USA, NC: 12 Bones Brewing to launch on May 1 after a long delay

12 Bones Brewing opens May 1, adjacent to the popular smokehouse's big new Arden location, which owners Bryan and Angela King opened earlier this year, the Asheville Citizen-Times reported on April 26.

After a long delay, partially due to the federal government shutdown's impact on TTB permitting, 12 Bones Brewing will debut with 10 house beers, with more to come.

"I've been brewing up a storm," said Scott Hettig, a longtime brewer who has been an assistant brewer with Rock Bottom in Cleveland; brewmaster with St. Francis Brewery and Restaurant in Wisconsin; and brewmaster with Mighty Miss Brewing Company.

Out of a 15-barrel system, Hettig is pulling together a line of brews to complement the 12 Bones menu.

The opening beer list will include a 5 Riverside Kolsch, an homage to the restaurant's first location, leveled in 2017 for road construction, forcing a move to 5 Foundy St. in the River Arts District.

There's also a pineapple IPA, a citrus-forward brew already on tap at the restaurant. Hettig has also made a traditional hefeweizen and a blueberry hefeweizen, nodding to one of the restaurant's rib flavors.

There will be an Irish-style dry stout infused with coffee beans and cacao nibs, riffing off a 12 Bones' coffee-spiked dry rub. In the planning stages: a cherry porter and a traditional Octoberfest lager.

Hettig loves traditional German styles, and plans to consecutively launch a Bock, Doppelbock and Maibock next year.

The brewery itself is accessed from the dining room, through a small hallway near a huge mural of Anthony Bourdain, the larger-than-life itinerant chef who died of suicide in 2018. His philosophy on food and travel has always been an inspiration, said Bryan King.

"We just wanted to create a place where we’d want to hang out,” said Angela King, who herself lives in South Ashevillle. “A place where people would like to come have a beer and be comfortable.”

It's a huge project, and when the entire space is open at once, from brewery to dining room to overflow space, it will accommodate 250 people.

Were it not for the endless progress of a growing city, it's likely something the Kings would never have taken on.

"The initial catalyst was knowing that road improvement was likely going to affect our Sweeten Creek store and, knowing that, we knew we'd have to move," Bryan King said.

They found a building far too large for a barbecue operation. After consulting with Angela King's brother Dominic Koh, co-founder of Manitou Brewing Company in Colorado, they decided to join the area's growing brewery scene.

"We could have never done it without his help," Bryan King said.

And about those hours: locals know 12 Bones doesn't serve dinner, per se. But with a brewery coming online, what should beer drinkers eat?

The brewery will be open Tuesday-Thursday 3-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday noon-9 or 10 p.m., Sunday noon-7 p.m. or so. Those hours are subject to change.

The restaurant's dining room will still close at 4 p.m., though until 6 p.m., the entire menu will be available through the carryout side of the restaurant, followed by an abbreviated menu until about 8 or 9 p.m. All food can be eaten in the taproom.

"We'll have maybe the pork sandwich, the chicken sandwich, maybe add a few wings and things you can't do during the day," King said. That includes fried food, so perhaps fried chicken is coming, he employed.

The fact that there's a large part of the kitchen lying dormant lends itself to special beer dinners or kitchen takeovers, he added. "It really opens up some cool possibilities."

12 Bones South is at 2350 Hendersonville Road.

28 April, 2019