Dashboards and Saddlebags the Destination Magazine™ Issue 049 April 2015 | Page 32

Tip A Pint In Brewtopia

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#113

shev ille may have only 75,000 resident s,
but w ith more craft breweries per capita
than any other city in the nation, it’s a big
town when it comes to beer. Home to more than a dozen craft beer
makers, Ashev ille reigned as Beer City USA from 2009 to 2012.
The city has five beer festivals – including the Best Firkin Beer
Festival – and even boast s a Brews Cr uise, which takes guest s
on guided tours of the city’s microbreweries. Brew ing took root
in t he cit y in 2004 when Highland Brew ing Company opened
it s doors. Others soon followed and now beer has gone beyond
being just a drink. Beer lovers can find local beers incor porated
into ever ything from condiment s to ice cream to dog biscuit s for
m an’s be st fr iend. The reg ion
has even attracted larger beer
makers such as Sierra Nevada,
New Belgium and Oskar Blues,
which are setting up East Coast
op e r at ion s i n we st e r n Nor t h
Project 543 tells the story of
Carolina. But North Carolina’s
unique spots across North
Carolina we hope will become
craft beer scene isn’t just limsome of your favorite places.
ited to the mountains: You can
Why 543? Because that’s the
s avor t he t a ste of loc a l beer s
number of miles from Manteo,
a t m o r e t h a n 10 0 b r e w e r i e s
on the coast, to Murphy, in the
statew ide.
mountains, and is traditionally
considered to be the width of
our state. The entries in this
project are in no particular
order, and we’ll add to them
each week. Check in often to
find inspiration for your next
trip, or start planning today at
VisitNC.com.

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Dashboards and Saddlebags The Destination Magazine™