Bold Rock Hard Cider Small time Apple Farmer Finds his Big Dream. Asheville, North Carolina

Bold Rock Hard Cider 72 School House Road  Mills River/Asheville, NC 28759


During a recent visit to Raleigh Beer Garden, we had the privilege of meeting John and Robin Washburn from Bold Rock Cider. Small business owners John, an apple farmer and Robin an interior designer have put their minds together to create a beautiful cidery along with business partner Brian, a world renown  award winning cider maker from New Zealand. They have earned over 60 awards. Their latest creation is an India Pale Ale Apple Beer.

Robin has designed the interior for the Bold Rock Cider Company. She used a 25' tall rock and a cherry mantel framed on each side by 2 antique apple wood ladders to create a fireplace in the original tasting location. As an animal lover, she recently rescued a parrot named Alfie who entertains guests.

John and Robin support various community organizations including an animal sanctuary, their Natural History Museum's Fundraiser  Kite Festival where John announces the duck race like it's a horse race and donates the purse and they support several other local worthwhile causes.

Great couple. Can't wait to visit their new place in Raleigh as well as Asheville.

Raleigh Beer Garden The World's Largest Selection of Beer on Tap in a Restaurant

 Raleigh Beer Garden 614 Glenwood Ave Raleigh, NC 27603  www.raleighbeergarden.com

What a great surprise. We were told by some of our brew club members from Lowcountry Libations in Charleston, SC that we had to stop for lunch and a few beers at the Raleigh Beer Garden. This restaurant is really beautiful and roomy with a bar as you enter, a bar downstairs for local craft beer and another bar upstairs for USA and Imports. I took some pictures to try to show you because it is really stunning and it would take two pages to describe it! Many of the tables, furniture and bars were made from the wood that was on the property.

Our two downstairs hosts were Ben, the manager who as a former insurance agent," became disenchanted with the inhumanity of the business" and now does what he loves and Blair, our brilliant barkeep who offered us a wealth of information as we tasted and chatted our way through some of the 144 beers on the downstairs draught craft beer bar. Along with some noteworthy local beers, they have an extensive menu with food for most tastes including vegetarian and vegan. Even if you are not hungry, I highly recommend the Beer Battered pretzels. They are fantastic!

We sampled so many beers and talked with so many people. We actually spent about 3 hours there. It's a place that is easy to lose time in. A few of my favorite beers were Haw River St. Benedict's Belgian Dubbel 7.2% ABV and Double Barley Gourd Rocker. I gave up taking notes and talked to Blair. She is a graduate of East Carolina School of Arts and specializes in painting portraits. Although she would love to be a full time artist, she really enjoys her job.
We were sampling a beer from Crank Arm Brewery(See Crank Arm Blog) when they walked in so we chatted with them. Then John Washburn and his lovely wife from Bold Rock Hard Cider(working on blog)strolled in and we talked with them. Blair was recommending the cider to a female patron and John over heard her as he came in. He was quite pleased with her knowledge of his product and gave her a generous tip. WTG Blair.

Fun, fun afternoon with super friendly and interesting folks. Family friendly. Outdoor area beer garden with fireplace. We can't wait to get back to the Raleigh Durham area!!!

Bombshell Brewery Holly Springs, NC Women Owned and Brewed

At the suggestion of some new friends at Draftline Brewery(Angela and Alfie)who accompanied us, our next craft brewery stop was a small brewery called Bombshell Brewery at 120 Quantum Drive in Holly Springs. This story started with a home brewer named Ellen. I didn't have a chance to meet Ellen but I went to their website www. and gleaned some information about the place. So Ellen started brewing in 2000 and she became friends with Michelle and they brewed together. Like most home brewers, once you start making some good beer, the word gets out and all your friends want a taste or a bottle or a keg for their wedding. I don't know for sure if this happened to them but I'm guessing the story follows that path.Then in 2012, Jackie wanted in on the fun and Bombshell Brewery was the name of the game. I liked their logo, a1940 aircraft pin up style, curvaceous woman holding up a beer mug. I bought a 3/4 sleeve black top with a zipper at the neck and a logo on my chest in case I wanted to show off my bombshells, he he. I wear it a lot!

