Western North Carolina: Asheville

If you don’t know about Asheville, North Carolina, by now, I’m not sure where you’ve been! This city’s popularity has been on the rise for quite a few years as a liberal and artsy haven in Western North Carolina.

Its location in the Smoky Mountains and its friendly vibe have attracted a massive influx of people from all over the country. So much so that real estate has shot up like crazy and it has earned the nickname of Portlandia East.

All of this rightfully so, as Asheville is a damn cool town. While many of these things can also create a bit of chaos – inflation, traffic, etc. – AVL is proper for both young and old people alike.

I got the sense that it was a bit overwhelming for a small city, as I prefer more of a chill vibe than a ‘let’s wait two hours for brunch because this place is popular’ vibe.

But! Despite my cranky whining about the little things, Asheville’s got it. We only spent a day here walking around, eating, drinking, and doing all the things we do, but it’s a great place to be and I’m sure that you’ll like if if you’re reading this blog.

So, let’s see what we did!

After parking the car on this busy day, we spent some hours just strolling around. For a city of less than 90,000, it feels so, so much bigger. Not just because of how many people come to Asheville for a visit or to live, but because the city itself appears to be larger. Tall buildings, parks, huge squares, etc.

It was also very hot when we were there, so we sat with these pigs and sweat it out a bit. They didn’t have any mud to share.

We decided to eat some noms, and since our first choice had that previously mentioned two-hour wait, we headed over to a Korean joint. Welcome to the creatively-named Korean House. Ha.

While it wasn’t the best Korean food we’ve ever had, it was really good and we ate waaaaay more than we should have.

After finally scooping ourselves out of our seats and making our way back out into the heat, we strolled around some more and enjoyed watching the world of Asheville go by.

Now, what we really came for: Beer! Asheville has an endless amount of breweries, each with its own personality and style. There are the uppity ones, the grimy ones, the fast-growing ones, the creative ones, and some that are really a mix of everything. Craft beer is king in Asheville, and we came to drink some!

Since we were only here during one day and I had to drive, we had to keep things rather minimal. We had previously asked folks at other establishments and in other towns about which breweries they recommended, so we decided to hit two of those.

Really, though, you can’t go wrong in Asheville when it comes to beer. They know what they’re doing and you won’t be disappointed, no matter which one you choose.

First off, we stopped by Bhramari Brewhouse. This very well-designed space is a relative newcomer in Asheville, so they have both their own beers and others on tap while they grow their stable.

Cheers!

Since we sat out on the terrace, we were able to see part of the brewery itself and talk to some of the staff about what they do. We had a drink and a lesson, I suppose!

Being careful not to drink too much, we only had one before we went on our way and strolled Asheville some more before landing at another delicious brewery: Burial Beer Co.

Burial has been around for a bit really owns its reputation. They don’t joke around when it comes to beer, and that’s very evident when you see the boards and barrels inside and then knock back some of their accomplishments.

We were all about the industrial, woodsman, heavy metal vibe of Burial. Mostly, the beer though, because that’s what counts when it’s all said and done!

We hung out on the terrace, because we always gravitate to the terrace.

Ingredients for beer!

Also, we ran into two famous characters out here. Not sure why these guys came to the party, but we enjoyed their company!

We’d most certainly liked to have stayed here for more beers, but it wasn’t to be on this fine day. Next time, we’ll be sure to not have to drive while in town, because there’s just so much to see and do and enjoy. Not just for beer, either. Asheville’s got it, and even though it was a bit crowdy for us on this particular day, we dug our visit and will be glad to return someday soon!

A very special and very big thanks to Anna at the Haywood County TDA, for showing us the ropes, giving us great advice, and for being a wonderful person. Thanks as well to Big John for schooling us at the TDA office. Cheers to the fine folks at Bhramari Brewhouse and Burial Beer Co. We’ll see you soon!

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Have you ever been to Asheville? If so, what’d you think? If not, what say ye? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!