ABOUT THE BREW: Our first Trail Magic Ale release is an Oak barrel aged Russian Imperial Stout brewed with some special ingredients native to the Great Smoky Mountains. The final ABV is yet to be determined however, we can tell you that it’s currently north of 10% and uniquely tasty.

As we get closer to the release date more details about this exciting ale will be made available.

PURCHASING BOTTLES: We’ve chosen to offer the Trail Magic series in corked 750 ml bottles. Beginning at noon guests will be given numbered tickets for an opportunity to purchase bottles at 6 pm. When your number is called you will have the option to purchase up to four bottles of Trail Magic. There is a limited number of bottles available and we encourage everyone to arrive early for a chance to purchase bottles.

PORTION OF PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT APP TRAIL: A portion of proceeds of the bottle sales will be donated to the Appalachian Trail Ridgerunner Program via the Friends of the Smokies organization.

ABOUT THE RIDGERUNNER PROGRAM: Each year the Park recruits a series of individuals who provide a presence on the Appalachian Trail from March through October. They provide visitor information, do trail maintenance, pack out litter, keep up composting privies, report on the condition of the trail and the shelters, report emergencies and advise hikers on food storage and other regulations, and relay real-time information regarding possible problem bears. Their presence on the AT for over 15 years has made a huge difference in the Park’s ability to manage the AT.

Check back often for more information about this event.

Join us Saturday, December 17th, 2011 for our first annual Nanta Claus party and benefit. The event begins at 6 pm and will feature several NBC Christmas brews and a “Worst Holiday Sweater” contest. We are asking all attendees to bring an unwrapped, unused toy to be donated to children in Swain County who otherwise will not have a Christmas this year. For more details about the Swain County families we’ve adopted this year and to learn how you can adopt a family, see the How Can You Help section below.

The Benefit:

This year the party benefits local Swain County families who cannot afford to provide Christmas gifts for their children. To attend, simply bring an unused, unwrapped toy (girl or boy) to the party and help us spread a little Christmas joy to as many local families as possible this season.

The “Worst Holiday Sweater” contest:

Their will be a “Worst Holiday Sweater” contest. The judging will commence at 8 pm and the winner will receive a growler their choice of one of our Nanta Claus brews and a Nantahala Brewing $50 gift certificate/tab.

The Nanta-claus brews (To be tapped at 7 pm):

Our brewers have been hard at work concocting the perfect Christmas brews for our Nanta Claus party. Although the details of each brew will be kept a secret until the day of the party, we are happy to report that Santa sent us a little Christmas Magic and all those boxes of Chocolate Covered Cherries we’ve been stashing over the years are finally being put to good use!

Adopting our Christmas Families:

Yesterday, Jenn and I (Joe) spent a few hours at the Swain County Family Resource Center here in Bryson City carefully reviewing the overwhelming number of families in our community who are in serious need of help this holiday season. It was a humbling experience and one that reminded us of how lucky we are to be able to put food on the table and provide a solid roof over our heads. It was disheartening to see that the parents weren’t asking for toys for their children, but socks, shoes and a warm winter jacket. Items that we take for granted. As we poured over the pile of requests, I was so saddened that I couldn’t help but want to do something for everyone in that stack. However, Jenn quickly reminded me that my heart was bigger than our pocketbook and we’d have to somehow select five children (4 families) that the brewery and crew could help this year. The task was one of the most difficult I’ve experienced in many, many years.

What Can You Do To Help:

The families we’ve selected, were ones that we decided, were the most in need, but there are many more who are in need of help. So, we are asking all of our friends, family and fans to lend us a hand this year. We’ve got our adopted families covered, but with your help we can help more. We realize that many of you do not live in our area and have charities, friends and loved-ones who you will help this year at home. Not being from Bryson City ourselves we can relate, but this is a wonderful community that boasts lots of one of a kind landscapes, outdoor experiences and natural history. It also happens to be one of the poorest areas in the country. One that receives little (if any) donations and help from outside of the community. So, if you fortunate enough in these tough times to be able to reach a little deeper this season and send some Christmas cheer to the less fortunate children of our community here’s how you can help.

1. Come to our benefit on the 17th and bring an unwrapped, unused toy. Even if you don’t drink beer or drink at all, that’s okay.

2. If you can’t make it to the party, that’s okay too. You can send your donations to:

(IMPORTANT: We do not receive regular mail at our physical address. So, be sure to send your donation to the correct address based on the shipping type.)

USPS: Nantahala Brewing c/o Nanta Claus, PO Box 483, Bryson City, NC 28713

Fedex/UPS: Nantahala Brewing c/o Nanta Claus, 61 Depot Street, Bryson City, NC 28713

3. Our friends at Bryson City Bicycles have been donating their gently used bikes to families in need through the Family Resource Center for some time now and this year they are doing even more to help. If you have a gently used bike that your child has outgrown, Bryson City Bicycles will gladly clean it up and donate it to one of the many children in need this Christmas. To contact them about donating your gently used bike, give Diane a call at (828) 488-1988.

Want To Do Even More?

If you would like to do even more and adopt your own family this year, please contact Ashley at the Swain County Family Resource Center at (828) 488-7505. Let her know you want to adopt a family for Christmas and feel free to tell her we sent you.

The anniversary celebration includes four exciting events: a weeklong North Carolina guest tap take over in honor of American Craft Beer Week, the National Fly Fishing Championship Kick-Off Ceremony, The 12 Hours of Tsali Mountain Bike Pre-Race Party and Nantahala Brewing’s One Year Anniversary Celebration.

