USA, NC: Lazy Hiker Brewery to expand in Franklin

Summer is always a busy time for the beer business. So the timing is perfect for the new Lazy Hiker Brewery in downtown Franklin — the Macon County town's first craft brewer, Asheville Citizen-Times reported on July 3.

Lazy Hiker Brewery is already winning over fans in Franklin, and also has landed accounts in nearby Highlands, and is "pushing into Cullowhee, Sylva and Bryson City," said brewer Noah McIntee. “Eventually, Lazy Hiker Brewing wants to get its beer into the highly competitive Asheville market,” McIntee said. "We're in a nice position, 15 miles from Georgia and Atlanta is not far away. It's a good stopping off point."

The downtown location, 188 West Main St. in a former Franklin town hall building, means easy access to that town's restaurants.

Being the first brewery in Franklin gives Lazy Hiker Brewing an edge, but many of the town's residents and visitors are sophisticated craft beer drinkers, he said. "People come here from Atlanta and Florida and we're into the season for that," he said. "When you have breweries like Sierra Nevada Brewing and New Belgium Brewing (in the area), that goes a long way. We are not trying to be Asheville, but we get the benefits of that."

08 July, 2015