1 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:10,559 Speaker 1: And that's where the door person who checked our I 2 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:16,439 Speaker 1: d s said, be careful in there. It's delicious. Hello, 3 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:18,919 Speaker 1: and welcome to Savor. I'm an Eries and I'm Lauren 4 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: foc Obama. And one of these days, I'm going to 5 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: get used to the name of our show, one of 6 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: these days. As you may or may not know, we 7 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: recently got back from a trip to Asheville, where we 8 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 1: got the opportunity to talk to so many folks about 9 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: the organically weird and intentionally wild food and drink scene there. 10 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 1: One of Asheville's nicknames, as voted on in a poll 11 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: by the Brewers Association and Examiner dot com, is beer City, USA, 12 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 1: and in two thousand twelve it made the Travel Channel's 13 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: list of top seven cities to Drink Beer. So we 14 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: knew we had to do an episode on Ashell Beer, obviously, 15 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: and this is that episode. And that door person who 16 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: warned us about Deliciousness was at Wickedweed's Funkatorium, which is 17 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:10,639 Speaker 1: one of over three dozen breweries offering locally produced beers 18 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: in a town of just nine people. That's a lot 19 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:16,320 Speaker 1: of good beer, it is, and it's a lot of 20 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: craft beer because with the loosening of blue laws and 21 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:25,319 Speaker 1: a deepening thirst from the public. Craft beer has transitioned 22 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: from niche to mainstream over the past like decade or 23 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 1: so in the United States, and the definition of craft 24 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: is a little bit sticky and Wickedweed is actually a 25 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: great example of that, as we'll get into later, But basically, 26 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: craft beer is what's made in small ish batches by 27 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: independent ish brewers. It was a nearly non existent category 28 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: here in the States in the lean years between Prohibition, 29 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 1: which along with industrialization, forced most small brewers out of business, 30 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 1: and the late seventies, which is when Congress legalized homebrewing, 31 00:01:56,880 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: there were only forty five independent brewery is nationwide. In 32 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: n only forty five. As of seventeen, there were over 33 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 1: six thousand wow and as often out of the one 34 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: and six billion dollars total in beer sales, craft beer 35 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: accounted for twenty two point three billion of that who 36 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 1: and as we touched on in our overview of Asheville episode, 37 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: breweries are a keystone of the community and in a 38 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:31,799 Speaker 1: way you don't necessarily see in other cities their family environments. 39 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: In an article for Serious It's called why Asheville is 40 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: the best beer city in the USA, writer Katie Neurovsky 41 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: compared breweries to neighborhood cul de Sacs and describes how 42 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 1: and no other city would she feel as comfortable bringing 43 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: her newborn to a brewery. Actually reminds me of England 44 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 1: now that I think about it. Yeah, yeah, because pubs 45 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 1: there are family places, like you see kids there all 46 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 1: the time. Huh. Yeah. It's a bit different to the 47 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: United States, but not in Nashville. No. Something else we 48 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: talked about in our Overview episode was art and the 49 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 1: appreciation of craftsmanship in Asheville, and that includes beer. One 50 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: of the most famous Ashevillians, author Thomas Wolfe, often wrote 51 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:15,920 Speaker 1: about beer and was known to be very fond of 52 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: it and his fiction. In Heavy Quotes book about a 53 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: city called Altamont, which was Asheville, um beer played a 54 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 1: pretty large role, and for the seven years after its release, 55 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,959 Speaker 1: the book was banned in Ashville because the people will fictionalized. 56 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: We're none too happy with his descriptions of them, and 57 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: this was much to the annoyance of f. Scott Fitzgerald, 58 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: who went around yelling at the city council and librarians 59 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: about it not being on the shelves. Fitzgerald came to 60 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: Asheville while his wife Selda was being treated at a 61 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: sanitarium on and off again, and he was at the 62 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: time quote on the wagon. But for him that meant 63 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: no hard liquor, but as much beer as he could drink, 64 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: which turns out, on average was thirty bottles a day. Oh, 65 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 1: my goodness, my gracious, yes, he must have gotten up 66 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 1: very early in the morning. He was staying at Grove 67 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:21,720 Speaker 1: Park Inn. And they in conjunction with Highland Brewing, who 68 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:24,280 Speaker 1: we're going to talk about later. I've tried to recreate 69 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: possibly the beer that he is drinking. It's called Great 70 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: Gatsby I p A or something that's fascinating though. Yeah, 71 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,359 Speaker 1: his secretary said, never had she's seen so much beer 72 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:40,559 Speaker 1: bottled trash made by one person. To help us sort 73 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: this whole beer scene out, we talked to the person 74 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:47,479 Speaker 1: who literally wrote the book on it, beer historian and 75 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: consultant and fit and Glenn Inve. She published Ashville Beer 76 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 1: and Intoxicating History of Mountain Brewing. She's got a second 77 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: book about beer on the way. So she seemed like 78 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: a pretty excellent person to talk to. Oh, and she 79 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:03,720 Speaker 1: was an excellent person to talk to. We met up 80 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:06,719 Speaker 1: with in Fitton at Asheville Brewing in the downtown area 81 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:09,839 Speaker 1: early in the morning when suppliers were loading in for 82 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 1: the day. So if you hear any claims, that's just 83 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: one that slipped through. You know, people want to buy 84 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:18,839 Speaker 1: from their neighbors and they want to support local, but 85 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 1: there are not enough people here. I mean there maybe 86 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:25,359 Speaker 1: ninety people in the city of Ashville, maybe a hundred 87 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,280 Speaker 1: and forty thousand people in Buncombe County. Uh So it's 88 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 1: not enough to support as many breweries as there are 89 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:36,720 Speaker 1: here now. So I think the Chamber of Commerce told 90 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: me that the last survey they did a few years ago, um, 91 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:45,160 Speaker 1: fourteen percent of the I think it's like nine million 92 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 1: people who visit Ashville yearly, and you might need to 93 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:52,280 Speaker 1: check that, but it's it's close to that. Missed recently, 94 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: fourteen percent of them visited at least one brewery and 95 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: said that that was a factor and why they came here. 96 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: We did check that and it was actually ten point 97 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: seven million tourists per year as of fourteen percent of 98 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 1: which is one and a half million drinking buddies. So 99 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,240 Speaker 1: you start to see how that sheer number of breweries 100 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:16,640 Speaker 1: is supported and for a weekend we were some of 101 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:20,480 Speaker 1: those drinking puddies. Yeah. We sampled beer at Highland Kataba, 102 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: Twin Leaf, Burial, Bromari, high Wire, Wicked Wheat, and I 103 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:27,599 Speaker 1: think more probably. Yeah, we had a lot of beers. 