Sierra Nevada Brewery
While visiting Asheville, NC we frequently stop by Sierra Nevada Brewery for a beer and for dinner in the Taproom. This weekend, we decided to treat ourselves to a tour of the brewery and see how the magic happens behind the scenes.
We started about three weeks out by going online to https://sierranevada.com/ to book our tour. There are a few properties so choose the correct one (this review is about the Asheville/Mills River property) and then choose the tour you want to take (there are about 5 to choose from ranging in price, length of time, and type of experience). We chose the 45 minute $9 Brewhouse Tour. They fill up fast so book in advance. We saw them turn a ton a people away because they were completely booked. There is a self-guided tour you can read along with as you walk through the property as a last resort.
Once you sign up, you will get an email confirmation with all the details. You will need to check in about 15 minutes before your tour (keep in mind it can be difficult to find parking). They will give you a nifty lanyard to wear and have a nice waiting room for you to sit in next to some restrooms while you wait for everyone to arrive. You will need to finish any beer you may be enjoying before your tour begins but don’t worry, most of the tours end with a tasting.
Our tour lasted about 30 minutes and took us through the entire beer making process. We got to peak into all the rooms and even see some brewing in action! We even got to go into a room where they let us check out some hops and we got to get hands on!
They don’t bottle on the weekends, so that wasn’t actively happening, but you could see the whole process from up above and they had several TVs throughout the hallway showing the process of bottling and packaging from beginning to end.
Finally, we followed the guide to the tasting room, where we got to experience 4 brews. The experience was great, and the guide was super knowledgeable and friendly. If you are in the area and have time this is a great afternoon activity. The Taproom does not take reservations, but if you are hungry afterwards, I highly suggest grabbing something to eat!