franklin – Under the Tap

July 27, 2016February 6, 2018

New Brewery Coming to Bryson City, N.C.

Mark and Kim Pettit have been vacationing in Bryson City for 15 years. I had the pleasure of meeting them several years ago during one of their many visits to Nantahala Brewing Company. Sharing a love for craft beer and music, and a passion for people, we hit it off. I’d look forward to seeing them every year, either in the brewery while I was working or in the audience at various performances. These were two people who genuinely loved people, art, music, and the beauty of our small mountain town. Lovers of the finer, yet simpler, things in life.

The renovation of the building they chose in Bryson City started awhile back and has had everyone’s curiosity peaked. Is it going to be a restaurant? A bar? It looked cool, like a place I’d love to hang out. Imagine how happy I was to find out it was going to become Mountain Layers Brewing Company! And then even more excited to find out that it was Mark and Kim who were opening it!

Since they’ve moved to Bryson City full-time, I’ve looked forward to getting together with them, but building a brewery from the ground up takes a lot of your time. Mark and Kim have a kind of excitement about life that radiates. It makes you want to get pumped. This past Monday I had the opportunity to stop in and see how the place was coming along. Their enthusiasm made it very easy to get excited for them and their future. They have been working hard and are looking to have beer on tap sometime before the end of this year. Mountain Layers will have a bar on two levels. The downstairs bar will give patrons a view of the brewhouse. You’ll be able to enjoy a beer and watch the magic happen! The bar upstairs will be a little bigger and has a rooftop deck with amazing views of historic downtown Bryson City, the Tuckaseegee River, and the surrounding Smoky Mountains. I can already see where my regular seat is going to be….

Even though Mark and Kim have some brewing experience under their belts, they didn’t want to get in over their heads. Going from home brewing to a full scale brewery has its share of challenges. In order to keep them ahead of the game they have recruited some outside help. Noah McIntee is joining the team as Head Brewer and General Manager. Noah comes to Mountain Layers by way of Lazy Hiker Brewing Co. in Franklin. In their recent press release, Noah had this to say, “Mountain Layers is being built on an infectious passion for community and people – two of the core traits that define craft beer culture. I’m honored to be working with Mark & Kim in this exciting venture that embraces and explores the many layers of this amazing region.” Mark and Kim commented, “Noah brings a commitment to quality and creativity as well as a genuine embrace of the community.”

Mountain Layers Brewing Company is planning to open this fall. Autumn just cannot get here fast enough. Find them on Facebook to keep up with their progress and plans for opening.

Mountain Layers Brewing Company™ is going to be a 7 barrel craft microbrewery and taproom. Located on Everett Street in beautiful downtown Bryson City alongside the Tuckaseegee River. Located in Swain County at the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, the new brewery is built on the belief that the mountains have layers of history, cultures, and people which are all reflected in our ancient blue mountains stacked one after the other to the horizon.

May 25, 2016May 25, 2016

Brewer Noah McIntee

Somewhere between his dedication to Lazy Hiker Brewing, time with his young family, and service to his community 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 it 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.”

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!

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

February 11, 2016January 16, 2021

Lazy Hiker Brewing Company

Passing through Franklin, NC on our way home from holiday visiting, we decided to stop in and check out Lazy Hiker Brewing Company. I first met brewery partner Lenny Jordan just before they started brewing. He was looking for someone to paint murals in and around the taproom. I ended up not having time to do the job since I was working long hours in a brewery myself, however it is one that I still wish I would have taken. On our initial meeting he showed me around and told me about their plans for the brewery. The building is the old Franklin Town Hall and Fire Department, perfect for a brewery and music venue. They were doing an amazing job with the renovations, taking their time to get everything right before bringing in brewing equipment. I followed the progress on social media and was excited to finally get to taste the beer.

We pulled into Lazy Hiker Brewing Company at 8:30pm the Wednesday before New Year’s eve. The small parking lot beside the brewery was full, but we were able to find a spot right across the street. There was a food truck parked beside the building and while we didn’t order anything, it did smell heavenly. Inside, the place was packed, but the spacious layout kept it comfortable. There were tables full of families and friends gathering for a beer and maybe dinner. An open garage door near the bar allowed customers to access the patio where there were more seats and an open fire pit. It was perfect for the mild winter weather we’d been having.

Once bellied up to the bar, I could see that there was only one bartender and she was slammed, but handling it. We waited patiently and ordered a couple beers. I had the Slack Pack IPA. This beer had a great citrus aroma and the flavor to match it. Not a super balanced beer, as there were almost no malt flavors coming through, but I enjoyed the pine notes all the same. It seemed like there was something spicy or earthy mid-sip, maybe? I wanted to know what hops were used and should have asked. Aj ordered the Bourbon Barrel Aged Double IPA. With an ABV of 11.11% you sure could smell the booze in this one! The hop flavor lingered later and was really present in the post-beer burp, but it seemed to be drowning in the booze in the glass. The vanilla (possibly from the bourbon) was very strong. I would love to try this beer dry hopped.

Before we left, I decided to try one more. I kicked up the IBUs with their Headlamp Black IPA. This brew had the malt of a stout with the hop of an IPA. It had the great hop piney-ness that I love, which came through more after several sips and time for the beer to warm up some.

All in all, three fine brews. We really enjoyed our visit. I am excited to see what brews these guys will come up with in the future. The brewery may be new, but the brewer’s not new to this game. What are you waiting for?

Lazy Hiker Brewing Co. opened in May 2015 and is located at 188 W. Main Street in Franklin, NC. Their current hours of operation are Tues-Thur 12-9pm, Fri & Sat 12-11pm, and Sun 12-6pm. Stop by and visit them in person or check them out on the web at lazyhikerbrewing.com . Be sure to look for them on all your favorite social media sites as well!

(This post was edited to correct misinformation about brewery ownership. Lazy Hiker is run by a team of people dedicated to the industry. Stay tuned for more…)