104 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 1: What we're saying. Yes, we enjoyed all of the beautiful 105 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:35,720 Speaker 1: beer puns. I am brute hop Champagne, yea Christopher walkin 106 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,359 Speaker 1: O A X A c N. It's so good. It 107 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:41,119 Speaker 1: was a chocolate nitrist out and those were just a Highland. Yeah, 108 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:44,719 Speaker 1: they were everywhere, and we enjoyed the beer. Two of course, 109 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: so many interesting things on tap. Two experimental things, a 110 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: P B and J beer, a beer inspired by an 111 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:55,039 Speaker 1: apparel sprits. Everyone has fun with it, but people take 112 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 1: their beer very seriously. There. We encountered this while trying 113 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: to decide on what to drink at Wicked Weed's brew Pub, 114 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: which we talked about in studio with super producer Dylan. 115 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 1: When we got back Billan and I, we're going to 116 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: get a flight of fear. And this young man was 117 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 1: not going to allow it to happen, was not. There 118 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 1: was a bartender who was very adverse the idea. He 119 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: went into a whole thing about the worst way to 120 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 1: enjoy a beer at ruins the smell. Don't you even 121 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: know about the smell? And then why would you even 122 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 1: taste beer that way. I'll let you try any beer 123 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: you want, and then you can get a whole one 124 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:36,600 Speaker 1: and you'll have a much better experience. He went on 125 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 1: for like four to five minutes, and Dylan and I 126 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: were already like okay, but he kept going and he's like, 127 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 1: I'll give you as many free examples as you want. 128 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 1: You can try anything that you want to. But getting 129 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: a flight of beer is like trying to throw a 130 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 1: coin in a wishing well that is five feet away 131 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: and it's shrinking. Yeah, and I don't understand what that means, 132 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: but I'll never forget it. Yeah. It kind of remind 133 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:03,080 Speaker 1: to you have Simon Peg in Star Trek and he's 134 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: like talking about his world theory. Anyway, it was very 135 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 1: eloquently put and it was a scene to behold, Like 136 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 1: he was excellent, Oh yeah, yeah, and he was very 137 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 1: good at recommending things. He also, in a fit of 138 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 1: comedic Pike drop kicked a bar towel and somehow landed 139 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: it on top of a bottle, like eight feet off 140 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: the ground. I think he's a wizard, is what I'm saying. Okay, 141 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 1: all right, but let's back up. This volume of brewing 142 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:32,800 Speaker 1: is fairly new in western North Carolina. But according to 143 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: Anne Fitton, brewing and distilling is in Asheville's DNA. So 144 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:41,319 Speaker 1: this is somewhat apocryphal, but I found documentation about it. 145 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:46,679 Speaker 1: So Asheville was not started until the late seventeen hundreds. 146 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:49,319 Speaker 1: Because this was a very isolated mountain assarian it was 147 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:53,320 Speaker 1: hard to give to But the government and Raleigh decided 148 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: to establish a city seat for western North Carolina in 149 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 1: the late sevent hundred and they sent some city commissioners 150 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 1: out to the area and they were looking actually about 151 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 1: three miles south of here, kind of where Built Moore 152 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: is now, because it was this kind of flat, open 153 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: valley surrounded by mountains. But then apparently this tavern owner 154 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:22,080 Speaker 1: who had a little tavern at the crossroads of the 155 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:26,680 Speaker 1: Driver's Road, invited the commissioners up to taste his mountain dew. 156 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 1: And the story goes that the commissioners came up here, 157 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 1: which is about where the actual courthouse is now, and 158 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 1: went to this tavern and just had a RiPP rowing 159 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: good time and said it was some of the best 160 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:43,840 Speaker 1: locally made whiskey they'd ever had, and that actually the 161 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:47,840 Speaker 1: seat of the town should be a little further north, 162 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 1: because where there's good whiskey, there is going to be 163 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: a good community. So you can kind of say that 164 00:09:55,120 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: this town was founded on local alcohol production. True or not, 165 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 1: Beer has been part of Ashell's makeup since early days. 166 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: Beer recipes from the area. Out of the eighteen hundreds 167 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: show that most families have their own beer recipe making 168 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:13,079 Speaker 1: your own hooch. The history of moonshine in the area 169 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 1: is easier to trace, but it does closely parallel and 170 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 1: intersect with beer. Was a way of life. Beer was 171 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 1: something you made on your own, and at the time 172 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: it was low alcohol, maybe like two to three percent. 173 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 1: Everyone in the family would drink it, kids included, because 174 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 1: it was perceived to be cleaner than water. This may 175 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: or may not have been true in North Carolina. Funnily enough, 176 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 1: lots of people we talked too sided the quality of 177 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:38,080 Speaker 1: the water from the French Broad River as a reason 178 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 1: for having so many breweries in Asheville. Yes, but it 179 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:44,760 Speaker 1: was almost certainly true in Europe. So a lot of 180 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 1: folks in Ashville war European immigrants, and this attitude toward 181 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: beer came with them. Ashville was a way point town, 182 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:55,319 Speaker 1: somewhere you'd stop in between places. After a railway was 183 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 1: put into the town in the eighteen hundreds, Ashwelle saw 184 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:03,079 Speaker 1: fairly rapid popular growth. By the nineteen hundreds, Ashwell had 185 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:07,000 Speaker 1: eighteen saloons, mostly located on what they called Hell's half Acre. 186 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:09,679 Speaker 1: All of that came to an end in nineteen o 187 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 1: six after a drunkard went on a murderous rampage that 188 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 1: left several people, including two police officers dead. This prompted 189 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:21,720 Speaker 1: Ashell to become the first Southeastern city to vote for prohibition, 190 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:24,840 Speaker 1: and it stuck around in one way or another for 191 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: four decades. Hell's half Acre for the most part, was 192 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 1: shut down, going on to house appliance stores, and only 193 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:36,960 Speaker 1: now is it being revitalized. Even at prohibition's end, beer 194 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:39,880 Speaker 1: brews faced other blue laws that made their lives difficult, 195 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:42,839 Speaker 1: and some still due to this day. Here's an Finton. 