Capital at Play September 2019

Kelley, Melissas, & Bullman Craftpeak p.16

Chris Bower & Rett Murphy Eda Rhyne p.76

Western North Carolina's Free Spirit of Enterprise colu m ns

Is The IPA Still

King? p.36

Wine Column: Restaurants Worth a Second Look p.72

lo c a l i n d u s t ry

Alcohol Evolution Our Annual Western North Carolina Alcohol Report

p.36

Volume IX - Edition IX complimentary edition

capitalatplay.com

September 2019

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elcome to our fifth annual State of the Western North Carolina Alcohol Industry issue. Each September, going back to 2015, we have focused our lens specifically on what has been taking place within that business sector, generally attempting to take its pulse and check its reflexes, determine what some of the developments have been since the patient’s previous office visit, and make an informed guess or two as to what area residents might reasonably expect to transpire over the course of the next 12 months.

In my September 2016 editor’s letter, for example, I wrote the following: “Ten or more years ago, it was not uncommon to open up a local newspaper in Western North Carolina, turn to the Letters to the Editor section, and spot yet another reader bemoaning the burgeoning booze obsession that seemed to be gripping, with ever-tightening tentacles, the area. Alcohol—in all its variants, be it beer, wine, spirits, or hard cider—apparently was still viewed by a small but vocal segment of the population as ye olde demon rum...

“What a difference a decade makes. There continues to be a profound expansion of activity related to the production of alcoholic beverages, activity for which craft beer breweries, as one might expect, play a key part.”

Then came September 2017, for which my monthly missive was equally optimistic: “Certainly, myriad changes have taken place in the regional alcohol industry during the past year—from the arrival of new breweries, wineries, cideries, and distilleries, and the steady expansion of existing businesses; to the purchase of one of the more successful local craft breweries by the largest beer corporation in the world; and to the passage by the North Carolina legislature of the so-called “Brunch Bill” that relaxes a number of restrictions upon the sale of alcohol. But one (or two) things have remained constant: A lot of people owe their livelihoods to the alcohol industry.”

Last year, mindful of the temptation to simply take a swing at a “well, things continue to be progressing”-type editorial, I drilled down a little into the specifics of our steadily-growing hard cider community, ultimately declaring, of the regional “apple-tree-to-barstool” scene’s contribution: “You probably have at least a sense of the regional economic chain that is set into motion before the first glass of cider has even been poured. And I haven’t even mentioned the number of employees it takes to operate and maintain a cidery’s equipment and its tasting room. Multiply all this by the number of breweries, wineries, cideries, and distilleries (don’t forget the neighborhood bars, either), and you’re looking at huge and intricate economic engine that our alcohol industry represents.”

Now it’s September 2019, and rather than draw overview-style conclusions from this year’s issue—we do indeed have quite a bit of fresh information to present for you, including some interesting new drinking alternatives/options/ activities, and some major changes to our existing alcohol laws and regulations—I would just like to say… hey, thanks for sticking with us and paying attention this past half-decade! Everyone here at the office gets a big kick of our annual beer ‘n’ booze blowout, so I hope you continue to do so as well.

Fred Mills

| September 2019

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com

5

Western North Carolina's Free Spirit of Enterprise

publisher

Oby Morgan associate publisher

Jeffrey Green managing editor

A trusted partner in philanthropy since 1978. w w w.cf wn c.o rg

contributing writers & photogr aphers

Evan Anderson, Jennifer Fitzgerald, Anthony Harden, John Kerr, Bill Kopp, Jim Murphy, Shawndra Russell, Matt Vaughan art director

Fred Mills

Bonnie Roberson

briefs and events editor

cre ative associate

Leslee Kulba

Phill Baldwin

copy editors

newsletter editor

Dasha O. Morgan, Brenda Murphy

Emily Glaser

Information & Inquiries Capital at Play is Western North Carolina’s business lifestyle magazine. It embodies the idea that capitalism thrives with creativity—that work requires an element of play. Exploring everything from local industry to the great outdoors, Capital at Play is inspiration for the modern entrepreneur.

In every edition we profile those who take the risk, those who share that risk, and those who support them—telling the untold story of how capitalists are driven by their ideas and passions.

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Capital at Play is a trademark of Capital At Play, Inc. Published by Capital At Play, Inc. PO Box 5615, Asheville, NC. 28813

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| September 2019

Capital at Play is protec ted through Tr ademar k Regis tr ation in the United States. The content found within this publication does not necessar ily ref lec t the views of Capital At Play, Inc. and its companies. Capital At Play, Inc. and its employees are not liable for any adver tising or editor ial content found in Capital at Play. The ar ticles, photogr aphy, and illus tr ations found in Capital at Play may not be reproduced or used in any fashion without express wr it ten consent by Capital At Play, Inc.

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Capital at Play has partnered with Bclip Productions to bring the pages of each edition to life, just for you. Featured at Capitalatplay.com and our Facebook page, we give you exclusive interviews and insider info on the people, places, and faces of Capital at Play has partnered with Bclip Productions to bring the pages of each edition to life, just for you. Featuring a new enterprise throughout Western North Carolina. Visit us on social media or at our website to see the latest 60 Seconds at Play.

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F E AT U R E D vol. ix

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16

76

REACHING A PEAK

FARMING & FORAGING TO FASHION A FERNET

JOHN KELLEY, JULIEN MELISSAS, & COREY BULLMAN

CHRIS BOWER & RETT MURPHY

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com

9

C ON T E N T S s e p t e m b e r 2 019

photo by Jill Schwarzkopf cour tesy Chemist Distiller y

36

lo c a l i n d u s t r y

An Alcohol Evolution Our Annual Western North Carolina Alcohol Report (plus our annual list and map of area alcohol producers)

insight

60 Drinkcations in

l e i s u r e & l i b at i o n

Western North Carolina

colu m n

12 K ing of Brews

28 Is The IPA Still King?

14 D rinkin’ & Readin’

72 Restaurants Worth

Bryce Bjornson of Jack’s 47 Mobile Bar Services

Shining: Ole Smoky Moonshine Family Cookbook Tar Heel Lightnin’: How Secret Stills and Fast Cars Made North Carolina the Moonshine Capital of the World

the cover :

Stills at the Chemist Distiller y, photo by Chelsea Lane Photography Courtesy The Chemist

10

| September 2019

Written by Matt Vaughan

a Second Look

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September 2019 | capitalatplay.com

11

nsight

photos on this page by John Branch IV Photography cour tesy Jack’s 47

King OF Brews In which we talk with Bryce Bjornson, of Asheville-based Jack’s 47 Mobile Bar Services.

E

ver been to a wedding that was ultimately rendered somewhat lessthan-special thanks to someone’s general disregard for how to put together a memorable day? Asheville’s Bryce Bjornson apparently had, so he set out to address the issue by starting Jack’s 47 this past May, a motor-vatin’ mobile bar service that literally rolls up beside your event, and summarily lets the good times—and beverages—flow.

As one enthusiastic newlywed’s testimonial at the Jack’s 47 website (Jacks47.com) described her experience, “This was something cool for us and guests to pose in front of for pictures. [It was] a unique bartending experience, and you will not regret getting a cocktail, beer, or wine from a vintage mobile bar!”

CAPITAL AT PLAY: WHAT GAVE YOU THE IDEA TO INTRODUCE A mobile bar concept to the Western North Carolina wedding scene?

Bryce Bjornson: The first few months of living in Asheville [Bjornson moved here a couple of years ago] involved a stint at an up-and-coming brewery, but the lack of control and involvement in the overall vision left me unfulfilled. I bartended at a couple different breweries for a bit, but ended up with my only gig as serving pizza at a local joint. It felt like rock bottom. Years ago, someone had approached me about using Jack—that’s the name of our family truck—for photo shoots in weddings. At the time, it was my only vehicle, and I rejected his proposal. But at this point in my life I was willing to do almost anything to pay rent and get ahead, so I approached a local wedding venue to discuss possibilities of renting the truck to their clients. The lady at the desk suggested that couples might want to put flowers in the back of the truck, or maybe even a bar. Bingo!

It couldn’t be that hard, building a bar, right? So, the journey began. I bought a table saw, salvaged some old lumber, and went to work.

CAP: SO, HOW DID YOU TURN THE WHOLE TRUCK THING INTO A viable business?

Bjornson: I knew absolutely nothing about the wedding industry! I picked up some business books; phone calls and e-mails went out to local planners and venues. Most wedding planners weren’t interested or responsive, so I switched gears and started reaching out to venues that could possibly benefit from offering my service to their couples.

This strategy worked.

Although the wedding market is fairly large and continuing to grow, the demand for a mobile bar is limited. Many wedding venues have contracts with bar service companies, in-house staff, etc. However, there are still many venues that remain bare-bones and focus on renting out their space rather than trying to be a one-stop shop. So, we want our clients to experience a successful event with the least amount of worry or stress. These packages include tastings to help build a bar menu, estimates on beer/wine/liquor spend, and everything needed the day of the event: bartenders, cups, ice, etc.

12

| September 2019

photo by Jenni Chandler Photography/ cour tesy Jack’s 47

CAP: THE OBVIOUS QUESTION BECOMES, THEN— what do you feel makes your approach truly unique?

Bjornson: Our draft system can handle any type of drink, from local beer to hard cider, ginger beer, and even Prosecco. I thought, why not do signature cocktails on draft? By focusing on one or two drinks, we drastically reduce waste by not carrying the typical spirits and mixers. In a brick-and-mortar bar business, you wouldn’t want to have a cocktail on draft sitting for weeks at a time, but at a wedding or special event, that keg will be emptied within a few hours. One of the big benefits is that the line at the bar can’t get too long because the cocktails are on draft and quick to dispense.

The truck itself is also quite the photo backdrop, and couples have taken some really nice pictures inside, on, or next to our ‘47 Dodge.

CAP: MAJOR MILESTONES TO DATE? GREATEST HURDLES? And maybe it’s too soon to ask this, but what’s on the horizon?

Bjornson: I was really excited to book my 20th event this spring. We have [already] booked 48 events since we began in the summer. I would also count the purchase of our second truck as significant, since it forced me to build systems and rely on others to perform in my place.

Hurdles? Getting the word out. Acquiring clients.

Understanding how the wedding industry works. Being creative enough to build my own niche. In the beginning, I did everything myself. I drove the truck to the venue, tended the bar, cleaned my draft system, polished the trucks, and even picked up the kegs. It was a good job for a bartender, but exactly that, a job; I’m trying to build a business. An entity that is sustainable for the long term, not just a fun gig for a few years.

Our intention is to expand into additional markets—our third truck just landed in Los Angeles, and I’m very interested in Charleston and Austin, given their extended season of outdoor weddings. And I would love to open a brick-and-mortar bar in each one of our major markets that embodies the values of Jack’s 47. A refined, rustic Americana aesthetic combined with friendly service—and tasty beverages on draft!

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com

13

insight

insight

Drinkin’ & Readin’ With the recent arrival of a pair of books that dovetail nicely into this issue’s alcohol theme, let’s pour a glass, and settle in…

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14

| September 2019

T

ar Heel Lightnin’: How Secret Stills and Fast Cars Made North Carolina the Moonshine Capital of the World (University of North Carolina Press, 328pp) is by UNC-Asheville history professor Daniel S. Pierce, who previously authored 2010’s Real NASCAR. The subtitle is instructive, as anyone even remotely aware of our region’s long, storied, and colorful history of moonshine will attest—think, legendary local bootlegger Popcorn Sutton, or Robert Mitchum in the 1958 cars/booze/revenuers flick Thunder Road, filmed around here. And Pierce’s book is a crucial read, rich in both historical detail and folklore, dotted with compelling photos and century-old graphics, and featuring extended looks at everyone from Sutton, Polk County bootlegger Betty Sims, and The Andy Griffith Show, to contemporary (and legal) locals like Troy & Sons’ Troy Ball and Howling Moon Distillery’s Cody Bradford.

Pierce had grown up in the Asheville area (“in the most teetotaling household imaginable,” he notes, as the son of a Southern Baptist pastor), attended Western Carolina University, and after marrying and moving around a bit, landed back in Asheville. He says that researching his NASCAR book was what sparked his interest in the world of moonshine.

“The stories are just so fascinating,” says Pierce, “and I am particularly interested in looking at how people from modest backgrounds find ways to triumph and succeed against the odds.” He adds that he also wanted to shine a light on the women, African Americans, and Native Americans involved.

“We have this stereotype of moonshiners as white, bearded, overall-wearing, gap-toothed mountaineers, but they were from practically every demographic and every section of the state. Moonshine was everywhere in North Carolina and, like barbecue, transcended race and class to connect a huge portion of the population.”

Regarding North Carolina’s “moonshine capital” status, Pierce points out that the state “was at, or near, the top of numbers of stills destroyed and arrests by the federal Alcohol Tax Unit (later ATTU, and still later ATF) from the 1860s through the 1960s. The Baptist and Methodist prohibitionists in the state helped to cement this status as the state went dry in 1909, and [there were] many dry counties after Prohibition,

photos below cour tesy Ole Smoky

photo by Robin Parrish

which made making moonshine a very profitable enterprise in this state.”

Here in 2019, of course, the “legal moonshine” business is booming (“a way for folks to get a taste of something that was once forbidden”), although, according to Pierce, clandestine still culture maintains its allure, its aficionados typically making tiny batches on stovetop stills. “It's probably pretty bad,” cautions Pierce. “I do warn folks that you really don’t know what’s gone into the illegal stuff. And while chances of getting caught are relatively low, making any amount is illegal and can get you in a heap of trouble.” *** Shining: Ole Smoky Moonshine Family Cookbook (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 160pp) is by Jessi Baker, a Biltmore Forest homeowner, and her book is partly a history of moonshining in Appalachia, and partly a memoir of growing up in nearby Gatlinburg, where she married high-school sweetheart Joe Baker and where she and Joe would co-found Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine Distillery not long after the Tennessee legislature’s 2009 decision to legalize the making, distilling, and selling of moonshine.

Shining, though, is primarily a cookbook containing scores of family cocktail recipes and snacking/dining recipes, many of which contain varying amounts of Ole Smoky, like the Moonshine Chili, the Tennessee Whiskey Burger, the Spaghetti With Moonshine Tomato Sauce, and, of course, the Hangover French Toast.

“I’m proud to call myself a moonshiner, especially in the kitchen,” says Jessi. “Food is my love language, and when Joe and I started Ole Smoky years ago, my initial job was in retail and moonshine food items. This book aims to take that concept a step further.

“I’ve always felt food and moonshine go well together, and we initially played with this by creating our lines of flavored moonshines such as Apple Pie, Blackberry, Sweet Tea, and Lemon Drop Moonshine. And since then, I’ve embraced

the many ways moonshine could spice up everything from canning pickles and okra, to making cupcakes and cobblers a little bit naughty. I’d say some of my favorite recipes are the Moonshine Chili with real corn bread—the masa flour complements the flavor of the corn whiskey, and both help make the chili more hearty—Shine Nog (many of my Asheville friends have tried this at our annual cookie party), Hangover French Toast with candied bacon, and Chocolate Covered Moonshine Cherries.”

“Moonshine was everywhere in North Carolina and, like barbecue, transcended race and class to connect a huge portion of the population.”

With its three distilleries, Ole Smoky has been enjoying double-digit growth for a number of years, and with a record 4.1 million visitors in 2018, it’s become the mostvisited distillery in the world, topping annual attendance at Kentucky’s famed Bourbon Trail network as well as all of Scotland’s distilleries combined. And this summer the Bakers teamed up with Yee-Haw Brewing to open a fourth location in Nashville that boasts on-site distillery and brewery, a concert stage, and a menu powered by Asheville’s own White Duck Taco and Nashville’s famed Prince’s Hot Chicken.

“Since our high school days in Gatlinburg, we have celebrated our Appalachian roots,” reflects Baker. “The roots of moonshining can be traced back to our Scots-Irish ancestors who first settled here in the Smoky Mountains during the latter half of the 1700s. The craft of distilling spirits evolved from generations of making whiskey in Ireland and Scotland. Today, the tried-and-true traditions of those early mountain settlers live on.”

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com

15

Reaching

A Peak

written by jim murphy

|

photos by anthony harden

The craft brewing industry is no longer in its toddler stage. The digital solutions company Craftpeak aims to help guide that industry towards adulthood.

16

| September 2019

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com

17

Want a beer? Log on.

A

n Asheville company can turn your computer into a concierge of brew, telling you what beers you might like and where you can find them. The company is called Craftpeak, and it functions in a unique niche: It works exclusively—exclusively—with craft breweries.

“There are 72 hundred breweries in the United States,” says Craftpeak CEO, John Kelley. He explained the rationale of concentrating in such a specialized niche. “One of the coolest things for us is that there are so many opportunities—because this is a growing market.”

In less than three years, Craftpeak has established a roster of more than 70 clients across the United States and in Great Britain. Their geographic scope illustrates the limitless nature of the digital world. Craftpeak works in cyberspace, and John sells in cyberspace; the world is their market. And that remote element of the business has another, more immediate, application: John and his two partners all work from their homes.

The trio—John refers to them as a “three-legged stool”—each brings a different specialty to the mix. As CEO, John is the main salesman and the idea man. Indeed, it was his idea to launch a beer-centered digital firm. Julien Melissas does the nuts-and-bolts construction of websites, and Corey Bullman designs the finished product. Their contributions overlap, but in general terms, Julien makes it run, and Corey makes it pretty.

The collaboration dates back to 2012 when John was working for a company that needed a more sophisticated web presence.

They interviewed several candidates for the project, and John says the choice was easy: “Julien and Corey stood out.” Julien “was a 19-year-old kid, and even at that young age he was one of the most brilliant developers I’d ever seen,” John says. “Corey is an extremely creative designer who also knows how to build a site. So, these guys were the perfect team to help us with our development problem.”

It wasn’t until two years later that the brewery angle began to germinate. Wicked Weed approached John to build a website, and he enlisted Julien and Corey. “I looked at what they were doing with Wicked Weed and I said, ‘You know, the custom tools that you’re building into this site are the same thing that every other brewer is going to need. Let’s build this thing into a multi-site product, let’s introduce ourselves to our favorite breweries, and let’s go take a shot at it.’”

Corey recalls that they met in a coffee shop, where John made the pitch to work exclusively with breweries. “I was into it from the first conversation,” he says, noting that both he and Julien “were already in the mindset of looking for a change and didn’t know what it was. It took someone like John to come in with a fresh perspective.”

Julien’s initial reaction was a bit less enthusiastic. “I was originally opposed to the idea, not because I had any objection to doing beer, but because I love working on different things. I 18

| September 2019

love building something new. But then, the more I was on sales calls, the more I realized that we’re uniquely qualified to do what we do because of the knowledge of our team.”

Each of the partners brings different experience and skills to their joint endeavor, and each of them is equally different in their personal lives.

John started out with an engineering degree from Ohio State and worked for a while with a consulting firm. He soon tired of the suit-and-tie routine, and his inner entrepreneur began calling. He made his way to Florida, where he became involved in real-estate development, and eventually a project brought him to Western North Carolina.

“I came here to develop 45 acres at the Wolf Ridge ski resort in Mars Hill. I was managing partner for my company. We put in a private air strip and were building a mountaintop community.” The project ran into trouble, and before it could recover, the 2008 financial collapse took down his company.

John looks back at a rough patch in his career. Through a benevolent connection, he found a job with a cabinet company in Hendersonville, where he says he did everything from sweep the floors to build the company’s digital presence. In 2009 he moved back to Asheville, where he helped start another technology

CRAFTPEAK HAS no physical office, so they can choose to work anywhere, or at any bar...

COREY & JOHN discussing design on a particular site.

company called Galaxy Digital. “The company,” he says, “built an online solution for nonprofits to manage their volunteers.”

Galaxy Digital quickly took off, presenting John with a pleasant dilemma: “We had 100,000 users, and we had to figure out how to make the platform mobile responsive without disrupting the user experience. We went looking for designers and developers. We interviewed a lot of guys, and finally found Julien and Corey.”

*** John and his wife, Julie, live in a vintage Montford home, where a front room serves as his office, his gym, and a space to relax. A comfortable couch wraps around one corner opposite his desk, which sits next to a stationary bike across from a clutter of hand weights.

“I belong to a gym,” he says, “but if I want to loosen up before a bike ride or do a short workout, I use this.” The bike ride is a staple of John’s recreation. He and Julie ride the local mountains regularly, and he has a kind of “bike shop” behind the house, where he builds and repairs bikes for friends. A small bicycle sculpture sits on a shelf above his desk, and a bicycle poster covers a nearby wall.

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 19

JOHN KELLEY

COREY BULLMAN

At age 26, Julien Melissas’ history is much shorter, but no less dramatic than John’s. He displayed the traits of a digital prodigy in high school. “I was definitely a geek,” he says. One of his teachers recognized his potential and recommended him for a job with a programmer.

“She asked me if I wanted to hook up with this guy who could teach me how to build a website, and I just went gangbusters on it. That’s why I didn’t go to college, because I was offered a decent job. I just never saw myself as being a Google or IBM employee. Because of the ladder climbing you have to go through in a tech company like that, it’s toxic. I didn’t want to be in that.”

Julien thrives in an atmosphere where he can work on his own. “I’m not a very good employee,” he says, preferring to work through the night and early morning hours when he’s programming a website. His “office” is a room in the house he shares with his girlfriend, two cats, and a dog named Wilbur who smothers visitors in energetic displays of canine affection.

