Asheville Ales
by Marty Nopper, Tastemaker in Residence
My main mission in life is to please my wife. Always. No, really. Serious. You all recognize and hopefully adhere to the adage, 'happy wife, happy life'. If you don't, you're fooling yourself...This morning, I woke up thinking, 'how can I make Jennifer happy today?' As always, this was the apex of my daily thought process. One of the items on my wife's bucket list has always been to go to The Biltmore (Asheville NC) during the Christmas holidays. We made plans to go this year to see how this majestic palace had been converted into a winter wonderland. The Biltmore House, the main residence, is a Châteauesque-style mansion built by George Washington Vanderbilt II, between 1889 and 1895 and is the largest privately owned house in the United States and, at 178,926 square feet, it sports over four acres of floor space, including 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. Man, that's magnificent Marty! What's something like that cost? Glad you asked so all this research is for nothin. The county tax department also says the approximately 2,194-acre property is valued at more than $64 million. With hotels, restaurants, outbuildings and private residences, the total value of public areas of Biltmore Estate is nearly $300 million. (Feb 10, 2017)
Believe it or not, the Biltmore has also been a part of our lives through the silver screen. Movies that have used the Biltmore Estate as a backdrop include:
Forrest Gump (1994) ...
The Last of the Mohicans (1992) ...
Ri¢hie Ri¢h (1994) ...
Hannibal (2001) ...
Patch Adams (1998) ...
Being There (1979) ...
Mr. Destiny (1990) ...
Although we weren't making movies for public display, we ended up Spending 3 days here, taking in most of the property. Our first stop upon arrival on Thursday was Cedric's, a local draft house in the Village reeking of old world charm, great food and a pretty extensive draft menu. Making the most of the evening, we found ourselves settling here for the evening to imbibe and sample the local specials menu, including ---------- for me and fish and chips for my friends. Tomorrow is a new day so time to hit the hay. Friday night fun night is finally here and that meant we were going big. Not that kind of fun (wink wink) but a good time nonetheless. Time to tour the Biltmore! In order to prepare for this journey, we had to stop by The Stable House restaurant for some Appalachian fare and some pre game, including some local favorite grog, Pernicious IPA. Once inside the hotel, I mean house, It seemed like we were walking forever, witnessing extravagant Christmas decorations and trees in every room. After room. After room. Very French, elegant and monstrous.
Satisfied for the moment, our tour led us to easily walk our 10,000 steps, becoming ever so parched, and inviting a trip to the Courtyard Market where we found sustenance in a fantastic frontal lobe lobotomizing lager before calling it a night. Or did we? Sharing our trip with our good friends, Scott and Donna W, we decided on a nightcap in the common area of the Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate. Complete with a huge roaring stone fireplace, we met some friends we didn't know we had and a couple we did, Mr and Mrs. Bulleitt Rye. Good friends are always welcome and Good times with friends are always memorable. Would highly recommend a few days here for R and R if needed. Remember to bring some of your peeps to make it even more memorable like we did...https://www.biltmore.com/
Ok, honey, is that enough Asheville ambiance? Alrighty, then...let’s talk weekend water!
Touring the town of Asheville was our Friday afternoon adventure and it wasn't as dour as I would have believed it to be. Although Father Time had passed most of this town by (I swear I saw no less than 30 people wearing Wallabys, 5 dudes wearing puka shells and a Barney Fife looking cat who welcomed me as he passed), the last 10 years has seen a resurgence in the arts, including music, dance, painting, and, thank the Lord, the darkest art of them all, brewing. Having input on what to do from friends, we were instructed to go to Woolworths for lunch (no S)...huh? Who the hell is recommending that? Calvin Coolidge?!? Anyway, since I am always the one to strives to make everyone happy (see first sentence), we went. Sure enough, the old retail site was actually converted into a mini mall where artsy booths were set up in flea market fashion, further promoting the art community which has embedded itself in every fiber of this community. Ordering off a chalkboard, I Had the best chicken salad in quite a while from this soda fountain set up and think I paid $4? As a sidebar, I Also bought a pair of gray bucks at a mom and pop shoe store but that's another story. Hearing about the affinity for producing great beverages from this part of the state, we decided to try our luck at the most well known ale house of them all, Wicked Weed Brewing Co.
In 2009, Walt and Luke Dickinson sat at a craft beer bar and talked about the dream of opening their own brewery focusing on big, West Coast hoppy ales and authentic Belgian ales brewed to inspire those who drank them.