196 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:47,880 Speaker 1: Even after prohibition was overturned by the twenty first Amendment, 197 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 1: there was still what's called local option, which means every town, city, municipality, 198 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 1: county got to vote whether or not they would allow alcohol, 199 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:00,280 Speaker 1: and so for a long time, North Carolina as a 200 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: whole only allowed like three point two percent beer when 201 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 1: they called near beer at that time. And then very 202 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:12,640 Speaker 1: slowly the laws have changed. But every single time laws change, 203 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:15,800 Speaker 1: there's a vote, compared to a lot of other cities. 204 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 1: Ashell entered the craft brewing scene quite a bit later 205 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,920 Speaker 1: when one Oscar Wong moved there from Charlotte to open 206 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 1: Highland Brewing Company. Oscar is really very much the one 207 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:29,960 Speaker 1: that kicks off craft brewing in North Carolina, one of 208 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:32,560 Speaker 1: the key folks kicks it off on the East coast. 209 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: He said he used to have a hard time to 210 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:36,280 Speaker 1: even getting bottles, Like the first time he called to 211 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 1: get a bottle order, you know, he needed so many 212 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:40,959 Speaker 1: thousand bottles and they didn't even know what to do. 213 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:43,079 Speaker 1: I mean that they were used to, you know, Anahizer 214 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:46,199 Speaker 1: Bush column and we need a million bottles or something 215 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:49,520 Speaker 1: like that. So earlier and the great thing to that, 216 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:52,040 Speaker 1: And I don't know if he would talk about it himself, 217 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:57,200 Speaker 1: but Oscar grew the industry by being cooperative. He always 218 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: built an air of cooperation between brewers. He was never 219 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: threatened as other brewers opened, but just pulled them in 220 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 1: and grew the industry as well as his business. Brewing's 221 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 1: really cooperative, I mean, naturally it is, and I think 222 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:14,040 Speaker 1: part of that is very much seen in Ashville. I mean, 223 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:17,600 Speaker 1: you go to any place and they've done cooperative beer 224 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:20,199 Speaker 1: making with somebody down the streets, I mean, their competitors, 225 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: but nobody views it that way. That's area native. Kevin Fraser, 226 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:28,199 Speaker 1: a history professor at Western Carolina University. If you listened 227 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:30,559 Speaker 1: to our previous episode introducing some of the history of 228 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 1: the city, you'll remember how in the late nineties and 229 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 1: early two thousand's Asheville started well pulling itself out of 230 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 1: the ashes of a long economic depression through the food 231 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 1: and drink scenes. Here's a fitting again. For a long time, 232 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: there were only three or four breweries. The first one 233 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:51,720 Speaker 1: was Highland, and then there was green Man, and then 234 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:56,680 Speaker 1: Ashville Brewing and then French Broad Brewery. And it really 235 00:13:56,880 --> 00:14:00,320 Speaker 1: was only until kind of the early two fell sims 236 00:14:00,559 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 1: that a few more came along. But then mostly it's 237 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:09,680 Speaker 1: been the past five or six years that the craft 238 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:13,199 Speaker 1: beer movement has really taken a whole here as well 239 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 1: as across the country wide. Beer Like, what do you 240 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 1: think has captured not only the world but also Ashville specifically. 241 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:28,920 Speaker 1: It's inexpensive, there you go, Yes, I mean it's it's 242 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 1: certainly more affordable than a lot of other alcoholic beverages, 243 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 1: even if it's uh locally made with fancy ingredients like 244 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,840 Speaker 1: guaba or you know, so our East or whatever. You know, 245 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:48,560 Speaker 1: it's relatively inexpensive and um usually lower in alcohol. You 246 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:53,360 Speaker 1: can drink more of it. You know, Historically everyone drank 247 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 1: beer all the time because of it's got just enough 248 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:01,200 Speaker 1: alcohol to kiel bacteria, but not enough to make you 249 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 1: really drunk. So if you get back in history, there 250 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 1: are stories about, you know, people making their own beer 251 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 1: on the farms around here, and everybody get beer with lunch, 252 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:19,320 Speaker 1: and everybody get are you bringing us nachos? Oh? Well, 253 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 1: I just heard that there was a nacho summit going 254 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 1: on over there. A beer interview interrupted by a nacho summit, 255 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 1: quick nacho summit. Aside the way that we receded, I 256 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 1: couldn't see the nachos coming, but Annie and Dylan could, 257 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 1: And I've never witnessed anyone react to a plate of 258 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:41,240 Speaker 1: nachos with such abject terror. We were so full from 259 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 1: breakfast and at which I had been full from dinner. 260 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 1: It was a lot of nachos, it was, indeed, but 261 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:52,840 Speaker 1: we powered ahead as professionals do. Another thing I really 262 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:56,000 Speaker 1: love about American beer is, you know, there are four 263 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: main ingredients in beer. There's water, MALTI grains, hop yeast, 264 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 1: the magic love yeast. Y'all like used to It's so cool. 265 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:12,920 Speaker 1: It's so cool, yes, but um, you know, with those 266 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:15,960 Speaker 1: four ingredients, plus we we call adjuncts, which can be 267 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: anything from spices to herbs, too, fruits to coffee to chocolate. 268 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 1: I mean, there's so many different styles so here you 269 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: can make I mean you can walk around this town too. 270 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 1: You know, if you could go to twenty brewers in 271 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:35,680 Speaker 1: one day and you could taste tin beers at every 272 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 1: brewery and every single beer would be different, It's remarkable. 