Beer Guide 2015

A Special Publication of

Craft Beer Basics Craft Means Local A Great Variety Craft Beer: By the Numbers Sponsored by

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BOONE, NC

CRAFT BEER GUIDE | OVERVIEW

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Craft Beer Basics he craft beer industry is brewing to heights of unprecedented popularity and is harder than ever to pigeonhole.

Craft connoisseurs use many terms to describe their favorite brews – specialty, artisan, gourmet, boutique and microbrew to name a few.

But no matter what you call it, craft beer’s definition is based in how it is prepared.

Small, independent breweries are popping up across the country to meet the demand of a thirsty target audience. According to the Brewers Association, more than 400 breweries opened in 2012.

That number is expected to continue to rise in the future as craft beer fans flock to local liquor stores, festivals and wineries to find their favorite varieties.

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INGREDIENTS

Craft beer makers take pride in their ability to mix simple ingredients into complex concoctions. They use a wide variety of ingredients to achieve their desired color, aroma, bitterness and finish.

Traditional beer ingredients such as yeast, water, malt and hops are being infused with new, diverse additions to change beer drinking as we know it.

This unique approach to brewing is what helps the craft

beer industry carve out new niches of buyers and appreciators.

SIT BACK AND RELAX

Craft beers are not meant to be chugged.

Often packing a higher alcohol content than its lighter-fared competition, craft varieties are the perfect complement for a laid-back evening of enjoying a sporting event or visiting with acquaintances.

From dark and bold to pale and citricbased, there is a craft beer for every taste.

PERSONALITY

What the craft beer industry lacks in multimillion-dollar marketing budgets or famous celebrity spokespeople, it makes up for in the underdog, us-against-theworld mentalities.

Craft beer brewers will give you 100 reasons why their product is better than the mass-produced variety churned out by established powerhouses.

Their product packaging is unique, with bright colors, detailed ingredient lists and instructions on how to best enjoy them.

Infusing a little personality into their marketing plans is a big factor in craft beer makers’ ability to win over audiences.

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restaurant 108 s jefferson ave full service restaurant covered outdoor dining private room available 30+ craft beers on tap catering & take out extensive wine list open 7 days a week daily specials pet friendly

boondocks brewing

Chilling your Beer takes on a whole new meaning with

west jefferson, nc 28694 www.boondocksbrew.com 336-246-5222 Built in the USA

two facilities to serve you dedicated to excellence committed to community

brew haus 302 s jefferson ave wine & beer pairing dinners accommodates large groups full service kitchen private functions brewery tours special events fund raisers live music weddings

featuring local ingredients vegetarian & gluten free options available

Beer Dispenser

ge Beverater Cen

(828) 262-0051 | 4912 US HWY 421 S. | BOONE, NC

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Brewery • Artisanal Pub Food Craft Beers • Growlers 152 Sunset Drive • Downtown Blowing Rock, NC 28605 828.414.9600 - Restaurant • 828.414.9254 - Inn BRBrewingCo • BlowingRockBrewing.com

BEER GUIDE 2015 3

CRAFT BEER GUIDE | YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

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Craft Means Local

esides their deliciousness, craft beers are drawing new customers every day because of the industry’s reliance on local business owners.

Craft beer makers are, by definition, local and small. They produce relatively small batches of beer and are focused on exceeding customer expectations with every ounce.

That’s because word of mouth is often the most important factor deciding the success or failure of a small, family-owned operation.

And with most small breweries falling under this category, you can expect to find knowledgeable, responsive professionals to help you along your craft beer journey.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

More money spent on local products means more money pumped into the local economy.

Local brewery owners often reinvest revenue into their schools and community projects. Surveys have found that small business owners are more likely than their chain or franchise counterparts to support local efforts, with both finances and time.

Buy your craft beer locally for a chance to win the ultimate prize – economic prosperity.

CAMARADERIE

Take a look inside your local brewpub or microbrewery. Within those walls are your neighbors, community partners and acquaintances trying to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into sustainable incomes for their families.

Much like any small business owner, they pour long hours and hard work into making a product for you to enjoy.

By supporting their efforts, you are helping them advance their goals, building quality local relationships and providing an economic boost to your area.

MAKE A STATEMENT

Staying local will help you in your quest to support your friends, family and neighbors.

And making a statement never tasted so good.

Local brewers stay on top of current consumer trends and flavor combinations to make sure they are on the cutting edge of an ever-changing industry. So the benefits are twofold. You get to enjoy innovative local beer and they grow their business. ©FOTOLIA / AP

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IT’S THE

Where to go, what to do NEWSPAPER

LIVE MUSIC FREE EVENTS KIDS' ACTIVITIES OUTDOOR EXCURSIONS ARTS & CULTURE AND MORE!

Available everywhere!

Restaurant & Music Venue open daily! serving lunch & dinner

•Beer Samplers •Daily Specials •Catering • Special Events •One of a Kind Surf n’ Turf

Live Music • Outdoor Seating 2968-A Hwy 105 • Boone, NC • (828) 386-1457 troutandbarrel.com • All ABC Licenses BEER GUIDE 2015 5

CRAFT BEER GUIDE | TYPES

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A Great Variety

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etween the eclectic names and the varying colors, choosing a craft beer can be a tricky exercise.

There are light beers, dark beers and beers of every shade in between. There are smoke-flavored and woodaged beers, as well as fruit beer and sour ales.