A couple of guitars stand in a corner, while his two-level stand-up work surface—it’s not really a desk—is crowded with his keyboard, monitor, laptop showing his music library, and iPad with his “to-do” list. A map of United States breweries is tacked to the wall. A completed Rubik’s Cube, each surface showing a single color, completes his work space. The Rubik’s 20

| September 2019

Cube is “something I do during meetings. It’s muscle memory,” he says.

It’s not a stretch to say Julien’s technological aptitude is in his genes. “My great-grandfather helped invent the bazooka.

He was part of the teams that invented Doppler radar and the radon detector. My grandpa, his son, was a programmer for Apple. He’s a little weird. Some programmers are hard to talk to; my grandpa talks to programmers all day.”

And Julien’s path to beer websites was all but preordained.

“My dad’s a brewmaster at the Wedge. I grew up around beer since I was eight, and Dad started home-brewing.”

When he’s not programming a brewery website, Julien is likely in the kitchen, cooking up an exotic recipe. “I cook all the time,” he says, and allows that someday he might like to work in the kitchen of a restaurant. He’s also an avid off-road motorcyclist. He is happy to show a helmet cam video he took cruising along a remote trail in Tennessee.

Corey Bullman came to the partnership with a third distinct background. Whereas John went to Ohio State, and Julien skipped college, Corey attended no fewer than three colleges.

He attended UNC-Asheville for two years until he “got more involved in music—I went to the Atlanta Institute of Music.” He soon found work playing guitar, bass, lap steel guitar, and keyboards. “I fronted bands, playing in that happy place between

YVONNE MCKENNA

rock ‘n’ roll and soul. I had a pretty steady gig with a touring band playing top 40 covers. We kept busy, playing four hours a night, five nights a week.”

Corey played on the road for about five years, returning to Asheville on many weekends to teach guitar. Meanwhile, he was also developing an interest in computers.

“Musicians have tons of time on the road,” he says. “I usually had a book and my computer with me, and pretty soon I started to dabble in code.” He found ample opportunity to practice his new skills. “Whenever somebody needed a poster, a CD cover, or website, I’d put it together for them. It eventually got to the point where I was ready for a change from touring. I came home and enrolled at A-B Tech in their digital media design program.”

When he completed the program, he got a job as the online content director for Asheville’s Clear Channel radio. “I was doing content for five Clear-Channel stations,” he says. He wanted to go out on his own, but says that while he felt relatively confident, he “wasn’t confident enough to go out and start charging people.”

That’s when, by chance, he met Julien, and they eventually became partners: “We’ve been a good pair since Day One.” In 2009 Corey was fronting his own band, called Fifth House, when one night he filled in for the lead guitarist in Leigh Glass’ band, the Hazards. Soon Corey and Leigh were writing songs together, and their collaboration led them in two directions:

JULIEN MELISSAS

They created a new band, Devils in Dust, which is the two of them plus a drummer, and play a combination of rock ‘n’ roll, Americana, country, and blues. They produced an album, also called Devils in Dust, but with the growth of Craftpeak, Corey has had less time for music.

And that other direction that grew out of their collaboration?

Corey and Leigh got married, and now they live in Fairview with a Great Dane named Ava and a house full of guitars.

*** The three Craftpeak partners launched their business in 2015, and their first challenge was to find some clients. “We didn’t know it was going to work,” John admits, “but everybody was excited enough to give it a try.”

John’s recollection of the company’s early days could be a chapter in a textbook about startups.

“Our biggest challenge was proving to brewers that they needed a digital presence,” he says. “You think about the classic brewer story. A home brewer did it as a passion, he opened a tap room, his taproom became successful, and then, he says, ‘I’ve got this thriving brewery around me, what do we do next?’ He decides to open a production facility and starts to distribute.

Having a website wasn’t part of his plan.”

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com

21

John tried to convince brewers that they needed better business tools; they needed to evaluate their goals and strategies.

“Part of our bet getting into this was that there are a lot of breweries out there, they’re going to need to differentiate, they’re going to need business tools that are built for the specific needs of breweries.” He began to make sales.

Corey recalls the early challenges, saying, “The nuances of the industry were so different than we anticipated. Our biggest challenge was gaining trust with clients. Our strong suit was being so specialized.” That quality became a bigger factor as they began to grow.

“When we talk to a new brewery now, we’ll be the only specialist,” he says. “We can back up our story with our track

“Our goal is that we develop the technology that allows them to easily create the content. We are the web experts, so we’re working with clients on a regular basis to support them in a technological capacity.” record of working with other clients. We now have clients coming to us and saying, ‘Give us your best advice.’”

But there was another complication that remains even now.

“There’s a lot of free website options out there, and that’s still a hurdle we have to get through.” John says competition is fierce, from general-interest web development companies to “the brewer’s brother-in-law who will do the job for a couple of beers.”

Once they’re working with a client, they have to make sure the client knows how to use their technology.

“The time we spend with a client depends on that client,” John explains. “Our goal is that we develop the technology that allows them to easily create the content. We are the web experts, so we’re working with clients on a regular basis to support them in a technological capacity.”

He adds that another continuing challenge is in trying to measure results.

“We send out weekly reports to all our customers that show everything that’s happening on the Google analytic side, but the difficulty of measuring response is ultimately the biggest challenge. We know there’s a relationship there, but how do you measure that relationship? Nobody has figured out return on investment.”

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| September 2019

A VIRTUAL BARTENDER via Craftpeak can help find the right beer for you.

In addition to building functioning and attractive websites, Craftpeak has developed some interactive features to help the consumer identify what beers they may prefer and where to find them.

Their “virtual bartender” lists all the beers available from the host brewer, and adds a series of graphic beer glasses, some of them empty, others filled to various levels. Each is labeled with a taste characteristic: hops, sharp, malts, fruity, sour.

John describes it as “basically a catalog of all the beers a brewery has ever made.

But it’s more than just a list. People want to explore beers. If you have a database with all the characteristics and attributes of those beers, now what you can do is filter and sort by flavor preferences to find the beers that you like.”

Once the consumer has decided what beer they want, they can turn to the Beer Finder. Next key in their address and beer preference, and the Beer Finder will display a map of the local area showing the outlets that carry that particular flavor.

Craftpeak websites also let the consumer filter through different brewery events.

“A brewery might have trivia night a couple of nights a week. Then they might have a music event only once a month. They might be doing a big collaboration with another brewery that happens less frequently. Maybe they’re doing a big festival. Listing all these on a calendar, it’s beginning to get really cluttered so we decided to create an interactive way to help the customer sort through the events.”

*** It is Julien’s job to turn those ideas into functioning computer pages. In his home office, he pointed to a monitor that displayed 16 lines of color-coded gibberish, which he explained are the tools of his craft.

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 23

“These lines are all files,” he says. “I probably have over half a million files, easily, and I’ve probably spent a little bit of time in all of them. Cars have less parts than this.”

The lines on the screen begin with the letters, ILAB, and they continue with notes like AWS -S3 access key. Or ILAB - Media.

Warming to the challenge of educating a technophobe, Julien expanded on the meaning of the lines and the cyber mechanics of the web for me.

“Our platform holds a common code base that powers all our websites. I’ve built an engine that fits all those 70 websites. And I built it to empower our users, so they can add something or make changes to their website, but we limit the scope of what they can screw up.”

As he talked, he was absently switching screens to different displays of encoded data. In a casual aside, he offered a revealing insight into the complexity of his task. “I like to focus on one screen, but I might have half a million windows open.” Half a million windows.

“We also have backups. I had to come up with a disaster recovery plan. What happens if all of our stuff goes down because the East Coast has a flood or a hurricane where our stuff is saved? I’ve got to have a plan to put it somewhere else.”

When they’re building a website, Julien says he and Corey talk 20 to 30 times a day. They use an online communications 24

| September 2019

website called Slack, which bills itself as “A single place for messaging, tools, and files.”

Julien sums up his collaboration with Corey. “My job is to give him the tools and the instruction manual, and then he takes off.”

Corey uses the tools to build a website that works for both the brewer and his customers. His process begins with learning what the brewer wants from the website. “Our clients are fantastic people,” says Corey. “I love working with them. A project begins with our sitting down and talking to them about their business—where they are, where they want to go, what they hope we can do for them, what do they want to tell their customers. Once we know those things, we start framing the design. I have a concept that I know works, but I don’t try to squeeze the client into our vision. At the end of the day, I want him to feel ownership of it.”

Craftpeak recently launched a new website for its earliest client, Wicked Weed, and the brewer’s communications director, Alanna Nappi, cites those early conversations as what sets Craftpeak apart.

“I think the way it works best is if the outside company feels like an extension of your company, and we’ve always felt that way with them,” says Nappi. “They feel like an extension of us.

They come in at a really high level when they’re talking to you about what your website needs are and your goals and where

ALL BUSINESSES NEED websites, but with frequent changes, many breweries need something extra.

you’re going as a company, which is really helpful. They know us, and they know who we are. It feels like we’re a team.”

One of Craftpeak’s newest clients adds a different factor. Steven Anan, head brewer at Archetype Beer, sees a strong interactive website as a necessary component of his business.

“They’re helping us tell our story. The website gives us a unique identity and makes that interactive experience easier for anyone searching out a brewery.”

“Seven years ago, when I started in this industry, I would say probably not,” Anan says.

“But nowadays, it’s a huge part of your brand.

Because of the increasing number of breweries in America and here locally, I think the easiest way to tell your story, besides a taproom, is on the internet. Especially with people coming to Beer City USA, they’re probably going to do some research before they get here. And keeping them on your website longer is key to bringing them in to your taproom.”

The clients I met speak highly of Craftpeak, and Craftpeak returns the compliments.

“There’s a million beers that have already been made,” says Julien. “And a beer guy says, ‘I can create something different.’” He grins broadly. “Our clients are creative, collaborative, hard-working people. Now that I’m doing it for a while, I’m really passionate about them. I don’t want to work with anybody else anymore.”

John adds his own assessment.

“One of the coolest things about this industry is that it’s so collaborative,” he says.

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 25

“Brewers that are in direct competition with one another are collaborating together. It’s like no other market I’ve ever seen.

You’ve got a lot of first-time entrepreneurs. You’ve got a lot of people doing this from a place of passion. It’s kind of the mindset that you get these artists, creative people, and folks who probably never expected to be successful in anything, they’re becoming successful doing something that they love.”

Websites are the cornerstone of Craftpeak, but the company also produces a full range of tech products. “The website has to sit at the center of your ecosystem,” John says, “And you use Instagram, Facebook, a newsletter, blogs, to get the story out that you’re trying to communicate. But ultimately it all comes back to your website.”

Another important facet of the Craftpeak operation is e-commerce.

John explains the mechanics of their ecommerce platform as a vehicle to sell beer online, and how it can produce a windfall for the brewer.

“If you’re going to make a capital investment in a production facility and start to distribute, when you sign up with a distributor, you’re giving up 30 to 60 percent of your margin

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| September 2019

to that distributor and the ultimate retailer. We said, ‘That’s crazy.’ What you need to do is leverage your technology to sell more of your beer at a high margin.” Eliminate the middlemen.

He says they developed two vehicles to make direct sales from the brewer to the retail customer.

“Those are our beer release presale and our membership club technology. We didn’t necessarily invent the concept, but brewers would come to us and say, ‘We’re trying to sell our beer at an online store, but it keeps crashing because everybody tries to go online as soon as a new beer is released.’

“So, we built a technology that can scale for high load, and then we developed a lot of other tools designed for people to come and pick up their beer. All of those are things we have designed.”

They announce a new beer about a month before the release date and send out reminders to their followers on social media as the release date draws closer, and wait for the orders to pour in.

“The other way is membership programs, where you pay a fee to become a member of a particular brewery. Members can get in, but the public can’t. You’ve got this release that people are super excited about. Those paid members will get first chance to order it.”

Tapping in to this particular aspect of consumer demand has blossomed into big business.

“On a big day, we’ll get hammered,” Corey says. “A new release will go on sale at 10AM and 500 cases are gone in

“That’s what I’m really excited about: building solutions. We’re building something for those breweries that they don’t realize they need yet.”

20 minutes. That’s a pretty normal response. Last year we processed close to three million dollars in sales, and we’re on track to do more than that this year. We built the technology to make it run smoothly.”

And to the partner who assembles the nuts and bolts, the prospect of eliminating the distributor and retailer is an

unexpected reward. “I love the e-commerce aspect of our projects. The exciting thing to me is destroying the threetier distribution system. The client logs in and starts selling beers and thinks, ‘Why would I go through a distributor?’

That’s what I’m really excited about: building solutions.

We’re building something for those breweries that they don’t realize they need yet.”

Craftpeak began with the three principals, and the company recently hired its first employee, Yvonne McKenna.

John speculates that they will add a couple more in coming months, and Julien wonders if the additions won’t require a real-world workspace as opposed to their current arrangement. Craftpeak is definitely growing, and Corey sums up their status after three years working together.

“From last year to this year, it started to shape up.

We’ve already made it past the startup statistics. Now let’s get going.”

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continued at biglittlebank.com Spartanburg • Greenville • Asheville • Anderson • Easley • Hendersonville • Powdersville carolinaalliancebank.com September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 27

column

Is The IPA Still King?

India Pale Ales remain huge sellers, but trends in the craft beer industry tend to evolve rapidly.

A

M

matt vaughan is the owner of Arden’s Craft Centric Taproom & Bottle Shop and Fermented Nonsense Brewing.

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T THE HEIGHT OF THE BR ITISH Empire, India was England’s most significant outpost, important for trade and home to British sailors, troop, and immigrants, all who, of course, needed beer.

Here lies the problem. India was too hot for brewing beer, and the perishable beer was going bad during the inconveniently long beer run between England and India. Luckily, brewers in London figured out that if they increased the hops and alcohol content on the beer, the beer would be able to last the long journey across the ocean and, in doing so, they created a brand-new type of beer: the India Pale Ale. And to these innovative brewers, we say thank you and so does the craft beer industry.

IPAs were the breakout style when craft beer started gaining momentum in the 1990s. Before craft beer, Americans were used to lagers from big brands like Budweiser and Miller. Then craft brewers, many in California, started experimenting with IPAs, introducing something new to the beer drinker’s palate. In 2018 alone, IPA sales grew 10 percent from the year prior and accounted for

| September 2019

$895.8 million dollars and six percent of the overall beer market—which, for craft beer, is a decent chunk. It is the leading style of beer in the craft beer market. A big reason for the IPAs popularity is that it is ever evolving.

Trends in the craft beer industry are changing at breakneck speed. Since IPAs are still the driving seller for most bars and shops across the country, we’re seeing more creativity and diversity amongst this style than ever before. Right now, we’re in the midst of a “HAZE CRAZE for DAYZ”! Brewers in the New England area started crafting IPAs that were unfiltered, giving them a hazy appearance. It wasn’t just the appearance that was different than their West Coast IPA predecessors. Unlike the drier, more bitter West Coast style IPAs, New England IPAs (NEIPA) are smoother and juicier with less of a piney bitterness. To get the juicy aromatics and soft

mouthfeel, brewers will use specialized yeast strains like White Labs WLP644 Saccharomyces Trois. Another popular way to achieve the silky, full mouthfeel of NEIPAs is the addition of flaked oats in the brewing process.

Then we have the new kid on the block, kicking the NEIPA style up a notch: the Milkshake IPA. Please don’t put milk in my IPA, you may be pleading. Those brewers have taken things too far! But have no fear. The “milk” in a milkshake IPA is the addition of lactose, an unfermentable sugar that adds sweetness and a fuller body (to

opposite reaction. With IPAs charging full steam ahead, there are bound to be breweries that pull back and dedicate themselves to less popular styles. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

It seems as if IPAs are here to stay.

A survey by market insights agency C+R Research showed IPAs as the favorite style of beer of both men and women, and of a range of ages. IPAs are appealing to everyone. And we see that at our business every day. Countless times a day, a guest will come in and dive right into the IPA section of our menu or take home a six pack of six

IN 2018 ALONE, IPA SALES GREW 10% FROM THE YEAR PRIOR AND ACCOUNTED FOR $895.8 MILLION DOLL ARS AND SIX PERCENT OF THE OVER ALL BEER MARKET. the beer... and belly) that was typically only seen in stouts up until this recent trend. Milkshake IPA’s are thick, sweet, and fruity.

A little over a year ago, a response to the big, juicy NEIPA came from the West Coast, in the form of the Brut IPA. A foil to the NEIPA, the Brut IPA is clean (filtered) and dry. In the fermentation process, yeast eats up sugars in the beer converting them to alcohol but there are typically residual sugars left over.

In the making of a Brut IPA, brewers will add an enzyme that ensures all sugars are fermented, resulting in a very dry, highly carbonated beer with low bitterness.

But is there going to be an end to the IPA’s reign? Will beer lovers experience what is called “IPA fatigue” and turn to another style? A rise in breweries that don’t make IPAs, such as Maine’s 2 Feet Brewing, might be evidence to support that theory, but I’d lean more towards it being evidence of Newton’s third law: For every action there is an equal and

different IPAs to try. There are plenty to choose from.

Bottle shops and taprooms generally strive to curate interesting beers from local, regional, and international purveyors that aren’t typically sold in big box grocery stores. If you’re interested in trying any of these styles of IPAs mentioned, may we suggest Citra Brut from Westbrook Brewing Company; or, for a NEIPA, Get Off My Cloud from Boojum Brewing. In addition, look for a draft-only version of Fermented Nonsense’s popular Peach’s Tropical Milkshake IPA, made with flaked oats, lactose, peach and mango puree, and hopped with amarillo, citra, and El Dorado in the near future.

Craft Centric Taproom & Bottle Shop opened in December, 2017.

Mr. Vaughan additionally credits Dale Murphy, the company’s Cicerone Certified Beer Server, Bartender, Event Coordinator, and Social Media Manager.

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 29

CAROLINA in the

WEST [

news briefs

Underrated rutherford county

A recent issue of Forbes featured Lake Lure’s Rumbling Bald Resort. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the resort shows there’s more to the town than being the home of the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, although it can’t help but host annual remembrances any more than it can dissociate itself from the scenes filmed on premises. The resort, sought as a cool escape from hot summers or a great place to view fall color, offers accommodations in studio apartments, condominiums, deluxe housing, and motorhome parking.

Amenities include the Legends on the Lake restaurant, a wellness center and spa, hiking trails, a beach, and boating.

Of most interest to Forbes, though, were its two very different 18-hole golf courses.

The Bald Mountain course was designed

]

in 1968 by WB Lewis. It is described as so narrow and twisty, one can’t see the holes or even turn sideways in places. It is, nevertheless, scenic and marked by changes in elevation. The Apple Valley course was designed by Dan Maples and opened in 1986. It is described as a test of power and skill with extraordinary views on the winding, hilly back nine.

Branding Wine Battle henderson county

By rule of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, local vintners’ lobbying paid off with the establishment of the Crest of the Blue Ridge Henderson County as an American Viticultural Area (AVA).

The designation is made available to areas with unique features, to add a sense of place to product value. The favorable

growing conditions marking the Crest of the Blue Ridge include warm days and cool nights during the growing season and high-quality water. At least 85% of the grapes used in wines sold under an AVA label must be made from the designated region. Pursuit of the designation was launched in 2016 by Alan Ward of Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards and Lemuel Oates of Burntshirt Vineyards. At the time, there were only 14 commercial vineyards and two wineries in the 215 square miles now enjoying the distinction. Since then, another vineyard, Point Lookout, has opened, and four more are in process.

Agribusiness Henderson County was the primary petitioner, and Congressman Mark Meadows shepherded the initiative through the approvals process.

Fairyland of Flavor henderson county

Sweet Thangs Cakes & Bakes in downtown Hendersonville hosted a grand opening on July 4. Owner Terry Young is a graduate of Hendersonville High School and a Desert Storm Army veteran, who obviously has a flair for flavor, form, and color. The shop’s mainstay is cheesecake, which comes in over 20 flavors, including Strawberry Lush and

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54 the old north state

peanut butter. Key lime is probably the most popular. Cupcake flavors include blueberry lemonade and hummingbird, and Young says his cookies are “as big as your hand.” Gluten-free baked goods are available daily. Sweet Thangs also serves dairy treats. It is one of only a handful of places in the Hendersonville area serving Hershey’s ice cream, and of course Young would carry Superman and Magical Unicorn, among other flavors. Another standard is banana pudding, available in single servings or Mason jars; and specialties might include Lucky Charm crispy treats or a three-layer strawberry float cake. Sweets may be catered, carried out, or enjoyed on-premises.

What is Possible buncombe county

IFB (Industries for the Blind) Solutions, the nation’s largest employer of the visually-impaired, is bracing for layoffs. At its Asheville location, which employs 113, there is apprehension about unintended consequences of a recent court order requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to give veteran-owned businesses higher priority than nonprofits operating under the federal AbilityOne program in the awarding of contracts. As a result,

carolina in the west

an IFB contract supporting 47 jobs at an optical lab in Winston-Salem will not be renewed. Whereas the Asheville plant manufactures office supplies, about 20% of IFB Solutions’ income has traditionally come from VA hospital optical lab contracts. An estimated 800 employees could be affected nationwide, and, ironically, a lot of those facing lay-offs are veterans.

IFB’s Low Vision Services and Outreach Coordinator Grant Weathers said the jobs the company offers are not going to make anybody rich, but they make an independent lifestyle possible. He said nationwide the unemployment rate for the blind is 70%.

rides. But, later on, struggling to keep up with maintenance, they finally put the property on the market after guests got stranded on the chairlift. Since then, the park has had several false starts for reopening with different themes under different investors. The latest ownership group, which included former Disney executives, had intended to finally reopen the park as an Appalachian Village this spring, but that also didn’t happen.

Among reasons cited were theft and vandalism. Now that Ghost Town’s 250 acres are listed again, this time for $5.9 million, with its “curse” being touted as a selling point.