273 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 1: None of them taste the same because of the mix 274 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: of those ingredients and how creative you can be with 275 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:52,800 Speaker 1: and American brewers, particularly American crappers, have really taken that 276 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:57,760 Speaker 1: part form to another level. Those four main ingredients, all 277 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 1: of them can be found in around Asheville. Good clean 278 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 1: water from the French Broad River, hops from Echo v Farm, 279 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 1: or hop in blueberry malt from Riverbend Malthouse, as Anne 280 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 1: fit and put it in her book, from farmer to 281 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:15,440 Speaker 1: maltzer to brewer to beer drinker, all within a few 282 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 1: hundred miles. It's a local ores dream. But not everyone 283 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 1: was happy at the idea of breweries in Asheville. And 284 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:24,679 Speaker 1: we'll get into that after a quick break for a 285 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:36,480 Speaker 1: word from our sponsor, and we're back. Thank you, sponsor, Yes, 286 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:39,959 Speaker 1: thank you. So we need to talk about Highland brewing, 287 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:41,679 Speaker 1: not just because it's one of the places that we 288 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 1: got to go, but because, as we mentioned, prior to 289 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:48,200 Speaker 1: the mid nineties, there wasn't really a beer scene in Asheville. 290 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:51,920 Speaker 1: Along comes a retired engineer by the name of Oscar 291 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 1: Wong in the same year Jurassic Park came out. Every 292 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:57,920 Speaker 1: time I see that's the first thing I think of. 293 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:00,640 Speaker 1: I don't know why um and he had an idea. 294 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:04,479 Speaker 1: What started as beer experiments in a basement led to 295 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,400 Speaker 1: the first legal brewery post prohibition in Asheville and helped 296 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:12,399 Speaker 1: pave the way for all the other breweries. As strange 297 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 1: as it may seem, knowing what we know now, a 298 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:17,680 Speaker 1: lot of the locals we're not on board in the 299 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:21,720 Speaker 1: beginning because we were the first ones in town. We 300 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 1: did get some letters that were like, you're going to 301 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: ruin this place, and and Dad wanted to be clear 302 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:29,960 Speaker 1: to say, no, we're we're going to make this better 303 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 1: and we're going to give a reason for people to 304 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: come together and talk, whether it's about beer or whatever, 305 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 1: and the neighbors are going to come together. So that 306 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 1: has happened two, I mean to a degree that he 307 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:47,840 Speaker 1: never would have envisioned. That's Oscar's daughter, Leah long Ashbourne. 308 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 1: Though she's now the president and CEO and family owner 309 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:55,000 Speaker 1: of Highland Brewing, her path to that role was an 310 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:58,399 Speaker 1: indirect one. He started selling beer in Charlotte, which is 311 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 1: really exciting to me, and that's when I asked for 312 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 1: a job, and that is when he turned me down 313 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:07,960 Speaker 1: for a job. So um so I found my own 314 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 1: way as he told me to do, and that that 315 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:12,159 Speaker 1: worked out great. I mean, it was very wise for 316 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:13,800 Speaker 1: him not to hire me when I was twenty four 317 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:16,919 Speaker 1: and I knew nothing and he didn't need me. But 318 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:18,920 Speaker 1: it was fun to kind of get to know the 319 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:22,120 Speaker 1: staff a little bit through I don't know, the annual 320 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:24,960 Speaker 1: staff getaway when we're for a whole weekend we go 321 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 1: to this funky fishing lodge and some people camp and 322 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:30,880 Speaker 1: we cooked together and there's a fire the whole time, 323 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 1: and we bring the beer truck and there's a river 324 00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:34,720 Speaker 1: and then we have a great time. So I got 325 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 1: to go to that and it was wonderful to learn 326 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:41,640 Speaker 1: and about what the brew was doing, um not only 327 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 1: in beer but in community over a period of time 328 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,920 Speaker 1: before Dad offered me a job and then I turned 329 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:52,040 Speaker 1: him down. So that was pretty cool. So, right, the 330 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: plot thickens. So it was another eight years, sixteen years 331 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,600 Speaker 1: in total between the time I us for a job 332 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: he offered me one that I finally accepted in twenty eleven. 333 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:07,840 Speaker 1: Going back to the new stuff that you guys are 334 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:10,760 Speaker 1: working on around here, how do you, um, how do 335 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 1: you conceive of new beers? Like, how do you beer? 336 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 1: Never been asked that. I love that, um So one 337 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:21,720 Speaker 1: of my favorite things about the way that Highland works 338 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:24,639 Speaker 1: that's unusual is that we've got multiple brains in the 339 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:28,840 Speaker 1: creative space of creating of new beers. So and I 340 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:32,440 Speaker 1: will take multiple brains in a creative process over one. 341 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:35,720 Speaker 1: It just like feels natural. Every kind of nods when 342 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:37,120 Speaker 1: I say that, Like, of course, that's a good idea 343 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 1: to creative sector. So it's wonderful to have these three 344 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 1: folks kind of working together on UM, what's relevant, what 345 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 1: we can do beautifully, where are we going to source 346 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 1: cool ingredients, and what we think our fans are going 347 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:56,239 Speaker 1: to enjoy, and what are we going to enjoy as 348 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:59,200 Speaker 1: a staff. So the internal excitement builds and then we 349 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:02,800 Speaker 1: gets to see outside reaction to it. It's cool. Nowadays, 350 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:06,560 Speaker 1: Highland Brewing is located in a sprawling warehouse. When they 351 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:09,080 Speaker 1: moved in, it had been sitting empty, a waste product 352 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:12,159 Speaker 1: of shifting industries. In previous decades. It had been a 353 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 1: ball bearing plant, and then of a lower plant, and 354 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:17,440 Speaker 1: then a movie production studio. UM. When the Highland team 355 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:20,800 Speaker 1: moved in, they found scarily realistic fake dynamite and rotating 356 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:25,360 Speaker 1: saw blade props, but given new life, it now houses 357 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:28,160 Speaker 1: not only their beer operations, but also a tap room 358 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:31,480 Speaker 1: and events space and a large lawn plus forty acres 359 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 1: that they are building trails into. And I can't wait 360 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:36,399 Speaker 1: for that to happen because I loved you know. I 361 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:39,399 Speaker 1: want to get outside and enjoy the beauty of the 362 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:41,240 Speaker 1: stream on the property and the trees and go around 363 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:43,800 Speaker 1: and then come back and enjoy a beer. And this 364 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:47,200 Speaker 1: is the kind of area revitalization and sense of community 365 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:51,919 Speaker 1: that slowly eased people's reservations about preeries infant and explained 366 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:55,119 Speaker 1: it this way. What we're seeing again and again is, 367 00:21:55,960 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 1: you know, dilapidated old buildings in kind of downtowns that 368 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 1: don't necessarily get a lot of foot traffic. But people 369 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:09,000 Speaker 1: are coming in and they're like, oh, I'm not going 370 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:13,200 Speaker 1: to rip this down and build a condo complex. I'm 371 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:15,920 Speaker 1: going to put a brewery here. I'm going to put 372 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 1: a restaurant here. Um, I'm going to make this a 373 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:23,640 Speaker 1: community center from the downtown and it increases foot traffic. 