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Small breweries shine at NC winter festival

At the recent Winter Warmer Beer Festival in Asheville, NC, a bunch of the newer small breweries from the southern Appalachian region were quite impressive.

WinterWarmer-01

A good gauge of the craft beer industry’s viability is the number of new breweries that you find popping up in the hinterlands, small towns and villages across the region. Local beer festivals such as this allow tiny breweries to have a stage equal to the Sierra Nevadas and New Belgiums of the region.

Small Appalachian breweries on the move

Among the younger breweries at Winter Warmer this year, Satulah Mountain Brewing, Swamp Rabbit Brewery, BearWaters Brewing, Boojum Brewing, and Blue Mountain Pizza and Brew Pub were a pure pleasure to find.

Satulah Mountain Brewing Company

Salute Mountain Brewing Company
Dale Heinlein is the force behind Satulah Mountain Brewing Company. Serving as brewer, owner/manager, and chief cook and bottle washer, Heinlein left an impressive mark on the craft beer map during his first six months of operation.He has successfully taken his many years of home brewing experimentation and transferred it to a commercial brewery.

Satulah Mountain Brewing Company is only six-months old but owner/brewer Dale Heinlein has it running faster than a free tap at an August pig roast. Equipped only with a tiny half-barrel brewhouse, Heinlein produces a variety of craft  beer that rivals many long-established breweries.

Hidden away in the little mountain town of Highlands, NC, it’s path is not likely crossed unless you are going there on purpose. But should you be so lucky, definitely seek it out and try a flight of Satulah Mountain beer.

At the Winter Warmer fest, one taste of Heinlein’s Sunset Saison (with its parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme) tells all you need to know about his brewing acumen. This brewer has the touch. At the brewery, also look for his Hoppy Hiker IPA and anything Belgian-styled.

Maybe its their 4118 foot elevation, but something left me lightheaded and happy about Satulah Mountain beer. You have to admire a guy who takes his passion and makes it work with a half-barrel brewery. That requires such a high level of commitment and energy. Can’t wait to see what Heinlein accomplishes when he gets a real pro system.  Look up Highlands, NC, on google maps.

 Swamp Rabbit Brewery and Taproom

Swamp Rabbit Brewery
Swamp Rabbit Brewery of Travelers Rest, SC, is a new brewery producing mostly Continentally-inspired traditional styles. It serves them up at its brewery taproom. Brewer/owner Ben Pierson’s background in Germany shows up in his beer.

Swamp Rabbit Brewery and Taproom is only 10 months old but is producing traditionally-styled brews with a polished demeanor reminiscent of its brewer’s Continental heritage. Producing primarily non-hop-centered beers, Swamp Rabbit products  allow the malts and fermentation process to do most of the talking. And speak loudly they do. Its wheat beers have been especially well-received.

After a few hours of winter warmer tasting, a Swamp Rabbit Strong Belgian Ale and the Double IPA were still memorable. Traveler’s Rest is in the Appalachian foothills about 10 miles outside Greenville, SC. — Travelers Rest: another item for google maps.

Blue Mountain Pizza & Brew Pub

Blue Mountain Pizza and Brewpub
Blue Mountain Pizza and Brewpub of Weaverville, NC, may be small but the guys there are producing some mighty powerful brews. Pictured from L to R are Amanda Cagle, Joey Cagle, and Mike Vanhoose. Joey and Mike are in charge of keeping the fermenters full of their local-ingredient inspired beers. Many feature malts from Riverbend Malthouse in Asheville.

Take a popular ten-year-old pizza restaurant, add a small brewing system, and voila: Blue Mountain Pizza and Brew Pub is born.  Located in downtown Weaverville, NC, it has been brewing for two years now, but is still largely unknown outside the local Western NC area.

Its beer card is split mostly between Belgian and American styles. Keeping that card full means the 2-barrel brewhouse stays busy filling its 16 barrels of fermentation space. Brewers Joey Cagle’s  and Mike Vanhoose’s focus on fresh local ingredients shows through in their beer.
At the festival, their Creeper Double IPA really stood out with its Pacific Jade and Citra hopping and dry style that let the malt and hops shine. Their Ginger Wheat was as good a spiced wheat ale as you are going to find. It’s made with local Riverbend Malt and organic ginger.

BearWaters Brewing Company

BearWaters Brewing Co.
Kevin Sandefur, on right, is the brewer/owner of the little gem known as BearWaters Brewing Company. The company brewpub has been serving up its beers at Waynesville, NC, since May 2012.

If you are a paddler, BearWaters Brewing Company has your beer. If you aren’t a paddler, no worry, Bearwaters has your beer.

While many of its beers are named after mountain white water themes, the beer surely has a universal appeal. The brewery says its beer is crafted from English tradition blended with American imagination. We think that’s winning combination.

One taste of Sunburst Blood Orange Saison lets you know BearWaters is a brewery to be reckoned with. Owner/brewer Kevin Sandefur has no qualms jumping out and putting a new twist on a beer brewed with his 15 barrel system.

BearWaters is active in the local brewing community. Not shy about collaborations, they partner with other area breweries, such as Nantahala and Asheville, to offer even more variety to their extensive lineup. Several of their beers are available in bottles too.

Boojum Brewing Company

Boojum Brewing Co.
Boojum Brewing Company is the fourth craft brewery to open in Waynesville, NC. The coalescing of several craft breweries in a small area spurs both cooperation and competition. Everyone is the better for it. Better put Waynesville on your craft beer itinerary.

Another Waynesville, NC, brewery that impressed us was Boojum Brewing Company. Opening just a month ago, it is new, bold, and refreshing.

You won’t find a shortage of flavor in Boojum beverages. They make their 15-barrel brewing system sing while brewing up a whole slew of tasty selections for their pub.

No light tasting beers here. No, the beer they offered at Winter Warmer was rich and delicious. Even their Light Brown Ale had plenty of flavor—much more than many breweries put in a 4.5% a.b.v. beer. The Blueberry Coffee Porter, that sounded a bit strange, tasted great. Comments heard around the festival (including mine) said the Chocolate Milk Stout was stellar.

 Old favorites still going strong

Lookout Brewing Co.
John Garcia (on right) and the guys from Lookout Brewing Company brought their excellent Beer-BQ Smoked Red Ale. Craft beer enthusiasts also need to try their Handpicked Honeysuckle Wheat Ale and Sour Black Cherry Pale Ale. This is a little 3-barrel brewery that does not disappoint. They are located in Black Mountain, NC
Southern Appalachian Brewery
Kelly Cubbin (right) and her team from Southern Appalachian Brewery in Hendersonville, NC, are not afraid to experiment. Their Wild Wheat and Barrel-aged Raspberry Belgian ales were so, so much fun.
Heinzelmannchen Brewery
Heinzelmännchen Brewery of Sylva, NC, was established a decade ago but retains its super zest for brewing. Brewer Dieter Kuhn (at left) continues to make beautifully clean, fresh tasting brews. His Altbier-inspired styles are extremely food friendly too.
WinterWarmer-09
It wouldn’t be a legitimate beer festival without a wide array of characters and beer fans. Winter Warmer offered these as well.

Brewery Links

  1. Swamp Rabbit Brewery
  2. Blue Mountain Pizza and Brew Pub
  3. Satulah Mountain Brewing Company
  4. Boojum Brewing Company
  5. BearWaters Brewing Company
  6. Heinzelmaanchen Brewery
  7. Southern Appalachian Brewery
  8. Lookout Brewing Company

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One comment on “Small breweries shine at NC winter festival

Thanks for the great post on our brewery! We appreciate the love!!
Cheers to you guys.

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