Not Again!

Rack Em' Up

haywood county

haywood county

Ghost Town in the Sky continues to have problems getting off the ground.

Built in 1962, the amusement park had a Wild West theme. It featured a 3,370-footlong sky lift that, at Ghost Town’s height, carried 400,000 visitors a year up the mountain to the attractions. A mountaineer village, an Indian village, and an Old West village were located at different elevations; and, while the park was best known for its chairlift and roller coaster, its owners regularly added other thrilling

The Town of Canton will probably revise its ordinances to allow Alicia Putnam and Chad Bryant to open a pool hall downtown. In a hearkening back to Bible Belt blue laws, the existing ordinance prohibits pool halls from being open Sundays, does not allow minors to play, and bans the serving of concessions and beer inside.

It also requires anybody applying for a license to operate a pool hall to post a $500 bond and submit written testimony of their character signed by five resident

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carolina in the west

landowners. Further, the applicant cannot have a felonious criminal record, and no person of immoral character or substance abuser may apply for a license as part of a corporate entity. Then, somebody passing all of the above filters can still be denied a permit by the board, with or without cause. The antiquated language, with its poolhall stigmatization, is expected to be removed in the new ordinance, but one restriction likely to remain is a prohibition on remaining open after 11PM. Most businesses downtown are closed by 10PM, but Putnam says the restriction would prevent her from hosting tournaments.

So, the board is expected to keep the curfew while allowing Putnam to apply for a permit whenever she wants to host a special event.

Sludge Treatment buncombe county

The City of Asheville has entered into a $251,000 contract with GHD Consulting Services to identify a better strategy for dealing with sludge from its three water treatment plants. Asheville’s treatment plants use aluminum sulfate to create 1.3 million gallons of sludge, which the city formerly flushed into the sewage system. Then, the Metropolitan Sewerage District (MSD), at the wastewater plant, would refilter the sludge to burn it. When Environmental Protection Agency regulations prohibiting the practice went into effect, the city started hauling the sludge for storage in a lagoon at the MSD plant. Unfortunately, backwash from the lagoon was going into the treatment stream where impurities were burnt, so the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality prohibited the MSD from accepting water treatment sludge. The city then contracted with two haulers to landfill dry sludge. Two were needed because the Buncombe County landfill won’t accept sludge from the city’s Mill River plant because it is located in Henderson County. So, waste from that plant is hauled to Concord, a round trip of just under 300 miles.

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| September 2019

Totaling $295,000, the new contracts cost the city three times what it had been paying for sludge disposal.

Kids These Days mitchell county

More than 30 students learned about innovating solutions in the third annual Mitchell County Camp Invention. Hosted by the National Inventors’ Hall of Fame, with help from high school interns, the weeklong extravaganza provided hands-on educational opportunities for children entering grades K-6. In addition to instruction and games, students rotated through four modules. In one, they built boats from recycled materials and then raced them in a pool to see which designs were most hydrodynamic.

In a second, they took apart remote-controlled robots and put them back together.

In the third module, they learned how to write code to get robots to tackle real-world agricultural tasks; and in the fourth, they learned about engineering and fabrication while creating gadgets and disguises for superheroes. The week ended with an Inventors’ Showcase in which students shared the best of their exercises with family and friends.

Work a Convention buncombe county

CFM International, a joint venture of GE Aviation and Safran Aircraft Engines, is boasting a record-setting $55 billion in orders and commitments to purchase jet engines, services, electronics, and instrumentation as a result of its presentation at the 53rd International Paris Air Show. By way of comparison, Boeing did only $34 billion in business, and Airbus, about $44 billion. Last year, GE did only $31 billion.

Big orders included an agreement with IndiGo worth $20 billion for 280 LEAP 1A engines for its Airbus A320neo and A321neo jets, and another with AirAsia for 200 LEAP 1A engines valued at $23.1 billion. Both of GE Aviation’s Asheville

plants manufacture parts for the LEAP engine, which is the best-selling commercial engine ever, with 18,750 orders placed by the end of the show. Also at the show, GE Aviation unveiled the GE9X, the world’s largest commercial jet engine, and quickly accepted over 700 orders from companies like Boeing and Airbus.

A communication from GE Aviation suggests the Asheville plants may provide parts for this engine as well.

Just Like That haywood county

Clark Williams, owner of Frog Level Brewing Company, was surprised to see the trees lining the bank of Richland Creek, opposite his business’ deck, being clear-cut. Noise, dust, and debris effectively closed the patio to patrons of both Frog Level and the Panacea coffee house for a day. Even though, once the dust cleared, the deck remained nice enough, Williams was concerned about the ecological impact direct sunlight would have on river habitat. Eric Romaniszyn, executive director of the nonprofit Haywood Waterways, was contacted, and he foresaw no lasting damage. He said, at worst, some fish may hang out different places short-term. The trees had been a buffer for Giles Chemical, and the town had contracted for their removal at that company’s request because they were growing around overhead powerlines and allegedly providing cover for drug activity. Williams caught the attention of town leadership after posting photos of dust and debris to his Facebook page.

As corrective action, the town, Giles, and Haywood Waterways will plant shorter, ornamental trees; and the town is looking into providing adjacent property owners better advance notice in the future.

The Vibe Wins buncombe county

“24 Hours in Asheville” was awarded first place in the Outstanding Commercial

Charlotte Street

category in the 2019 Southeast Regional Emmy Awards. The film, which lasts just under three minutes, was produced by David Saich and Ben Mulkey of Fiasco Pictures in Asheville. It showcases the Dig Local app, the brainchild of Ted Pate. The app provides users with information on what’s happening now in Asheville. Pate was impressed the short outcompeted other productions with tremendous budgets, saying Asheville made up the difference, providing quality talent, content, and vibe. The fast-paced film hardly takes enough time to focus as the app takes its users to small businesses and introduces iconic characters who define Asheville.

Scenes of a hand occasionally tapping the app are mixed in with video of paddle boarding and kayaking, a gallery, a restaurant, a gear shop, a zipline, another restaurant, wildlife, an apiary store, a natural pharmacy, a salt cave, libations, beer, buskers, the drum circle, beer, a campfire, beer, a concert, and more libations.

Money and Lifespan swain county

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) are being held up as an example for managing healthcare. The federal government is required to offer healthcare through the Indian Health Service (HIS) to all members of the country’s 573 recognized tribes. An estimated 2.2 million of a total 3.7 million members utilize services. Unfortunately, the IHS’ current $5.4 billion budget is no match for the estimated $37 billion in needs.

Native Americans are not only more prone to contracting chronic disease, life expectancies in some parts of the country run 20% lower than among other populations. But, because the IHS respects tribal sovereignty, contracts for Medicare, Medicaid, corporate healthcare policies, and other insurance options, including federal grants, are not prohibited. It was with this self-determination that all 12,000

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carolina in the west

EBCI tribal members opted out of the IHS and invested in an $82 million state-of-the-art hospital. The hospital uses an integrated Nuka System, which combines native traditions with Western technology for wraparound, preventive services. Successes notwithstanding, this option is not available to most tribes.

Cherokee is unique in that it has a very profitable casino that paid for most of the hospital.

findings. Other attractions will include 16 educational exhibits, a nature trail, a picnic area, and a retail showroom for over 100 gemstones set in sterling silver jewelry. Collections include geodes, crystals, fossils, fluorescent rocks, gems, cave rocks, and meteorites.

Comporium provides digital video, internet, phone, and home security services to customers in several South Carolina counties, Transylvania County, and parts of Mecklenburg County.

What’s Your Favorite?

Not Bad, for Rural Areas

buncombe & henderson counties

Multimedia designer Luis Martinez has created an interactive taco map, All Comporium broadband customers Taco Map AVL. Since immigrating from in Transylvania County will now enjoy Oaxaca, Mexico, with his wife seven years faster download speeds. Subscribers with ago, he has visited all sorts of taquerias the standard high-speed internet packbetween Woodfin and Hendersonville. He age will automatically get speeds of 250 particularly likes the underrated ones, megabits per second (Mbps), which is 200 like out-of-the-way places. Martinez says times faster than anything Comporium the different regions of Mexico make could offer ten years ago. In addition, tacos differently, and the same words customers opting for the Elite package may be used to define different dishes. will enjoy speeds of 750 Mbps, which is Martinez is among a growing number of typically only available in urban areas. In foodies who see the traditions and culture July Comporium completed a multiyear, behind food preparation and sharing as systemwide upgrade, the final phase history worthy of storytelling. In Mexico, Theago. It included he says, taquerias function as meeting of which began a year upgrading equipment throughout the places as much as eateries. Another purcounty and facilities west of Rosman. pose for the app is to dispel stereotypes.

Comporium is committed to continuing He said Mexican immigrants are typically upgrades, inasmuch as possible putting hard workers, so in order to make friends, to use the latest in technological breakone needs to go where they work. The uthority throughs to provide customers with app lists only the name, address, and best TM n I t o s e E world-class service, while inexpanding to taco each restaurant or food truck; c x a c p eption Plof aces m gS a r l o f s n a r does not yet service. areas of the countyTit and it is not a complete directory. It is transylvania county

A Regional Attraction henderson county

Matt and Michelle Banz have applied for a rezoning of a field off Tracy Grove Road so they can open what they have named the Blue Ridge Gemstone Mine Educational Park. The couple already owns and operates two similar and successful educational adventures in Chimney Rock and another two in Greenville, South Carolina. They opened their first in 2003. The Henderson County The educational adventure would feature a reproduction ofarage a mining village from the 1800s, complete with a water tower and a waterwheel supplying a constant uthority flow for flume mining.

Kids would get a bucket of rocks to rinse and search, paces Into Exceptio ming S n al Places and geologists and rock hounds on staff Transfor will always be available to help identify TM

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designed to call attention to woman- and immigrant-owned businesses.

created three new state trails, two of which are in Western North Carolina.

network of distributors, mostly in the Midwest, East, and Southeast.

40th State Park

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Repeating Successes

buncombe & haywood counties

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buncombe county

Governor Roy Cooper approved legislation to convert a ranch owned by the family of US District Judge Max Cogburn, Jr. into Pisgah View Ranch State Park.

The 1600-acre ranch sits in meadowland surrounded by mountains. It gains 2,100 feet of elevation and includes over two miles of ridgeline used as a corridor by large wildlife, a headwaters, and its own watershed. The land has been in the Cogburn family since 1790. Opened in 1941, the ranch today offers opportunities for horseback riding, swimming, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and tennis. It usually takes several years for the state to open an acquisition as a park, delaying factors including the ability to make improvements and pay staff.

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has been in negotiations with the Cogburns since the early 2000s.

It is expected the land will sell for $18.2 million, with payments spanning five years, $1 million already having been raised from private donations. A recent appraisal valued the property at $25 million. Other bills signed by Cooper

HiViz LED Lighting, the manufacturer of FireTech products, has opened a 10,000-square-foot facility in Hendersonville. While working as a first-responder, founder and president Sam Massa realized EMS and fire and rescue squads were not capitalizing on existing lighting technologies for night calls and therefore putting themselves and others at unnecessary risk. Massa’s products use LEDs to emit more light than other bulbs, while requiring less maintenance and taking up less space.

The brow lights, for example, rest on top of a truck’s windshield, spanning the entire length and emitting light only directly in front of the vehicle. HiViz also makes small compartment lights and LED floodlights for scene lighting. Spurred on by the importance of improving outcomes for life-and-death rescue operations; HiViz is always looking for ways to improve its products, and FireTech lighting is backed by a limited lifetime guarantee. The new headquarters will house marketing, sales, and early-stage product development. HiViz has a vast

Hundreds of people showed up to the second annual Smokies Stomp Barn Party at Hickory Nut Gap Farm. The first annual was held as a way of celebrating the 25th anniversary of Friends of the Smokies, a volunteer group that to date has raised $65 million for maintaining the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee.

This year, the stomp raised over $84,000 toward the group’s goal of updating the park’s emergency radio system. The total project, which involves the repair and replacement of mobile units, dispatch equipment, and repeater towers, is estimated to cost $2.5 million, a portion of which the federal government has agreed to sponsor through matching grants. The stomp featured gourmet farm-to-table, a silent auction, and entertainment from Buncombe Turnpike and the Bailey Mountain Cloggers. Legislator Joe Sam Queen called for the square dancing.

The event was made possible through the contributions of 27 private corporate sponsors. (See this issue’s “People at Play” feature for photos from the event.)

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local industry

AN

Alcohol

Evolution written by jennifer fitzger ald

The Western North Carolina alcohol industry is currently undergoing significant growth alongside myriad changes—with no end in sight.

36

| September 2019

photo by Chelsea Lane Photography cour tesy Chemist Disllier y

I

t has been a busy year for the alcohol industry in Western North Carolina. State legislators have continued to debate and pass laws that affect the industry. Growth has continued throughout the region with new breweries opening—a few even in locations where breweries recently closed their doors. And a new flavored malt beverage trend is sweeping through the region. As we have done each September since 2015 in the magazine, let’s take a closer look at the straight-up on local spirits.

Reached Your Limit: How Many Are Too Many?

A beer enthusiast could literally visit a different brewery every day for over a month in Asheville— there are that many to choose from. Even more in the outlying areas of Buncombe County, and still more throughout Western North Carolina. How many are too many? Has the region reached the saturation point for breweries?

Leah Ashburn, family owner and president of Highland Brewing Company, agrees that we have a lot of breweries, but that the saturation point is ultimately affected by quality and quantity.

“With constant pursuit of quality, the saturation point increases,” says Ashburn. “Fortunately, as the number of breweries grew, so have the opportunities for education. Organizations like the Asheville Brewers Alliance and A-B Tech’s brewing curriculum support workforce development.”

There is no room for subpar breweries in this town—brewers have to be devoted to their product if they want to succeed and survive.

“In my opinion there is still room for more breweries, but they better be really good right out of the gate,” says Mike Rangel, president of Asheville Brewing Co. and interim executive director of the Asheville Brewers Alliance. “And they have to be passionate about what they brew. Asheville’s brew community has a high ‘Beer IQ’ and equally high standards for their micro-brews.”

“Asheville’s beer scene is so great because we have so many breweries,” adds Sally Tanner, marketing director of Archetype Brewing. “The competition, collaboration, and resources that come out of having so many here in a city with less than 100,000 people all contribute to the quality of beer and beer-drinking experiences that we’re producing.

Breweries have to offer something different, stay ahead of the curve, and be innovators if they want to excel. It’s a whirlwind sometimes, of course, and

it’s certainly a challenge, but this is what has put Asheville on the map as a beer city to visit.

“A rising tide floats all boats, as they say! Never a dull moment!”

The Millennial Drink of Choice?

The millennial generation, born between 1981 and 1996, is over 75 million strong and makes up nearly a quarter of the total United States population. This group should be the alcohol industry’s answer to everything—brew it and they will come, right?

Nationwide, though, the millennials are drinking more wine and mixed drinks than beer—far less beer, in fact, than their parent’s generation.

The good news for local breweries, though, is that when millennials drink beer, they really like craft beer. And where better to find great craft beer than Asheville?

Ashburn explains that millennials want to support brands that resonate with their values. While they want a diversity of beverage choices, millennials are more constant in their motivation for purchase.

Highland Brewing Company’s approach offers a variety of beers and a foundation of values that align with their consumers’ values. Deep community roots and a love of the great outdoors are central to Highland. Their annual Night Flight event is a great example. Now in its sixth year, the 4.5-mile race has raised over $40,000 to support local greenway initiatives. And Highland will offer some new beers along with perennial favorites on race day.

At Asheville Brewing Co., Rangel says they are fortunate to have a great young staff, and they include them in beer tastings, take their suggestions, and, of course, watch the overall trends.

“Millennials support local, support companies that are getting greener, and support innovation— all characteristics of successful craft breweries,” says Rangel.

“First of all, make no mistake, it’s not just millennials,” says Archetype’s Tanner. “We live in a ‘check-in’ culture, where we’re always looking to check-in somewhere new, exciting, and different, and we love to be the first ones there. It drives innovation, and keeps breweries on our toes with new beers, new marketing, and new business strategies. We try to strike a fair balance between pushing the envelope with new beers and having some ‘ole standbys’ on tap. However, our beers at Archetype Brewing are experimental by nature and design, so being afraid of change isn’t an option. The key is to see through trends and keep a focus on quality.”

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 37

local industry

photo by Anthony Harden

Trading Spaces This year found a few breweries moving out and another brewery taking over the space. This was the case with the LAB, aka Lexington Avenue Brewery, which sold to CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective, now open as The Collaboratory.

Similarly, Archetype Brewing opened a second location in the space vacated by Habitat Brewing Company.

Archetype’s main goal was to have another way to serve the consumer directly. They call it “more pints across the bar”—simply, more conversations with their neighbors.

location, with its open format taproom. The event space at Archetype Broadway fills an ever-growing need we’ve identified for people to have a space where they can gather their friends, families, businesses, and peers.”

Tanner explains that the owners of Habitat made the choice to work specifically with Archetype on the deal; there were several parties interested in the space, and for good reason. Over the past few years, Archetype had developed a great relationship with the Habitat Brewing crew, and they felt that Archetype’s community focus lined up with their legacy that they hoped to continue in the space. They were very helpful in the transition, but the scope was limited, as Archetype had their plans and unique flavor to bring to life.

“Regardless of who or what business was in the space before us, we have a direction for our particular business that we thought would help us grow in an organic and successful way, keeping our roots in Asheville and furthering our mission of community focus,” explains Tanner.

“Bringing friends, family, and craft beer together seems like a truly ‘Asheville’ experience, and we can offer that in the space over there. The event room can play host to any kind of private event, as well as some awesome, communityfocused special events. We have had story-telling, we host regular improv nights with Asheville Improv Collective, live music, artist markets—the possibilities are endless.

“Bringing friends, family, and craft beer together seems like a truly ‘Asheville’ experience, and we can offer that in the space over there.”

“The space at 174 Broadway became available, and we knew we had to strike while it was hot,” says Tanner. “The aesthetic and setup in the building is a perfect extension for Archetype in the downtown area. It’s a more intimate place to enjoy our beer, and a great spot for us to showcase some of our higher-end and barrel-aged beers. The event space was an additional consideration in our decision. We aren’t as set up to host private events at our West Asheville 38

| September 2019

Economic Contribution OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY BREWERIES'

In Asheville, the brewing industry created a total of

In the Asheville metro market, the

Total output or production was an estimated contribution of

$ 934 Million.

2,571 Jobs.

Top 5 Industries

877 jobs in brewery industry activity created or supported another 1,694 jobs in the local economy. For every one job, nearly two more jobs were supported.

impacted (by employment) were Breweries, Manufacturing, All Other Crop Farming, Wholesale Trade, Truck Transportation, and All Other Food and Drinking Places.

2,571 workers were paid $111 million in Labor Income as part of companies' $365 million contribution to the Gross Regional Product in the Asheville MSA.

Average earnings per direct job in brewery industry activity was over

Labor income associated with brewing activity jobs accounted for

The primary Breweries Manufacturing Industry saw

$ 55 Thousand. with indirect and induced effects included, the average was estimated at $43K.

$ 111 Million added to local household spending power.

754% Growth in employment from 2011-2016, adding over 600 direct jobs in the region.

Statistics from The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County

Armed with a great team at Archetype, we felt that the timing lined up with our goals and growth.”

FMB & the Hard Bev Phenomenon A growing trend this year has been the FMB—flavored malt beverage. “Yes, the FMB trend is real,” says Ashburn. “What’s also interesting is seeing the lines that define ‘hard’ drinks and even beer are blurred as we see experimentation both in higher alcohol [content] beverages and in lower and zero alcohol beverages that often blend familiar drinks to create new ones.

Also, nationwide, brewing capacity has increased a bit more

than consumption. So, for both reasons, some breweries are responding with diversification. Our approach is beer-centric, with an eye toward other beverages as inspiration.

She singles out one popular beverage, Slow Crush, which is a cocktail-inspired beer fusing natural herbal ingredients with traditional malts and hops to create a sessionable, tart botanical ale.

Rangel agrees that, without a doubt, the advent of hard drinks has come on very fast. Hard seltzer in particular is crushing in all 50 states—it has been featured extensively in national media this year—and is here to stay. Ninety calories, low sugar, and easy to drink makes for a great combo.

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 39

local industry

“The explosion of breweries has seen an equal explosion of craft brews in the market,” he says. “There are at least 20 IPAs made daily in Western North Carolina that are fabulous, but you can’t drink IPAs every day—at least I can’t—so staying ahead or even with trends is important for any craft. At the beginning of this year there were maybe three or four hard seltzers available. By the end of the year, we will have dozens from little brewers and from large. Hard water, ginger beer, all will find room in the marketplace and that means some craft breweries will have more trouble getting onto store shelves, but the consumer drives that train.”

Kombucha is also gaining in popularity. It is a fermented, slightly alcoholic, lightly effervescent, sweetened black or green tea drink commonly intended as a functional beverage for its supposed health benefits. Local producers include Booda Kombucha and Buchi Kombucha. Additionally, there is Jun, an effervescent, fermented health tonic roughly similar to kombucha, but feeding on green tea and raw honey rather than black tea and concentrated cane sugar. It is produced locally

by Shanti Elixirs.