374 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 1: People have realized more and more the craft breweries are 375 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:30,600 Speaker 1: family friendly. Um, you know, there are communities they get 376 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 1: a little nervous initially because they're like, oh, they're going 377 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:35,640 Speaker 1: to be drunk people lyne in the street, or they're 378 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 1: gonna be beer cans everywhere, and when they see that 379 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:42,399 Speaker 1: doesn't happen, and that these breweries are very open to 380 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:46,480 Speaker 1: community events, to group meetings. There are a couple of 381 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:49,640 Speaker 1: local breweries that will, you know, do what we're doing 382 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:53,280 Speaker 1: right now if it's not open hours but you want 383 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 1: to have a community meeting in their space, you just 384 00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:58,000 Speaker 1: call them up and they'll open the doors for you. 385 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 1: Mats on it and have not just Summon was another 386 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: game changing year for the Asheville beer industry when North 387 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:11,399 Speaker 1: Carolina House built three a k a pop the cap passed, 388 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:15,880 Speaker 1: pushing the alcohol limit from six percent to fifteen percent. 389 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:19,760 Speaker 1: As you can imagine, this was huge for brewers and 390 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:22,520 Speaker 1: for beer in the region. Highland was the first brewery 391 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:26,639 Speaker 1: to release a legal high gravity beer. Before then, several 392 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:30,160 Speaker 1: beers had been advertised as five point nine nine infinity 393 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 1: nine percent and we're probably a bit higher than that. 394 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:39,119 Speaker 1: And that brings us to more or less today, the 395 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 1: community and the tourists have embraced the beer scene. And 396 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:45,959 Speaker 1: we don't mean to sound advertorial about it, like this 397 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,160 Speaker 1: is a statement of fact, but all the mustin fuss 398 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:51,760 Speaker 1: about Asheville's beer scene has caught the eye of some 399 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:55,159 Speaker 1: heavy hitters in the beer industry. Sierra Nevada and New 400 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:58,679 Speaker 1: Belgium have outposts there now. Both announced these outposts in 401 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:01,119 Speaker 1: two thousand twelve a low on with Oscar Blues. So 402 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:03,919 Speaker 1: that was another big year for beer in Asheville. On 403 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:08,719 Speaker 1: top of that in mid Annheuser Busch acquired local brewery 404 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:13,840 Speaker 1: Wicked Weed, and this was controversial, and we'll get into 405 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:16,480 Speaker 1: that after one more quick break for a word from 406 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:29,800 Speaker 1: our sponsor, and we're back. Thank you sponsor, Yes, thank you, Okay, 407 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:33,480 Speaker 1: So Wicked Weed. As of early it was one of 408 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:37,200 Speaker 1: the area's big success stories. It was founded in western 409 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 1: North Carolina in the brainchild of locals Walt and Luke 410 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:44,199 Speaker 1: Dickinson with support of their local friends, the Gutty family, 411 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 1: and it grew really quickly from traditional American beers like 412 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 1: pilsners and I p a s to a rapidly expanding 413 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 1: funk and sour program. Now funks and sours you've probably 414 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:57,200 Speaker 1: seen descriptors like that on beers and stores or tap 415 00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:00,359 Speaker 1: rooms attached to styles like a gozas or Flemish shreds 416 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,320 Speaker 1: or Berlin de vices. These styles are actually older than 417 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: stuff like pilseners, and they are made with strains of 418 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:09,119 Speaker 1: yeast and bacteria that create these funky and tart flavors. 419 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:15,240 Speaker 1: A quick beer science primer you start with wart, a 420 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:19,120 Speaker 1: non alcoholic grain and whatever soup, and then introduced yeasts 421 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:22,480 Speaker 1: which eat sugars in the wart and poop alcohol and flavor. 422 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:28,919 Speaker 1: Ye bacteria can similarly add flavor. After research around the 423 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:31,480 Speaker 1: turn of the twentieth century, let brewers start to control 424 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:34,600 Speaker 1: what yeasts and bacteria get into their beers, sours and 425 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:37,640 Speaker 1: funks fell out of fashion. The microorganisms responsible for them 426 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:40,720 Speaker 1: are really wiley, so if you have one batch of 427 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:44,080 Speaker 1: sour beer in your brewery, you risk infecting your cleaner 428 00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:47,679 Speaker 1: tasting beers. But these styles have made a huge comeback 429 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 1: in the past few years, and Wicked Weeds have been 430 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:55,320 Speaker 1: tremendously popular since. They've had two outposts in downtown Asheville, 431 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 1: the brew Pub, the scene of our lesson on Flights, 432 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:02,000 Speaker 1: and the funk Arium, which was possibly the East Coast 433 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:06,879 Speaker 1: first sour devoted pub as often, they opened a whole 434 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,159 Speaker 1: separate brewing facility, their fourth brewery in the area just 435 00:26:10,359 --> 00:26:13,560 Speaker 1: four functions Sours called the funk House. For one of 436 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 1: our first stops on our trip, we got the chance 437 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:18,440 Speaker 1: to tour Wicked Weed's funk House with their warehouse manager 438 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:22,359 Speaker 1: Jason Allison and lead blender Jennifer Courier. How did you 439 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:25,639 Speaker 1: guys get into sours to? To begin with, Luke wouldn't 440 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:28,639 Speaker 1: let it in the building, so um it was pretty 441 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:31,000 Speaker 1: funny back in the day. And then it got kept 442 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:33,119 Speaker 1: in the little funk house in the white building downstairs, 443 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 1: and then from there it expanded past an open firm 444 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:38,680 Speaker 1: ntor in one tank to and then we probably have 445 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:41,359 Speaker 1: like six tanks in there at one time, and it 446 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:45,679 Speaker 1: was crazy impact. And we'd roll our little bob in 447 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 1: line out from the corner every Friday and bottle, and 448 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 1: then we put it back. We're at a room and 449 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:55,600 Speaker 1: remove everything back into the space. But by then we're 450 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:58,480 