Brewer Noah McIntee

Somewhere between his dedication to Lazy Hiker Brewing, time with his young family, and service to his communitylazy hiker and pets 008 brewer Noah McIntee found time to sit down with me earlier this year.

Noah came to the small town of Franklin, NC with an extensive work history in the craft beer industry and the personal dream of building a brewery from the ground up.  It all started with a team , an idea, a building, and some money. Noah came in with the brewing experience to make lazy hiker and pets 003it all a reality. Lazy Hiker Brewing came together in just six months and at a low cost due to the team’s dedicated vision.  Noah had his hand in every aspect of the brewery – even traveling to China to design the tanks used on the premises. So why all the attention to detail? Taste their beer and you’ll know. While Lazy Hiker is still a young brewery, celebrating one year on June 11th, you can taste the experience. They hit the ground running with quality brewing standards and the knowledge of how to “make beers that work”.

 

So what’s Naoh’s Favorite Lazy Hiker beer? He says it’s the Slackpack IPA. “I was nervous when I settled on this recipe. It’s not a west coast IPA, it’s not an English IPA. It uses American yeast and American hops that make it a little spicier and more floral. It has a flavor profile that I like.”lazy hiker and pets 010lazy hiker and pets 009

When I asked Noah what his favorite part of his job or this industry was he answered, “the connections with people and the sharing of ideas over a beer.” That’s my favorite part too, Noah. Thanks for taking the time, the people here really are great!

 

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Lazy Hiker Brewing is located at 188 W. Main Street in Franklin, NC. Visit their website for more info.

 

Bhramari Brewhouse

In February, I was in Asheville alone on a random Tuesday afternoon. Instead of cruising around aimlessly, I decided to check out a new brewery.

I pulled up to Bhramari Brewhouse sometime in the very early afternoon.  In a town full of parallel spots with parking meters and paying to be in a parking garage a mile from where you need to be, I was happy to discover that they had their own parking lot! A rarity in downtown Asheville. They were just opening and I was greeted kindly by everyone I encountered.

I took a seat at the bar. The place was beautiful. I loved the industry meets nature feel, lots of cool metal sculptures placed among warm woods, rocks, and plants. The tables had little landscapes in the middle with rocks and succulents. They also had a wall of plants that made me feel like I was back in Portland. Everything about this place made my senses happy. Even the music selection fit.

They only had three of their own beers on tap, but their guest selection was great! Lots of Asheville beers: Hi-Wire, Green Man, Catawba, Asheville Brewing, and Twin Leaf. They even had something from Boojum and Raleigh Brewing. All great North Carolina beers. I started with Bhramari’s three, afterall that’s what I was there for. First the Carolina Common.  Not really my style of beer, but it was well executed so I decided to try it infused. They offer a different infusion every couple of days. That day they were forcing the brew through vanilla and coffee beans. The vanilla stood out more than the coffee, but I figured that later in the day the flavor would get stronger. It was still delicious. I ended with a half-pint of their sour, The Good Fight. Not too sweet, not too tart. Slightly malty, very refreshing.

I was just about to leave when a friend came in and joined me at the bar. Ian works for Country Malt Group and was there on business checking it all out. He ordered a flight of their beer as well as a flight of their sodas. I hadn’t even thought to try their house-made non-alcoholic drinks. With an offer to share, we sat and sampled together. Wow! I have to say, Bhramari makes a wonderful soda! I enjoyed the Charred Lemongrass Ginger Beer the most, or was it the Thai Coconut? I couldn’t decide. Each soda offered a new, complex surprise for the taste buds.

I had just dropped by so I didn’t take a tour,  ask a lot of questions, or get any pictures. I will have to make it a point to go back soon. Would love the chance to go back on a brew day and meet the rest of this wonderful crew. Thanks guys and gals! Can’t wait to get back.

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