American Craft Beer Week NC Guest Tap Take Over (May 13 – May 20)
We’ll kick-off American Craft Beer Week a few days early at 4 pm on Friday the 13th. The event will continue through the following Friday at 10 pm, during which the brewery will feature an array of guest brews from other North Carolina craft breweries including Foothills Brewing, Wedge Brewing Co., Duck Rabbit Brewery, Mother Earth Brewing, Greenman Brewing, and Highlands Brewing to name a few. “For all our IPA fans out there, don’t worry, we will continue to pour our flagship Noon Day India Pale Ale throughout the week,” said Chris Collier, head brewer.

National Fly Fishing Championship Kick-Off Ceremony (May 19)
Meet our friends from Fly Fishing Team USA, the North Carolina Fly Fishing Team and competitors, judges and fans from around the globe on Thursday, May 19th at 4 pm as they kick off the U.S. National Fly Fishing Championships, a four day national competition. This is the first time the event has been held in the southeast and is expected to draw approximately 60 competitors, more than 60 judges and hundreds of spectators for the competition from across the United States and around the world. The kick-off event will be held at the Nantahala Brewing Tap Room and feature live music from Big House Radio and a variety of NC brews from across the state.

12 Hours of Tsali Pre-Race Party (May 20)
Stop by Friday, May 20th at 5 pm to share a pint or two with one of up to 350 mountain biking marathoners, their friends and family before they partake in the annual 12 Hours of Tsali race. The event will feature live music by Avalina, raffles throughout the night and of course fresh pours of NC craft beer.

Nantahala Brewing’s One Year Anniversary Celebration (May 21)
Join us at noon on Saturday, May 21st at our Tap Room when we welcome back our craft brewed beers to the taps. We will feature five of our award-winning brews including our new Up River Amber. Also on tap will be the Dirty Girl Blonde Ale & Two Weeks Notice Double IPA (Break-up side brew series from our assistant brewer, Matt Rippetoe), the Blueberry Incident ATX (on cask) and Noon Day IPA (on Cask).

There will be live music from the Freight Hoppers, door prizes and brewery tours. Join us at 61 Depot Street in Bryson City, North Carolina. The owners and brewers will be on-hand to answer questions. For directions to the brewery or for more information, please give us a call at (828) 488-2337.

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About Nantahala Brewing Co.
Located in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Nantahala Brewing artfully brews award-winning, unfiltered ales made with fresh hops, whole grains and clean, crisp Great Smoky Mountain water, from one of the purest, protected watersheds on the planet.

Nantahala Brewing Co. was founded in early 2009 by Chris Collier, Joe Rowland & Ken Smith and brewery operations and distribution began nearly a year later in May of 2010.

The brewery and Tap Room are located at 61 Depot Street, Bryson City, North Carolina. Tap Room is open (April – October) Tuesday – Friday, 4 pm to 10 pm and Saturday/Sunday at noon. Call us at (828) 488-BEER (2337) for off-season (November – March) hours, directions and wholesale inquiries.

During the final days of permitting, we discovered that the Town of Bryson City requires any facility selling alcohol in the town (including the brewery) to have all their ABC permits including mixed beverage (liquor). So, although we do not have any immediate plans to offer mixed beverages, we were required to make our tasting room a “private club” as defined by the NC ABC Commission to qualify for a mixed beverage license. In short, that simply means that we have to charge an annual membership fee. Here are the details:

Basic Membership: $5 per member

Benefits:
- Comes with a Nantahala Brewing Company pint glass valued at $5.
- Invites to special events.
- Ability to book the space for private events (based on availability).
- May bring up to 6 guests.

All members are required to follow the Tasting Room Rules & Regulations. A copy of the rules and regs are available at the brewery during normal business hours.

If you have any questions about membership, please call Joe at (828) 488-2337 Ext. 2.

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Pricing:

16 oz Pints: $4.00
20 oz Imperial pints $4.75
8 oz Shorty (half pint) $2.50
Pitchers $13.00

New growlers $15.00 (includes fill)
Growler refills $12.00

Prices are subject to change.

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The Tasting Room’s hours of operation are:

November 31st – February 28th: Friday & Saturday, 4 pm until 10 pm

March 1st – March 31st: Thursday & Friday (4 pm until 10 pm), Saturday (Noon until 10 pm), Sunday (Noon until 6 pm)

April 1st – May 15th: Tuesday – Friday (4 pm until 10 pm), Saturday (Noon until 10 pm), Sunday (Noon until 6 pm)

May 16th – Labor Day Weekend: Daily, Tuesday – Saturday (Noon until 10 pm), Sunday (Noon until 6 pm)

September 6th – November 30th: Tuesday – Friday (4 pm until 10 pm), Saturday (Noon until 10 pm), Sunday (Noon until 6 pm)

Hours are subject to change.

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North Carolina Brewery Tasting Rooms

For anyone who might now be familiar with North Carolina brewery tastings rooms, our tasting room is basically a brewery owned beer bar. On day one, we will have 4 – 5 of our brews available, but at some point in the future, we will also offer guest brews from some of our peers throughout the state and our favorites from across the country. In addition to beer, soda and water will be available for children, designated drivers and any non-drinkers who pay us a visit.

We are also on tap at Chris & Charlies in Franklin. They have IPA, Stout, Extra Pale and Brown. 

Show them some love Franklin!

Join us for a preview of our recently completed tasting room at our award winning brewery in the heart of Bryson City. Cost will be free. Sample glasses will be available at the door and NBC pint glasses will be available for sale for $10 each. Samples/pints will be limited to 5 per person. Come meet the brewer and the rest of the NBC crew, enjoy live music and discounted schwag too. 

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We finally have “Water is for Quitters” shirts back in stock!  You can stop by the brewery or order online at our store.