Speaker 1: only bottling like fifteen barrels at a time, and now 451 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:02,880 Speaker 1: we packed it anywhere for six barrels of the time. 452 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:08,240 Speaker 1: Part of the reason behind that increase in production is 453 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:12,320 Speaker 1: thanks to Wickedweed's new owners. When a BE acquired Wickedweed, 454 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:16,320 Speaker 1: the original staff continue to operate pretty much independently. But 455 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:21,080 Speaker 1: in a town where local is everything, where people remember 456 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:24,879 Speaker 1: when that last subway restaurant shut down, the idea of 457 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 1: a big company coming in and taking ownership of something, well, 458 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:31,960 Speaker 1: it didn't necessarily go down well, nope, And Fitton has 459 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 1: a theory for the emotional response of a b S 460 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:42,360 Speaker 1: buyout of Wickedweed. So you can lobby and have and 461 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:46,159 Speaker 1: keep laws in place that support your business, but that 462 00:27:46,359 --> 00:27:51,680 Speaker 1: often hurt smaller businesses, and so a lot of times 463 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:57,639 Speaker 1: the the emotional reaction, particularly from other craft breweries, is that, 464 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:00,239 Speaker 1: you know, they feel like they've been bullied in some 465 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:04,280 Speaker 1: ways by Annheuser Bush. Um, they feel like they've lost 466 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:08,119 Speaker 1: shelf space. So that's really kind of where the emotional 467 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:11,000 Speaker 1: fallout is. And it doesn't mean that Wicked Weed or 468 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:14,480 Speaker 1: any other brewery that is owned by Anna Hanser Bush 469 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:16,720 Speaker 1: isn't making great beer. I mean an her Bush makes 470 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:22,120 Speaker 1: great beer. Making consistent beer in mass quantities over time 471 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:26,479 Speaker 1: takes a lot of skill, but it's more of the 472 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:33,119 Speaker 1: kind of David versus Goliath conflict of big money, big 473 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:38,600 Speaker 1: lobbying dollars versus small business. One thing I found interesting, 474 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:42,480 Speaker 1: Anheuser Bush was one of the first national beers available 475 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:47,560 Speaker 1: in Ashual way back in the eighteen hundreds, along with Schlitz. Yeah, alright, 476 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:49,680 Speaker 1: but all of that being said, and you do have 477 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:52,680 Speaker 1: to say it like the sale made national news. Beer 478 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 1: folks here in Atlanta we're talking about it like it 479 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 1: was the day the music died. What we saw when 480 00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:01,200 Speaker 1: we went to Wickedweed was deep enthusiasm about the same 481 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 1: things that everyone in Asheville is concerned about you know, 482 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:07,480 Speaker 1: good local beer from people who have been with the 483 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:11,120 Speaker 1: company through the sale for years. There's a willy Wonka 484 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:14,560 Speaker 1: esk sense about the place, like they've got money to 485 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:18,120 Speaker 1: buy spirit barrels, bourbon barrels, wine barrels, what have you 486 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:21,560 Speaker 1: to age their beers in just twice or even once. 487 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:24,480 Speaker 1: But they've also got a wood shop on site where 488 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:27,920 Speaker 1: they turned their spent barrels into promotional displays and tap handles. 489 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 1: Wickiedeed is working on a lot of cool stuff, experimenting 490 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:35,600 Speaker 1: with different fruits with those different barrels for aging, including footers, 491 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:38,960 Speaker 1: which are oversized barrels like in their case they hold 492 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:42,160 Speaker 1: up to two d and twenty hecto leaders that's about 493 00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:46,920 Speaker 1: fifty eight hundred gallons and started life as Cavassier kgnac 494 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:51,080 Speaker 1: blending tanks in the nineteen twenties. They're also experimenting with 495 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:56,160 Speaker 1: wild yeast and bacteria spontaneous hours. They're using those malts 496 00:29:56,160 --> 00:29:59,320 Speaker 1: from Riverbend Malt House, which produces their stuff right down 497 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:02,480 Speaker 1: the street from locally farmed grains. The hops and fruit 498 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:04,800 Speaker 1: aren't always local, but they're doing what they can to 499 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:08,840 Speaker 1: let the regions shine through in each beer Western North 500 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:12,480 Speaker 1: Carolina in a bottle or can or a glass, but 501 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:15,720 Speaker 1: allowing nature to do its thing while you wait can 502 00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:20,200 Speaker 1: be maybe not stressful, but a little bit stressful. A 503 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:23,120 Speaker 1: little bit anytime we're transferring something or moving it around, 504 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:25,360 Speaker 1: we're going to be rousing Brett, which as again our 505 00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 1: house primary strain um and I always go full Jeff 506 00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:34,360 Speaker 1: Goldbloom Brett finds a way. The Brett in question here 507 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:37,440 Speaker 1: is a Britanno mices, which is a genus of funky 508 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:41,959 Speaker 1: sour yeast known for being particularly pernicious. Jin has an 509 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:46,600 Speaker 1: attitude towards beer making that reminds me of a scientist 510 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:49,600 Speaker 1: excited to see the outcome of a project. She even 511 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:51,080 Speaker 1: called some of the beer she was working on the 512 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:54,480 Speaker 1: warehouse a house pet. They showed us their cool ship room, 513 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:57,760 Speaker 1: and a cool ship is a traditional Belgian open air 514 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 1: inoculation tank. So it says, hey, huge shallow tub and 515 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:03,560 Speaker 1: there's is in a room that's like a screened porch 516 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:07,200 Speaker 1: with wooden vents open to the fields and the wood outside, 517 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,800 Speaker 1: and so you pump your hot wort into this tub 518 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:15,040 Speaker 1: and wild yeast in bacteria flow in on the breeze 519 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:19,160 Speaker 1: and spontaneously start the fermentation process. What you get is 520 00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:22,320 Speaker 1: completely up to nature. So as it's cooling and just 521 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:25,920 Speaker 1: hanging out in here, there's air just ripping through these lovers, 522 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:28,080 Speaker 1: and we'll leave this door crack to encourage it to 523 00:31:28,280 --> 00:31:30,440 Speaker 1: just come through a little bit. More so, all the 524 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:33,920 Speaker 1: wild yeast, in bacteria it's just in the air that night. 525 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:37,600 Speaker 1: UM will end up inoculating and fermenting this fear over 526 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 1: the next one to three years. You have to be 527 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 1: an optimist to do this, but um, yeah, so it'll 528 00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 1: it'll be super fun to see how that tastes. But again, 529 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:50,320 Speaker 1: we're trying to as best we can capture the flavor 530 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:53,280 Speaker 1: of this area. UM. In order to do that, obviously, 531 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:55,960 Speaker 1: we're starting with that riverbond malt, but we've also planted 532 00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:59,800 Speaker 1: an apple orchard out here on the property, and we've 533 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:03,280 Speaker 1: blueberry bushes and we're gonna be planning some BlackBerry bushes. 