Appalachian Trail breweries

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by twistwrist, Dec 20, 2015.

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  1. twistwrist

    twistwrist Initiate (0) Jun 20, 2013 Georgia

    Hey all! So I just finished the most epic journey...I hiked the Appalachian Trail! Before going, I marked and starred all the breweries in towns along the way and made it to most of them. Long Trail Brewing in VT was good, but the Devil's Backbone in Virginia was my favorite! They cater to hikers being so close to the trail and allow us to camp on their expansive grounds. They even offer rides to and from the trail and are apparently adding free showers next year. I want to work there! :stuck_out_tongue:
     
    #1 twistwrist, Dec 20, 2015
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  2. bluehende

    bluehende Initiate (0) Dec 10, 2010 Delaware

    Congratulations on a great accomplishment. I do buy DB beers, but will support them even more now.
     
    #2 bluehende, Dec 20, 2015
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  3. Hendrick24

    Hendrick24 Pooh-Bah (1,949) Sep 6, 2013 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    Congrats! That's an awesome life experience and something I've seriously considered doing some day. I didn't even consider that there are breweries to hit along the way, very cool.
     
    #3 Hendrick24, Dec 20, 2015
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  4. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    I recently read Bill Bryson's book 'A Walk in the Woods' and went to the movie too, plus I've read another travelog book by a Michigan author about his experiences of his hike of the trail. As old as my bones are I'll never give it a try, so reading about it is as close as I'll ever get to making the trek. Neither author mentioned brewpubs along the trail, although both did indicate their love of beer while eating at restaurants on some days. Congrats on your successful trek!
     
    #4 PapaGoose03, Dec 20, 2015
  5. twistwrist

    twistwrist Initiate (0) Jun 20, 2013 Georgia

    Beer along the way? I've got you covered. :wink: Happy to share info. Mothergoose, a 78 year old man thru hiked this year. I met several folks in their 70s.
    Thanks a ton! Most epic adventure of my life!
     
    #5 twistwrist, Dec 20, 2015
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  6. rgordon

    rgordon Pooh-Bah (2,701) Apr 26, 2012 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    To my knowledge there'e no brewery in Hot Springs, N.C., but the trail goes straight through town. This is a cool old place, sight of a WW1 German officers prisoner of war camp. Boy, were they lucky! It's an ancient piece of geology, with many thermal assets used in creative ways. Good food, people, cabins with hot spring water. Right on The French Broad River, which flows north to south as a piece of pre-Appalachian geology and winds up in Tennessee, at the top of the Tennessee River.
     
    #6 rgordon, Dec 20, 2015
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  7. Captstrapper

    Captstrapper Initiate (0) Nov 19, 2011 Vermont

    Congratulations! The AT is quite an accomplishment, and on my bucket list. I met my wife thru-hiking the LongTrail. Things like food and beer seem to take on a mythical quality after a few days out on the trail. Besides Long Trail & Devil's Backbone what other breweries did you visit? and what was your trail name?
     
    #7 Captstrapper, Dec 20, 2015
  8. twistwrist

    twistwrist Initiate (0) Jun 20, 2013 Georgia

    No brewery there. But good beer is at Spring Creek Tavern. They have 12 beers on tap and more variety in bottles...the good stuff ranging from Founders to Laguintas to several local brews.

    Hey! Thank you! My trail name is Clarity. Let's see, regarding breweries they are usually a pain in the ass to get to on foot (coming from someone who walked the distance from Maine to Georgia, that might sound a bit silly).
    There was the Northern Outdoors Brewery in Caratunk, Maine. Expensive beer, but super cool place for a zero day with a pool, hot tub, cornhole, game room, etc. The Damascus brewery, Nantahala Brewing Company, and the Flying Mouse Brewery on top of the Long Trail and Devil's Backbone as mentioned previously.
    Mostly I enjoyed local brews in pubs with good selections as they are more ubiquitous on trail and easier to get to than most of the breweries. I wished I'd been better at "untapping" my beers so I could have kept up with all that I tried.
     
    #8 twistwrist, Dec 20, 2015
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  9. twistwrist

    twistwrist Initiate (0) Jun 20, 2013 Georgia

    On my journey, I figured out quite a bit of stuff about life and about myself, hence the name, Clarity. :slight_smile: One of those things is that I am not returning to my 15 year career of teaching elementary school. My passion is beer...good beer. I've never brewed it due to lack of space, but I'm dreaming of opening a kind of "Casual Pints" venue in my hometown. Let the research begin!
     
    #9 twistwrist, Dec 20, 2015
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  10. bluehende

    bluehende Initiate (0) Dec 10, 2010 Delaware

    My in-laws are all elementary school teachers. I would like them more if they owned bars.:slight_smile:
     
    #10 bluehende, Dec 20, 2015
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  11. dwoolley1

    dwoolley1 Savant (1,162) Dec 16, 2009 New York
    Trader

    Congratulations -- I too am a 2000 miler but, unfortunately never saw a brewery along the way.
     
    #11 dwoolley1, Dec 20, 2015
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  12. twistwrist

    twistwrist Initiate (0) Jun 20, 2013 Georgia

    Ha! As a hiker, I got pretty good at hitchhiking. :slight_smile: Helped being female I've heard too.
     
    #12 twistwrist, Dec 20, 2015
  13. ashellen

    ashellen Crusader (449) Mar 26, 2009 Virginia

    congrats on being MEGA '15, my dad is MEGA '73 goes by BustAce.

    Another brewery to add to the AT hiking list is Dirt Farm Brewery in Bluemont, VA. Its a short drive/hitch/walk from Bears Den Hostel, although with a little research you could probably find a shortcut and get there easier. Also a winery next door, a farm market across the street, and a cidery in Bluemont.
     
    #13 ashellen, Dec 21, 2015
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  14. BecauseWhalezbro

    BecauseWhalezbro Initiate (0) Apr 22, 2015 Colorado

    Was the Devil's Backbone the outpost in Lexington?
     
    #14 BecauseWhalezbro, Dec 21, 2015
  15. twistwrist

    twistwrist Initiate (0) Jun 20, 2013 Georgia

    honestly it was in the middle of Nowhere, VA. lol! I don't know which towns were near, just that I had to cross the Blue Ridge Parkway first.
     
    #15 twistwrist, Dec 22, 2015
  16. dbrauneis

    dbrauneis Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,071) Dec 8, 2007 North Carolina
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Sounds like a good idea for a book then :slight_smile:
     
    #16 dbrauneis, Dec 22, 2015
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  17. SwatTJ

    SwatTJ Initiate (0) Feb 16, 2015 Virginia

    Congratulations on the achievement. Devil's Backbone is very popular among hikers and folks in VA. It's located close by Wintergreen Resort (SW of Charlottesville) if anyone is curious.
     
    #17 SwatTJ, Dec 22, 2015
  18. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    You mean a book about finding all of the good beer places along the way? I'd never make it to the end of the trail, but what a challenge! :wink:
     
    #18 PapaGoose03, Dec 22, 2015
  19. dbrauneis

    dbrauneis Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,071) Dec 8, 2007 North Carolina
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Exactly what I meant... If I ever walked the long trail, I would want a copy of that book for research before I left.

    The beer book I would write, if I were to write a book would be a series of day trips available via public transportation from NYC covering breweries/restaurants/bars/bottle shops plus other things to do in the area - including if they were family friendly, etc. Talked about doing this one with @metter98 but life always seems to get in the way - at least the research would be fun.
     
    #19 dbrauneis, Dec 22, 2015
  20. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Ooooh the fun of the research for something like that.
     
    #20 PapaGoose03, Dec 22, 2015
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