Hemp Brewing

Photo by Erin Adams / cour tesy Shanti Elixirs

40

| September 2019

The popularity of hemp and CBD is at an all-time “high” in North Carolina, so it only makes sense that it would find its way into the brew scene. Several local breweries offer a hemp beer—including the Derailed Hemp Ale by Wedge Brewing Company, described as “brewed with 2 row Pale Malt, Rye Malt, and a small amount of Black Malt, and hopped with Cascade Hops to bring out the earthy character of the 150 pounds of toasted Hempseeds added in the Mash Tun.” Also, brewing is The Hemperor by New Belgium, described thusly: “With the popularity of hoppy beers, our brewers are always on the lookout

for different hop varieties and the complexities and flavors new strains can bring. That’s where hemp comes into the picture. Without getting too nerdy, we found a unique way to recreate hemp terpene flavors in a beer, which complement the inclusion of hop flavors and hemp hearts (seeds) in a brand new, delicious way.”

Asheville’s Ward and Smith, P.A., Attorneys at Law, have both a Hemp Law and Alcoholic Beverage Law practice team available to advise those in the alcohol industry as they work through complex legal and regulatory issues. Attorneys Tyler J. Russell and Hayley R. Wells wrote an immensely helpful article titled “Beer, Hemp, and CBD in North Carolina” earlier this year (www.wardandsmith.com/articles/ beer-hemp-and-cbd-in-north-carolina): “Hemp and hemp-derived CBD were classified as Schedule I controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act of 1972 (CSA) until the passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) on December 20, 2018. The 2018 Farm Bill, among other things, decriminalized hemp and hempderived CBD. That, coupled with the fast-growing popularity and public interest in CBD, resulted in a rush for breweries (and other industry members) to incorporate CBD in malt beverage products.

“Decriminalization of hemp and hemp-derived CBD and its addition to malt beverage products subjects the industry to a host of new laws and regulations, including the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). Since the enactment of the 2018 Farm Bill, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has flexed its muscle to regulate the use of

photo by Anthony Harden

photo by Linda D. Cluxton

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local industry

photo by Phill Baldwin

CBD in food, drug, and dietary supplement products under the FD&C Act. And, as we have previously reported, the Federal Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) follows the FDA’s lead as it relates to the regulation of CBD in alcohol under the Federal Alcohol Administration Act. TTB recently issued an Industry Circular to reinforce that point.

“The TTB requires breweries to obtain formula approval before using any hemp ingredients in the production of malt beverage products. This requirement applies whether or not your brewery intends to sell or distribute its beers across state lines (interstate commerce) or keep sales wholly within the borders of your home state (intrastate commerce).

“The North Carolina ABC Commission recently indicated that it is drafting state-level policies and rules for the use of hemp and CBD in alcoholic beverages. There is no indication yet on what the extent or restrictiveness of those policies and rules will be.

However, based on our prior experience with the Commission in these matters, and given the status of CBD-related issues before the FDA and TTB, it is safe to assume that the Commission will continue to tightly regulate and prohibit products brewed, produced, or flavored using hemp floral material or that otherwise contain hemp-derived CBD.” Brent Manning, co-founder of Riverbend Malt House (profiled in the February 2018 issue of this magazine), says they can’t justify the current pricing of hemp, which is 15 times the cost of barley seed per pound. The flavor is earthy and sweet, so it would work well in beer.

“Riverbend has experimented with malting hemp seeds for the brewing industry, but have found it challenging to develop 42

| September 2019

a cost effective product,” says Manning. “Demand is high for seeds, as the industry is in a rapid growth phase. We are also proceeding cautiously, given the instability of the current governmental policy.”

Meanwhile, Over in Raleigh…

Representative Chuck McGrady (NC House District 117) ,of Henderson County, has been consistently active in alcohol reform, chairing the House Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee and introducing a series of alcoholic beverage bills.

He recently announced that he will not seek re-election.

“The legislature has passed several laws (in the last year) relating to the ABC industry,” he says. “The most recent and the most comprehensive bill was Senate Bill 290 (SB 290), which was a combination of three bills dealing with alcohol.

Essentially, SB 290 is a regulatory reform bill to bring the State’s regulation of alcoholic beverages into the 21st century.

As has been done with craft brewing, the legislature moved to modernize the law related to craft distillers.”

SB 290 was presented to Governor Cooper on July 19 and, at presstime, was awaiting his likely approval. The bill will even the playing field for distilleries, offering them many of the same privileges as breweries and wineries in North Carolina.

Highlights include allowing distilleries to obtain permits to sell malt beverages, unfortified and fortified wines, and mixed beverages; removing current restrictions on what distilleries can sell at the distillery for off-premises consumption to a visitor who takes a tour (currently limited to five bottles per

photo by Evan Anderson

person in a 12 month period); and allowing in-store spirituous liquor tastings to be conducted in North Carolina’s ABC stores.

“The other notable legislation is House Bill 363, which is now law,” continues McGrady. “It raised the [craft brewing] self-distribution cap up to 50,000 barrels per year. This has been a major issue for craft brewers. Most brewers want to grow, but they don’t really want to distribute outside of their home markets. With the higher cap, that should now be quite possible and will likely lead to more growth of the craft brewing industry. I expect it will allow local breweries, of which we have many, to grow larger in their home markets without having to give up distribution of their product to wholesalers.”

Adds Asheville Brewing Co.’s Rangel, “In a nutshell, a small brewery has to hope that they get a good distributor who ‘gets’ craft beer and trusts your choices and loves your brew. We use Budweiser of Asheville and feel fortunate we selected them.”

Highland’s Ashburn notes that the craft beer industry is decades younger than the laws written around alcohol, and, as with any sector, business practices and markets typically precede changes in the law. The key is that wholesalers and brewers have far more in common than they have in conflict.

A-B-C, easy as 1-2-3?

In our September alcohol industry report for 2018, McGrady told Capital at Play he thought there are problems with the ABC store system, mainly in regard to their overhead costs stemming from too many ABC boards. As this report was being prepared, House Bill 971 [HB 971, aka the Modern Licensure

photo by Taylor Howard

Act] was scheduled to be heard in Raleigh at the House ABC Committee during the week of July 22.

Since Prohibition ended in 1933, state governments have been individually responsible for regulating the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages, so systems of regulation vary among states.

North Carolina is one of 17 controlled states in the United States and the only state in the nation where local government boards essentially have total control in their jurisdictions over retail liquor sales to consumers and businesses.

What that means is the marketplace is controlled by the state government, and as a result there are 170 local boards in North Carolina. Those boards operate retail stores for North Carolina’s ABC system, each board having the legal authority to operate one ABC store that sells liquor within its jurisdiction, with additional stores getting authorized to operate with the approval of the ABC Commission. In addition to retail liquor sales directly to the general public, some local boards are authorized to supply liquor to mixed beverage businesses such as restaurants and bars.

North Carolina’s liquor monopoly plays an important role in our state’s economy by providing revenue for the state and for local governments that have authorized liquor sales. Total revenue from liquor sales was $1.1 billion in Fiscal Year 2016–17, with 81% of sales coming from purchases by the general public at ABC stores, and 19% of sales coming from purchases by retail businesses for resale as mixed beverages. Since Fiscal Year 2006–07, total revenue from liquor sales has increased 63%.

HB 971 would privatize liquor sales and eliminate local ABC boards.

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 43

local industry

“I do not expect the House will take action on the bill this year,” says Rep. McGrady. “My view is that the state should not be in the business of selling and distributing alcoholic beverages. Most states regulate alcoholic beverage sales through licenses and, if passed, the bill would structure our law in the same fashion. I’m the sponsor of that legislation, so I don’t see any disadvantages to it. My commitment has been to make sure that monies going to local governments from the sale of distilled spirits would still flow to local governments.”

One such local government is Buncombe County’s Black Mountain. At present, ABC revenues make up approximately 0.5% ($69,000) of the town’s annual budget. “At this point, it’s hard to say how we would make up those lost revenues,” says Town Manager Josh Harrold. “I believe the language in the privatization laws may be subject to change so we really wouldn’t know how we would be affected until that is finalized.”

McGrady says it’s too early to say if there are other issues on his radar regarding alcohol reform that he hopes to see passed before he leaves office.

“I’ve passed major ABC regulatory reform bills. I’d like to pass the Modern Licensure bill, but that isn’t going to happen this year.”

44

| September 2019

So—What’s the Outlook?

According to research provided by the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Heidi Reiber, in 2018 Western North Carolina breweries, wineries, and distilleries collectively accounted for an estimated 1,895 jobs in area counties. This employment was 281% above the national average in 2018, with employment representing nearly $91 million in earnings.

Over the last 10 years, employment in this segment grew 887% in Western North Carolina, compared to the nation, which grew 119%. Over the last five years, employment grew by 208% here, compared to the nation’s 76%.

“Brewery employment growth remains an important part of our economic prosperity in the Asheville region,” says Clark S. Duncan, the executive director and senior vice president, of the Asheville-Buncombe Economic Development Coalition.

“For example, manufacturing led year-over-year job growth in the Asheville MSA in 2018, outpacing both health care and hospitality sectors. This is good news because the advanced manufacturing sector pays higher wages and attracts greater capital investment than other leading employment sectors in the Asheville Metro. Beverage manufacturing, motor vehicle parts manufacturing, and plastic product manufacturing were

driving that growth—and at combined rates [twice that of] the state and nation over the past five years.”

Beyond quality jobs, the craft brewing industry has also made an impact on the local start-up scene, with

“The industry is certainly growing more competitive by the year.

But it’s important to remember that not all local breweries are competing for the same dollar.” new innovation coming from related startups like Riverbend Malt, Craftpeak (profiled elsewhere in this issue), and BrewStream.

“We are incredibly proud of our local brewing pioneers and the national reputation and recognition they have

earned,” says Duncan. “The industry is certainly growing more competitive by the year. But it’s important to remember that not all local breweries are competing for the same dollar. Business models and beer styles have become more niche, some are well-positioned for locals; others, for visitors; and still others are pursuing ambitious distribution strategies to acquire customers, regionally and nationally.”

What will the upcoming year have in store for the local alcohol industry? No doubt there will be comings and goings, new and innovative products, and legislature votes.

Entrepreneurs in the field have found their niche and are following their passions—and the benefactors of all this are their customers.

Highland’s Ashburn succinctly sums up the outlook for the area’s industry through a personal lens.

“As the state of alcohol changes,” she says, “Asheville’s original craft brewery sees an exciting future. No resting on any laurels! We love the evolving balance of tradition and innovation.”

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local industry

Note from the Editor

As we have done in the previous three years, we are publishing a map of the 18 counties of Western North Carolina, with Jennifer’s listing of all breweries, wineries, distilleries, and cideries dotting this corner of the state. Among the relevant data points: (A) does the company have a retail taproom or tasting room rather

than just being strictly a manufacturer; (B) how many barrels or bottles does it produce, on average, per year, as a measure of size and productivity; and (C) what is the number of full-time and part-time employees. (The latter, in the aggregate, serves as a general indicator of how the alcohol industry directly impacts the regional employment outlook.)

Western North Carolina Breweries 1. Boondocks Brewing Tap Room & Restaurant West Jefferson Barrels Made Per Year: 1,000 Employees FT: 20 PT: 43 boondocksbeer.com 2. Lost Province Brewing Co. Boone Barrels Made Per Year: 830 Employees FT: 21 PT: 29 lostprovince.com 3. Appalachian Mountain Brewery Boone appalachianmountainbrewery.com 4. Booneshine Brewing Co. Boone Barrels Made Per Year: 1,500 Employees FT: 5 PT: 3 booneshine.beer 5. Blowing Rock Brewing Co. Blowing Rock Barrels Made Per Year: 5,000 Employees FT: 18 PT: 37 blowingrockbrewing.com 6. Beech Mountain Brewing Co. Beech Mountain Barrels Made Per Year: 300 Employees FT: 3 PT: 2-6 beechmountainresort.com/mountain/ brewery 7. Kettell Beerworks Banner Elk Barrels Made Per Year: 700 Employees FT: 4 PT: 3 kettellbeerworks.com

46

8. Mica Town Brewing Marion Barrels Made Per Year: 300 Employees FT: 2 PT: 4 micatownbrewing.com 9.Yellow Sun Brewing Rutherfordton Barrels Made Per Year: 60 Employees FT: 2 PT: 6 facebook.com/yellowsunbrewingco/ 10. Homeplace Beer Co. Burnsville Barrels Made Per Year: 400 Employees FT: 2 PT: 5 homeplaceBeer.com 11. Hickory Nut Gorge Brewery Chimney Rock hickorynutgorgebrewery.com 12. Triskelion Brewing Co. Hendersonville Barrels Made Per Year: 900 Employees FT: 5 PT: 8 triskelionbrewing.com 13. Southern Appalachian Brewery Hendersonville Barrels Made Per Year: 1,500 Employees FT: 2 PT: 12 sabrewery.com 14. Sanctuary Brewing Hendersonville Barrels Made Per Year: 500 Employees FT: 5 PT: 4 sanctuarybrewco.com

| September 2019

15. Bearwallow Brewing Co. Hendersonville Opening Soon bearwallowbrewing.com 16. Dry Falls Brewing Co. Hendersonville Barrels Made Per Year: 500 Employees FT: 4 PT: 6 dryfallsbrewing.com 17. Guidon Brewing Co. Hendersonville guidonbrewing.com 18. 12 Bones Brewing Arden Employees FT: 3 PT: 6 12bonesbrewing.com 19. Blue Ghost Brewing Co. Fletcher Barrels Made Per Year: 550 Employees FT: 6 PT: 12 blueghostbrewing.com 20. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Mills River Barrels Made Per Year: 500,000 Employees: 360 sierranevada.com 21. Mad Co Brewing Marshall Barrels Made Per Year: > 200 Employees FT: 2 PT: 3 madisoncountybrewing.com 22. Sideways Farm & Brewery Etowah Barrels Made Per Year: +/- 100 Employees FT: 1 PT: 1 sidewaysfarm.com

23. Oskar Blues Brewery Brevard Barrels Made Per Year: 125,000 Employees FT: 70 PT: 9 Now with Hard Seltzer oskarblues.com 24. Brevard Brewing Brevard Barrels Made Per Year: 2,000 Employees FT: 2 PT: 5 brevard-brewing.com 25. Ecusta Brewing Co. Pisgah Forest Barrels Made Per Year: 500 Employees FT: 3 PT: 6 ecustabrewing.com 26. BearWaters Brewing Co. Canton Barrels Made Per Year: 1,000 Employees FT: 10 PT: 2-6. bwbrewing.com 27. Boojum Brewing Waynesville - 2 locations Barrels Made Per Year: 2,500 Employees FT: 10 PT: 25 boojumbrewing.com 28. Frog Level Brewing Co. Waynesville Barrels Made Per Year: 500 Employees FT: 2 PT: 2 froglevelbrewing.com 29. Innovation Brewing Co. Sylva & Dillsboro Barrels Made Per Year: 1,000 Employees FT: 5 PT: 6 innovation-brewing.com

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30. Whiteside Brewing Co. Cashiers Barrels Made Per Year: 600 Employees FT: 11 PT: 9 whitesidebrewing.com 31. Satulah Mountain Brewing Co. Highlands Barrels Made Per Year: >500 Employees FT: 2 satulahmountainbrewing.com 32. Currahee Brewing Co. Franklin Barrels Made Per Year: few thousand Employees FT: 5 PT: 2 curraheebrew.com

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33. Lazy Hiker Brewing Co. Franklin Barrels Made Per Year: 800 -1000 Employees FT: 10-15 lazyhikerbrewing.com 34. Mountain Layers Brewing Bryson City mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com 35. Nantahala Brewing Co. Bryson City & Asheville taproom Barrels Made Per Year: 5,000 Employees FT: 20+ nantahalabrewing.com

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36. Andrews Brewing Co. Andrews Barrels Made Per Year: 150 Employees FT: 1 andrewsbrewing.com

39. Valley River Brewery Murphy & Hayesville - 2 locations Barrels Made Per Year: 300 Employees FT: 4 PT: 4 valleyriverbreweries.com

37. Hoppy Trout Brewing Co. Andrews hoppytroutbrewing.com

40. Hayesville Brewing Company Hayesville hayesvillebrewingcompany.com

38. Snowbird Mountains Brewery Andrews snowbirdmountainsbrewery.com

41. Nocturnal Brewing Company Hayesville nocturnalbrewing.com

b u n c o m b e c o u n t y b r e w e r i e s f e at u r e d o n n e x t pag e September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 47

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Buncombe County Breweries 1. Lookout Brewing Black Mountain Barrels Made Per Year: 1,000 Employees FT: 4 PT: 3 lookoutbrewing.com

3. Pisgah Brewing Co. Black Mountain Barrels Made Per Year: 5,000 Employees FT: 10 PT: 6 pisgahbrewing.com

5. Whistle Hop Brewery Fairview Barrels Made Per Year: 500 Employees FT: 4 PT: 10 whistlehop.com

2. Black Mountain Brewing Black Mountain Barrels Made Per Year: 1,000 Employees FT: 1 PT: 6 blackmountainbrewing.com

4. Turgua Farmstead Brewery Fairview Barrels Made Per Year: 150 Employees FT: 1 PT: 4 turguabrewing.com

6. Highland Brewing Asheville Barrels Made Per Year: 45-50,000 Employees FT: 50 PT: 20 highlandbrewing.com

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| September 2019

7. Sweeten Creek Brewing Asheville Now with Hard Seltzer Barrels Made Per Year: 1200 Employees FT: 6 PT: 11 sweetencreekbrewing.com 8. Hillman Brewing Asheville Barrels Made Per Year: 1,000 Employees FT: 6 PT: 13 hillmanbeer.com

KEY a l l l o c at i o n s h av e ta s t i n g r o o m o n - s i t e

9. French Broad Brewing Co. Asheville Barrels Made Per Year: 250 Employees FT: 4 PT: 4 frenchbroadbrewery.com 10. Catawba Brewing Co. Asheville 2 locations Barrels Made Per Year: 17,000 Employees FT: 23 PT: 37 catawbabrewing.com 11. Cursus Keme Asheville Barrels Made Per Year: 537 Employees FT: 13 PT: 7 cursuskeme.com 12. Hi-Wire Brewing Asheville 2 locations Barrels Made Per Year: 15,000 Employees FT: 23 PT: 10 hiwirebrewing.com

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E. Wicked Weed Brewing Asheville 3 locations Barrels Made Per Year: 36,000 Employees FT: 135 PT: 85 wickedweedbrewing.com F. White Labs Asheville Barrels Made Per Year: 25 Employees FT: 20 PT: 12 whitelabs.com G. DSSØLVR Brewing Company Asheville dssolvr.com

14. SOUTH SLOPE

13. DOWNTOWN

H. Ben’s Brewery Asheville Barrels Made Per Year: 200 Employees FT: 2 PT: 1 benstuneup.com

A. Bhramari Brewhouse Asheville Barrels Made Per Year: 2,200 Employees FT: 20 PT: 27 bhramaribrewing.com

I. Burial Beer Asheville Barrels Made Per Year: 1,500 Employees FT: 9 PT: 8 burialbeer.com

B. The Collaboratory Asheville collaboratoryavl.com

J. Twin Leaf Brewery Asheville Barrels Made Per Year: 800 Employees FT: 7 PT: 1 twinleafbrewery.com

C. Thirsty Monk 2 Asheville locations Barrels Made Per Year: 400 Employees FT: 25 PT: 36 monkpub.com D. One World Brewery 2 Asheville locations Barrels Made Per Year: expect 4000 Employees: 26 oneworldbrewing.com

K. Green Man Brewery Asheville Barrels Made Per Year: 15,000 Employees FT: 15 PT: 15 greenmanbrewery.com L. Eurisko Beer Company Asheville euriskobeer.com

n e w s i n c e o u r 2 018 l i s t i n g

15. Asheville Pizza and Brewing Asheville 3 locations Barrels Made Per Year: 8,500 Employees FT: 60 PT: 100 ashevillebrewing.com

23. New Belgium Brewing Co. Asheville Barrels Made Per Year: 250,000 Employees FT: 130 newbelgium.com

16. Zebulon Artisan Ales Weaverville zebulonbrewing.com

24. Archetype Brewing Asheville 2 locations Barrels Made Per Year: 1,000 Employees FT: 6 PT: 10 archetypebrewing.com

17. Eluvium Brewing Company Weaverville Barrels Made Per Year: 100+ Employees FT: 2 PT: 3 eluviumbrewing.com 18. Blue Mountain Pizza and Brewpub Weaverville Barrels Made Per Year: 140 Employees FT: 1 PT: 1 bluemountainpizza.com 19. Zillicoah Beer Co. Asheville Barrels Made Per Year: 450 Employees FT: 2 PT: 5 zillicoahbeer.com 20. Ginger’s Revenge Asheville Barrels Made Per Year: 1400 Employees FT: 8 PT: 5 gingersrevenge.com 21. Riverside Rhapsody Beer Co. Asheville Employees FT: 2 PT: 1 riversiderhapsody.com 22. Wedge Brewing Co. Asheville 2 locations Barrels Made Per Year: 2,000 Employees FT: 9 PT: 15 wedgebrewing.com

25. Oyster House Brewing Co. Asheville Barrels Made Per Year: 500 Employees FT: 15 PT: 3 oysterhousebeers.com 26. UpCountry Brewing Asheville Barrels Made Per Year: 600 Employees FT: 10 PT: 20 upcountrybrewing.com 27. All Sevens Brewing Asheville Barrels Made Per Year: 500 Employees FT: 2 PT: 2 allsevensavl.com 28. Fahrenheit Pizza & Brewhouse Asheville

fahrenheitpizzabrew.com 29. Fermented Nonsense Brewing Arden Barrels Made Per Year: <250 Employees: 1

facebook.com/fermentednonsensebrewing/ 30. Mills River Brewery Arden Barrels Made Per Year: 300 Employees PT: 4

millsriverbrewery.net

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 49

For Those Who Seek The Exceptional Life.