534 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 1: And Okay, just to be clear, they're talking about creating 535 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:10,440 Speaker 1: a microbiome. They are planting stuff to attract certain strains 536 00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:13,720 Speaker 1: of yeast and bacteria that will flavor their beers. So 537 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:18,200 Speaker 1: not really looking to utilize utilize that fruit. I mean, 538 00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:19,840 Speaker 1: we will, but I don't think we're gonna have enough 539 00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:23,160 Speaker 1: to really do maybe at the Functorium with some pilot batches. 540 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:26,320 Speaker 1: Definitely looking to do some estate cider out here, which 541 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 1: will be really really cool. But really we're just trying 542 00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:32,360 Speaker 1: to encourage all of that micro flora to come and 543 00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:34,720 Speaker 1: hang out here, and we want as many bees around 544 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:37,680 Speaker 1: here as possible. They also gave us a taste of 545 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:42,040 Speaker 1: a house favorite brew called White Angel, which uses muscadine 546 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 1: grapes from eastern North Carolina, which if you've never had, 547 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 1: are this very southern or i I associated as being 548 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:51,840 Speaker 1: very southern thing that's kind of earthy. And they source 549 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:54,320 Speaker 1: enough of them from a single growing season to use 550 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:58,200 Speaker 1: in this beer during fermentation, with some leftover to freeze 551 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:01,560 Speaker 1: and use for balancing the flavor to barrel aging. Yeah, 552 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:05,320 Speaker 1: it's just for me that one really captures again North Carolina, 553 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:08,760 Speaker 1: our house culture, and then a specific time and a 554 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:12,920 Speaker 1: place in North Carolina as a whole, which is pretty awesome. 555 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:15,600 Speaker 1: In them, I always forget about how cool that beer is. 556 00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:19,800 Speaker 1: It's so good. Of course, Wicked Weed and Highland Brewing 557 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:23,320 Speaker 1: are not the only two places doing awesome beer stuff 558 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:26,160 Speaker 1: around town. They're just two that we happened to connect 559 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:28,760 Speaker 1: with and thank you to both of them for showing 560 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:37,560 Speaker 1: us what they do. With all of this craft beer 561 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 1: focused in such a small area and more opening with 562 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:45,160 Speaker 1: relative frequency, we had to wonder is a beer saturation 563 00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:49,160 Speaker 1: point possible in Asheville. Turns out we're not the only 564 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:53,200 Speaker 1: ones pondering that question. Surprise, surprise. An article by that 565 00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:56,320 Speaker 1: very name appeared in the local papers Citizen Times. In 566 00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:00,719 Speaker 1: it reported that North Carolina beer consumption had dropped in 567 00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:05,840 Speaker 1: recent years, pot three gallons per adult as opposed to 568 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:09,880 Speaker 1: twenty seven point six gallons per adult. On top of that, 569 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:14,520 Speaker 1: consumers are less likely to report brand loyalty. One beer 570 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:19,200 Speaker 1: brewer described to the attitude as promiscuous, and the head 571 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:22,120 Speaker 1: of Ashell Brewing, Mike Randel said of the Ashell Beer 572 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:25,560 Speaker 1: consumer quote, the beer i Q of the average Ashell 573 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:28,680 Speaker 1: Beer drinker is probably three times that of someone in 574 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:32,319 Speaker 1: another city. Beer is sort of in our fabric. It's 575 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:36,280 Speaker 1: a double edged sword. People have high expectations and support 576 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 1: local breweries, but you better be pretty damn good, damn 577 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:44,880 Speaker 1: good and also authentic. According to food critic Mackenzie Lunsford, 578 00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:47,759 Speaker 1: I'm not going to say whether it's breweries or hotels 579 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:55,279 Speaker 1: or whatever coming in that are trying to replicate authenticity 580 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:59,680 Speaker 1: and that doesn't work. That doesn't that doesn't work, and 581 00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:03,800 Speaker 1: so it comes across as sort of a caricature of Asheville. 582 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:05,680 Speaker 1: And I think we're all a little bit worried that 583 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:10,720 Speaker 1: we're going to become beer Disneylands. Yeah, Malt Disney World. 584 00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:19,640 Speaker 1: I said it, Malt Disney World. It's an anxiety among Ashvillians. 585 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:22,120 Speaker 1: We heard more than once. Oh yeah, I mean it 586 00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:24,400 Speaker 1: was even a feeling that we had ourselves when we 587 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:27,960 Speaker 1: beheld the campus that Sierra Nevada has set up there. 588 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:30,040 Speaker 1: I mean it was lovely and it had these huge 589 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:32,759 Speaker 1: awnings that were actually solar panels in the parking lot 590 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:35,319 Speaker 1: and everything that we had there, the food and the 591 00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:39,400 Speaker 1: beer was excellent, but it was also real, larger than life, 592 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:43,719 Speaker 1: and expensive looking and just very stylized in a way 593 00:35:43,760 --> 00:35:47,200 Speaker 1: that reminded me of a Disney theme park. When we 594 00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:50,000 Speaker 1: were over at Looking Glass Creamery talking to Cheese with 595 00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:54,320 Speaker 1: Jim Perkins, she echoed this concern. I think the explosion 596 00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:56,239 Speaker 1: of the beer stein in Asheville is in some ways 597 00:35:56,280 --> 00:35:58,480 Speaker 1: it's definitely a blessing, but it's also a curse. I mean, 598 00:35:58,480 --> 00:36:01,200 Speaker 1: it's broad eyton of people here. It's a great place 599 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:04,399 Speaker 1: to live. So I understand that. Um, and it means 600 00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:07,000 Speaker 1: more customers for us. But it also means that this 601 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:10,480 Speaker 1: you know world in little world of Ashville is changing. 602 00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:12,719 Speaker 1: Um And it's a lot more traffic, it's a lot 603 00:36:12,719 --> 00:36:16,040 Speaker 1: more people. UM. Housing is an issue, and it also 604 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:18,840 Speaker 1: makes it hard to farm because it makes land very expensive. 605 00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:21,760 Speaker 1: So that thing that brought people here, this local food 606 00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:24,359 Speaker 1: connection and beer seeing and whatnot, some of that may 607 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:26,440 Speaker 1: go away because they can't afford to be here anymore. 608 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:30,120 Speaker 1: Another problem that is faced by the beer industry, both 609 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:33,640 Speaker 1: in Asheville and in general, is a lack of diversity. 610 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:37,600 Speaker 1: It's very white and male dominated in terms of the 611 00:36:37,600 --> 00:36:41,200 Speaker 1: sex divide, and Fitton pointed to historical issues of patriarchy 612 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:44,040 Speaker 1: and the workforce and the physicality of the work. This 613 00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:47,400 Speaker 1: is changing but slowly. In her book, and Fitton has 614 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:49,680 Speaker 1: a joke that ending gossip in the craft beer community 615 00:36:49,719 --> 00:36:53,799 Speaker 1: is all he said. He said, oh yeah, And in 616 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:56,600 Speaker 1: terms of the race divide, that's a particularly sticky topic 617 00:36:56,680 --> 00:37:02,800 Speaker 1: in Asheville, which is the southern city that as of white. 