Asheville Winter Warmer fest a success.


Last weekend brewers and beer enthusiasts alike turned out for the Asheville Winter Warmer fest at the Haywood Park Grand Ballroom in Asheville, NC. The Winter Warmer fest is in its third year in Asheville and has been growing in leaps and bounds. Their first year saw a handful of local breweries and roughly 300 attendees. This year there were twenty breweries, mostly from North Carolina, but also from neighboring states – South Carolina (Thomas Creek), Tennessee (Yazoo), and Georgia (Sweetwater). The festival drew over 1000 attendees from all over North Carolina, as well as neighboring states.

Food was provided by the Lobster Trap giving attendees a wide choice of chowders, shellfish, and even a raw bar. Woody Wood and Brushfire Stankgrass performed live at the festival.

“We just wanted a way for people to shake off the winter blahs” says Mark Lyons, the festival’s organizer. Lyons and his wife Trish also own and operate the Asheville Brews Cruise, a multi-craft-brewery-tour in Asheville that brings visitors three Asheville craft breweries for exclusive tours and samples.

To get a look at some of the breweries that poured at the festival peruse through the slideshow below, and make sure to keep an eye out on the Winter Warmer website for the announcement of next year’s festival.

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NC Beer – the Weekend of Jan. 23, 2010

Jan. 23: 3rd Annual Asheville Winter Warmer Festival

Tickets are now sold out to this festival, but it promises to be quite an event for those who have them. The lineup includes 9 breweries from the Asheville and Western NC area, 5 from the Piedmont and Triangle area, and even a couple from our neighboring states TN and GA, live music, and local food. If you’re not going, find someone who is and live vicariously through them. If you are going, let us know what you think about it!

Jan 23: LoneRider Turns One

If you don’t get a chance to head up to Asheville this weekend, make sure to swing through the Triangle and make a stop by LoneRider and their tasting room for their first birthday celebration. All proceeds made on the 23rd go to benefit a charity. While you’re there, make sure to ask them about their upcoming homebrew competition.

Jan 25: Triangle Beer Dinner: Alivia’s in Durham

While technically not part of the “weekend”, if you’re in the Triangle area, don’t miss Monday night’s beer dinner at Alivia’s Durham Bistro featuring a full flight of beers from the Triangle Brewery. Contact Alivia’s for details and tickets.

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Lexington Avenue Brewery opens in Asheville

Friday night, January 7th, saw the opening of Asheville’s latest brewpub Lexington Avenue Brewery. Lexington Avenue is “introducing … a quality Gastropub to the downtown restaraunt scene” offering reasonably priced food, offering six unfiltered, naturally carbonated beers on tap in their pub, and a soundproof “Rock Room” for live music.

Here’s LaB’s general manager, Joe Culpepper, talks about the food a few days before their actual opening:

If you’re in or around Asheville, be sure to take the opportunity to stop by 39 N Lexington Ave have a pint, and welcome them to the craft beer scene.

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Craggie Brewing Opening: Friday and Saturday, November 20 and 21

Craggie Grand OpeningThis coming Friday and Saturday, November 20 and 21, join Craggie Brewing Company for the opening of its Public House at 197 Hilliard Ave in Asheville.

In November 2007, Bill Drew and Jonathan Cort partnered to create a hometown brewery, with passion for quality craft beer and strong community values. Two years later to the day Craggie opens for business with its Battery Hill Bitter and a seasonal pale ale on tap. Solshine and Swannanoa Sunset will be ready the following week and Craggie brew will hit select watering holes Thanksgiving weekend.

Regular Public House hours are Wednesday through Saturday evenings from 4:30-10:30pm. The Craggie crew is available to discuss private party rental, schedule brewery tours, and handle your retail keg needs.

Check out http://www.craggiebrewingco.com for further details about North Carolina’s newest craft brewery.

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OysterHouse opens in Asheville!

The Lobster Trap restaurant in Asheville has opened its in-house brewery, OysterHouse Brewing!

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