Alfie introduced us to Chris, the bar manager who easily talked us into a flight. The tap system serves 4 flagship beers and 4 seasonal beers. We asked Chris how he felt about working for three female owners at a brewery. He told us" the owners are awesome. the locals are awesome and who wouldn't like to work at a brewery? People are happy and we have a good time!" If I ever open a brewery, I'm stealing that man! Good P.R.
We started with their Polished Pilsner 4.5% ABV. This is a regular beer on tap with good color and a nice clean finish.
Then I sampled the Audition #2 Westie IPA 6.1% ABV which was my favorite. Tim flagged the Lemon Grass Pale Ale at 5.6% as the one he's order for his pint. We also had the Dirty Secret Coconut Stout 4.8% which was delicious , Silky Blonde Cream Ale 4.9% ABV and their experimental beer, their Westie with different hops.

Sitting at the bar, we struck up a conversation with a transplanted local couple from New Orleans, Alene Selph and her husband Gorman. They are members of the tap club and she told me her two favorite beers were the Dirty Secret Coconut Stout because of it's dark sweetness and also Silky Blonde. She really likes Heffeweizens style beers. This couple just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in April ! They originally owned a brew shop for years. . Alene said she use to drink Coors Light in a can and it embarrassed her husband so much that he always made her put it in a koozie. So she started, "trying, tasting and liking" different styles of beer. My question was why would you move to North Carolina from New Orleans? Do you remember Hurricane Katrina? When the storm hit they found themselves stranded on the roof of their home. After the rescue they were dropped off and ended up sleeping on a sidewalk for a week before finally getting in touch with their son. They couldn't access their bank account because the banks were frozen so they lived with their son for two months. North Carolina seemed like a good place to relocate and they love the area. She is a really lovely, outgoing lady! Life sometimes takes the winding road, doesn't it?! And that's your,"Women Who Love Beer" story.
Family Friendly and dog friendly. I really enjoyed this brewery for the beer and the wonderful people I spent time with while there.
My last note is that they serve wine as well and if you don't find one you like, you may bring a bottle for a $5. corkage fee.

Draftline Brewing Company Fuquay Varina, NC A Blueprint for Some Good Craft Beer

During our visit to NC, we were told we had  to pay a visit to Draftline Brewery  www.Draftlinebrewing.com which is just up the street from Aviator. Some Aviator patrons are big fans of this brewery. Word of mouth really is the best motivator when I have so many breweries to choose from.

This is an excellent place to spend some time with your friends and family. They have a pavilion to picnic under and ping pong and foosball tables to entertain yourselves. They also have additional seating inside their spacious building.
When we arrived, we ordered Riverstream Scotch Ale 7.5% ABV. This is a Wee Heavy with lots of maltiness and flavor. Wee heavies tend to have a stronger alcohol content. We recently brewed one, fermented it for almost a month and kegged it. We decided with the strong whiskey flavor (we did not barrel age it), our beer should probably be bottled and aged for several months before drinking.  Riverstream has great balance and a smooth, full flavor.  Hands down, my favorite beer there.
 We also sampled the Deep Purple Porter 5.6% ABV, Graf Pale Ale 5.4% ABV and the Single Path IPA 6.6% ABV. We learned later that they won two Blue Ribbons at the 2014 NC Brewer's Cup for their Hemmings Pilsner and their Vienna Lager. For any brewer, winning recognition at a serious competition like the NC Brewer's Cup is quite an honor.
  While up at the bar, we met a Ray Liotta look a like named Alfie from NYC. He brought us over and introduced us to his girlfriend Angela Pavone. She later told me they met at Aviator Brewing Co. Angela said she normally drinks ales, wheat beers and pilsners. These beers are lighter in body, color and hops than say a stout or a porter. Sitting with them was Tiffany Wolfe, one of Draftline's bartenders who has been working there for about a year and a half. Tiffany, who had been enjoying craft beer for about 3 years said she started drinking Belgian style beers but now is developing a taste for some lightly hopped IPAs. I also chatted with a woman named Angela from Cincinnati. Angela started drinking craft beer about 8 years ago falling in love with Founder's IPA. She" finds people who drink good craft beer out of a Miller Light glass extremely offensive." I do too.

 Support your local breweries through the purchase of their product. That way we will always have great craft beer. Please drink responsibly. Choose a designated driver!

Crank Arm Brewing Company Raleigh, NC Use to be a Rickshaw Company

When I was much younger and new in Charleston, SC, my friends and I would rent Rickshaws( after an evening of drinking) with strong, lean young men peddling them and we would have them race down King St in Charleston offering cash to the winner. Great fun!  I wonder if any of the rickshaw drivers in Raleigh were conned into racing in the middle of the night?

