As implicitly awesome as Asheville, N.C., already is, it’s about to get way awesomer. The beautiful North Carolina burg has become a mecca for craft beer. On top of its amazing local scene, it will be the East Coast hub for West Coast brands like New Belgium Brewing Co. and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
In December, we leaked out reports that New Belgium was starting to do test batches at its newly, mostly constructed Asheville brewery and Liquid Center (a tasting room/ultimate beer destination). We recall steam wafting from the massive riverfront brewery as a test batch of Fat Tire Amber Ale was started. Now, starting in May, beer fans can kick back along the French Broad River and sip a beer in New Belgium’s sparkling new venue.
On May 2, the doors swing open at 21 Craven Street, and the public will be able to taste locally brewed New Belgium beers for the first time. Tasting room hours will be Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday noon to 8 p.m. Public brewery tours will start this summer.
“It feels like home,” said Tyler Foos, Asheville Liquid Center manager. “When you visit, you’ll recognize us by the New Belgium beer quality and warmth you’ve come to know and love from our coworkers. And, by partnering up with neighboring artists to reuse materials from this site, we’ve added some awesome Asheville charm and history.”
The 6,000-sq-ft riverside taproom is clad in local artist-made bars, tables and chairs crafted from nearly 14 linear miles of repurposed wood salvaged from the stockyard formerly onsite. A cantilevered deck sits above the new greenway and French Broad River, local food trucks will be on site, and an event lawn will be in place later this summer to host bike-in movies and general outdoor fun.
Known for its sustainable business practices, the Fort Collins, Colo., brewery purchased the 18-acre urban brownfield property as a targeted, sustainable, urban in-fill development strategy. The East Coast locale minimizes the company’s national distribution footprint as it reaches remaining East Coast states and enables it to engage with guests in a meaningful way through tastings and award-winning tours. If you want to learn more about the site, watch the video below.
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