Beer and Breweries

Cold beers

FOR THE COLD WINTER

BY IAN TAYLOR

Winter is a top-flight season for beer, with many new brews coming out every year using spices and flavors that increase in popularity as the temperature decreases. The High Country is home to numerous breweries willing to take chances and take advantage of the classic combination of cold and beer.

If you asked 10 High Country residents, “Where’s the best place to grab a drink?” they may give you 10 different answers. In recent years, the area has become the home to a blossoming brew scene with a variety of flavors.

APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN BREWERY

More commonly known as AMB, Appalachian Mountain Brewery is the home of more than 100 beers and ciders. Since its founding in a cultural staple in the college town.

Their numerous beverage options include the famous Boone Creek Blonde, Porter and the Spoaty-Oaty as flagship year-round brews. They also have some seasonal beers on tap such as the C.R.E.A.M. coffee and doughnut-infused milk stout, which is a collaboration with fellow Boone staple Local Lion. If you’re more of a cider person, their Mystic Dragon Cider is an applebased cider infused with green tea, rhubarb and strawberries.

AMB also has events every week including open mic nights, fundraisers and charitable endeavors.

For more information, you can go to their

FILE PHOTO Matt Wurst and Amber Steward hand out beer tastings from the Appalachian Mountain Brewery tent at High Country Beer Fest.

website, www.amb.beer, or call (828) 263-1111.

BLOWING ROCK BREWING

After more than a decade in the business, Blowing Rock Brewing has stuck to its core values of capturing the finest qualities of the High Country and sustainability.

The Midnight Raspberry Wheat is brewed with dark, roasted wheat and fermented while the Red Rider is malt driven and deep amber-red in color, with moderate hop intensity. Both are some of the seven of their brews to win medals at the Carolina Championship of Beer Awards.

SEE BEERS ON PAGE 131

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 130

Other offerings on tap include the Cloud Rise IPA, with notes of crushed pineapple and orange zest, and the autumn exclusive Mel Electrum Honey Amber Ale.

Blowing Rock Brewing uses only locally sourced materials and recycles as much as they can, priding themselves on sustaining the land that provides so much for their products.

For more information, you can go online to their website, www.blowingrockbrewing.com, or call (828) 414-9600.

BOONDOCKS BREWING

Boondocks is a constant presence in the West Jefferson and Ashe County communities, and their beers reflect that.

The brewery has released beers like the Blue Ridge Brutal Brown, which celebrates the endurance of the annual Blue Ridge Brutal Bike Race, and the West Jefferson Centennial Ale, which was first brewed for the celebration of West Jefferson’s 100th Anniversary.

When they aren’t celebrating their home, Boondocks is putting out brews like the Rocket Science IPA and the Strawberry-Blonde Mint Saison.

Boondocks is home to both the Brew Haus and a restaurant section, so those who just want to drink and grab a bite are covered. In the Brew Haus, visitors can see the tanks used to brew their new favorite beers, each named after some of founder Gary Brown’s favorite guitarists.

For more information, you can go to their website, www.boondocksbeer.com, call (336) 246-5222 or stop by either location on North Jefferson Avenue in West

PHOTO BY ANDREW COLE Greg Hershner of New River Brewing passes along a beer to a festival goer during the 2021 Stomp N’ Brew.

BOONESHINE BREWING COMPANY

Founded in 2015 by two friends who like beer, Booneshine is known for limited runs and beers that get the job done.

Booneshine specializes in unique and fun brews, such as the Hatchet Coffee Porter, a collaboration with the Hatchet Coffee company in Boone, the Trail Mojo is a double IPA that honors the spirit of local hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, and the Champagne in the Membrane, a champagne-style grape ale.

The brewery opened a new location in 2019, doubling as a restaurant serving delicious food to pair with delicious beer. Since its opening, the new spot has hosted events, live music and people looking for a good time while becoming a staple of the Boone beer scene.

For more information, you can go to their website, booneshine.beer, call (828) 386-4066 or stop by 465 Industrial Park Drive in Boone.

KETTELL BEERWORKS

The Banner Elk brewers feature three tiers of alcohol by volume and a few seasonal beers. The variety allows for new drinkers to find their niche, or challenge them-

SEE BEERS ON PAGE 132

Custom Knives for the Kitchen and Outdoors

‒ Showroom Hours: Wed-Sun 12pm-5pm ‒2780 Tynecastle Hwy, Banner Elk, NC 28604 (828) 850-9250

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 131

selves to go higher.

