-The Beercat
I know Asheville, NC has a great reputation for being a haven for craft beer so on the way home from the summer road trip I had to make a quick pit stop to get a taste of what’s happening down there. Looking for a place that stood out from the list on google I decided on Blue Ghost Brewing. I had never heard of it before but the name was cool and it was pretty much right off the highway so it made for an easy stop. I reset the GPS and what I found was pretty exciting.
Instantly, I started wondering about where the name Blue Ghost comes from. After some research I found this:
“The meaning of our name comes from a species (of fireflies) that is native and unique to the southern Appalachian Mountain region, the Blue Ghost Firefly, Phausis reticulata. Just like the firefly, we have made this beautiful and enchanting region our home.
-From blueghostbrewing.com
Part of our mission is to educate, protect and promote the biodiversity of Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains. We couldn’t think of a more interesting, though maybe lesser known, representative of the area than the enigmatic Blue Ghost Firefly. “
The Place
Blue Ghost Brewing is located at 125 Underwood Rd., Fletcher, NC 28732. It’s south of Asheville and very easy to find being not far off of 26. The building is huge with two large roll up doors and a smaller third door. They layout is very open. You can see straight through the taproom from the front door to the back roll up. The front of the building has the feeling of a more traditional taproom. Local art lines the walls and wood finished tables, chairs, and bar top makes it pop.
As you walk past the bar you leave that traditional feeling for that more of a garage vibe in the back. Here you’ll find the cooler, and brewhouse and the general work area. The large open doors play into the feeling or maybe its the view of the back yard. The brewery doesn’t have a traditional kitchen for food but on site, behind the building you’ll find The Hungry Ghost serving up everything from pulled pork to cauliflower tacos.
Blue Ghost doesn’t just have a huge taproom they also have a huge green space surrounding the building too. Yeah they’re named for a firefly so why wouldn’t they have a firefly field? Fresh hops growing a long the building, check. Picnic tables, gazebos, giant shade trees, and outdoor activities, yeah they have space for all of that too. It’s beautiful, I can’t really overstate it enough.
The Beer
As beautiful and unique as the campus is at Blue Ghost they have the beer to back it up too. Everything I had was fresh and high quality. They had 12 beers on tap during my visit, half were core beers the others were seasonal plus a guest cider. Beers were available in flights 9oz or 16oz pours.
If you’re looking for beers to go they have you covered too. Crowler cans are available of core beers as well as some specialty bottles. On my visit I had a flight and 9oz pour. Remember I was on my way back from a road trip so I had to limit myself. From the beers I tried there here are my top 3.
3. Mango IPA – at 6.5% ABV and 65 IBUs you get exactly what you ask for when you order this beer. Big mango flavor throughout that’s very refreshing. 3.75/5
2. Cataloochee Wildflower Wit – 4.8% ABV and 16 IBUs. This one was very unique. It had a certain level of funk to it. It was earthy, with hints of coriander. It’s a great beer to drink while taking in the scenery of the brewery’s campus. 4/5
1.Toasted Coconut Blonde – 5/1% ABV and 22 IBUS. This beer is crushable. The coconut isn’t strong on the nose but is fully throughout the beer on your palate. On a sunny, breezy day in North Carolina this beer hit the spot. 4/5.
Overall
I’m hopeful I can get back down to the area in October to do some more exploring. When I go back I’ll definitely see what’s happening at Blue Ghost. The campus in the fall would only be that much better! Their calendar of events looks like something is always going on at the brewery. If you’re planning your next beercation to Asheville be sure to head just south for a bit to check out Blue Ghost, you won’t be disappointed.
The taproom is open daily, hours vary.
Before you go check them out online:
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