618 00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:07,160 Speaker 1: You know, I was researching this recently, and there are 619 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:11,800 Speaker 1: actually fewer people of color here than there were twenty 620 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:15,000 Speaker 1: years ago. And I'm not sure why, but it does 621 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:20,040 Speaker 1: seem like there is more of a divide in some 622 00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:25,000 Speaker 1: of these smaller southern towns. I mean, Atlanta is so 623 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:28,799 Speaker 1: sophisticated and multi racial and has been for such a 624 00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:33,000 Speaker 1: long time, but that has not necessarily rippled out to 625 00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:36,959 Speaker 1: the rest of the South, or plussibly even the rest 626 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:40,759 Speaker 1: of the country, um, particularly in rural areasm. You know, 627 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:45,040 Speaker 1: it goes back historically to more than a century ago, 628 00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:47,719 Speaker 1: you know, after the Civil War, when there was a 629 00:37:47,840 --> 00:37:53,239 Speaker 1: huge diaspora of African Americans from rural communities in too 630 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:57,239 Speaker 1: big cities, and I hope that that will reverse in 631 00:37:57,960 --> 00:38:01,200 Speaker 1: a town like this. I know that the beer community 632 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:06,440 Speaker 1: we have talked about trying to create more of a 633 00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:11,239 Speaker 1: diverse community, trying to be very aware of that, but 634 00:38:11,360 --> 00:38:15,399 Speaker 1: if you look at nationally beer as a whole, it's 635 00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:18,520 Speaker 1: pretty dying white. So I don't I don't know what 636 00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:21,560 Speaker 1: the answer is, but it is something I would love 637 00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:26,279 Speaker 1: to find more answers to us too, And I know 638 00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:29,000 Speaker 1: that some of those answers have to do with much 639 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:32,240 Speaker 1: more complex parts of American culture. Um, you know, making 640 00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:36,239 Speaker 1: Ashville businesses more inclusive is tied up in the politics 641 00:38:36,239 --> 00:38:39,759 Speaker 1: of North Carolina at large, which hasn't really been a 642 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:44,000 Speaker 1: beacon of progressive hope recently. But and this is gonna 643 00:38:44,080 --> 00:38:47,360 Speaker 1: sound sillier than it is at first, I hope that 644 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:50,759 Speaker 1: beer can help make it better. Beer is more than 645 00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:53,960 Speaker 1: just beer in Asheville, and we're not referring to the 646 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:57,200 Speaker 1: sprawl of businesses around the beer brewed. They're like beer 647 00:38:57,239 --> 00:39:02,360 Speaker 1: shampoo or specialized couzies. Breweries, our neighborhood hangouts, the sports team, 648 00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:04,840 Speaker 1: a place to hold a town hall to raise money 649 00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:08,760 Speaker 1: or awareness about issues, are to host a nacho summit. 650 00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:12,680 Speaker 1: The beers are probably friends of yours. They bring people 651 00:39:12,680 --> 00:39:15,840 Speaker 1: together like a sort of social glue. In the words 652 00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:18,840 Speaker 1: of Leah Wong Ashburne, there is power and beer because 653 00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:21,520 Speaker 1: it collects people, and people are happy about it and 654 00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:23,480 Speaker 1: they love to contribute to things. So while you're doing 655 00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:27,000 Speaker 1: a beer, if you can do another great thing, then um, 656 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:38,120 Speaker 1: it just it just elevates everything. This brings us to 657 00:39:38,160 --> 00:39:41,879 Speaker 1: the end of our episode on Asheville Beer. Yes, though 658 00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:44,960 Speaker 1: you will be hearing more about the beer of Asheville 659 00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:48,359 Speaker 1: and our other Ashville related episodes for sure. Yes, and 660 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:51,400 Speaker 1: if you're interested in learning more about sour beer, we 661 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:54,319 Speaker 1: have an old school food stuff episode on it all 662 00:39:54,320 --> 00:39:56,960 Speaker 1: about the science and history, so check that out. Um, 663 00:39:56,960 --> 00:39:58,359 Speaker 1: and if you would like to get in touch with us, 664 00:39:58,360 --> 00:40:00,920 Speaker 1: we would love to hear from you. Our email address 665 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:03,839 Speaker 1: is hello at savor podcast dot com. You can also 666 00:40:03,840 --> 00:40:07,280 Speaker 1: find us on social media. What's on Twitter and Facebook 667 00:40:07,320 --> 00:40:10,360 Speaker 1: and Instagram. We are at savor Pod. Thank you to 668 00:40:10,520 --> 00:40:12,800 Speaker 1: all of our guests today and to Landis Taylor and 669 00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:15,120 Speaker 1: the whole team over at explore Asheville dot com for 670 00:40:15,239 --> 00:40:18,200 Speaker 1: helping us find those guests, and also to our co 671 00:40:18,280 --> 00:40:22,360 Speaker 1: executive producer Christopher Hasciotas for helping us find those guest finders. 672 00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:24,759 Speaker 1: Thanks as always too, super producer Dylan for making our 673 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:27,640 Speaker 1: jobs easy. And to our other co executive producer here 674 00:40:27,640 --> 00:40:30,000 Speaker 1: a Stuff Media Julie Douglas for all of her good advice. 675 00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:31,880 Speaker 1: Thank you to you for listening, and we hope that 676 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:39,040 Speaker 1: lots more good things are coming your way. Nacho Summit, Yes, 677 00:40:39,239 --> 00:40:41,719 Speaker 1: we had never known before that such a thing, such 678 00:40:41,760 --> 00:40:44,520 Speaker 1: a glorious thing could exist, but um, the you know, 679 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:47,719 Speaker 1: the brewery wasn't open yet for the day and at 680 00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:49,520 Speaker 1: one of the we were sitting outside in one of 681 00:40:49,560 --> 00:40:52,160 Speaker 1: the tables behind us had this group of chefs. They 682 00:40:52,160 --> 00:40:55,879 Speaker 1: were having a nacho summit. That sounds so official, it does, 683 00:40:55,960 --> 00:40:58,440 Speaker 1: but there are ten to twelve people over there talking 684 00:40:58,480 --> 00:41:02,600 Speaker 1: about nacho. There were, which is very official. They beautiful. 685 00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:04,480 Speaker 1: They were there when we got there, and they were 686 00:41:04,520 --> 00:41:06,600 Speaker 1: doing it for about the first forty five minutes that 687 00:41:06,640 --> 00:41:08,640 Speaker 1: we were there, Like it was a lengthy and in 688 00:41:08,719 --> 00:41:11,600 Speaker 1: depth nacho summit. I can only imagine. They were talking 689 00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:15,480 Speaker 1: about like weight distribution and like liquid, how much liquid 690 00:41:15,480 --> 00:41:17,719 Speaker 1: you can have before they start to get soggy, how 691 00:41:17,719 --> 00:41:22,480 Speaker 1: to keep them crisp. Beautiful. But there were fruits from 692 00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:27,400 Speaker 1: the summit. Yes, they were horrifying and delicious fruits. We 693 00:41:27,480 --> 00:41:31,120 Speaker 1: were so full from the night before and that morning. 694 00:41:31,719 --> 00:41:36,239 Speaker 1: And it's nine and there are nachos, and you're on 695 00:41:36,239 --> 00:41:38,480 Speaker 1: one side of the patio and the kitchens on the 696 00:41:38,520 --> 00:41:41,040 Speaker 1: other side of the patio, so you have a runway 697 00:41:41,080 --> 00:41:44,560 Speaker 1: to watch the person bringing you the nachos. He's smiling, 698 00:41:44,800 --> 00:41:49,040 Speaker 1: he's excited about what they've come up with, and he's 699 00:41:49,680 --> 00:41:51,880 Speaker 1: in my head. He was nodding yes, and I was 700 00:41:51,920 --> 00:41:54,720 Speaker 1: shaking my head. No. As he got closer and fear 701 00:41:55,320 --> 00:41:57,359 Speaker 1: it was a little bit like the shark coming up 702 00:41:57,360 --> 00:42:03,719 Speaker 1: to your boat. Um, and nacho nachos. And they get 703 00:42:03,719 --> 00:42:06,520 Speaker 1: there and he explains the nachos to us in the 704 00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:10,919 Speaker 1: middle of the interview, and they sound delicious, They look fantastic. 705 00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:14,439 Speaker 1: They were they were cowboy nachos. So yeah. They had 706 00:42:14,480 --> 00:42:18,000 Speaker 1: like pulled pork and barbecue and some kind of CREAMA like, 707 00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:21,239 Speaker 1: oh yeah, and this is mind you the beginning of 708 00:42:21,239 --> 00:42:25,080 Speaker 1: the summit. They were experimenting with something they were excited 709 00:42:25,080 --> 00:42:27,960 Speaker 1: to share. I I saw them from the door, like 710 00:42:28,080 --> 00:42:31,879 Speaker 1: pointing at our table, happily smiling, and in the back 711 00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:34,440 Speaker 1: of my eye, I was like, oh, please, no, please no, 712 00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:37,200 Speaker 1: because I wanted to eat them. They looked so good 713 00:42:37,239 --> 00:42:39,160 Speaker 1: and I knew they would be good, but we were 714 00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:49,799 Speaker 1: so full. Um we all tried one, right, oh yeah, yeah,