USA, NC: Currahee Brewery opens in downtown Franklin

A second brewery has opened in downtown Franklin, the latest addition to a growing mountain craft beer scene, Asheville Citizen-Times reported on July 21.

Currahee Brewing is in a new building at 100 Lakeside Drive "with a couple of hundred feet of frontage on the Little Tennessee River," said brewer Taylor Yates, who previously was lead brewer at Moon River Brewing in Savannah, Georgia. Brewery owner Brandon Hintz was at SweetWater brewing in Atlanta. The brewery takes its name from a Cherokee word meaning "stand alone," and from a mountain in northeast Georgia.

Currahee is targeting "craft beer aficionados" with a line that includes three year-round beers: Wayah Lager, which Yates describes as a traditional German brew (5.6 percent alcohol by volume); Frankenstrong Belgian strong (8.2 percent ABV); and Garand East Coast style IPA (6.8 percent ABV). The brewery will also offer seasonal and specialty beers.

Currahee is using an American-made 15-barrel brewing system with four 35-barrel fermenters. He expects the brewery to soon be canning in 12-ounce packages.

Currahee has a German-style biergarten, a patio with a fireplace and a large indoor tasting room. Mountain Fresh Grocery of Highlands will provide food for hungry customers. Currahee has joined the Asheville Brewers Alliance, the nonprofit group representing local breweries.

Currahee is the second brewery in Franklin, following Lazy Hiker. The brewery now has limited hours Friday through Sunday and has set a grand opening for Aug. 20.

With Currahee's opening, there are 55 breweries open around the mountains, 24 of them in Asheville or Buncombe County, and six more in stages of opening.

24 July, 2016