local industry

1.Banner Elk Winery Banner Elk Bottles Made Per Year: 32,000 Employees FT: 4 PT: 9 bannerelkwinery.com 2. Grandfather Vineyard & Winery Banner Elk Bottles Made Per Year: 60,000 Employees FT: 6 PT: 4 grandfathervineyard.com 3. Linville Falls Winery Newland Bottles Made Per Year: 14,000 Employees FT: 2 PT: 5 linvillefallswinery.com 4. South Creek Vineyards & Winery Nebo Bottles Made Per Year: 9-12,000 Volunteers Only southcreekwinery.com 5. Parker-Binns Vineyard Mill Spring Bottles Made Per Year: 15,000 Employees FT: 4 PT: 1 parker-binnsvineyard.com 6. Overmountain Vineyards Tryon Bottles Made Per Year: 25,000 Employees FT: 2 PT: 5 overmountainvineyards.com

212 Sweethart Place - Waynesville, NC 28786

Marilyn Wright, CLHMS Global Real Estate Advisor 2018 Top Producer Premier Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Asheville Agent Top Ten Agent in Asheville

7. Mountain Brook Vineyards Tryon Bottles Made Per Year: 4,800 Employees FT: 1 PT: 5 mountainbrookvineyards.com 8. Russian Chapel Hills Winery Columbus Bottles Made Per Year: 50,000 Employees FT: 3 PT: 2 russianchapelhills.com 9. Point Lookout Vineyards Hendersonville pointlookoutvineyards.com 10. Burntshirt Vineyards Hendersonville Bottles Made Per Year: 48-60,000 Employees FT: 19 PT: 31 burntshirtvineyards.com

50

10 Brooks Street Suite 130 Asheville NC 28803 828.279.3980 | Ashevillerealtormwright@gmail.com | September 2019

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Western North Carolina WINERIES

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11. Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards Hendersonville Bottles Made Per Year: 72,000 Employees PT: 16 saintpaulmountainvineyards.com 12. Bee & Bramble Fine Meads Fairview Bottles Made Per Year: 9,600 Employees FT: 1 beeandbramble.com 13. Biltmore Winery Asheville Bottles Made Per Year: 1,800,000 Employees FT: 22 PT: 6 biltmore.com 14. plÄ&#x201C;b urban winery Asheville Bottles Made Per Year: 20,000 Employees FT: 4 PT: 1 pleburbanwinery.com

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15. Fox Hill Meadery Marshall Bottles Made Per Year: 5,000 Employees FT: 1 foxhillmead.com

19. B&C Winery Maggie Valley bcwinerync.com

16. Longleaf Vineyard Marshall longleafvineyard.com

20. Deep Creek Winery Bryson City Bottles Made Per Year: 1,000 Employees FT: 2 deepcreekwinery.com

17.Fontaine Vineyards Leicester Does not process grapes on the premises- vineyards only. fontainevineyards.com

21. Eagle Fork Vineyards Hayesville Bottles Made Per Year: 8,000 Employees FT: 3 PT: 3 eagleforkvineyards.com

18. Addison Farms Vineyard Leicester Bottles Made Per Year: 10,000 Employees PT: 5 more during harvest addisonfarms.net

22. FernCrest Winery Andrews Bottles Made Per Year: 4,200 Employees FT: 2 PT: 1 ferncrestwinery.com

23. Calaboose Cellars Andrews Bottles Made Per Year: 6,000 Employees PT: 1 calaboosecellars.com 24. Cherokee Cellars Winery Murphy Bottles Made Per Year: 6,000 Employees FT: 2 PT: 1 cherokeecellars.com 25. Valley River Vineyards Murphy Wine Made Per Year: 400 gallons valleyrivervineyards.com 26. Nottely River Valley Vineyards Murphy Bottles Made Per Year: 10,000 Employees PT: 2 24 during harvest nottelywine.com

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com

51

local industry

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1. Black Mountain Ciderworks & Meadery Black Mountain Barrels Made Per Year: 1,000 Employees FT: 2 PT: 1 blackmountainciderworks.com 2. Daidala Ciders Asheville daidalaciders.com 3. Urban Orchard Cider Co. Asheville 2 Locations Barrels Made Per Year: 968 Employees FT: 10 PT: 6 urbanorchardcider.com 4. Noble Cider Asheville Barrels Made Per Year: 2,500 - 3,000

52

Employees FT: 6 PT: 3 Now with hard cider spritzers noblecider.com 5. Bold Rock Hard Cider Mills River Barrels Per Year (at full capacity): 600,000 case equivalents Employees: 100 Across the East Now with hard seltzer water boldrock.com 6. Flat Rock Ciderworks Hendersonville Employees FT: 1 PT: 2 flatrockciderworks.com 7. Appalachian Ridge Artisan Hard Cider Hendersonville Employees PT: 5 facebook.com

| September 2019

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1. Blue Ridge Distilling Co. Inc. Bostic Bottles Made Per Year: 102,000 Whiskey (Defiant Whisky) Employees FT: 5 PT: 1 defiantwhisky.com

4. Howling Moon Distillery Asheville Bottles Made Per Year: 20,000 Moonshine Employees FT: 3 howlingmoonshine.com

2. Oak & Grist Distilling Co. Black Mountain Bottles Made Per Year: 2,000 Gin Gin & Whisky Employees FT: 2 oakandgrist.com

5. The Chemist Asheville Gin & Brandy Employees FT: 6 chemistspirits.com

3. Asheville Distilling Co. Asheville Bottles Made Per Year: 300K Whiskey (Troy & Sons) Employees FT: 5 PT: 2 ashevilledistilling.com

6. Dalton Distillery Asheville Bottles Made Per Year: 3,000+ Rum & Agave Vodka Employees FT: 3 PT: 2 dalton-distillery.com

We’ll(almost) Paint

7. Eda Rhyne Distillery Asheville Bottles Made Per Year: 20,000 Herbal liquors and other spirits Employees FT: 2 PT: 1 edarhyne.com

Anything

8. Cultivated Cocktails Formerly H&H Distillery 2 locations Asheville Cultivated Cocktails Bar Downtown Bottles Made Per Year: 10,000 Rum and Gin Employees FT: 4 PT: 1 hhdistillery.com

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9. Ben’s American Sake Asheville Sake benstuneup.com 10. Elevated Mountain Distilling Company Maggie Valley Bottles Made Per Year: 30,000+ Whiskey, Moonshine, Vodka Employees FT: 2 PT: 7 elevatedmountain.com

828-693-8246

www.bealandco.net 5678 Willow Road, Hendersonville, NC

MORE THAN JUST CARS

1. Buchi Kombucha Marshall drinkbuchi.com 2. Shanti Elixirs Weaverville Jun shanthielixirs.com 3. Booda Kombucha Arden Bottles Made Per Year: 20,000 Employees FT: 2 PT: 1 boodakombucha.com

We keep the online version of this information updated on a regular basis, so please let us know of any updates, corrections, or additions we need to be aware of. It’s located at the Resources section of CapitalatPlay.com. We’ve tried to be as complete as possible, but as the accompanying report on the previous page outlines, the regional alcohol industry continues to be in flux. And yes, as before, we accumulated our information the old-fashioned way: traditional journalistic inquiry—calling and emailing the principals, and consulting publically-available online resources—and not by utilizing algorithms, as many other such surveys do.

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THE OLD

NORTH group rates are also available. Edwards will provide hard-hitting background music, or patrons can bring their own tunes. The only downside is customers must wear coveralls, goggles, and other personal protective gear. Edwards watches the rooms on a closed-circuit monitor to guard against incidents.

mother, Mary Anne, the high schoolers launched My Smart Grandkids. For $50 an hour, they will make house calls 24-7 in the Triangle area. Services include setting up devices, including Fitbits; training in how to use apps like email, YouTube, and Skype; fixing hardware and software; and teaching how to identify email scams.

The twins can even modify features to compensate for accessibility issues, like loss of hand-eye coordination. Once a month, the smart grandkids offer a free workshop at Whispering Pines, where it is not unusual for busy adult children to buy their parents a device to stay in touch and then not even have the time to teach them how to use it. The twins are happy to use their passion for technology in a field with immediate returns.

Making a Living

Rate Cut?

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Millia Edwards graduated from Winston-Salem State with a degree in vocational rehabilitation and also trained for substance-abuse counseling and crisis intervention. Her background taught her that not all people are responsive to psychotherapy. So, to address other styles of alleviating stress, she opened Break â&#x20AC;&#x2122;N Bash. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an entertainment venue where people can smash items Edwards raleigh buys or receives as donations. Selections Twins Jacob and Adam Baynes had might include wine glasses, Christmas dreamed of going into business for themornaments, or heavy electronics. People selves. Then, wanting to smash in a controlled envih year, while helping their clast nd brun with a problem they were e k e grandparents e w ronment can also bring items from home. ving Now ser having with their tablet, their grandmother Weapons include a sledgehammer, a suggested crowbar, and a bat. The venue has three nch go into business helping uthey end brkeep k e e w seniors pace with the ever-evolvg breakrooms, where for just $45, patrons in ow serv N can smash for 20 minutes. Per-person ing tech industry. With help from their

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Pending approval of the North Carolina Department of Insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina (BCBSNC) announced it would reduce rates for Affordable Care Act coverage for 2020.

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provided. Other cost-cutting strategies included bill-sharing with five healthcare systems to disincentivize redundancy and extravagance, intra-hospital billing transparency, and a decision by the state to not add to existing regulatory burdens. BCBSNC has requested an average individual rate reduction of 5.2% and an average small business rate reduction of 3.3%. The reduction each person would see would be dependent on location, age, subsidy, and plan. The 5.2% average would translate to a savings of $725 per person per month without Federal subsidy, and $140 net for the 85% of customers eligible for subsidy. The cuts would affect over 435,000 individual enrollees and another 70,000 members covered by 8,500 small business plans.

Adding Up the Costs cary

The parent of a Wake Forest County Public Schools student is being sued for being highly engaged in his son’s highschool education. Blain Dillard has used social media and school board meetings as platforms for challenging the schools’ use of the Mathematics Vision Project (MVP) curriculum. Sixteen other families have filed a formal complaint with the

county about the program and staged walkouts and protests. MVP replaces the formula-based, lecture, and problem set structure of traditional math classes with facilitated group work. Families agreeing with Dillard claim they have had to hire private tutors to teach core competencies their children aren’t getting with MVP. The district introduced MVP in the 20172018 school year and has since spent $1.25 million on the program, with 46% of funding going toward teacher training.

MVP is now suing Dillard, charging he made false statements on social media such as, “Students are drowning in math chaos h###.” It further charges his high-profile Wake Forest campaign has dampened negotiations of sales contracts with other school districts. In addition to bearing the burden of finding alternative routes to math proficiency for their children, parents are worried about the chilling precedent the lawsuit will inflict on parental involvement with the schools.

the old north state

Somewhere, the program explores local food traditions as a means of sharing and bonding. In the series, Howard travels the Southeast, visiting home kitchens to see how unique traditions are prepared and learn the stories behind the food and the culture that made them popular.

Dishes include dumplings, hand pies, and porridge. In North Carolina, for example, she learns about the collard sandwich, a staple of the Lumbee Indians. The program is produced by filmmaker Cynthia Hill, owner of Markay Media in Durham.

Hill and Howard grew up together, and both saw potential for good in a program that unites diverse people around something they all share: an appetite for good food. Howard owns three restaurants and a mail-order bakery, has been named the South’s Best Chef by Southern Living and is a six-time semifinalist in the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef Southeast competition.

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Kinston chef, author, and restaurateur Vivian Howard will host a six-segment television series that will air on PBS in early 2020. With the title South by

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operation. The defendants were paying cash for cigarettes purchased at FreeCo and other retailers in Raleigh, Fayetteville, and Goldsboro. Then, they’d fill rental cars with the cartons and drive them to Richmond or Alexandria, Virginia. There, the cigarettes would change cars again and travel to Syracuse, New York, for another vehicle swap and distribution for MSRP sale in that state. North Carolina’s cigarette tax is $4.50 per carton, New York’s is $43.50, and New York City’s is an additional $14.

Since those in the ring pocketed the difference, they were charged with criminal conspiracy and money laundering, and a few were also charged with smuggling contraband. Over 4,700 cartons, $840,000 in cash, 11 vehicles, and five firearms were seized; authorities expect to seize another $12 million in assets before the investigation is complete.

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Among Qorvo’s products showcased at the Motor Drive and Control Technology Seminar in Shenzhen, China, was the newly-released programmable PAC5556 Power Application Controller. The PAC5556 is an entire system of integrated circuits built into a single chip, otherwise known as a system in package (SiP). It combines analog and digital processing to slip functionality into a slim design estimated to reduce shipping weights on finished products up to 35%. The mixed-signal SiP reduces power consumption, bulk, and noise; while improving performance and reliability. It is expected to find widespread use in smart household appliances, which now make up 16% of white goods shipped. Last year, 89 million smart household appliances shipped, and that number is expected to increase 74% this year. Headquartered in Greensboro, Qorvo is a designer, manufacturer, and supplier of radio-frequency systems. It has been a pioneer in the development of communications systems, with ventures including work on Mars missions, innovations in cell phone technology, and bringing satellite radio to automobiles.

Rolling with Delays ocracoke

After multiple delays the Ocracoke Express finally made its maiden voyage. The Ocracoke Express is a service that ferries people, without their automobiles, across the Outer Banks between Hatteras Village and Ocracoke Village. Once in Ocracoke Village, visitors can use a free tram service or rent golf carts or bicycles. They may also bring their own bikes on the ferry. On the first trip, the ferry carried 57 people and one dog. Averaging 27 knots, the trip took 65 minutes. While the boat intended to make the runs remains under construction

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with the contractor, the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division came across an opportunity to rent a ferry from a New Jersey company and open this year.

After that, it only took 45 days to put finishing touches on the ferry and dock, perform trial runs, and then open. After considering input from riders collected over the first few runs, the Ferry Division announced a slight change to the schedule to allow people more time for dinner and enjoying sunsets.

Fares also jumped from $2 per roundtrip to $4.

It’s Not Easy Being Green statewide

A report released July 18 counted 110,913 clean energy jobs in North Carolina. “Clean Jobs North Carolina 2019,” compiled by E2-Environmental Engineers, found clean energy jobs grew 3.5% statewide last year, compared to all jobs, which grew only 1.9%. Whereas construction and manufacturing accounted for the majority of clean energy jobs, the clean vehicle industry experienced a lot of growth, adding over 1,000 jobs in 2018. Clean jobs also accounted for about half of energy-sector jobs in the state, which totaled 212,172, and numbered about ten times more than fossil-fuel industry jobs.

While North Carolina ranked second in the nation for solar installation, it ranked only ninth for solar industry jobs, with 8,912. The wind industry provided 908 jobs, whereas grid modernization and energy storage availed 2,124 and 1,692, respectively. The industry remains fueled largely by small businesses, 80% of whose employers surveyed said it was difficult to find qualified employees.

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Beat the Heat: Neat Feat wilson

Last year, 11-year-old Lydia Denton was upset upon hearing a news story about a child dying in a hot car. So, her mother asked her what she was going to do about it. An obvious solution was to put a heat sensor in car seats. The technology, however, was already on the market; but it cost $300 and came only with certain models. The goal was therefore redefined to create something more affordable for use with all child car seats. Research and development became a family project, with 12-year-old Elijah contributing his coding skills. Parts from a $60 kit, including a pressure pad, heat sensor, and digital display, were used; and around 100 prototypes were tested, using the family’s cat as a baby, before the system worked.

When the cat sits in the chair, the system is turned on; and when the temperature reaches a certain level, a text warning is sent to the parents’ phone. The parents then have one minute to respond and deactivate an automatic call to 911, which will send first responders an alert with the car’s GPS coordinates.

Contact us if you’d like us to help you develop strategies for pursuing your financial goals.

Wells Fargo Advisors 190 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, NC P: 828-255-4929 Wells Fargo Advisors 32186 Castle Ct, Suite 300 Evergreen, CO P: 303-679-2104 www.satterfieldphillips.com September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 57

the old north state

The Dentons are now looking for a company interested in mass producing what they’ve named the Beat the Heat Car Seat.

Bot Chic charlotte

Some days, it’s easy to believe that AI will replace humans, but Amanda Clark, CEO of Grammar Chic, announced in a recent press release that the ability of computers to generate written content was greatly exaggerated. AI, she said, is a great tool for mundane tasks that are highly repetitive and predictable. She conceded it can be used effectively for some writing tasks, like putting together scores and statistics for a sports brief.

She even applauded using computers for plug-and-chug work, saying it gave humans more time to focus on the CAPSept19

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creativity that makes them human.

Communication, she said, is not a formula, but how humans build connections with each other, and that requires empathy, emotion, and lateral thinking.

Grammar Chic employs a full-service writing team that composes and edits considered, intentional copy that inspire minds to see things they’ve missed and view what they’ve seen through fresh and interesting angles.

Kicking the Habit durham

Purdue Pharma announced its intentions to close its Durham manufacturing plant by the end of the year. Layoffs are anticipated. The plant was one of only two of the company’s facilities manufacturing “solid oral-dose” medications,

which included OxyContin. Purdue has decided to discontinue its manufacture of opioids in part because physicians’ preferences for prescribing over-thecounter pain relievers are cutting into market share, and in part because of criminality-alleging lawsuits. Purdue is now involved in over 1,000 lawsuits claiming the company fraudulently marketed OxyContin. Plaintiffs include every state except Michigan and Nebraska, and thousands of cities and counties, many of which have consolidated their suits for multidistrict litigation. Giving scope to potential claims, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts alleges it has identified a single OxyContin user who was doing $200,000 in business with Purdue a year.

OxyContin used to be Purdue’s perennial top-seller, but last year, sales brought in less than half of the $3.1 billion recorded for 2010.

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Historic Biltmore Village • One All Souls Crescent Asheville, NC • 828.505.8140 • www.shoppalmvillage.com www.facebook.com/Palm.Village.Asheville

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Quarry Worry boone

Radford Quarries, headquartered in Boone, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company’s 40-acre Glendale Springs Quarry is located on land where Appalachian Materials would like to build an asphalt plant. Radford Quarries and Appalachian Materials share a principal in DJ Cecile, Jr., and plans for the asphalt plant have been held up in the lawsuit Ashe County v. Ashe County Planning Board since 2015. The latest ruling, by the NC Court of Appeals in May, upheld the planning board’s 2016 decision to issue the necessary permits. Appalachian Materials also recently won litigation over another asphalt plant planned near Rainbow Trail in Watauga County. In that case, the NC Supreme Court dismissed the appeal of a NC Court of Appeals

ruling that reversed and remanded to the Watauga County Planning Board a Watauga County Superior Court decision affirming denial of the permit. Paperwork filed for the bankruptcy indicated Radford had at least 50 and fewer than 100 creditors, assets valued less than $50,000, and liabilities between $1 million and $10 million.

Now, You See It raleigh

Federico Scurti, a Ph.D. candidate in North Carolina State University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, won a $15,000 LemelsonMassachusetts Institute of Technology award. The awards split a $90,000 pot among three undergraduate teams and four individual graduate students. The award is designed to inspire young adults

to lead a life of invention, and they’re awarded for discoveries with potential for improving healthcare, transportation and mobility, food and water, or consumer devices. Scurti was awarded for his work on three inventions with applications for transportation. Hightemperature superconductors may be used for motors that don’t burn carbon fuels and even small-scale nuclear power generation. They’re lighter in weight, but they have not been commercialized because, before Scurti, there was no technology for error trapping; people found out the motors didn’t work after they failed irreparably. Scurti’s inventions are based on a hybrid superconducting and optical fiber, which can be used as self-monitored motor windings or cables.

All inventions are patented and licensed to the startup company Lupine Materials and Technology.

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September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 59

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photo by Jill Schwarzkopf cour tesy Chemist Distiller y

Drinkcations in Western North Carolina In 2019 there are plenty of new options, new alternatives, and new destinations for the dedicated and adventurous drinker. written by shawndr a russell

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ONE OF THE REASONS WESTERN NORTH

Carolina has exploded as a craft beverage mecca beyond beer is the same reason New York business monthly Fast Company pondered Asheville becoming the new craft beer capital of America in 2012: our 20,000-acre protected watershed. But now, the area craft beverage producers have their sights set on up leveling Asheville’s drinkability.

“Why just be Beer City USA when we could be a Craft Beverage Capital! Variety is the spice of life, and this industry is just starting to get on its feet,” says James Donaldson, owner of The Chemist in Asheville. Lindsay Dorrier, director of operations for Mills River’s Bold Rock Hard Cider, agrees. “Hard cider, hard seltzer, beer, wine, spirits—they are all locally-made and -done at a high level. We think innovation will continue at a rapid pace across all those segments of the industry and look forward to playing a big role in that regional development so that Western NC continues to be known as a craft beverage capital of the east.”

Bold Rock launched their hard seltzer line in June 2019, while over in Brevard, Oskar Blues Brewery got into the boozy water game in January 2019 as the first national craft hard seltzer, so, indeed, the area’s craft beverage scene is just getting started beyond its Beer City reputation. “I think if we all stay focused on what is important for all of us in this city, we will continue to thrive,” says Josie Miekle, owner of Urban Orchard Cider Co., which has locations in both West Asheville and downtown Asheville, adding, “The craft beverage scene here is very community-oriented. Not only do they provide a gathering place, but they also support many community members, organizations, and projects.”

So many new craft beverage trends, so little time… so just dive in!

