Staying true to your roots: Lazy Hiker Brewing
On most days, the patio at Lazy Hiker Brewing in downtown Franklin is filled with locals and visitors alike, each enjoying the concoctions pouring out of from the large warehouse behind the taproom.
Staying true to your roots: Lazy Hiker Brewing celebrates milestone, pushes ahead
It’s an unusually warm and sunny day for late November in Macon County. The patio tables at Lazy Hiker Brewing in downtown Franklin are filled with locals and visitors alike, each enjoying the concoctions pouring out of from the large warehouse behind the taproom.
Glass half full: Elevated Mountain turns beer into liquor
By Boyd Allsbrook • Contributing writer | There were many things I expected to experience as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic — stress, isolation, illness, etc. Absent from that list was what I had the pleasure of tasting this weekend — quite simply, the finest liquor I’ve ever waxed poetic about.
Frog Level Brewing reopens
In a highly-anticipated relaunch of a beloved Waynesville business, Frog Level Brewing has finally opened its doors following renovations and relaxed government mandates in the era of the coronavirus.
North Carolina takes ‘cautious’ step into phase 2
As expected, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced that he believes the state is ready to begin phase 2 of his three-phase reopening plan, although the increasing number of cases warrants a more modest reopening than originally planned.
Frog Level Brewing finds new owners
In a move that’s been a year or so in the making, 7 Clans Brewing has recently purchased Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville.
Big moves for Nantahala Brewing
Normally, when one hears the sounds of hammers and saws at 61 Depot Street in Bryson City, it signaled an expansion of the Nantahala Brewing’s original taproom and production facility. But, with an announcement last week, those sounds are of big change for the craft beer company.
Nocturnal Brewing offers fine ales in Hayesville
For a place that was dry just a decade ago, Clay County is now home to one of the finest craft breweries in Western North Carolina.
“Our beers are mostly driven on tradition, but we also try to push the boundaries,” said David Grace, brewmaster at Nocturnal Brewing in downtown Hayesville. “We definitely do the tried and true American styles craft beers, but we also push heavily into fruity beers and sours.”
Coming down the mountain: Whiteside Brewing impacts Cashiers culture
It’s just after 5 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. 64 and N.C. 107 in the village of Cashiers. Otherwise known as the “Crossroads,” the junction — atop a mountainous plateau at the southern end of Jackson County — is usually buzzing with tourists and second-homeowners spring through fall. And, normally, it’s relatively silent when winter rears its head.
Crafting together community: How craft beer impacted WNC
According to recent numbers, there are around 75 breweries within Asheville and greater Western North Carolina. And 19 of those breweries are located west of Asheville.
But, back in 1999, when The Smoky Mountain News launched, this was the number of breweries in our jurisdiction — zero. None. Not a single one. The idea of craft beer, let alone something concocted in your backyard, was not only somewhat unheard of, it never was thought to be something of an economic driver.