We were at the Raleigh Beirgarten in October and we met the folks from Crank Arm Brewing Company.I had been interviewing the barkeep about the local beers on tap when Adam Eckhardt, Natalie  Anderson and Michael Morris came in for a beer before work. They are the crew from Crank Arm Brewing. We were just tasting one of their beers so we started talking and I said I was a blogger wanna be who was writing about Women Who Love Beer. They bought us a flight of their beer which was a great surprise and we talked beer for a while. Michael and Adam, the owners of Crank Arm

have 25 years of combined experience brewing and they have been brewing professionally for 17 years. They have created an award winning brewery with a delicious variety. Natalie is the knowledgeable taproom manager. She said besides enjoying beer, she loves to manage, and she enjoys making pottery. She is the mother of a 17 year old. They finished their beer and had to go but invited us over to check out their brewery at 3.

One of the first things I learned was they do their tasting of beer first thing in the morning when their palates are still fresh. Being critical of themselves keeps their beer fresh and original. I also watched them sanitize a wooden cask with 170 degree hot water. Hopefully the water will also tighten the ribs and there won't be any leaks they told me.

On tap is :Rickshaw Rye IPA  7% ABV This is a nice IPA brewed with nugget hops. Wonderful nose and a nice spice to it. This beer won "Best of Show" for the North Carolina Brewer's Cup.
They also won a First Place Ribbon for their Brett Saison which was brewed with tart cherries and aged in white wine barrels.
Whitewall Belgian Wheat was brewed with Citra and Falconer's  Hops 4.4 ABV . This is a good, flavorful, mildly citrusy beer that is light bodied. I really enjoyed it.
With over 50 beers brewed, they always have something great on tap. They also distribute regionally. You can go to their website at www.crankarmbrewing.com or find them on Facebook. Definitely worth a visit when in Raleigh!!!

Woman Owned, Raleigh Brewing Company A MUST Visit Attraction on the Beer Trail.

Raleigh Brewing Company 3707 Neil St  Raleigh, NC 27607

According to Forbe's Magazine, Raleigh, North Carolina is rated #2 of the 20 Fastest Growing cities in the USA. With 50% of adults 25 to 65 years of age having a college degree, well known companies like IBM, software giant Citrix and Fortune 500 businesses have moved in to the city. Also home to North Carolina University and local neighbor, Duke University in Durham, this area is full of opportunities for education and employment. In October we stopped at this wonderful craft brewery called The Raleigh Brewing Company that was a recommendation from almost everyone we met on the NC beer trail. We sat down at the bar and struck up a conversation with Patrick, a congenial and friendly man. During our conversation we learned that he was the husband of Kristie Nystedt, the owner of Raleigh Brewing Co. I had my notepad out and I told him I was attempting to create a blog about women who love beer. He excused himself and returned with a beautiful blond woman. Smart, determined and creative, she came up with a business plan in 2010. At the time, she had a child in college and was hesitant to turn a home brewing hobby into a full time, risk taking venture. Still a dream, from 2010 to 2012, she researched the market and contacted assorted craft breweries and was introduced to a local restaurateur who wanted to open a brewery when he retired. Finally in May of 2012, she resigned from corporate America and dove into creating a brewing business. Raleigh Brewing Company opened in March of 2013. Her intent has been to create a beer business that appeals to many different tastes from entry level beer tasters to seasoned beer connoisseurs.She hired a gentleman brewer who has a degree in chemistry to make great beer. "Good gender balance is a great mix for business." she stated and the rest is history. They are committed to quality and vowed to give back to their community supporting local and national charities and organizations. They have 10 signature  beers and several seasonal sessions going throughout the year.

I am partial to Belgian Beers so one of my first tastings was a Belgian Golden designed by Kristie called, "Hell Yes M'am" Beautifully made at 9.2% ABV, this was one of my favorites. Soft spice, smooth and drinkable. Originally counseled to not include this in her offerings because it was not a mainstream beer, she insisted it stay in the line up. Hence, the name!
Their Moravian Rhapsody, a Czech Pilsner at 5.7 ABV earned a bronze medal at The Great American Beerfest.
We sampled Miller's Toll Imperial Oatmeal Stout which offered notes of coffee and chocolate. Big beer and wonderful full body.
So many beers, so little time.

                                            Diane and Kristie

This beautiful brewery is family friendly. They have two large, sweet dogs on site and are a dog friendly place. Lots to do there too. They have dart boards, a children's area and lots of seating! I highly recommend this brewery! It was a personal favorite.

