Small towns across the US—often defined by their past and reeling from the fallout of lost jobs and dwindling populations—are turning to a decidedly trending industry to help guide their future: beer. We look at three recent examples.
In a roundup of beer news, Delaware increases beer excise tax; North Carolina passes “Brunch Bill;” Brooklyn Brewery and Carlsberg expand international ventures; and breweries adopt the Brewers Association’s “Independent” seal.
As interest in plant-based diets grows, pub grub has begun to change with the times, meaning beer has a few new healthier, meat-free dining companions.
In a round-up of beer news, Belgian beer is recognized as cultural heritage; White Labs Asheville begins production, New Holland brews lager with heirloom barley; and 2016 is a record year for US hop growers.
For an industry veteran who wanted to run a smaller, neighborhood brewpub, the friendlier laws in North Carolina were a huge incentive for the Terrapin co-founder to launch UpCountry Brewery in Asheville.
To celebrate the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation teamed up with 17 Asheville-area breweries for special beer releases and fundraising events.
America’s brewing renaissance has developed alongside a renewed interest in cycling, with new breweries popping up along the nation’s bike trails to cater to two-wheeled clientele.
Whether your trail beer is found at a pub in the Smoky Mountains, a brewery in New England, or in a “trail magic” cooler stowed in the woods by a kind, empathetic soul, beer is part of Appalachian Trail culture.
Brewers guilds must educate, protect and promote. It’s taken the craft brewing industry some 35 years to be able to produce 12 percent of the beer bought in America. No one accomplished that feat alone. There is strength in numbers.
Though it is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, Charlotte can’t rival Asheville when it comes to breweries per capita. But what it lacks in numbers, it makes up for with perhaps the most diverse group of breweries in the state.
Instead of using mass produced barley, wheat and rye malt, brewers around the country are beginning to look to heritage grains to add character and complexity to their beers—varieties packed with flavor and history.
For anyone familiar with craft beer brands, the name Fullsteam instantly conjures a visual of the brewery’s logo, the chunky font with that enigmatic backwards “F.”
Set foot inside Riverbend Malt House in Asheville, N.C., and it’s clear that the maltster has a similar role to the brewer’s. While employees who work at large malt houses may see grain move at the push of a button, at Riverbend much is still human-powered.
New California law combats keg theft; GABF beer brewed entirely with N.C. ingredients; Hill Farmstead expansion to double production capacity; and Maui Brewing joins in-flight beers from craft breweries.
Green Man is one of Asheville, North Carolina’s old-line breweries—a legendary name in a legendary beer town. And under Stuart and his crew, it’s been growing faster than ever, delivering unique takes on English Ale standbys plus an array of sought-after American IPAs, Stouts and American Wild Ales.
Since opening in 2012, Wicked Weed, the Dickinson brothers’ Asheville, N.C., brewery, has been at the forefront of the industry’s relative newcomers, most recently taking home a bronze at the 2014 World Beer Cup.
Hops stand in the spotlight at one of the country’s newest brewpubs, Wicked Weed Brewing. There, hoppy American ales are featured alongside Old World Belgian styles, as co-founders and brothers Walt and Luke Dickinson carve their own niche in one of the most impressive beer cities in the world.
Beyond alcohol limits, many Southern states struggle with taxes, breweries operating off-site brewpubs, various antiquated distribution woes, prohibitive homebrewing regulations and much more. But thanks to the region’s proactive beer makers and consumers, many of those laws are beginning to change.
When beer enthusiasts hear “North Carolina” these days, they probably think “Asheville.” But just behind the mountain town in its number of breweries, Raleigh plays host to a vast array of quality beer bars, specialty bottle shops and homebrew stores that also belong on any serious beer lover’s itinerary.
Since opening in early 2008, Thirsty Monk has become more than just a world-class Belgian bar, adding a second floor for American craft selections, and a second location in South Asheville with a nanobrewery. They’re also working on expanding their brewery space and adding a third-floor rooftop deck.
Michael Brawley is one of many independent retailers who were shut out of the much-anticipated release of a one-time shipment of Westvleteren XII to the US.
New French beer tax elicits outcry from EU brewers; Oskar Blues partners with community college for hands-on brew course; German courts rule to allow two different Duff beers; study claims hop compound may help fight common cold; and Westvleteren XII finally released to much fanfare, some controversy.
As the relationship between breweries, brewers guilds, beer publications and beer bloggers gets cozier, hard lines are becoming more difficult to define.
