One of the highlights of my weekend camping trip was visiting a new (to me) brewery. Satulah Mountain Brewing Company, of Highlands, NC has been around for just under a year and is the first brewery in Macon County. Despite prohibition ending in the 1930’s, according to my research, it didn’t end in Macon County until the 1990’s, and liquor-by-the-drink and the serving of delicious malt beverages AKA beer didn’t become legal until 2006. Yikes. What century were they living in?
I digress…
I visited Satulah Mountain Brewing with my mom on the first full afternoon we spent camping. She dislikes beer, but was a good sport and joined me. We planned our big camping trip this summer while I partook in a delicious flight of beers.
Satulah’s brewery is tiny, especially by the standards I’m used to in the “big city” of Charlotte. They have a half barrel system, but still had eight choices that had been brewed in house. Named after the mountain that towers over the town of Highlands, the brew pub felt just like a mountain brewery should with lots of natural wood and natural sunlight. Everything I tried was tasty, and the bartender/brewmaster was fantastic (I, unfortunately, didn’t get his name… shame on me! But I didn’t come prepared to take notes as I should have.)
A few of the beers I tried:
Lakeside Hoppy Saison – The hops in this one made it particularly crisp and refreshing. I prefer malty beers to hoppy ones, but I would have ordered a full pint of this on in a heartbeat.
Highlander Scotch Ale – Incredibly smooth, sweet and malty just how a good scotch ale should be, this one tasted a bit boozier than the 6% it proclaims, but I really enjoyed it.
Banana Hammock Belgian Trippel – I am not sure why, but of the Belgians, trippel’s are my least favorite (I love a quad though, and a good dubbel!), but this one was so good. Something magical in the brewing process gives it a distinct banana flavor, and I loved it. Another I’d happily have a second taste of.
EL Numero Dos IPA – I’ve said it once, and I will say it again… but I don’t like IPA’s. This one might be the first one I’d order a whole pint of. It didn’t have an obscenely high IBU, which is probably why I like’d it. It was much smoother than any IPA I’ve ever had, but with the crispness of an India Pale Ale.
Needless to say, as if the weather, the town of Highlands, and the great campsite weren’t reason enough to take my teardrop back to Van Hook Glade, Satulah Mountain Brewing is a pretty huge draw! I will certainly be back.
Teardrops & Ales 