So why are established breweries like Bold Rock and Oskar Blues jumping on hard seltzer? Well, for starters, the category grew from $6.1 billion in sales in 2016 to $8.5 billion in 2017, with SpikedSeltzer’s Shields valuing the industry at $500 million.

For Bold Rock—located in Mills River and offering live music on weekends and yoga every Saturday—they saw an opportunity to mimic the winning recipe for regional brands that helped spur the craft beer movement. “The category is currently dominated by national hard seltzer brands,” says Dorrier, “and we thought that there was an opportunity for a regional brand like Bold Rock to dive in and eventually drive the growth of the segment in pockets, just as what has happened in beer and hard cider where regional and local brands have begun to occupy a significant proportion of both growth and overall beer and hard cider sales.”

Similarly, Oskar Blues felt launching their Wild Basin seltzers— already sold in all 50 states—was a no-brainer for their brand.

“Craft drinkers are always looking for more options. Boozy water provides a lighter option for weekends filled with hiking, biking, and getting after it. I think we’ll continue to see breweries push the boundaries of what craft beer can be, including seltzers, kombucha, CBD-infused drinks, etc.,” explains the company’s marketing manager, Aaron Baker. Yet another reason why craft beverages have caught fire in Western North Carolina.

photo by Stephan Pruitt Photography cour tesy Urban Orchard

photo cour tesy Elevated Mountain Distiller y

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For Noble Cider, which has a cidery on the northwest side of Asheville and a downtown taproom (a second taproom is slated to open later this year in Brevard), the fact that sales of bubbly water and sparkling water have about tripled in the last 10 years prompted them to create Noble Cider Hard Spritzers, a cider version of a wine spritzer, which CEO Trevor Baker attributes to “one big food trend, and that’s the trend towards health and wellness, and essentially the demonization of sugar in drinks.” He notes that many of the boozy waters currently available on grocery shelves are made from fermented sugar water and artificial flavors—not something that flies with his company’s ethos or Western North Carolina’s farm-to-glass and -table mentality.

This huge growth also tracks in other craft beverage categories, such as kombucha, which BeverageDaily.com reported will grow 100% by 2020 and be worth $5.45 billion by 2025, according to Grandview Research. Asheville alone has two kombucheries—Buchi and Booda—as well as the biggest Junery on the East Coast, Shanti Elixirs. Shanti’s growth in its sales of Jun has increased from $50,000 in

2018, totaling $3.7 billion in sales, and an increase in retail cases sold by 24%, according to Craft Spirits Data Project, an annual report released by the American Craft Spirits Association. Dave Angel, owner of Elevated Mountain Distillery in Maggie Valley, has seen visitors double since 2017, with an expected 30,000+ guests stopping in by the end of 2019. “There is a movement against big brands, where people are seeking out smaller, unique, and local alternatives. Distilleries are following the path already established by wineries and breweries,” he says.

This craft movement can be attributed to many factors, notably millennial buying habits, interest in hyperlocal products, and seeking out authentic, smaller brands like Angel pointed out. As writer Elizabeth Green states in “From Hop to Hip: Craft Moves to the Mainstream,” published last year at FoodIngredientsFirst.com, “In times of an increasingly fast-moving, modern society, growing globalization and the universal availability of consumer goods, consumers often are drawn to points of the past.

The past is associated with authenticity and reliable quality

“Consumers are increasingly looking for lighter, and what they perceive as healthier, alcohol options. That may be low sugar, low alcohol, gluten-free, or functional beverages.”

2017 to more than $300,000 projected for 2019. “We have a wide demographic of consumers ranging from millennials looking for a healthy, non-alcoholic alternative to people looking for high quality, locally crafted beverages to people who are enjoying the benefits of the probiotics along with other health aspects of the various Jun flavors,” shares owner Shanti Volpe. An uptick in the people who are sober curious—thanks in part to growing numbers of people practicing Dry Januarys—and seeking out craft mocktails have helped her business grow, but several local businesses also utilize Shanti Elixirs as a cocktail ingredient or mixer with a local craft spirit, such as North Asheville’s Avenue M and Downtown Asheville’s Bhramari Brewing Co. Shanti has also noticed an increase in couples offering Jun at their weddings and other celebrations as a bubbly, festive alternative to alcohol. Owner of local ginnery The Chemist’s James Donaldson adds, “People are willing to spend money on just the experience of craft even without the need to get tipsy, which means the craft beverages are more a communal experience that brings people together and not just a passing fad.”

Speaking of craft distilleries, the United States market as a whole has seen a 30% rise in sales between 2017 and 62

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and creates a feeling of familiarity and security. Origin, nostalgia, and trust nowadays count as a seal of quality and form an emotional bond between consumers and products or brands. This becomes visible in the continuing vintage/ retro trend and above all in the craft movement, which is now spreading from the beverage category towards other food sectors, such as sauces or snacks.”

And if local ginger beer maker Ginger’s Revenge is any indication, hard ginger beer will continue to grow in popularity, too. In just three years, the River Arts District business will go from selling 200 barrels in 2017 to tracking to surpass 1,400 barrels sold in 2019. This category is virtually untapped in America, with only a few dedicated ginger breweries in existence—although some breweries are coming out with their own ginger beers—this segment of the craft beverage market has the opportunity to explode. “With the gluten-free market really taking off, we felt the time was right for getting our product to market,” explains owner David Ackley of Ginger’s Revenge, adding, “Consumers are increasingly looking for lighter, and what they perceive as healthier, alcohol options. That may be low sugar, low alcohol, gluten-free, or functional beverages.” And while most people have never enjoyed a

EDA RHYNE DISTILLERY photo by Phill Baldwin September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 63

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Local Craft Beverage Tours It goes without saying that, just as Kevin Costner was advised in Field of Dreams, if you build it, they will come. And then they will drink. In recognition of that maxim, and in classic entrepreneurial fashion, a number of local businesses are happy to facilitate your explorations and help you wet your whistle.

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Rooftop Guide ashevillerooftopbartours.com 828-774-7785

Amazing Pubcycle amazingpubcycle.com 828-214-5010

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Asheville AirBnB Experiences

LaZoom Band & Beer Bus Tour lazoomtours.com/tours/bandbeer-bus-tour/ 828-225-6932

Floating Bar Crawl Tour airbnb.com/experiences/870926 E-bike Brewery Crawl airbnb.com/experiences/477185 Asheville Brewery Tour airbnb.com/experiences/955119

photo cour tesy Copper Barrel Distiller y

hard ginger beer, Ackley points out that like his craft colleagues, ginger beer also has a rich history to glean from. “One of the things that inspired us early on was finding out that at one point in American history, there were hundreds of ginger beer producers. I certainly think it’s possible that we’ll see more and more ginger beers come on the scene,” says Ackley.

Consumers will raise a toast to how archaic blue laws are gradually being replaced by common-sense ones…

As noted in our annual state-of-the-regional-alcohol-industry report elsewhere in this issue of Capital at Play, come September 1, North Carolina’s craft distilling industry hits a huge milestone thanks to Governor Roy Cooper signing Senate bill 290 into law on July 29. This bill accomplishes several objectives: • Distilleries can now serve cocktails on-site and sell more alcohol directly to consumers.

• Pets can now visit distilleries and breweries that do not have a kitchen.

• Less restrictions are in place related to doing business with bars and restaurants.

You can almost hear the lips smacking of local distillers when they discuss what this important change will mean to the craft industry as a whole and their bottom lines specifically. “Now,

Photos by Erin Adams / Cour tesy Shanti Elixirs

we’ll be offering classes, events, and doing cocktails at the Distillery (located downtown near the Grove Arcade). We’re excited to get started!” says Cultivated Cocktails owner Leah Howard, who recently rebranded (formerly H&H Distillery, profiled in the September 2017 issue of this magazine). To further capitalize on the growing craft trend, they will also be releasing a line of cocktails-in-a-can and seeking out more collaborations with local businesses.

Copper Barrel, located in North Wilkesboro, aka the Moonshine Capital of America, and located at the far-eastern edge of Western North Carolina, also plans to take full advantage of the new law, kicking off with a double-elimination competition where the winner will be hired as their new head mixologist for their cocktail lounge. They’ve also collaborated with several businesses to create a line of spirited snacks including cigars, chocolate truffles, ice cream, peanuts, and meat jerkies, as well as a line of moonshine soaps. Their spirit dinner series, dubbed Shine and Dines, and happening across the state, “have been phenomenally successful,” says Copper Barrel CEO George Smith, emphasizing that craft beverages and craft food pairings will become increasingly popular. In the neighboring town of Moravian Falls, Holman Distillery offers vodka and gin and serves as “the only commercial producer of traditional Applejack on the planet,” says Holman’s distiller, John Holman. He’s actually on a mission to grow all his own fruit September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 65

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within five years, and he bought the old cattle farm he operates on in Movarian Falls because he “wanted to grow my own sugars to distill,” capitalizing on the ground to glass desires of craft consumers.

Black Mountain’s Oak & Grist owner William Goldberg agrees that the passage of this bill is “a game changer. Cocktails will provide us the opportunity to showcase our products in the format that most folks consume them. Particularly with gin, people are not used to drinking it straight, so to be able to mix a cocktail for folks will change the way that individuals are able to experience our spirits.”

In 2019 alone, they’ve enjoyed a 288% increase in sales, and tout themselves as the only 100% grainto-glass distillery in Buncombe County. Beyond what Goldberg deems to be “restrictive, outdated” laws, he says another battle they’ve faced is that “most people do not realize that much of the craft spirits that they are drinking are either partially or entirely made at large distilleries and then purchased and labeled as ‘craft’ by smaller distilleries. Our projected growth looks promising, and for us, that means that we are able to buy more local grain and botanicals—which translates to a higher dollar-value staying local.” He’s also excited to do more events related to how to pair spirits with food since the law up to this point has made that extremely difficult.

For The Chemist, unlimited sales now being permissible means they can release, according to James Donaldson, “more limited/small batched products… without having to depend on the state to sell it if we just wanted it to be a tasting room release.

We would be able to sample at local ABC stores, meaning more opportunities to educate consumers about this industry and our brand, and we would also have a more direct route to selling to accounts in the state that previously had a clogged ordering pipeline that would prevent that account from carrying our product, which would mean more locally crafted beverages out on bar shelves!”

Although this law marks an important milestone, Western North Carolina distillers aren’t done fighting for more freedom when it comes to operating their businesses. Elevated Mountain’s Angel argues, “The new law is a giant step forward. But it’s one of many we need to take to remain competitive with surrounding states. The inability to sell on Sundays takes away one of the biggest tourist days of the week.

The inability to ship to out of state customers means we lose repeat sales. Forcing NC distilleries to sell all of our products in the NC ABC system is troubling for both distilleries and the ABC system. What sells in-house is often very different from what the ABC 66

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photo by Chelsea Lane Photography cour tesy Chemist Disllier y

Stores want to carry, due to the differences in locals going to ABC Stores and tourists going to distilleries.” For his part, Donaldson agrees that more must be done to support craft distillers: “If a distillery desires to grow beyond its four walls and be regional, then they better be ready to play with the big boys; there is a lot of money behind those major brands, and there still needs to be more loosening of liquor laws for distilleries to be more financially successful and on a more equal playing ground.”

What Else Is Bubbling Up Beyond Our Local Beer Scene?

Not to be forgotten in this craft craze is craft cider, which Statista.com predicts will generate a $1.6 billion valuation by 2023. Again, millennials serve as the driving force behind hard cider’s growth. In fact, cider’s 8.4% off-premise sales growth significantly outpaced other categories, as beer actually dropped .2% with wine growing

He’s certainly seen millennials more willing to trying ciders with funky ingredients, like maple syrup or chai spice, but adds that “older generations are definitely curious” about checking out new options as well.

As Seen In WESTERN

NORTH CAROLINA’S

FINEST HOMES

2.1% and spirits growing 3.6% according to BeverageDaily. com. America is home to more than 900 cideries, and Asheville claims three of those within city limits, with several others operating in the region. For Daidala Ciders cidermaker Chris Heagney, one of the biggest challenges is educating consumers that “I’m not serving them a sugary sweet drink they’ve come across in the past.” He’s certainly seen millennials more willing to trying ciders with funky ingredients, like maple syrup or chai spice, but adds that “older generations are definitely curious” about checking out new options as well. And like many craft beverage makers, thinking outside the box extended to crafting his taproom, which actually co-exists as part of Herod Gallery in the River Arts District.

562 Long Shoals Road Arden NC September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 67 828-687-1968 • TogarRugs.com

leisure & libation

photo cour tesy Bold Rock

Another craft cider trend—pairing cider and food—made Noble Cider’s decision to open a second location of sorts, The Greenhouse, a wise one. This new restaurant, located smack in the middle of downtown next to the U.S. Cellular Center, focuses on cider cocktails and offers flights of brandies and calvados and small plates that pair well with cider and often feature the apple-based drink as an ingredient. They also emphasize their sustainability philosophy with their “mid-century, tropical garden-room ambiance [that’s] warm and inviting, creating a full sensory experience,” says Baker.

Black Mountain Ciderworks owner Jessica Bowman attributes the increase in cider love to “craft beverage drinkers finally taking a chance on drier beverages, which has always been our focus. We hope that consumers continue to seek out and support drier, minimal intervention craft beverages that are made with a nod to tradition.”

She also hopes to continue to see an “ungendering” of craft beverages, a/k/a letting go of outdated concepts that guys drink beer and girls drink wine and cider.

“So often, we meet people who only drink cider, or who only drink stouts, or who only drink IPAs—that’s boring,” she says. “We hope to see people drinking an IPA and then ordering a cider for the next round, understanding that they can be both beer and cider/mead drinkers—that their identity doesn’t have to be loyal to just one.”

Okay, you know what’s available—now it’s time to plot out those drinkcations!

To help you enjoy the growing craft beverage scene in Western North Carolina, we’ve created these lists of additional craft libation hotspots so you can (responsibly) enjoy all the crafty fermented drinks our region has to offer.

Asheville Check out the Buchi Bar, underneath Rosetta’s, and offering kombucha cocktails, and TreeRock Social Cider House, Asheville’s first and largest mead bar. The city is also home to one of the few craft sakeries in the country, Ben’s Tune-Up, and houses a unique spin on a winery at Pleb Urban Winery, located inside an industrial space in the River Arts District—no vineyards here, as they’re all about sourcing from local farms.

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Cultivated Recipes Cultivated Cocktails shared with us some of their favorite recipes for you to try at home, if you can't make it to their Downtown Asheville location.

Cafe Appalachia Directions: Add coffee liqueur and Appalachian fernet to shaker with egg whites and dry shake. Add ice and reshake. Strain into faceted coupe glass and garnish with coffee beans.

Ingredients: 1.5 oz Asheville Coffee Liqueur photo cour tesy Cultivated Cocktails photo by Taylor Howard

1.5 oz Eda Rhyne Appalachian Fernet Egg Whites

Coconut Russian Ingredients:

Directions: Build in a rocks glass over ice adding coconut milk last.

1.5 oz Hazel 63 Rum 1.5 oz coffee liqueur 2 oz coconut milk

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing Ingredients: 1.5 oz Hazel 63 Rum 1.5 oz Urban Orchard Lemon Drop Cider

1 tbsp Asheville Bee Charmer Smokin' Hot Honey

Directions: Add rum and honey to the shaker with ice and shake generously.

Strain into coupe glass, add a dash of vanilla and top with cider. Garnish with 2 blackberries.

1 dash Vanilla Extract

Lavender Fields Ingredients: 1.5 oz Hazel 9 Gin 0.75 oz Lavender Syrup 0.75 oz Lemon Juice 0.75 oz Seed Kombucha from Buchi photo cour tesy Holman Distiller y

Directions: Add gin, lavender syrup, and lemon juice to the shaker with fresh ice and shake lightly. Strain into snifter glass over ice sphere. Top with kombucha and garnish with a lemon peel rose.

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Want to mix your craft suds with art? Hit up ZaPow Gallery and Lexington Glassworks, both with a handful of rotating taps, with ZaPow dedicated three taps to beer, one to cider, one to cold brew coffee, and one to ginger beer. Need a haircut? Both

All in all, there are scores of options that didn’t exist as recently as a couple of years ago for Western North Carolina residents looking for alternatives beyond heading over to the local pub or popping into Ingles to pick up a couple of six-packs.

Ananda and Union Hill Salons offer visitors a complimentary beverage. Time to pick up some groceries but want to have a drink too? Hopey and Co. (downtown) and Whole Foods (East Asheville) have you covered.

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West Looking for a non-alcoholic craft bevvie before or after your stop at Elevated Mountain Distilling and B & C Winery (winner of a bronze and silver at 2019’s Finger Lakes International Wine Competition) in Maggie Valley? Hit Waynesville Soda Jerks (profiled in the June 2019 issue of Capital at Play), beloved for their commitment to locally sourcing their ingredients to create flavors you want find from the big brands like plum lime, blackberry serrano, and strawberry rhubarb. There’s also the Secret Wine Bar—open in Waynesville only on Friday nights and lunchtime during the summer—at Bosu’s Wine Shop (also Waynesville), which carries every type of libation and cocktail fixings.

East Morganton’s most famous craft beverage maker is certainly Fonta Flora, which just opened a second farm taproom and production location and should certainly be included in your tour since they have many beers that challenge the definition of beer. There’s also Bostic-based Blue Ridge Distilling (profiled in the September 2016 issue, Capital at Play) led by a salvage

diver who has decorated his distillery with treasures recovered from his sea expeditions—along with South Mountain Distilling (Connelly Springs), Oak & Grist, and Black Mountain Ciderworks (both in Black Mountain).

North Besides Copper Barrel and Holman Distillery discussed above, you can also visit Call Family Distillers (Wilkesboro), but it’s best to book an appointment if you’d like a tour. For award-winning High Country cider, visit Appalachian Mountain Brewing in Boone and taste their cider offerings like their Mystic Dragon Cider, made with green tea, rhubarb, and strawberries, or their Scarlet Rose, made with cinnamon and plums. And although they aren’t open to the public, keep an eye out for Steve’s SoulShine liquors (Newland, near Boone) at your local ABC store.

South In nearby Hendersonville the cider revolution is going strong with Bold Rock selecting the 7th-most apple-producing county in America as its secondary home on the East Coast.

Flat Rock Cider Company and Appalachian Ridge Artisan

Cider—also makers of pommeau, a mix of apple cider and brandy—call Henderson County home, and some of the orchards are starting to join the fray, with Grandad’s Apples ‘N Such releasing their first hard ciders in 2018. Wineries also dot the Hendersonville area, with Saint Paul Mountain, Burnshirt, Point Lookout, and Fruit of the Spirit all making for a great craft winery trail experience. *** All in all, there are scores of options that didn’t exist as recently as a couple of years ago for Western North Carolina residents looking for alternatives beyond heading over to the local pub or popping into Ingles to pick up a couple of six-packs. Remember, though—while there are certainly nonalcoholic choices that one can avail him- or herself of, the very term “drinking” is more likely than not to involve a beverage with at least some alcohol content. So, if you do decide to hit the road, consider taking along a designated driver. Or better still, book a room near your destination and make it a genuine “drinkcation.”

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Life at Deerfield means connecting with your passions and embracing fun, fitness and friendships. It means giving yourself and your loved ones the greatest gift: peace of mind. Here, in one of America’s most desirable retirement destinations you’ll enjoy extraordinary surroundings, activityfilled days and nights, and an extensive list of amenities.

Call to schedule a visit and discover how you can add life to your years.

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Retooled

Revamped Restaurants Worth a Second Look

J

A

john kerr

is the co-owner of Metro Wines located on Charlotte Street in downtown Asheville.

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SH E V I L L E IS BU R S T I NG W I T H restaurants. Lured by our reputation, new chefs pour into town, whether newly minted at A-B Tech or recent arrivals from the best food cities.

Each adds to the cultural fabric that defines our community’s character.

Whether you classify yourself as a foodie or not, you must admit that the plethora of eating establishments makes for a delightful problem.

Where you’re going for dinner is one of the few fun dilemmas you can face during your day.

We all have one or two favorite eateries. You return because you know you’ll get the same great experience. But either through distraction from Asheville’s next great place or a disappointing experience at your old haunt, we often leave our favorites behind.

This month, we’ll focus on a few restaurants you think you know but have transformed themselves into a wonderfully new culinary experience. The restaurants that loosely reside along Charlotte Street represent the new focus of many resident restauranteurs—the locals. You’ll find them far from

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the congestion of our town center to provide you a relaxed and memorable dining experience.

Here you can skip the aggravation of the crowds.

Parking is hassle-free and cost-free at nearly all.

Travelers are welcome, but these restaurants are mainly there for you. So, try the next new sensation in town. But you’ll miss some of the best dining experiences if you don’t include these stalwarts.

Best Neighborhood Restaurant

Bone and Broth

Bone and Broth has taken over the space that was once the edgy diner King James. Bone and Broth was floundering until Chef Chris Benson and GM Sam Douglas brought their vision to the place about a year ago.

J The ambiance is immediately relaxing. A mahogany bar plus brick walls give the place a warm and traditional feel much like an old Boston bar. Nice enough for special occasions, but casual enough for a Wednesday night respite.

What makes this a true neighborhood restaurant is that the menu has something that everyone will love. The steaks and burgers are superb, given the Chop Shop connection; the owners of that popular restaurant are also part owners of Bone and Broth, whose meat is sourced from the Chop Shop.

But the well-curated menu also offers Italian fare and a strong list of ten dishes that will delight any vegan, pescatarian, and flexitarian in your crowd. You’ll find four salads including grilled Caesar and baby iceberg wedge, along with other popular dishes like farro risotto, crispy brussel sprouts, charred broccoli, and cheesy crab and shrimp dip.

