Hickory NC trip

Going to the Omega Pointe release?

 

From East to West:

Black Mountain, NC
Black Mtn Brewing is tiny but pretty cool and is not far off I-40.
Lookout Brewing seems cool but I haven't made it over there yet.

Nebo, NC
Fonta Flora Whippoorwill Farm taproom. Bit of a drive off the I-40 but amazing sours and a really cool space.

Morganton, NC
Fonta Flora's taproom

Hickory, NC
Olde Hickory Brewery

 

if you aren’t stopping at Fonta Flora, you are doing it wrong. Go to the farm location in Nebo if you can. Awesome locale.

 

Part of the reason the release is when it is (as opposed to months ago) was so that it could be more like a release they used to have. Can't wait!

I'd add to the list above Pisgah and Black Mountain Cidery & Meadery in Black Mountain. They're next to each other, so hitting both is easy and Pisgah is still my go to around Black Mountain.

A bit off the direct path, but Lenoir might be worth considering. It'd be about 30 minutes or so out of the way if you go while driving from Asheville to Hickory. Liquid Roots is pretty solid. Moonjoy Meadery is new and decent (I've only been opening weekend so don't have a solid read yet, but they've won some awards) and Fercott Fermentables is a really cool spot to get a beer and do some shopping. I wouldn't drive out from Asheville to hit it up probably, but I would (and have since I'm local) from Hickory. I probably wouldn't replace Fonta Flora with Lenoir if you only have time for one stop, but if you have some extra time, or you're spending some time in Hickory and have some time, consider it.

Edit: Oh, and if you're in town for the Omega Point release, stop by and say hello My barrel (or however they do it) will almost certainly be mostly locals, but we're friendly I promise! I'm sure we'll have a good smattering of older OHB beers (I know we'll have a handful of original Omega Points that'll probably be there) and other goodies and always enjoy meeting people from other areas that show up for these things!

 

I've made it to all the shares/releases other than the original Omega Point. I was out of the country and definitely sad I missed it. Made it to all the other ones so far though. Can't wait for OP2!

 

$10 a 12 oz bottle, 24 pp limit. Cash only

 

Somehow $10/12oz feels expensive even though I never balked at $20/22oz and this is more beer for the same price.

 

Pisgah tasting room is closed, has been for a while, probably due to COVID.

During this time it appears they have chosen to move the brewery facility and tasting room out of that industrial park. The new location is on US 70 (2948 US Hwy 70) which is actually on the other side of the field and outdoor stage, so they will still have the same music venue. This is where they were conducting curbside sales while everything was shutdown.

Webpage recently updated, and says events and big announcements coming soon.

All the ABC permits at the old address have been cancelled, and new permits issued for the new address.

 

Interesting! I kinda sorta remember hearing that they weren't open again yet, didn't realize they were moving the tasting room. I was camping nearby last year and saw the Pisgah sign on the new building but didn't put 2 and 2 together that it was basically right behind their field. As much as I really enjoy their old tasting room, it'll be interesting to see what they do with the new one!

 

I hope they keep the tap list on the mirror over the taps.

 

In this day and age, Olde Hickory clings to their cash only policy. I have never liked that aspect of their releases.

 

Pisgah Brewing has also been a cash only tasting room.
They finally implemented plastic only for curbside pickup, so maybe plastic will be an option once they reopen their tasting room in their new location.

 

I think that's mainly because the releases are done at the brewery, which isn't open to the public normally and doesn't have a CC system. Yes, they could almost certainly get a mobile CC system or something that integrates with the Taproom or the Station, or just stays separate, but its an additional cost that I'm not sure they want considering the infrequency of their releases. On the other hand, wait a day or two and it'll show up at the Station and you can pay with CC (and pay more since that price doesn't include taxes and the release price does). Assuming any is left. Don't think there's ever been a release that didn't hit the Station, but I can't remember them all since I usually show up at the brewery to start with. Of course, I know that's a pain to out of towners, so isn't really a solution either.

That said, it does annoy me as well

 

Will there be a bottle share at OH on Friday night?