Alworth in Asheville

One of my favorite resources for brew info is The Beer Bible by author Jeff Alworth. The Beer Bible is a comprehensive guide to all things beer. Alworth covers not only styles and glassware, but also the history and culture behind the adored beverage.

The Beer Bible in the Barrel Room

As you may imagine, I was thrilled to see that Alworth was coming to my area while on tour for the release of his second edition of The Beer Bible. It was a perfect mini road trip for a few of us BrewFlowers. I grabbed Trillium-Tasha and Rose Hips and headed off to Asheville. It was perfect timing too, as it was the night before Rose’s birthday!

The Beer Bible event was held at the Barrel Room at Highland Brewing Company. The Barrel Room is a beautiful and intimate event space located right next to the Highland Brewing main taproom. The event was organized as a moderated conversation between Jeff Alworth, Bryan Roth (writer), and Leah Wong Ashburn (Highland Brewing President and Second-Generation Family Owner).

I had to have an Oatmeal Porter as I listened to all the beer talk. I took notes in my Hop Print notebook. It made me “hoppy.”

A Cultural and Historical History

Early in the conversation, Alworth pointed out that each beer taps into a cultural and historical history. For me, this was the overarching theme of the evening. While the United States doesn’t have a specific overall beer tradition, we can see regional customs popping up. The impending release of Highland Brewing’s Cold Mountain winter ale is a perfect example, as for many, it marks the beginning of the holiday season in our area. Cold Mountain’s release is celebrated, and each keg and bottle are prized. One of the happy tidbits I got from the evening was learning that while the Cold Mountain ale was named for the actual mountain, the name was further inspired by the book (and movie) written by one of my favorite local authors, Charles Frazier. Again, learning more about the story adds to my appreciation and enjoyment of the drink.

Personally, when I learn about the history and culture surrounding a specific beer or brewery, it just adds another level to my enjoyment. I know the "farm to table" movement is big right now, but I would like to push a "story to lips" movement. Where understanding the stories behind our sustenance gives us a deeper meaning and connection. Often when I learn about a beer’s production, it changes my perspective beyond the flavors in front of me. Highland Brewing rebranded in 2018 and to be honest I was sad to see the Scotsman mascot go and felt a disconnect from the brand even though I still thoroughly enjoyed their beers. Once I heard Ashburn talk about reasons behind the change, however, I was completely on board and fell back in love with Highland Brewing.

“do things we love and other people are going to love”

My favorite quote of the evening came from Leah Wong Ashburn in regard to formulating beers, “do things we love and other people are going to love” regardless of style. I love this quote on so many levels. Just like anything else, trying to make beers fit into a specific style-box can be very limiting. The reason Alworth was able to (and needed to) put out a second edition of The Beer Bible, centers around the fact that beer is always evolving. Furthermore, as Alworth stated, “beer is an emotional product” not only in the way we partake in our favorite brews with friends and family in celebration, but also in its production.