The route was an easy one, from West Knox to Downtown Asheville. I booked a room on Expedia for a pretty decent price. Granted, it's not the Ritz, but for a place downtown and walking distance from a bunch of bars it's pretty hard to beat. And honestly, with the amount of alcohol being consumed it doesn't really need to be the nicest place on Earth. I will admit, one of the deciding factors in picking the hotel was the fact that it's across the street from the Thirsty Monk Pub.
We got an early start out of Knoxville on Wednesday morning and had a decent drive over to Asheville. We checked in at the hotel and headed out to grab a bite and see some breweries.
One thing I have learned over the years: always eat before you start drinking. Since we planned to drink quite a bit over the course of the day (and the trip in general), I decided a decently sized lunch was a good place to start.
After lunch, we hit the hotel. Not too bad, but nothing amazing. I'd stay there again, but not if I was looking to impress. Otherwise, it's a good place to crash if you're drinking. Location wise, it was a great choice. We were a block away from Thirsty Monk and Jack of the Wood Pub.
Highland Brewing: Asheville's first brewery, and the one with the best distribution at the time of this writing. We got there in time (luckily) to make the tour. The tour is free, and you get free samples, so I highly recommend it. Highland has expanded quite a bit in recent years, and the tasting room is pretty impressive. The brewery itself is pretty damn big, and their production has moved it officially out of the category of Microbrewery. Multiple 200bbl fermenters take up some serious room.
Cool notes: getting to meet the owner, a very kind and personable fellow. We also got to learn about Highland's home-brewing competition (of which we got to see the winner fermenting). The other nifty thing - a moonshine/whiskey distiller has taken up shop next door to Highland. They open on Labor Day 2011, and you'll be able to get some free shots once they get open. Troy and Son's was the name. High marks were given by the Highland tour guide.
Beers Sampled: St. Terese's Pale Ale, Gaelic Ale, Oatmeal Porter, Black Mocha Stout, Kashmir IPA
French Broad Brewing: We headed to French Broad next since we were more or less in the area. Road construction along the route made getting there a bit of a chore, and we eventually had to climb across some train tracks. Once in, we found cheap pints as well as growler fills. I went for a Wee Heavy-er while Sarah got a Rye Hopper, and Dave snagged a sampler flight. I miss the Wee Heavy, as it was my drink of choice for years till TN quit allowing it into the state. We left after that, as the inside temp wasn't particularly pleasant.
Beers: Wee Heavy-er, Rye Hopper
Thirsty Monk at Gerber Village:
The southern outpost of the Monk. We decided to hit it up cause they had Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout on draft. The location is pretty easy to find and has a nice patio. They're working on a brewery, but as of the time of this writing, the first batch is sitting in the fermenters. The really cool thing about the Monk comes in the ordering. Killer selection, and you can order flights of any 4 and even half glasses. Some super beers to be had. I'd highly recommend hitting this place if you're in the area.
Beers sampled: Great Divide Belgian Yeti, St. Bernardus Abt 12, Victory Golden Monkey, Southern Tier Creme Brulee Milk Stout, Sprecher Black Bavarian, Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, RJ Rocker Son of a Peach, Abita Triple Haze, Founders Dirty Bastard, Fuller's London Pride
From there we headed post-haste back to the hotel to drop the car off and then head over to Jack of the Wood. They have super tasty food, and we (of course), snagged some more beer. Nice Irish music type jam session to be listened to as well.
Beer: Stone Imperial Black IPA.
The Thirsty Monk:
This place is rated one of the best beer bars in the US. I heard about it several years ago, and have been admiring it from afar ever since. Over time, they've gotten more and more acclaim in the beer world. Their frequent email/twitter/facebook posts have only served to wet my appetite so to speak. I have to say I was impressed by the setup although not as happy with the temp. The front awning was open, which made for one fairly hot room to drink in. Dave and I snagged more flights, while Sarah went for a glass of Dogfish Head/Sierra Nevada Life and Limb. I made it about halfway through my flight, and the heat started to make me feel fairly crappy. Went downstairs and snagged a Great Divide Grand Cru which was rather tasty - although I couldn't have finished it without Dave and Sarah's assistance. Next time around I think I'd just hang out downstairs in the cooler Belgian bar. Regardless, when we left for the night we were all fairly inebriated.
Beers sampled: Great Divide Grand Cru, Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head Life and Limb, Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Smuttynose Wheat Wine, Heavy Seas Davy Jones Lager, Brooklyn Brewing The Concoction, Coney Island Sword Swallower, Great Divide Smoked Baltic Porter, Southern Tier Phin & Matts Extraordinary Ale
One of the top 5 beer stores in the world. For me, this place is a financial nightmare. I could easily spend an insane amount of cash here without even batting an eye.
We got up Thursday, snagged some breakfast, and then headed over. I have to say, I was impressed as well. Beer all over the place, nice and organized. Great selection, and the owner was incredibly cool and knowledgeable. I was a good boy, and restricted my selections to a few hard to find beers. Dave and Sarah came out with enough beer to water a small country ;)
Oh, they ship!
Beers purchased: De Struise (Outblack, Tsjeeses, and Pannepot), Avery The Reverend, Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter (for my buddy Dan, who watched my dog while I was gone, and a Victory Storm King.
All things being equal, one helluva fun trip. I'll definitely do it again when I get the chance!
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