Decent beer on/near the AT? In the South?

[DrRichardCranium]

I am a homebrewer & a fan of craft-brewed beer. Last year I went to Traildays & also spent some time in North Carolina, & had a hard time finding decent beer down there.

Are there any small breweries or brewpubs I should know about, or local beers ANYWHERE along the Trail, North or South?

[Chaco Taco]

Asheville beat out Portland this year and earned the title of Beer City. We have 8 breweries, 4 downtown. One of the breweries has a hostel above it!!!!!

[Cookerhiker]

The Inn at the Long Trail in Vermont where the former AT now blue blaze crosses US Rt. 4 at the crest of the Green Mountains features some local brews including Long Trail Ale.

[white_russian]

Northern Outdoor Center next to the Kennebeck makes their own.

[JustaTouron]

The Inn at the Long Trail in Vermont where the former AT now blue blaze crosses US Rt. 4 at the crest of the Green Mountains features some local brews including Long Trail Ale.

If that isn't a compelling reason to blue blaze a section and tell the purist to go to hell, I don't know what would be.

[Tennessee Viking]

Not anywhere near trail. You have to drive to the cities. Asheville does have some good beer. I think there is a place in Boone.

There are probably some good places in Gatlinburg.

Then way off trail in Kingsport, there is Kingsport Grocery Company. Its a microbrewery/sandwich/pizze place. There was a place in Johnson City called Sophisticated Otter, but now its a Capones I believe.

There is Hot Springs. The Paddler Pub was good when it was open. It was supposed to re-open under new management. But there is Iron Horse Station, the new tavern in town.

[sasquatch2014]

When you get to Duncannon and the Doyle try the Trouge. There is the german accent over the "o" in the name. It's a local micro and very hoppy good brew.

[sasquatch2014]

Not beer but there is a small batch distillery up in Cold Springs just north of the trail where it crosses Bear Mt Bridge that are making some great small batch bourbons, like $45 for 750ml.

[RedneckRye]

Way back in '98 I hiked several hundred miles thru the south with BoyScout and WeatherMan. Every town we went into, WeatherMan was searching for 2 things: a salad not made of iceberg lettuce and good beer.
I'm not sure he ever found a salad, but the beer was a different story.
We walked into a small store, can't remember exactly where, but the conversation between him and the clerk went....

"Do you sell beer here, or are we still in a dry county?"
"The Baptists aren't in charge here, we've got beer."
"Great. Do you have any microbrews or imports?"
"Yes sir, we've got both Coors and Coors Light."

Thankfully things have improved a bit in the last 12 years, maybe.

[Jester2000]

What the heck is going on in this thread?!? Asheville isn't near the trail. The Inn at Long Trail isn't in the South. And Troegs is spelled "Troegs," with, as Sasquatch mentioned, an umlaut over the "o."

But it seems like the answer to the question may be "hardly any."

The good news is that I can find Yuengling all over the place now. Maybe that's only good for me.

[sasquatch2014]

Come through Pawling and I'll give you some of my Brew but it sure as hell ain't a beer!

[max patch]

[QUOTE=RedneckRye;964627]

"Do you sell beer here, or are we still in a dry county?"
"The Baptists aren't in charge here, we've got beer."
"Great. Do you have any microbrews or imports?"
"Yes sir, we've got both Coors and Coors Light."

[QUOTE]

I remember back in the 70s when Coors was only sold out west if someone back east knew someone who was driving thru Colorado we'd pay them to bring back a case of Coors.

[Cookerhiker]

If that isn't a compelling reason to blue blaze a section and tell the purist to go to hell, I don't know what would be.

Except for the going to hell part, that's just what I've done. In fact, when I thruhiked the Long Trail in 2007, I told the GMC that I had hiked the blue-blazed trail across Sherburne Pass. They still gave me my certificate.

Everyone I talk to says the AT never should have been re-routed. I'm still not sure why - it may have had something to do with the Killington dispute or the Pico ski area.

[Lone Wolf]

I am a homebrewer & a fan of craft-brewed beer. Last year I went to Traildays & also spent some time in North Carolina, & had a hard time finding decent beer down there.

Are there any small breweries or brewpubs I should know about, or local beers ANYWHERE along the Trail, North or South?

Dot's gots ice cold Bud products right cheer in downtown Dtown

[Chaco Taco]

What the heck is going on in this thread?!? Asheville isn't near the trail. The Inn at Long Trail isn't in the South. And Troegs is spelled "Troegs," with, as Sasquatch mentioned, an umlaut over the "o."

But it seems like the answer to the question may be "hardly any."

The good news is that I can find Yuengling all over the place now. Maybe that's only good for me.

Asheville isnt far at all from the trail. I can get to Sams Gap in 25 minutes. People hitch it all the time.

[Johnny Thunder]

you should be able to track down highland, terrapin, sweetwater, and any other decent Southern craft brew in Franklin, Erwin, and Bristol. Probably won't have it served with a seat and a smile but you're a through hiker...make your own bar. That new place in Hot Springs had some decent beer last year.

[Lone Wolf]

gatlinburg. smoky mtn. brewery. cherokee red is my favorite. twofer 1 happy hours

[Cookerhiker]

Since you're thruhiking, take an excursion into NYC when you reach the AT train station outside Pawling. Beer has been known to exist there!

[Lone Wolf]

10 miles from Damascus http://www.wolfhillsbrewing.com/wolf...rewing_004.htm

[sasquatch2014]

Since you're thruhiking, take an excursion into NYC when you reach the AT train station outside Pawling. Beer has been known to exist there!

Heck go .6 south and pick up a 6 for the train ride down into the city from Tony's Deli. Don't expect anything special from the deli. The Distributor in Pawling has a good selection of beers you can have filled into 64 oz growlers as long as you are not an UL hiker.