Brewery Spotlight: Green Man Brewing in Asheville, NC
As the Work For Your Beer community continues to grow into new beer-centric cities across the U.S. (and all around the world!), we love getting to know the breweries that make up the ever-growing craft brewing industry — which is why we started our new "Brewery Spotlight" blog series.
With each post in this new series, you'll get to know some of our favorite breweries in the craft beer industry, as well as what led them to become such an important part of the craft beer community.
This week, we spoke with Dennis Thies, the owner of Green Man Brewingout of Asheville, NC.
Work For Your Beer (WFYB): We are thrilled to chat with you, Dennis. We'll kick off with an easy question. What’s the most popular beer style you sell?
Dennis (D): American IPAs. Our Wayfarer American IPA is our best-seller, and we brew our classic IPA, Trickster IPA, and Rainmaker Double IPA year-round due to popular demand.
WFYB: A ton of IPAs on tap, huh? That makes our co-founder, Alicia, very happy. We are curious to know: what beer are you most proud of brewing?
D: Rainmaker Double IPA
WFYB: What is the weirdest beer you’ve ever made (whether you sold it or not)?
D: Bacon Stout
WFYB:Wow, we'd try a bacon stout for sure. Now, let's transition... if you had to make the *perfect* mixed six-pack, what beers would you include in it?
D: In no particular order:
WFYB: Hmm... we have some follow up questions re: the Budweiser on the list, but I guess we'll let it slide for the moment...
WFYB: How do you contribute to your local community?
D: We love participating in community events such as the Blue Ridge Pride Festival, working with local partners such as Urban Orchard, and creating a space for groups to gather and grow as we did for the Women Wonderland Panel, and continue to do for our weekly Old-Time Jam sessions on Tuesdays.
It’s important to us that we celebrate the awesome people, organizations, and causes that make up our city. At Green Man, we feel that it’s our duty to use our voice to amplify good causes and show support to other local organizations. A big part of that is about giving back. If it weren’t for the people and places of Asheville, we wouldn’t be here today and we want to show our appreciation in every way we can.
WFYB: What brewery activities/fitness events do you host?
D: We’re excited to officially participate in Race to the Taps this year!
WFYB: What’s one fact people don’t know about Green Man?
D: We started making sour beer before any other brewery in the Carolinas, starting with our barrel-aged red sour ale, Funk #49.
WFYB: What makes Green Man unique? Why should someone stop by your brewery versus the plethora of other breweries in Asheville, NC?
D: We have the oldest taproom, Dirty Jack’s, and the second oldest brewery in Asheville... but it’s more than that. The Green Mansion, which just celebrated its five-year anniversary, stands out because of its purpose and design. We wanted to create a more immersive taproom experience, so we created a space that allows guests to view the canning and distribution process while sipping on a beer in the upstairs taproom which overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains.
With indoor + outdoor spaces (all of which are dog-friendly), a brewtique store, and the option to pick up beer to go, you get the opportunity to experience Green Man in so many ways that you never get tired of visiting.
WFYB: Why do you support the #WorkForYourBeer mantra?
D: We have a deep desire to bring people together, and the fact that Work For Your Beer unites both the fitness community and beer lovers is so awesome. We also subscribe to the idea that beer is meant to be savored and consumed with intention, and we think working for you beer and those ideas go hand in hand.
Thank you to Dennis and Green Man Brewery for taking the time to share their story with us here on the Work For Your Beer blog. We wanted to take a moment to spotlight the recently released 11th edition of their Hazy Homage series:The Grateful Haze. This Grateful Dead-inspired tangerine and grapefruit forward hazy IPA comes from a specialty line of hazy IPAs launched quarterly, each dedicated to a particular band or artist. I mean, just look how stunning those cans are. Make sure you snag a four-pack!
If you ever find yourself in Asheville and fancy yourself a drink, definitely go check out Green Man Brewery.
Want to be considered for an upcoming feature? Email cheers@workforyourbeer.com to set up an interview!