BrewWarriors: Women Who Love Beer Blog #5 More Beer in Charleston, SC AKA The Holy City

Where did the name Holy City come from? Historically, almost all religions were welcome in Charleston. You only need to take a Harbor Cruise from the Ft. Sumter National Monument to notice an unusual amount to steeples dotting the skyline. Did you know that no building in Charleston can be taller than the tallest steeple. Your trivia question: What is the name of the church? Hint: It's on King Street.
More numerous than the churches in Charleston were the pubs on the corners. Yes folks, it was also known a city of sins. Wine, women, pirates, songs and... oh yes, The Holy City Brewing Company on Dorchester Rd. They came a few hundred years after the pirate era but they are worth mentioning.

This creative garage like brewing company brews on site .Located at 4155 Dorchester Rd in North  Charleston ,they have an inside taproom with 16 beers on tap, inside seating and outside picnic table area for enjoying their beer. With live entertainment most weekends, they have a pool table and corn hole games to while away your time. They also have a small kitchen with some tasty food and they offer Sunday brunch. Family and pet friendly atmosphere make this a fun place to hang out.

Their signature beers include the malty, roasty Pluff Mud Porter 5.5% ABV, a local favorite that many bars in the vicinity now carry.  Then there's Chucktown Follicle Brown, an easy drinking American Brown Ale 6.8% ABV and Washout Wheat , a smooth and drinkable Hefeweizen at 5.3% ABV. They also have Overly Friendly IPA, a 6.9% ABV American Pale Ale that is not overly hoppy but has a slight bitter hop finish. You gotta try it. They also currently have a delicious American Barleywine on tap called Julbocken 10.6% ABV. It's a rich high alcohol beer that's wonderful and potent. Another fantastic choice is Collision Stout which is an American Double/Imperial Stout and I love. This is a seasonal beer so get it while you can!

Check out their website at: www.holycitybrewing.com

Haha Les. Gotcha!

Award Winning Aviator Brewing Co. Fuquay Varina, NC Seriously Good Brews

This really creative and fun craft brewery is located in Fuquay Varina, NC. This town was named after William Fuquay and his wife who he called Varina. The town gained it's fame after the discovery of a mineral spring found while plowing the tobacco fields by his great grandson. Travelers and local communities soon flocked there to sample the water which was believed to have special healing benefits.The town is about 25 minutes from Raleigh, NC and is located on the Beer Trail.

Aviator ( Aviatorbrew.com) opened in 2009 and grew out of it's original location which was housed in an airplane hanger. Although they still brew at the hanger, they moved their taproom to their present location at 600 E. Broad Street and have a fantastic selection of 14 beers on tap at any given time. Our hosts, Manager Adam and barkeeps Jessica and Mark were friendly and knowledgeable. We sampled all the beer! In 2015 they brewed more than 24 beers including Night Jump Imperial Stout, a Gold Medal Winner and my favorite. Their Steamhead, a California Common Lager was awarded a silver medal by the NC Brewer's Guild. Other beers on tap included Devils Triple Belgian 9.2% ABV, October Beast which won at the Durham Raleigh Octoberfest as the best Oktoberfest and their Silver Medalist, McGritty's Scottish Ale. Hog WIld IPA 6.7% ABV was piney, not grape-fruity and a winner in my Beer Mug rating. Beer guru Jessica is a true beer lover and recommended Black Mambo, a full flavored Oatmeal Stout at 6.5% ABV and Frost Nipper, their winter seasonal. Mark's favorite was the October Beast and Wide Open, a 6.1% ABV Red Ale which garnered a Bronze in competition. I also loved the Pumpkin Beast, their award winning Octoberfest mixed with pumpkin.

Besides for some great aircraft memorabilia, they have some tasty bar food. I sampled the Mac and Cheese bites. This creative snack was Baked Pimento Cheese Mac & Cheese, cut into cubes, breaded lightly and deep fried. It was served with a spicy ranch. Tim tried their wings and the sauce is a secret recipe made with their own Black Mambo Beer. They also have a corner restaurant just across the street and they deliver to the taproom and its' outside dining area. On the other corner, Aviator has a store with a wide selection of craft beers from many breweries and a beer bar with TVs.

Aviator was a great surprise to us and I highly recommend them for the fantastic beer, the atmosphere and the friendly staff and patrons. Kid and dog friendly.Brewsterwarriors.blogspot.com Aviator Brewing Co. We loved it!