Joe and Sue (Jazzper's owners) told us they had visited the Sierra Nevada Brewery just outside of Asheville and highly recommended we go. So, even though we're not beer drinkers and know little about beer, we decided to go and check it out.
We had called ahead for reservations to join the guided tour and, fortunately for us, they'd had a cancellation and we were able to slip in on Memorial Day.
Oh. Wow. Seriously.
This is a First Class environmentally-friendly operation!
Best of all, everything is eco-friendly, from the grounds with native trees and plants to the collection of rain water in huge vats (for watering the plantings), solar panels, all grain product leftovers are provided to local farms for cattle feed, even the writing pens they provide for taking notes sport a barrel made of recycled cardboard. No detail has been overlooked.
The buildings are HUGE and everything that could be recycled has been recycled and repurposed, right down to the wood strips of retired barrels which adorn the walls in several areas of the brewery.
A huge part of the decision to establish a brewery here was the availability and abundant supply of pure mountain spring water.
Our guide was a knowledgeable young woman, enthusiastic and entertaining. After a brief introductory film and a sample of yes, BEER (!), she led our group of 14 through the impressive buildings.
She showed us vats of bubbling yeast and bins of several varieties of chilled hops and taught us how to dissect a hop
to release the aroma (we were able to wash the dark stains from our hands afterwards):
to release the aroma (we were able to wash the dark stains from our hands afterwards):
.
The guide led us through the fermentation process.
At the conclusion of the hour-long tour (for which there is no charge), we were treated to a taste testing
of eight of their most popular beers.
We were all quite smiley when we left.
Cheers!
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