Written by Shawndra Russell
In 2019 there are plenty of new options, new alternatives, and new destinations for the dedicated and adventurous drinker.
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.”
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