The Wine: The wine list focuses on America’s favorite style, fruit forward but distinctive and made from popular grapes. For

Golden Fleece offers you the kind of genuine hospitality Delidimos experienced while living in Greece. Greek dining tradition is about community. “Sharing a meal is a primitive connection with our friends and family,” Delidimos observes.

“We serve small plates, so the variety of flavors becomes part of the shared experience.” For this reason, the entire left side of the menu is small plates with entrées on the right. This way, you can quickly determine the experience you want for the evening and order accordingly.

Delidimos’ focus on fresh, local ingredients requires some innovation to produce his traditional cuisine. He’s always looking for common ground between the two cultures, like using collard greens to replace the greens from back home. But many dishes remain true to tradition, like the Greek salad, made from tomatoes, croutons, capers, and feta flown in from Greece.

The wood fire is the foundation of Golden Fleece’s cuisine.

The subtle flavors of wood and smoke add to the primal

YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT. I’ VE BEEN TO VIRTUALLY EVERY CELEBR ATED VEGAN/ VEGETARIAN RESTAUR ANT IN AMERICA, AND THIS IS THE BEST. those who like a leaner style, there are a few Euro offerings.

These versatile wines work with the menu but are also enjoyable to sip at the bar.

What makes this place is Benson’s care in preparation. The cuisine is innovative yet traditional and made with fresh, quality ingredients. I’ve hosted two events there, and at both, our guests were delighted, vowing to return. If you haven’t been to Bone and Broth in the last two months, you’re in for a treat.

Mediterranean Oasis

Golden Fleece

Golden Fleece has always been a bit hard to find, but well worth the effort to locate. Just put the address in your phone and let GPS guide you to their free and easy parking. Anchoring the entrance to Grovewood Village, you’ll find it right across the street from the Grove Park Inn. When tourists begin to converge on Asheville, where can the locals go for a refuge of their own? Golden Fleece is that little oasis from the daily grind. The restaurant has a cozy, boutique ambiance. Dine on the patio and you’ll feel like you’ve left the world behind.

Golden Fleece enjoyed critical acclaim when it first opened a few years ago. The restaurant stumbled when two key players left for different ventures. But Executive Chef George Delidimos and General Manager Jack Casey have restored the quality and service to its original glory.

connection with the food. Even the toast served with dips and soups is grilled over flame. Popular dishes include the whole Bronzini fish as well as the fall special of braised lamb and grilled Romaine lettuce. The Romaine is served al dente, and the egg and lemon sauce binds the flavors—a classic Greek dish.

The Wine: The wine list is well-priced with a few higher end wines in case you want a Cali Cab with your steak. The list shows a well-selected group of popular grapes and styles. Greek wines are in the mix if you’re interested. See for yourself that Greek varietals are among the best for pairing.

Haute Vegan / Vegetarian Cuisine

Vue 1913 at the Grove Park Inn Yes, you read that right. I’ve been to virtually every celebrated vegan/vegetarian restaurant in America, and this is the best. It’s not necessarily French, but I consider it haute because of the meticulous preparation and artful presentation of each dish. You’d have to fly to London or Hong Kong to get something comparable.

Brandon Gibson and Richard Gras, Chef de Cuisine Vue and Executive Chef of GPI’s Sammons wing, respectively, began their collaborative effort to elevate the Vue’s dining experience about a year ago. Both were attuned to changes in the American diet and Asheville’s leaning towards plant-based cuisine. This drove the extensive change to the menu and brought the leap in quality to all dishes, including their traditional meat dishes.

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The understated décor is comfortable and inviting, but it is the sweeping view of our home town’s valley that is the centerpiece of the restaurant’s ambiance. This is one of the

THE COMPACT WINE LIST PROVIDES POPULAR VARIETALS THAT PAIR WELL WITH THE CUISINE. THE FOOD IS ALREADY ADVENTUROUS. IF YOU DO WANT FURTHER ADVENTURE, THE LONG LIST OF QUALITY SAKE IS THERE TO HELP. few places in town that provides you consistent, quality service.

From check-in to check, you are well-served.

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Vue 1913 offers an elevated form of dining with dishes driven by local, seasonal offerings. They have closed the distance between local produce and the restaurant. From your seat, you can even see the hives that produce the honey used by the Chef.

Although you can easily grab one dish and a glass of wine, Gibson and Gras encourage a leisurely experience over a multicourse meal. You can stay with plant-based or traditional dishes, or bounce between the two. For a veggie alternative to meat and potatoes, consider the morel and potatoes entrée: fresh wild mushrooms in bordelaise sauce accompanied by potato purée and peak season vegetables. One of my favorite dishes is the ricotta gnocchi: tender mixed squash and basil, garnished with black walnut pesto.

The Wine: The wine list offers an ample selection of iconic wines intermixed with little-known gems. Ask for sommelier Jason Barks to guide you towards something special for the evening.

Use the parking lot on the Sammons wing side and take the elevator to put you close to the restaurant. Expect to pay about $15 for parking.

Fusion Asian Cuisine

Gan Shan

Those who follow our restaurant scene know that owner and Chef Patrick O’Cain has been at the center of local Asian cuisine for several years. But recently O’Cain’s team decided to ramp up the experience by eliminating lunch and creating an elevated experience at dinner.

New décor is the first change you’ll see. The renovation creates an intimate, less industrial feel. It’s a warmer space with a quieter ambiance. The environment delivers a renewed energy designed to excite and introduce you to his style of Asian cuisine. (Note that there are now two locations, Gan Shan Station, on Charlotte Street, and Gan Shan West, on Haywood Road.)

Gan Shan provides a hub where the community can connect through cuisine that fuses flavors from East Asian cultures. To bolster this connection, O’Cain and Chef de Cuisine Will Cisa built out the small plate offerings which encourage the table to explore different flavors by trying several dishes. The menu is large enough to compel you to return and try the intriguing dish you missed.

The menu is constantly in flux, with specials inspired by farm-fresh ingredients. Gan Shan shines with its two signature events. Thursdays feature whole fish (type varies weekly) supported in a bed of vegetables and exotic sauces. Or you can try the chef’s table: an 8- to 12-course experience for up to six guests, tailored to your dietary needs. Reservations for the chef’s table must be made at least 48 hours in advance, the only reservations accepted at Gan Shan.

The most popular dishes are the dumplings, pork ramen, and drunken noodles. Also on this list is Pad Thai, the most authentic version I’ve tried outside of New York. O’Cain’s favorite is the Imperial rolls. “For me,” he says, “it’s the mixture of textures.

The rolls’ crunch is counterbalanced by a fresh explosion of flavor from the spicy sauce, cool lettuce, and fresh herbs.”

The Wine: The compact wine list provides popular varietals that pair well with the cuisine. The food is already adventurous, so the list offers you something you know you love while you explore. If you do want further adventure, the long list of quality sake is there to help.

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Farming & Foraging To Fashion A Fernet

written by bill kopp photos by evan anderson

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L-R Rett Murphy, Rider Burton, Pierce Harden, and Chris Bower

Eda Rhyne Distillery’s Chris Bower and Rett Murphy’s unique approach to making spirits is catching on well beyond just diehard liquor and craft cocktail nerds.

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CHRIS BOWER (L) AND RETT MURPHY

I

F YOU WANT TO LAUNCH A DISTILLERY, IT’S HELPFUL to have amassed a small fortune before you start. It also helps to be a little crazy. Chris Bower and Rett Murphy got into the business without the benefit of the former. But there’s a strong case to be made that the latter applies to this pair of Western North Carolina entrepreneurs.

You’d have to be crazy to work in an industry that’s heavily regulated at every level—federal state and local—and that presents a nearly endless series of barriers to success. But Bower and Murphy seem to take it all in with good-natured (yet clear-eyed) optimism.

Case in point: In July their company, Asheville-based Eda Rhyne Distillery, was about to debut a new spirit, the fourth in its growing line. The morass of regulatory hurdles had been deftly navigated, and all that remained prior to bringing its spicebush vodka to market was state approval of the labels that would adorn the distinctive Eda Rhyne bottles.

And then they hit a snag.

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The product—which is eagerly anticipated among craft bartenders and liquor nerds—is a distinctively American spin on a spirit not easily found in the United States: bison grass vodka. The “real” stuff is made from a flavorful aromatic herb that unfortunately contains trace amounts of coumarin, recognized by the Food and Drug Administration as a blood thinner. Eda Rhyne’s new spirit, of course, has none of the banned grain; instead, it gets its flavor from spicebush, a wild shrub native to Eastern North America.

But the snag came when someone in an office somewhere at the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, a division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, didn’t like what he or she saw on the proposed label. “There was a space between ‘spice’ and ‘bush’ one place on the label,” Murphy explains, with a mixture of frustration and bemusement, “and no space on another.”

By the time you read this story, the offending space will have been eliminated… or duplicated. Either way, Eda Rhyne’s newest concoction should soon be on the shelves of local ABC

stores and discerning regional bars. But not for long. Murphy and Bower have been tinkering with the recipe for some time now, and this initial small batch is the first that meets their exacting standards.

“We’ve learned a whole lot in the past two years of harvesting,” Murphy admits. “Like not letting sun touch anything, getting everything out of the forest before a certain time of the day, and using it all that day or else we start to get some off flavors.” The result of their efforts is coming to market in a very limited run of 1,500 bottles. “Next year we’ll have a ton,” he promises, “but if you like it now, buy a few bottles. Because it’s not going to be around long.”

Harvesting isn’t a word that most distillers use, at least not when they’re talking about their own activities. But that’s part of what makes Eda Rhyne special: Many of the ingredients come to the distillery by way of foraging. Rather than buy spices, herbs, and barks in bulk, these distillers responsibly source the ingredients directly whenever possible. And when an ingredient is called for in greater quantities, they farm it themselves or buy it from farmers committed to sustainable practices.

The artisanal approach that these distilling entrepreneurs bring to their craft dovetails nicely with the resurgent interest in cocktails, and—despite their lack of formal business training—both Murphy and Bower run the operation and navigate the regulatory waters like old pros.

Elixir Heritage Chris Bower cuts an imposing figure. Standing well above six feet, a cocktail glass in his hand looks more like a shot glass.

At first glance, a stranger might take him for a hippie; this is Asheville, after all. A moment later, if they’re still sizing him up, they might reconsider and suspect he’s a classic mountain man, with deep familial roots in Western North Carolina. To some extent, both presumptions have some basis in fact—Bower’s long hair and beard fit right in with the Asheville vibe, and he did in fact grow up in Fairview, just outside of town.

But Bower is a far more complex and nuanced character than those reductive stereotypes suggest. When the subject of leisure time comes up in our conversation, Bower offhandedly says, “If I’m looking at books, I want to look at a French manuscript from the mid-1800s or something like that.” That unassuming sophistication is matched by a quiet savvy: He was already a successful entrepreneur when he started Eda Rhyne, as evidenced by his pair of bars—downtown Asheville’s Lazy Diamond and the Double Crown in West Asheville—both popular with locals.

Bower’s interest in alcoholic beverages is a continuation of a family culture, but not in the way that one might guess.

He readily admits that the bootlegging tradition is part of his family’s heritage. “Though I didn’t know it for most of my life, members of my family were engaged in illicit liquor,” he says.

But they didn’t drink.

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THIS PAGE: Murphy & Bower (putting bags in) Maceration FACING PAGE: Some herbs, spices, and other flora that give Eda Rhyne spirits their unique character.

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As has been the case with many cultures, people in rural Appalachia viewed alcohol as a medium used to deliver curative benefits. “It wasn’t too long ago that people healed themselves with plants,” Bower emphasizes. And those making their own liquor were connected to that practice.

“There was always a portion of the run that would go to the healers, because [alcohol] is a perfect way to extract and preserve the healing compounds of the plants.”

papaw on my dad’s side had a liquor store when I was growing up,” he says. And—again without realizing it at the time—young Bower absorbed a lot of creative ideas about the visual side of the world of liquor by spending time in that shop. Though he has no background in graphic design, Bower came up with Eda Rhyne’s unique bottle shape and its oval labels that subtly suggest an apothecary from yesteryear.

Bower shrugs, brushing away my effusive praise for those design elements. “Like most mountain people, I’m just naturally creative,” he counters, speaking of a “sense of a practical creativity that’s born out of necessity. And that’s what I have; that’s what I do.”

Beyond admiring the attractive bottles in his grandfather’s shop, Bower’s introduction to spirits came when he and a buddy stole a bottle from a friend’s house. He recalls that youthful memory: “Yes, this whiskey stuff that they talk about is amazing!” But that introduction was followed by years of disappointment. Insisting with a mock-straight face that he was of legal age when all of this took place, he says, “Later, I’d try whiskey at parties, and I’d think, ‘None of this stuff is like what we were drinking.’” Through his own informal field research, Bower eventually learned the difference between varieties of whiskey, and the difference between good and not-so-good.

Meanwhile, Bower says that when he was a high schooler in Fairview, “You could go down to the Rocky Broad River,

“I’ve always been someone sitting on the other side of the bar; that’s my experience.

I came at this as someone who’s really into botanicals, plants, foods, flavors.”

And that’s where Bower’s grandparents come into the story. “It wasn’t until they had passed away and my family was like, ‘Oh, here’s this cabinet, and there’s corn liquor.’” he says. “‘And plants.’ They were making medicine.”

He quickly makes a point of emphasizing that Eda Rhyne makes no claims with regard to curative properties in its Appalachian Fernet. Doing so would land the distiller in all manner of trouble with the Feds. And nobody wants that.

In fact, there is a more conventional side to Bower’s deep interest in (and knowledge of) adult beverages. “My

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FRESH FRUIT and herbs make the distillery's products even better

and there would always be old timers down there with ‘shine. They would trade you for cigarettes or weed. If you needed it, it would be there.”

Farm-to-Bar “I’ve been a farmer all my life,” says Rett Murphy. “That’s basically all I’ve ever done.” That background—with its understanding of the land and its yields—plays into his current-day status as co-owner of Eda Rhyne Distillery. But he got into the whole thing mainly because he likes interesting drinks.

“I had never been in the [liquor] industry,” Murphy freely admits.

“I’ve always been someone sitting on the other side of the bar; that’s my experience. I came at this as someone who’s really into botanicals, plants, foods, flavors.” He met Bower years ago through mutual friends and got to know his future business partner even better when he started hanging out at Bower’s bars.

Murphy readily credits Bower as the team member with the deepest experience regarding the herbs, spices, and other flora that give Eda Rhyne spirits their unique character. “I didn’t grow up in some sort of family where we were going out in the woods and eating fiddleheads and stuff like that,” he says with a chuckle. “I grew up in Greensboro.

My parents and grandparents were big vegetable gardeners, but that’s a little bit different than wandering out in the woods to find food.”

But Murphy brings a deep interest in the more flavorful end of the spirits world. “A number of years ago, I started pretty heavily 82

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BOWER CHECKING in the tank used for Fermentation

exploring botanical-based spirits: amari, a lot of gins, various liqueurs from all over the place,” he says. “And I got passionate about it. When we first started this business, we always planned on making a fernet, but it wasn’t necessarily our plan from the beginning to be a specifically amaro-focused distillery.”

Yet in large part, the distillery’s eventual path was established fifteen years before, when Chris Bower discovered a drink so singularly unique, it has a color named after it.

From Counterfeit to Genuine Mountain heritage notwithstanding, it wasn’t until Bower moved to London that he discovered a rich and varied world of spirits beyond moonshine and store-bought whiskey. “I discovered all these strange drinks that I’d never even seen before,” he says. And when he visited other countries in Europe, his world opened up even more. “There was one product that really stood out to me,” he says, still conveying his sense of wonder: “Chartreuse.”

The potent liqueur distilled by Carthusian monks in an Alpine monastery—using a recipe passed down by monks sworn to a vow of silence—captured Bower’s taste and imagination. Once back in the States, he discovered that there exists a long tradition of attempts to replicate Chartreuse. Countless counterfeit spirits have been made, all over the world, but none quite captured the unique, spiced, and herbaceous terroir (flavor that derives from the environment in which a beverage is produced) of the original.

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“I decided I was going to counterfeit Chartreuse, too,” Bower says. “But it didn’t work out very well.” Yet his failed experiments led him down a new path, one that connected back to his mountain roots. “I grew up learning about the plants here in the mountains; my pappy would take me out in the woods and show them to me.” He began to realize that those plants could be combined in original ways with a base spirit to create something akin to Chartreuse, but with a uniquely Appalachian character.

“I also realized I already had relationships with some of those plants,’ Bower says. “So, I started making herbal liqueurs—just for me personally—out of local plants.” And one morning he woke up to inspiration. “It was like a voice,” he says, with a chuckle. “‘Go make a fernet!’ So, I got up out of my bed and just started collecting barks and roots and flowers and leaves and fruits.” He sourced everything from the rugged and mountainous 60-acre plot surrounding his cabin.

Bower brought his harvest back to the cabin. “I put it in a jar of moonshine and let it sit underneath my kitchen sink,” he recalls.

“And when I came back to it a couple weeks later, I discovered that indeed, I had made a fernet. And that was the rustic genesis of what Eda Rhyne’s Appalachian Fernet is today.”

How Sweet It Isn’t From a classification perspective—something very important to federal regulators, but also of value when positioning a new product in the marketplace—Appalachian Fernet is an amaro. Amari (that’s the Italian plural form) are herbal liqueurs often served as after-dinner digestifs, but in recent years they’ve found increased use in creative cocktails. The American palate has long been characterized as more attuned to sweet flavors than bitter ones, making amari something of an acquired taste here. In fact, many of the most popular brands—Ramazzotti, Cynar, Zucca, and Montenegro, to name just a few available locally—all have sweetening to soften the bitter elements.

Eda Rhyne went a different route, one that wins them accolades from intrepid bartenders. “Chris and Rett believe in keeping their liqueurs as dry as possible,” says Christian 84

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INSPIRATION FOR the Distillery's name came from a local ghost story about a woman named Eda Rhyne.

Gaal, craft bartender and a consultant to the distillery. “From a legal standpoint, the amount of sugars in [their spirits] are at the legal minimum for them to participate in that category.”

That, he explains, make Eda Rhyne’s products more versatile.

“You can always add sugar into a cocktail,” Gaal points out.

“But you can’t take it out.”

Gaal believes that Bower’s approach is one that “respects the tradition of the amaro, but also brings it into a realm that might be a little easier for the contemporary palate to enjoy. That’s his wish upon a star, and he’s in a position to make it a reality.”

But it’s really the Appalachian character of Eda Rhyne spirits that Gaal says sets them apart. He rhapsodizes about the region’s unparalleled biodiversity, due in part to the mountain microclimates that abound in the area. “This region was a refugio for many flora during the previous ice age; there are certain plants that only exist here because of special [environmental] conditions.”

Gaal says that the Western North Carolina mountains level of diversity “is analogous, perhaps, to the various alpine herbs that are used in those high elevation regions in Italy and in France to produce their traditional liqueurs. So, in a sense, you’re talking about terroir liqueurs.”

The Legend of Eda Rhyne “When we needed a name for our distillery, we thought about a lot of different things,” says Bower. “The first thing we wanted was a really fantastic southern name. An old-school name that just has that strange, beautiful language about it.” They also wanted to stand out in a field overwhelming dominated by male names: Jack Daniels, George Dickel, Don Julio.

So inspired, Bower and Murphy turned to a Haywood County ghost story about a woman named Eda Rhyne. “It’s an old southern murder ballad type thing,” Bower says with a chuckle.

“A terrifying moral tale. And it’s a really cool feminist revenge story.” That air of homespun backwoods mystery suited the distillers, so Eda Rhyne Distillery it would be.

Cash Flow vs. Liquor Flow When Murphy and Bower decided to launch Eda Rhyne, they had to scramble to raise the start-up funds. “We all borrowed money from friends and family,” Murphy says, “and we got personal loans.” The distillery secured a loan through Mountain Bizworks, but that still wasn’t quite enough. “I have had to September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 85

extend quite a bit on various credit cards because of the way that cash flow goes in this business,” Murphy says.

They also made use of the crowdfunding model. “We did an IndieGoGo campaign to get us over the finish line,” Bower says. But ultimately, it came down to Bower, Murphy,

Availing themselves of ingredients that can be harvested locally, the distillers create spirits that have a uniquely Appalachian terroir. and two other investors. “We used our ingenuity and personal finances to make this happen,” he says.

There are many ways for entrepreneurs to express their creativity in a way that yields financial rewards. But opening a distillery is among the most challenging. Bower is forthright when he says that dealing with regulators was

“a nightmare. There’s so much to get into; this is a highly regulated business.

“Which,” he hastens to add, “is a good thing. It’s regulated for a reason.” But both he and Murphy are pleased to see some modernization being made to state laws that affect Eda Rhyne’s business. The North Carolina legislature recently passed Senate Bill 290 (SB 290); its provisions will allow distilleries like Eda Rhyne to sell mixed drinks on-premises.

Bower and Murphy believe that will help grow interest in their amaro products—currently the Appalachian Fernet, an Amaro Flora, and a Rustic Nocino (made with green walnut) spirit—because they can let guests sample them in the context of cocktails they already recognize.

Another part of SB 290 that could benefit Eda Rhyne is its allowing bars and restaurants to order individual bottles.

Currently, minimum wholesale purchases are a 12-bottle case, and while some ABC boards (Asheville, for one) allow several bars to go in together and split a case, many others do not.

But even with the easing of outdated North Carolina blue laws concerning alcohol, it remains an uphill battle.

