On Beer City Brewery Tours, I often talk about the "arms race" in the South Slope, or The Brewery District in Asheville. The first two breweries that we visit on my three hour casual stroll are Burial Beer Company and Green Man Brewing. Each brewery has a rich history and both are growing, expanding and acquiring more space in the area. In order to highlight their fantastic craft beer to a larger audience both breweries have simultaneously continued to grow.
Burial has opened up the "first phase" of their new space adjacent to the original Collier Avenue taproom that we all know and love. Burial added a dedicated merchandise and packaged beer space. In this space you may buy clothing, posters, pins, as well as Burial's freshest beer offerings out of their coolers. By relocating merchandise and To Go beers out of the original taproom Burial has given guests more space to enjoy a hazy IPA, lager or stout. Check out the pictures above and below of this expansion. This newly renovated space, which used to be Asheville Hardware (think lots and lots of lumber), will eventually house more space for brewing, a full restaurant with roof deck as well as a music venue. This is a very ambitious venture and will be interesting to watch develop. If any brewery can pull off a major expansion it would be Burial who is nationally renowned for their beers and has expanded to Raleigh and Charlotte in recent years. To get a sneak peek at Burial's expansion and to learn more about Burial Beer's nine year history sign up for a Beer City Brewery Tours experience here.
Burial Beer isn't the only brewery expanding on Buxton Avenue however. The 25 year old Green Man Brewing has made a major step forward by acquiring the old French Broad Chocolate Factory building across the street from Burial's new venue. Just across the Dirty Jack's (the original Green Man taproom) gravel parking lot, this "new"space just started accepting QR based food ordering to Dirty Jack's and The Green Mansion. This is Green Man's first step towards a third building to enjoy Green Man's local offerings. Food runners will take orders from your phone to your seat in either Green Man space. It is such a great option to enjoy fish and chips with your delicious English pint. The newest Green Man space rivals the size of Burial's across the street and will eventually house an English pub restaurant (please more ESB and Porter cask pours!), a rooftop deck and an event space.
Beer City on the South Slope is certainly getting richer with beer, food, merchandise, and music. These two darlings of Asheville continue to push the boundaries of Buxton Avenue as well as The South Slope Neighborhood. It makes for lots of great information on my Beer City Brewery Tours.
Do you like reading about beer and breweries as much as I like visiting them? Please check out my post about one of my beer travels here.
Cheers!
Evan Rosenberg
Certified Cicerone®
Owner/Operator
Beer City Brewery Tours
Asheville, NC