Outdoor quaffing at the Southern Appalachian Brewery.
On April 30th I quaffed my first (legally) commercially produced beer at the Southern Appalachian Brewery in Hendersonville. And it was sweet.
Birthing Henderson County’s first brewery has been an arduous process for Andy and Kelly Cubbin. Plenty of well-wishers, however, showed up for the long awaited opening. I arrived ten minutes early to find an eager and thirsty crowd outside. My old pal Ed the Value Hound was in front of me in line but as the doors opened I was able to beat him to occupy the first stool.
Kelly Cubbin was overwhelmed as she exclaimed that she only expected a small crowd of 40 or so. I would hazard a guess that when I vacated my prize seat an hour later that over one hundred had already signed up for membership (until some laws are rewritten, an annual membership fee of one dollar is required).
The Cubbins were still unpacking glasses and the fresh baked pretzels had just arrived from the Underground Bakery up the street. Other snack food items, games and music will be added later but it was just enough for them to terminate the long gestation process.
I reported last September that they would be opening later in the fall. Alas, construction and inspection delays along with final licensing always take longer than anyone can imagine.
The Southern Appalachian Brewery started in Rosman as the Appalachian Craft Brewery. The Cubbins purchased the business and moved it to Fletcher. The move to Hendersonville was made to accommodate a larger 15-barrel brew system and a tasting room that would allow higher visibility for the brewery.
They currently produce three beers: an IPA, Ale and a Stout. Everyone seemed to find the right brew for them and excitement ran high. The public support has been tremendous and in turn the Cubbins have been very supportive of community events including Vintage Carolina and The St. Patrick’s Day Celebration downtown.
The tasting room is open Wednesday thru Friday at 4pm and Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. You will find the tasting room at 822 Locust Street just a block north of Seventh Avenue.