-hopped with piney and citrusy Pacific Northwest Centennial, Amarillo®, Chinook, and Simcoe® hops. This beer will uphold Highland’s commitment to high quality and consistency, while expanding the style profile one can expect from the brewery.”
I tried King MacAlpin at the Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference and loved it! I even managed to bring a bottle home to share with friends. Now I need to plan another trip to Highland Brewing and stock up. Great job Hollie!
If you are ever in Asheville, Highland Brewing Company is a must visit! The visit will be fun and you’ll be rewarded with some tasty brews. What a wonderful way to start my return visit to Beer City!
A Big Thanks to Cousin Pam, Leah Wong Ashburn, Kevin Wheeler, and Hollie Stephenson for making my visit so enjoyable and informative.
Author’s notes:
- Except where indicated, my talented wife Patricia took the photographs in this post. Thanks dear!
- All of the videos provided by the courtesy of Highland Brewing Company and are their sole property.
How was the Ashville conference compared to last years in San Diego? I couldn’t make the BBC2015 so I’m curious.
Both were excellent. I liked the hotel for the San Diego Conference better. The Asheville hotel is poorly maintained. Both elevators broke down during the conference for days. On the other hand, I was better prepared for the Asheville conference since I had been before. In addition, Sierra Nevada NC is magnificent. I’ll have photos up and you will see what may be the greatest brewery facilities and grounds ever built. Sierra Nevada’s hospitality was spectacular.