Their Vonderbier is a contemporary Munich-style lager with a color resembling a Fall leaf, the Speak Easy carries a whopping 10 percent ABV along with its bourbon barrel-aged Baltic porter flavors and their Copper Elk is an American amber with slight hints of chocolate and caramel.

Sit down at their location for a good time filled with food, friends and beer.

For more information, you can go online to their website, www. kettellbeerworks.com, call (828) 898-8677 or head over to 567 Main Street East in Banner Elk.

LOST PROVINCE

Downtown Boone’s microbrewery, just the names of some of Lost Province’s beers will make you want to get lost in their menu.

The Kiss My Grits is a “Southern-style” lager brewed with yellow corn grits, Life Without Air is a refreshing saison and the Fire On the Mountain is an amber ale brewed with fresh and fire-roasted jalapeños.

You can also grab a bite to pair with your beer, with wood-fired pizzas, meat and cheese boards and classic pub fare lining the menu. Lost Province takes buying from local farmers very seriously, so you might end up sitting next to the person who grew your dinner.

In 2021, the brewery opened a second location on the other side of Boone, just off U.S. 421. The satellite operation does not have a kitchen, instead hosting a massive brewing operation to allow Lost Province to spread its beer far and wide.

For more information, you can go online to their website, lostprovince.com, or call (828) 265-3506.

MOLLEY CHOMPER

Molley Chomper is based out of Lansing in Ashe County, and has a passion for making delicious ciders that people will love and show off the fruit and farmers of the southern Appalachia region.

Some of their ciders include the Porch Swing, which is made with wild crab apples that grow up the hill from their farm, the Mountain Maelstrom, which uses fruit grown in Ashe and Watauga counties, and the Hopped Molley, which is made with a little bit of hops for an added bonus.

Molley Chomper takes a lot of pride in using fruits, berries and other ingredients that they get from local farmers in Ashe and the surrounding counties, saying that they want to know who’s growing their product. For more information, you can go online to their website, www. molleychomper.com, or call (404) 769-1439.

NEW RIVER BREWING

Founded by the fatherand-son team of Greg and Adam Hershner in Lansing, the brewery quickly became a staple in restaurants and stores in the area. Now in West Jefferson, the brewery has expanded to a whole restaurant, with food to compliment their beer.

Some of their beers include the Tipsy Kilt, with flavors of toffee, vanilla and dark fruit which spent more than 200 days in a bourbon barrel for maximum flavor, their Rye R Squared, an ampedup version of a traditional English barleywine and the Hopsessive Compulsive, which combines fruity notes with a bitter backbone.

Outside of their own building, New River’s brews can be found in establishments throughout the High Country such as The Rock and Macado’s in Boone, and Carolina Country Wines and Craft Beers in West Jefferson.

For more information, you can go to their website, newriverbrewing.beer, or call (336) 846-2739.

Tasting glasses are offered at High Country Beer Fest. PHOTO SUBMITTED

BREWERIES OF THE HIGH COUNTRY

Appalachian Mountain Brewery

163 Boone Creek Drive Boone (828) 263-1111 www.amb.beer

Beech Mountain Brewing Company

1007 Beech Mountain Pkwy.

Beech Mountain (828) 387-2011 ext. 208 www.beechmountainresort.com/mountain/ brewery

Blowing Rock Brewing Company

152 Sunset Drive Blowing Rock (828) 414-9600 www.blowingrockbrewing.com

Booneshine Brewing Company

465 Industrial Park Drive Boone (828) 278-8006 www.booneshine.beer

Boondocks Brewing Tap Room & Restaurant

108 S. Jefferson Ave.

West Jefferson (336) 246-5222 www.boondocksbeer.com

Kettell Beerworks

567 Main St. East Banner Elk (828) 898-8677 www.kettellbeerworks.com

Lost Province Brewing Company

130 N. Depot St. Boone (828) 265-3506 www.lostprovince.com

Molley Chomper

165 Piney Creek Rd. Lansing (336) 488-0809 www.molleychomper.com

New River Brewing

108 South 3rd Ave. West Jefferson (336) 846-2739 www.newriverbrewing.beer