Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Twin Leaf Brewing, Asheville’s newest craft brewery, is set to open on Saturday at 144 Coxe Ave. The location is on Asheville’s hot South Slope, which is already home to several venerable craft brewers, including Asheville Pizza & Brewing, Green Man Brewing, Hi-Wire Brewing and Burial Beer.
Here’s what Asheville contributor Cliff Mori wrote recently about Twin Leaf and its owners, Tim and Steph Weber:
The couple came to Asheville in 2012 from Pennsylvania. As avid hikers, Asheville’s close proximity to all things outdoors was a huge draw. According to Tim, “We had thought about moving to Colorado, but the green of Asheville was way more appealing than the brown of everything out there.” Asheville also seemed like a perfect place to realize their dream of owning a brewery.
I asked Steph when the idea of owning a brewery first seemed like a good idea. “We’re kind of insane people,” she said. “So it was really just a natural progression of things.” Both Steph and Tim worked as engineers in Pennsylvania but were unhappy in their careers and looking for something they’d feel more passionate about. “I hated sitting behind a desk,” said Tim. They had enjoyed home brewing together for years and became serious about learning to brew commercially. After attending the American Brewers’ Guild in Vermont in 2011, the couple’s excitement put opening a brewery of their own on the fast track. Three months after they finished brewing school, they found out they were pregnant with their son. Steph told me, with surprising calm, “The plan became move, have a baby, open a brewery.”
Twin Leaf will open with twelve of their own beers on tap, including five year round offerings and seven others. Though seven of the twelve will be a surprise, their year round offerings will include a Belgian Wit, an ESB, an Oatmeal Stout, a Belgian Tripel and an IPA. The brewery’s tasting room will start out as the only spot in town to get these beers, but the location they chose will allow them to expand as business grows. Further out, there are plans for a canning line and wider distribution.
Congratulations to Tim and Steph! I’ve watched them as they’ve gone through the process of setting up and am in awe of the care and effort they’ve put into their brewery. Get out and support Twin Leaf.