Wicked Weed Brewing found a home at 91 Biltmore Avenue, in a former hardware store building that seemed destined to be a brewery.
In 2017, Wicked Weed Brewing entered into a partnership with the Anheuser-Busch family of craft breweries. Wicked Weed’s original founders enjoy the same independent freedom and control over their recipes and brand development they’ve had since being founded in 2012. Have they sold out? Let's have a taste!
Stopping in on a very cold day where it had just started to snow, the smell of a light mash warmed up our nostrils and, eventually, our minds. The place was a pretty modern, all wood interior with a patio area out front. With plenty of seating, this afternoon sported a lightly populated crowd, allowing Scotty and me quick access to the taps. Feeling like we were in an episode of Cheers, we were greeted by the tattooed tender who asked what we wanted. World peace came out of my mouth and instantly regretted it. Scanning the brew board hanging from the ceiling, I embraced every offering but could only drink one at a time. I selected Milk and Cookies Stout, a cold weather classic, which cranks up the comfort through barrel aging. According to the Weed masters, they have, 'entrusted our Imperial Milk Stout with Golden raisins, cinnamon, and vanilla into the warming embrace of Kentucky Bourbon barrels to carry us home for the holidays'. Hell, its early December but feels like the holidays so I should enjoy this with earnest. Pegged as Hoppy, Bitter, Fruity, Malty, Tart, and Funky on the website, I would have to say malty is the only feeling of these descriptions that resonated through me after consumption. It's a stout so I'm not sure of the hoppy. Bitter, maybe. I've had more sugary versions but this one is more down the middle. Fruity? Not unless Bourbon is a fruit. I have had quite a few different varieties of bourbon barrel stouts lately and would have to say that this is in the top 5. Minor notes of vanilla but no raisins (I may have to form a movement, tho). Funky? Yes, I am. Absolutely. Loved the creamy and soft liquor hint and found it a great starter kit on a 28 degree day. This seasonal is a smoking 9.5% ABV so make sure it comes with a pre-programmed number for a ride home if you get into 'em.
For my next yeast yearning, I selected the brew my colleague Scott originally tried, as it served 2 purposes. First, it was made with local mountain water and I came here to try the fruits of the land. Second, I ordered the wrong thing! Just kidding, but truly, I had to come down from that 9.5% mind grenade they just launched at me! Uncle Rick's Pilsner is made for the Everyman, everyday. It's lengthy brewing and fermentation utilizes the purest Blue Ridge Mountain water and combines it with German yeast, Noble hops, and traditional pilsner malts to brew the perfect Pilsner. Describing it for 'our friends and family, for sunny days and long nights, for celebrating, for relaxing, for Uncle Rick: we craft this beer for both the beer connoisseur and the connoisseur of life'. It is definitely easy drinking and if you are looking for something to drink before going home to mom, this is it. Once agin, the Taste Profile mentions Hoppy, Bitter, Fruity, Malty, Tart, Funky. Come on, man. Be more respectful to my buds! Hoppy? Ehh. Malty? A tad. Tart? Nope. Funky? Like a
Baby's diaper? Maybe. Not my favorite of the day but it's still early. The saving grace was the 5.1% ABV, which allowed me to walk to the chachtzky room under my own power.
Finally, it was time. I was About to sample the deranger of the day, the hop headgear, the lager lobotomy. I was going in for Pernicious IPA. Pernicious implies 'influence that is harmful in a way not easily noticed. This beer is harmful, not because of overwhelming hop bitterness, but because its balanced brightness insidiously ruins your expectations for all other IPAs'. That's according to the Weed Wranglers. I think it's harmful because of what it did to my cerebellum. This 7.3% mash mortar is very clean and tasty, so much so that you can't stop at just one (thanks Scott...I'm not allowed to vacation with you guys anymore). You'll never guess the description I found when researching. Hoppy, Bitter, Fruity, Malty, Tart, Funky. serious? Get a better website wizard! Using the same description for all your offerings does a brother no good when he's trying to remember the stats about each flavor, let alone where he was! This very palatable concoction can be found year round and is more than likely available at your local supermarket (I found many Wicked varieties at Kroger). Nothing like the West Coast IPAs, this East Coast version is something your mouth will welcome. Hoppy, slightly sweet with a hint of resin (Wicked Weed?), you might find yourself needing more of this to help with your glaucoma... https://www.wickedweedbrewing.com
