UpCountry Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laid back brewery at the end of Haywood in West Asheville. Great place to stop in for a quick pint after a bike ride or on the way home from work. Friendly staff and solid beer.

 

Fantastic place! Some interesting notes, though. Technically, Altamont Brewing Company is a "club," as they serve liquor in addition to beer and in accordance with North Carolina state law, if you serve liquor, 30% of your sales must also be from food. The brewing company purchased a deli next door which they are connecting to their taproom to alleviate this issue, but for now, you have to pay $1 and sign to join as a "member" of their club. Additionally, they may not be Altamont Brewing Company for much longer. As it was explained to me, a brewing company in California by the same name put some false information on an application for rights to use the name "Altamont Brewing Company" stating that they began distribution one month before their counterpart in North Carolina when in reality it was six months after the North Carolina Altamont Brewing Company began their distribution. This can of course be proven in court, I assume, but court fees are expensive and legal battles such as this are often beleaguering and protracted. That being said, they have excellent staff and a great selection of beers in bottles and on tap including a few guest taps of beers I otherwise wouldn't have the chance to try elsewhere.

Brewery in what was once probably a gas station or garage. Bar in front right corner with some table about the room and some outdoor seating. I enjoyed their IPAs very much

selection was limited and hurt the experience

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I visited Altamont located in West Asheville on Memorial Day weekend 2013. Altamont has been brewing their own beer for about 6 months. I had the opportunity to sample the Hefe, Porter, Pale Ale, ESB, and the first-ever batch of IPA. The Hefe, PA, and Porter being stand outs for me.

Atmosphere: Altamont is a converted auto service station, complete with a garage door. There is a large open floor with an adjacent bar and a floor stage for local bands to set-up and do their thing. There is a ping pong table !! Brewing equipment is located in the back.

Selection: 10-15 taps lines ~six of which are brewed on-site with the remaining a selection from local breweries. All reasonably priced. No food.

Quality/Service: Very friendly bartenders. The brewers showed us around in the back and talked a little bit about their operations.

I will definitely being making a visit to Altamont on my next visit to Asheville. Wish these guys all the best as they crank out their own selection.

A word of caution as of May 2012, Altamont is not yet brewing and doesn't expect to for at least a year.

Running around town on Sunday; Altamont opens at noon. Bingo.

Atmosphere: Possibly the neatest of the garage series - Altamont sits at an old service station site. Open the garage door and a long bar, stage and brewing equipment are visible. We settled into the bar, benefiting from a slight breeze blowing through. The bar has 10 or so taps and bottles, most locals.

Quality/Service: After the initial surprise regarding lack of beers (admittedly my homework wasn't intense), ksak and I had a long talk with the bartender about setting up the brewery, specialties (the brewer is from Flagstaff Brewing and will likely focus on hoppy ones) and good stores in the area.

Selection: 10 or so tap lines. I grabbed a Foothills Double IPA and nursed my way through its bitter fullness. Pisgah was on tap as well. While not year a fully functional brewery, the location is great and worth a stop if you are in West Asheville.