“ABC’s payment terms are net 30,” Murphy explains, “so you’re putting all this money out that maybe you’ll see

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back six, seven months later.” And the distillery’s longer-term plans include some spirits that require aging; as a result, a lot of money is currently tied up in a rye whiskey that’s still a long way from being ready for sale.

Murphy has been working in measured steps to expand the distillery’s distribution. “I’ve agreed to send a few hundred bottles to Georgia,” he says. “We’re just starting to sell there.”

But he admits that most sales, whether retail or in bars, are local and regional. Getting product on the shelves of ABC stores across the state is difficult, because the distillery has to deal with each board individually; there’s no state-wide apparatus.

Rhyne With Reason In a market that’s increasingly crowded, there’s great benefit to carving out a niche. And that’s an area in which Eda Rhyne excels. Availing themselves of ingredients that can be harvested locally—either by foraging or by growing them on Murphy’s Aardvark Farm in Burnsville—the distillers create spirits that have a uniquely Appalachian terroir.

Murphy and Bower draw upon local and regional wisdom, too. “In Asheville, probably more than almost any other place, there are people with that knowledge who still are trying to

carry it forward,” Murphy says. “Whether it be people in the Native American community, old hippies, old hillbillies, or even people who have moved here from elsewhere, we seek out their knowledge.

“Also, there are historical records of people using a number of the ingredients that we use for liquor. So, you find that stuff out, you try what’s available and see what you like,” Murphy says. “And then, you see what the government is willing to let you get away with; that’s the scary part.”

Eda Rhyne’s business model calls for expanded offerings, but other than the spicebush (or spice bush!) vodka and a rabarbaro aperitif, details are being kept under wraps. And while a drinker with a refined palate might discern at least some of the ingredients that flavor Eda Rhyne products, the distillery’s recipes remain a closely guarded secret.

At a recent meeting of the Asheville chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild, Bower muttered something to a fellow attendee about—wait for it—beetles. Later asked to clarify— did he actually mention beetles?—he’s tight-lipped.

“Yes,” Bower says, with a conspiratorial smile. “We’ll leave it at that.” Like I said: just a little crazy.

We Would Love To Make A Difference For You! • Help you articulate and formalize your goals • Identify and prioritize financial opportunities • Prepare your retirement plan • Guide you on how to be invested within your employer’s retirement plan • Advise you on when and how to take Social Security benefits • Suggest ways to increase your income in retirement • Give advice on matters such as long-term care and life insurance, college planning, risk documents, reverse mortgages, and senior care

• Monitor changes in your life that might affect your investment strategies • Provide referrals to other professionals when needed • Help with continuity of your family financial plans across generations • Help with strategies for credit card management and debt reduction • Serve as a wise sounding board for your plans and ideas • Help keep you on track and feeling confident

828.274.7844 | info@wofm.us www.WhiteOakFinancialManagement.com Every Investment Strategy Has The Potential For Profit Or Loss.

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1. John Hoskins, Laura Webb, Vanessa Ryan, Clary & Chase Pickering, Allison Jordan & Ken Stamps 2. Cheryl & Mile Ramos, Superintendent

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Cassius Cash of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Meridith Powell FOTS board director, Andy & Laura Nadeau 3. Senator Terry Van Duyn & Representative

Joe Sam Queen 4. JoAnn Yoder, Holly Demuth, & Laura Webb 5. Susan Hutson, Billie Green & Abby Bishop 6. Leigh Pettus

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7. Dave Campbell & Colleen Redden 8. Cissie, Wyatt, & Kim Stevens 9. Peter & Jasmin Gentling 10. Jim Hart (President of FOTS), Dr. Rob

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Powell & Steve Woody (founding Board member of FOTS) 11. John Ransom 12. Event band Buncombe Turnpike

13. Square dancing 14. Cindy Clark & Leslie Green 15. Dr. Dan & Deener Matthews 16. Erik Webber, Maggie Webber, Emily & J Webber of Blue Ghost Brewing (event sponsor) September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 89

events

september

EVENTS

competition to conclude with a multiact Sunday concert. All events are set in the scenic Yadkin River Valley. Ticketing, schedules at website.

> 828-754-2486 > happyvalleyfiddlers.org AUGUST 30 – SEPTEMBER 14

AUGUST 30 – SEPTEMBER 2

A Winter’s Tale

North Carolina Apple Festival

7:30-9PM (Fri-Sun)

Downtown Hendersonville, NC

Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre 92 Gay St, Asheville, NC

All things apple will be sold and sampled on Main Street in downtown Hendersonville. It all winds down with the King Apple Parade on Monday.

Critics have struggled with how to classify Shakespeare’s intense drama with a happy ending. Find out how at this free performance.

> 828-697-4557 > ncapplefestival.org AUGUST 30 – SEPTEMBER 1

Happy Valley Fiddlers’ Convention

> 828-254-5146 > montfordparkplayers.org SEPTEMBER 2

Tour D’Apple

62-, 45-, or 25-mile option. Proceeds benefit projects of the Hendersonville Four Seasons Rotary Club.

> tourdapple.com SEPTEMBER 3-9

Asheville Entrepreneur Week 2019 Downtown Asheville, NC

Look for multiple activities and events to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses, plus parties, TEDx talks, the LA AF, lunch and learns, and more.

The capstone event is September 6, with Big Scary Fish Tank—presented

by Asheville Investment Club as a benefit for the OnTrack nonprofit—where four local companies will compete for $500,000 from local investors. Events ticketed separately.

> hatchavl.org/avlentreweek2019 > bigscaryfishtank.com

8AM-12PM

Happy Valley Campground 3590 NC 268, Lenoir, NC

Blue Ridge Community College 180 West Campus Dr, Flat Rock, NC

The festival begins Friday evening with live music and dance and continues through eight categories of music

The bike ride runs through apple orchards, waterfalls, and mountain vistas. Racers have their choice of a 100-,

SEPTEMBER 3

Readings by Jacqueline Osherow

7-8:30PM

A Unique and Independent Real Estate Company since 1979 90

23 Arlington Street Asheville, NC 28801 | 828. 255.7530 | www.appalachianrealty.com | September 2019

Center for Jewish Studies, UNC Asheville, Karpen Hall 1 University Heights, Asheville, NC Dr. Osherow is the author of eight collections of poetry exploring controversial questions in history and religion.

Publishers Weekly described her as, “sounding less like an authority than like a particularly well-traveled friend.”

> 828-232-5027 > cjs.unca.edu SEPTEMBER 5

RiverLink’s Bus Tour

10AM-1PM New Belgium Brewing Company 21 Craven St, Asheville, NC RiverLink and Leap Frog Tours have partnered to put together a program celebrating the past and future of the French Broad River. The tour departs from the parking lot of New Belgium. Admission includes lunch and supports RiverLink.

> Admission: $45 > 828-252-8474 > riverlink.org

SEPTEMBER 6 & 7

Organic Growers School Harvest Conference 9:30AM-4:30PM Warren Wilson College 701 Warren Wilson Rd, Swannanoa, NC This 6th annual event features 8 workshops conducted by experts in their fields, which will include Wild Edibles, Medicine Making, Hemp Farming, and Forest Farming.

> Admission: $70 (single day); $125 (both days) > 828-208-0220 > organicgrowersschool.org SEPTEMBER 7

Hendersonville Symphony: American Icons 7:30-10PM Blue Ridge Community College, Conference Hall 49 East Campus Dr, Flat Rock, NC

New York’s jazz clubs and the summer Maine coast provide the inspiration for the evening’s selections accompanied by pianist Kathryn Brown.

>Tickets: Adult $45, Student $12 > 828-697-5884 > hendersonvillesymphony.org SEPTEMBER 7

Call for Sculpture Artists

9AM-4PM (exhibition only) TH Broyhill Walking Park 945 Lakewood Circle, Lenoir, NC

The Caldwell Arts Council invites sculptors to bring up to three pieces to compete in the 34th Annual Sculpture Celebration for cash prizes from an $11,000 pot, and possibly score sales and commissions on the side. Last year, over 4,000 attended.

> Registration: $35-$80 > 828-754-2486 > caldwellarts.com SEPTEMBER 8

TEDx Asheville 2019 Diana Wortham Theatre 18 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC

Part of Entrepreneurship Week, the theme for the TEDx 10th anniversary celebration will be “Challenging Assumptions

8 Samuel Ashe Drive, Asheville 28803

MLS #3278736 Stunning western views of Mt. Pisgah and beyond from this modern 2016 built home in Beaucatcher Heights

3 Bed - 3 Bath Approx. Sq. Ft: 2989

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 91

events

Breaking New Ground,” with speakers drawn from a unique pool of “innovators, optimists, storytellers, and more.”

> 828-257-4530 > tedxasheville.com

> 828-575-9220 > airasheville.com

SEPTEMBER 8

Grove Park Sunset Mountain Neighborhood Tour of Homes 11AM-5PM Grove Park Inn Country Club 10 Club View Rd, Asheville, NC

Participants will meet at the Grove Park Country Club and trolley between beautiful homes and gardens. Proceeds benefit neighborhood beautification projects.

>Tickets: Advance $20, Door $25 > gp-smna.org/tour-of-homes/ SEPTEMBER 9

Pan Harmonia: Sambas & Serenades

7-8:30PM The Haen Gallery 52 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC

Kate Steinbeck and Amy Brucksch open the 20th season of chamber music with offerings on flute and guitar. The show reprises at St. Philip’s in Brevard on 9/13.

>Tickets: $20 > 828-254-7123 > panharmonia.org

SEPTEMBER 13-28

Cinematastic: The Music of the Movies

2PM (Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun), 7:30PM (Wed, Thu), 8PM (Fri, Sat) Flat Rock Playhouse 2661 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock, NC

Members of the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra play movie hits from all eras.

Dancing in the aisles is encouraged.

>Tickets: Adult $26-$60, Student (18-25) $38, Child $23 > 828-693-0731 > flatrockplayhouse.org SEPTEMBER 14

Spoonin’: A Showcase of Handcrafted Spoons

2-5PM Grovewood Gallery 111 Grovewood Rd, Asheville, NC

The free exhibit of spoons of silver, copper, and wood, handcrafted by 18 artists, kicks off with a public reception. On display through October 13.

> 828-253-7651 > grovewood.com

to address common tax issues in starting a small business. Topics include identifying relevant data, choosing a business structure, buying insurance policies, and complying with regulations.

> 828-271-4786 > asheville.score.org SEPTEMBER 15

2nd Annual Mountain Medicine Festival

4:30-6:30PM The Wedge at Foundation 5 Foundy St, Asheville, NC

Because spending time in nature is good for your health, Integrative Family Medicine of Asheville is cohosting a wellness festival with live music to raise awareness and funds for environmental nonprofits.

> Donations: Encouraged > 828-253-7152 > integrativeasheville.org SEPTEMBER 16

Planting for Pollinators

7-9PM Henderson County Center, NC Cooperative Extension 100 Jackson Park Rd, Hendersonville, NC All ages are welcome at this free event to learn what plants keep bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds happy year-round.

> 828-233-5623 > hcbeekeepers.org

SEPTEMBER 14

SEPTEMBER 12-15

Chow Chow

Various Venues Downtown Asheville It’s a melange at the nexus of food and art, celebrating makers. What links fine chocolates, LaZoom, yoga, a food truck rodeo, and a clay bake presented

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Making Your Business Legal and Tax Compliant

9AM-12PM A-B Tech Small Business Center 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler, NC

Instructors Kerry Friedman and Richard Smith will provide a free overview of how

SEPTEMBER 17-19

Dahlia Daze Tours

10-11AM Bullington Gardens 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville, NC

The large flowers in a variety of colors

should be in full bloom this week. Free, but preregistration required.

> 828-698-6104 > bullingtongardens.org SEPTEMBER 18

Tax Planning for Business

MULCH | SAND | GRAVEL | MASONRY TOOLS | BOULDERS | BUILDING STONE | THIN STONE | FLAGSTONE

11:30AM-1PM Lenoir-Rhyne, Asheville campus 36 Montford Ave, Asheville, NC

Mark Goodson and Don Nalley will reduce the sticker shock from taxes owed by showing how to estimate tax bills and budget ahead, and also share how to avoid paying unnecessary taxes.

> 828-271-4786 > asheville.score.org SEPTEMBER 21

Write a Better Website for Your Business 9AM-12PM A-B Tech Small Business Center 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler, NC

Chelsea Baldwin will lead participants toward identifying what they want to convey with their brand and how to express it succinctly and effectively.

> 828-271-4786 > asheville.score.org

:: ASHEVILLE :: 321 SWEETEN CREEK ROAD 828.575.9400

:: BREVARD :: 415 ROSMAN HIGHWAY 828.883.9680

WWW.FRENCHBROADSTONE.COM

Complete Your Outdoor Space.

Let us help with furniture, firepits and grills!

SEPTEMBER 21-22

Open Studio Tour of Henderson County

10AM-5PM Henderson County

40 studios give the public a chance to meet the artists and see them work at work. A preview party will take place Thursday, from 4-7, at the Center for Art and Inspiration. Maps for the free self-guided tour are available.

> hcost.org

Jensen Leisure Coral All Weather Woven Seating Group

Meeting Your Fireplace and Patio Needs.

264 Biltmore Ave. • Asheville, NC • 828.252.2789 September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 93

events

SEPTEMBER 21-22

Heritage Weekend

10AM-4PM (Sat), 12-5PM (Sun) Folk Art Center Milepost 382 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville, NC The Southern Highland Craft Guild shares a free weekend of traditional craft, music, and dance.

> 828-523-4110 > southernhighlandguild.org SEPTEMBER 21

2019 Ruby Ball

5-11:30PM South Slope, Asheville, NC

The Asheville Area Arts Council hosts its 15th Color Ball. In tradition, over 600 patrons will wear the official color, ruby, and sashay among four venues on the South Slope.

>Tickets: Main Event $35, Two

Parties + Main Event $100, All Access $175 > 828-258-0710 > ashevillearts.com/occasion-detail/ rubyball/ SEPTEMBER 21 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; OCTOBER 6

The Fire of Freedom: The Story of Abraham Galloway 7:30PM (Wed-Sat), 2PM (Sun) North Carolina Stage Company 15 Stage Lane, Asheville, NC The inspiring story is told of a man who refused to be defined by racism. Based in the Civil War and Reconstruction times, it is a discussion of slavery, justice, and libery in the American South. Based on the book by Dr. David Cecelski.

>Tickets: $20-$38 > 828-239-0263 > ncstage.org 94

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SEPTEMBER 21

Masterworks 1: ¡Exótico!

8-10:30PM Thomas Wolfe Auditorium 87 Haywood St, Asheville, NC

The Asheville Symphony, under the direction of Darko Butorac, with violinist Blake Pouliot, will interpret Ginastera’s Four Dances from Estancia, Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, Revueltas’ Sensemayá, and Ravel’s Boléro.

> 828-254-7046 > ashevillesymphony.org SEPTEMBER 23

Marketing Your Business 6-9PM A-B Tech Madison Campus 4646 US 25/70 Hwy, Marshall, NC

Blaine Greenfield will give a free talk about how to analyze one’s industry, learn about and reach customers, and differentiate among marketing techniques.

> 828-271-4786 > asheville.score.org SEPTEMBER 24

Speaker’s Learning Lab 5:30-7PM MindSpring Consulting 966 Tunnel Rd, Asheville, NC

A 5-week learning lab (Tuesdays through Oct. 29, excluding Oct.8) to help you refine your public speaking and presentation skills. Afraid to get up in front of people? Barrie Barton has the strategies and techniques.

>Tickets: $325 ($125 deposit

suggested) > eventbrite.com/e/5-week-speakerslearning-lab-tickets-56302829278

SEPTEMBER 27-29

37th Annual Asheville Quilt Show

9AM-5PM (Fri, Sat), 10-4:30PM (Sun) WNC Agricultural Center 1301 Fanning Bridge Rd, Fletcher, NC The highlight will be over 300 quality quilts of different genres displayed by 25 vendors. There will be additional quilting-themed activities.

> Admission: Adult $7, Child (0-12) FREE > 828-650-9708 > ashevillequiltguild.org SEPTEMBER 27

Digital Marketing/PR Certificate Program

9AM-4PM WCU – Biltmore Park 28 Schenck Parkway, Asheville, NC Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment is offering this certification program in six full-day classes that will meet Fridays beginning September 27.

Learn about public relations, branding, marketing, budgeting, analytics, online content creation, video production, and social media.

> Registration: certification $640, single class $119 > 828-654-6498 > pdp.wcu.edu SEPTEMBER 28

Monarch Butterfly Day

10AM-4PM North Carolina Arboretum 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC

Raising awareness about declining monarch butterfly populations with opportunities to learn how to increase their habitat.

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 95

events

> Parking: Personal Vehicle $14, Motorhome, $50, Bus $100 > 828-665-2492 > ncarboretum.org SEPTEMBER 27-29

NOC GAF

Nantahala Outdoor Center 13077 W Hwy 19, Bryson City, NC

Custom pools and spas.

We create unique backyard environments 1200-C Hendersonville Rd. Asheville, NC • 828-277-8041 • waterworkswnc.com Swim Spas by American Whirlpool.

The Nantahala Outdoor Center invites one and all to its free Guest Appreciation Festival. Highlights include markdowns, a used gear sale, activities for kids, live night music, shuttles, and a T-shirt design contest.

> 828-785-4854 > noc.com OCTOBER 3

Pisgah Legal Services’ 9th Annual Justice Forum

7:30-5PM US Cellular Center, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium 87 Haywood St, Asheville, NC

Western North Carolina's Free Spirit of Enterprise

Join us on Social Media!

F O R T I C K E T G I V E AWAY S , E X C L U S I V E S , A N D M O R E !

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The forum, organized to raise awareness about the local plight of poverty, is focused this year on economic justice for immigrants. The keynote speaker will be Pulitzer Prize winner and Emmy nominee José Antonio Vargas. Preregistration required.

>Tickets: Reception (5:30PM) $60, Forum FREE > 828-253-0406 > pisgahlegal.org

If your organization has any local press releases for our briefs section, or events that you would like to see here, feel free to email us at events@capitalatplay.com.

Please submit your event at least six weeks in advance.

C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S T O T H E C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S T O T H E 43 MEMBERS OF THE 43 MEMBERS OF THE

Class of 2019!

2019!

“There is no cookie-cutter graduate at CDS. What we do best is meet students where they are, “There is no cookie-cutter graduate at CDS. What we do best is meet students where they are, continue to push them to perform at their highest level, along the way encouraging them to question continue to push them to perform at their highest level, along the way encouraging them to question everything, especially us. Our graduates leave here realizing that there is no single easy answer everything, especially us. Our graduates leave here realizing that there is no single easy answer to life’s problems. Our kids, our graduates, are independent thinkers, who relish in asking questions to life’s problems. Our kids, our graduates, are independent thinkers, who relish in asking questions and want to make a meaningful difference in the world—a difference that is unique to each and and want to make a meaningful difference in the world—a difference that is unique to each and every one of them.” —David Hertzinger, Faculty Commencement Address every one of them.” —David Hertzinger, Faculty Commencement Address

CarolinaDay.org CarolinaDay.org

828.210.9157 828.210.9157

admission@CarolinaDay.org admission@CarolinaDay.org September 2019

| capitalatplay.com 97

Memorable

Remembrances of a past with an eye toward the hopes that our tomorrows will bring.

Enjoy browsing cabinet after cabinet of yesterday's treasures, diamonds and gemstone jewelry lovingly refurbished to reveal a fresh glow... A fitting tribute to their past..

For thirteen years, we have been the area's leader in the buying and selling of high quality pre-owned diamonds and gemstone jewelry. We showcase a wide selection of hand-picked pieces including antique, vintage and modern, all priced well below current market.

Our expertise has spanned generations, dating from the 1920s in Boston to the Tampa Bay area.

Now, we celebrate our 13th anniversary in Historic Biltmore Village.

Historic Biltmore Village

2 Boston Way Asheville, NC 28803 828.274.7007

EstateJewelryLtd.com

We buy diamonds, fine jewelry and old gold.

Evaluations are free with no obligation and we know how to get you more when you sell.

Please call for an appointment 828.274.7007 98

| September 2019

R OU EE NTS S ME ME CO ROVE P IM

Picture yourself at Tryon Estates.

A premier North Carolina retirement community, Tryon Estates offers an active lifestyle and the peace of mind that your nest egg is protected. As an Acts Retirement-Life Community, we provide a continuum of care at prearranged costs. Come discover how you can reimagine your future in the foothills!

(828) 547-2372 | AboutActs.com/Play

September 2019 | capitalatplay.com 99

CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE A TOUR AND DISCOVER THE EXCITING NEW ADDITIONS WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;VE JUST COMPLETED!

IT’S ALL ABOUT WHO YOU KNOW Even with 95% of home buyers using the internet

Each year, over a million users visit beverly-hanks.com,

during their search, 88% use an agent to ultimately

and many share their search criteria with us. When

buy. Recent REAL Trends research revealed that

they do, we match their preferences to listed

reliance on an agent to provide a list of viable homes

properties, keep them informed of market changes,

and assist in negotiations were two of the highest

and suggest they schedule a visit. Our introductions

rated real estate services in 2018. Our network of 400+

led to more than 2,000 of our clients’ listings being sold

professional agents and their network of thousands

in 2018 and 99% of sellers enthusiastically referring

of clients are a powerful resource for sellers.

their Beverly-Hanks agent to friends and family.

Many companies will try to compensate by placing your home on thousands of websites. This method is only helpful if a broker can connect with interested viewers and few brokers can do this successfully.

Our ability to communicate with interested buyers is what makes us different.

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Call Today!

In person appointments at any of our ten local offices can be arranged at your convenience.

(866) 716-5892