The most popular craft beers are described below, but feel free to reach out to your local vendors to find out more about their varieties. Brewers are known to experiment with seasonal offerings and local ingredients to set their beer apart from the competition.

INDIA PALE ALE

Brewed in a variety of ways, the color of an American IPA can range from pale golden to amber.

Generally bitter and high in citric content, IPAs offer a balance of brightness and 6 BEER GUIDE 2015

bite. Their average content of alcohol content is higher than your standard beer.

LIGHT LAGER

Much lighter and very low in malt flavor, light lagers are brewed to satisfy the less adventurous beer drinker.

Brewers infuse high amounts of rice or corn to bring down the color. They are typically lower in alcohol content by volume, offering the perfect drink for casual drinking.

STOUTS

Stouts offer the exact opposite drinking experience than light lagers. Strong and meant to be enjoyed gradually, stouts are

typically dark brown to pitch black and hard to see through when filling a glass.

The roasted barley used to create coffee or chocolate flavorings is the distinct ingredient in most stouts.

SEASONAL VARIETIES

From the fall to the spring, every season calls out creativity in local brewers.

Pumpkins make their way into many craft beers in the fall months, while cherries and wheat are integrated in the summer months.

Spring time is perfect for a honey beer and winter ales are generally made with higher alcohol contents to provide a warming kick.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Trout & Barrel: Local Specialties

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he Trout and Barrel is a restaurant and bar in Boone, North Carolina that strives to be more than just that by providing meaningful experiences to its customers.

After opening just recently in April 2015, the Trout and Barrel has received near-unanimous rave reviews.

On a scale with the highest rating being a 5, Trout and Barrel is averaging a 4.8 on Facebook and 4.5 on both Yelp and TripAdvisor.

Whether it is the innovative locally inspired food options that you can get here and nowhere else (just ask about our Trout Wings and Fried Brussel Sprouts with Sausage), the plethora of drink selections that we have, such as the fan favorite Steigl Radler grapefruit beer, or the expansive list of bands we have playing every month, from contemporary jazz to reggae to country to shoegaze rock to hard rock, we’re sure you’ll find a good reason to love us!

Our venue is available for special events, whether it be a Christmas party or a masquerade. We also do catering; feel free to call and we’ll make sure your next event is a blast!

HISTORY: ESTABLISHED IN 2015

Jonathan Proctor is a Boone native who has established his name within the community as an accomplished pilot. He has flown around the world via the Piedmont Airlines and FedEx Feeder for about twelve years.

After settling down with wife Tina and 4 kids, Jonathan decided that the lifestyle of constantly traveling, day in and day out, that comes with being a pilot was no longer for him.

Upon this revelation, the dream of creating a restaurant that has the potential to be one of Boone’s greatest places to be came into fruition.

Mike Self has a bit of a different story. Living in Boone and attending Appalachian State, Mike tended bar at the Town Tavern. He also had his own ambitions of owning and operating his own business. While trying to decide what was next, Mike and Jonathan became friends and busi-

ness partners to pursue this venture together.

Jonathan had previously purchased the location on 105 between the University Highlands and The Cottages. This is where Jonathan and Mike would decide to transform this barren space to create their vision of a unique restaurant and entertainment venue. Jonathan and Mike could not be more appreciative of the help they received from their family, closest friends and associates in remodeling and rebuilding what is now Trout and Barrel.

After months and months...and months of hard work, sweat, laughter, confusion, and learning, the Trout and Barrel was finally finished and open for business in May 2015.

MEET THE BUSINESS OWNERS

Jonathan Proctor and Mike Self are the owners of Trout and Barrel.

Owners Jonathan Proctor (left) and Mike Self (right).

They both are very proud to be hands on owners. You will find Jonathan there by day, and Mike taking over at night doing a little bit of everything from serving drinks and food to conversing with guests. The feedback of the valued customers at Trout and Barrel is of the most importance to these two. Mike and Jonathan pride themselves on keeping their guests happy and making sure they are taken care of during each unique dining experience. Come by and speak with them and enjoy a variety of refreshing drinks and some of the best food in Boone!

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Benchmark Provisions is a locally owned, downtown purveyor of necessities and the delectable. Offering the conveniences of life including food, supplies, personal items, beer, wine, prepared food, and much more.

“The top rated beer store in North Carolina.”

(Beer Advocate) BEER GUIDE 2015 7

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CRAFT BEER GUIDE | STATS

Craft Beer: By the Numbers

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s the craft beer movement continues to flow across the nation, the Brewers Association has tracked the numbers to prove it.

The organization is focused on promoting and protecting small and independent American brewers and their craft beers. The following numbers show that its efforts are working in attracting more craft beer fans to join its cause.

EMPLOYMENT Craft brewers currently provide an estimated 108,440 jobs in the U.S.

GROWTH Growth of the craft brewing industry in 2012 was 15 percent by volume and 17 percent by revenue.

VOLUME Craft brewers sold an estimated 13.2 million barrels of beer in 2012, up from 11.4 million in 2011.

DOLLARS Craft brewer retail dollar value in 2012 was an estimated $10.2 billion, up from $8.7 billion in 2011.

OPENINGS The Brewers Association reported 409 brewery openings in 2012 (310 microbreweries and 99 brewpubs) and 43 brewery closings (18 microbreweries and 25 brewpubs).

INDUSTRY A total of 2,347 craft breweries operated for some or all of 2012, comprised of 1,132 brewpubs, 1,118 microbreweries and 97 regional craft breweries.

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SOURCE: Brewersassociation.org BEER GUIDE 2015 9