The Asheville Beer And Bike Trip

Last week we were in Asheville, NC for a few days. I posted an intro of what we did on day 1 and said I would follow up when we returned.  Well, we’re back, and after a few days with no internet at our house that now seems to be finally working (fingers crossed), here’s the update

Beer Town USA

Asheville is in the Western part of North Carolina, up in the mountains right next to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It has been a popular place for outdoors lovers and counter-culture enthusiasts.  In recent years Asheville has grown quite a bit due to an influx of retirees and people looking for a more relaxed lifestyle.  With the growth of the area and the relatively young population base, Asheville has become a magnet of sorts for craft brewers.  There are a number of breweries/brew pubs in town (7 I believe) along with some good beer bars.  There is also a “Beer Only” store called Bruisin Ales which has gained a bit of a reputation in its short life as a great store for beer lovers.

Tuesday Arrival

We got into town Tuesday evening and went to Barley’s Taproom & Pizzaria for some dinner  and beer. I has a Pisgah Brewing Pale Ale, which was very good, as well as a whiskey barrel aged beer from Catawba Valley Brewingthat was excellent.  Oh, and the pizza wasn’t too bad either.

Bike & Beer Wednesday

I spent a lot of time both Wednesday and Thursday riding my bike in the mountains while Pam was in her meetings.  If you are a cyclist, mountain or road, you will probably love riding in the Asheville area.  There are a ton of mountain roads and trails to satisfy just about anyone.  Here’s a picture of me on the top of Mt. Mitchell, the highest point in the US that is East of the Mississippi River.  I’d spent almost 2.5  hours climbing to the top on my bike from our hotel in Asheville.  The route is about 34 miles long with most of it along the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway.  The views from the parkway were incredible!  After a ride like that I was ready for lots of food and beer I had a quick snack  at the hotel: But, before I could head out to the bars/restaurants for some real food and some good beer, I had an appointment with Jason at Bruisin Ales.  I had contacted him before we arrived to see if he might be able to give us a tour of the store.  He was gracious enough to say yes.  Here is the video:

We really enjoyed our time at Bruisin Ales.  It was obvious that they are very passionate about spreading the “good word” about beer.  Asheville is lucky to have a store like that.  But, for those of us that don’t live there, Bruisin Ales ships beer!  Check out their website for more information.  Since we drove, I was able to pick up a few beers that we can’t get here in Atlanta, which I will be reviewing soon.

After Bruisin Ales we went out for dinner and then to The Thirsty Monk for some beer.  They have two bars, one upstairs and one in the basement (Belgian beers).  The upstairs bar was pretty lively.  The night we were there they had a free glass night featuring New Belgium.  I got a Mothership Wit and then a Black Mamba from Bear Republic Brewing.  We then went downstairs, where I tried a Duvel Green (the draft version of regular Duvel) along with a Echt Kriekenbier (Oak aged Flemmish Sour).
I liked the downstairs Belgian bar a lot. It had a great, relaxed feeling, as well as this “happy monk”: The Thirsty Monk is centrally located, right in the middle of all of the downtown happenings.

Round 2 On Thursday

The next day I went for another ride in the Morning then we went out to get some lunch at a local BBQ place, 12 Bones.  It is located in the “river district” part of town and is only open for Lunch.  There was a line when we got there so we waited for about 15 minutes but the wait was worth it!  I got some ribs & brisket plus a few sides.  Everything was delicious.  After Lunch we drove around for a bit then headed off to Wedge Brewing, a newer brewer that is getting a good reputation.  They are located in a warehouse and serve beer right out of the brewery.  Their primary customer base is local draught accounts.  They also bottle some of their beer for sale in local stores.  I had their Abbey Ale and Russian Imperial Stout.  Both were very good but I liked the RIS the best.  It is brewed with raspberries and had a great flavor.

Free Form Friday

The next day we took some time to go for a hike in the mountains and have a nice lunch.  After that we headed over to Highland Brewing to take a tour and talk with John Lyda, the Brewmaster.  We had a great time and got the full tour.  John was very gracious with his time and a true pleasure to talk with.  He has a lot of experience brewing and his passion is obvious when he talks.  If you get Highland Brewings products in your area definitely give them a try.  They make some very good beer.  I’ll be reviewing some of them here in the near future.  Here are the videos:

We finished up the day with a nice dinner at Salsa’s, a Central American & Caribbean restaurant, where we shared the “goat plate” which was excellent.  After dinner we headed back to the Thirsty Monk for a couple of beers then back to the hotel.  It was a nice day.

Saturday Sendoff

We spent Saturday AM at the NC Arboretum, which is excellent, just hiking around and enjoying the nice weather.  We then went back to Bruisin Ales and picked up some beers to bring back home.

We’ll Be Back

Asheville is a great town, for both beer, as well as outdoor activities.  I highly recommend that you visit if you can, especially if you like beer!  We have enjoyed both of our trips and look forward to our next one.    Check out the Asheville Chamber Of Commerce’s website or Explore Asheville to find out more about the town and all it has to offer.