Wicked Weed Announces New Sour Beer Facility

will open a barrel house and sour tap room at 147 Coxe Avenue in the South Slope region of downtown Asheville. This new barrel facility will have the capacity to store up to 1500+ wine and bourbon barrels, four times the number of their current barrel house, and will host a tasting room focused on showcasing sour and brett beers.

Since opening day, Wicked Weed Brewing has been aging, barreling and blending sour and brett beers in a facility that was a 20 minute drive from their 91 Biltmore location, which made transporting barrels a logistical difficulty. Used solely as a storage facility, this 2200 square foot building was not open to the public.

Unlike the prior facility, the new barrel house will be 12,000 square foot building that not only stores barrels but will also have a tasting room connected to the main barrel room that is open to visitors. This tasting room will have between 10­15 taps, the majority of which will pour sour and wild beer. Two to three taps will remain designated for Wicked Weed’s Flagship Freak of Nature Double IPA and other seasonal non­sour brews and the location will eventually house a robust cellar list of aged bottles.

“We wanted to have a place where people could see the barrels, learn about the art of barrel aging and give them a place to drink the beers we love so much,” said Walt, Head of Brewing Operations and Wood Cellar Manager. “Im excited to let people really feel what a barrel house is like.”

The south slope location is a region of downtown which is quickly becoming known as the Brewery District, something that Wicked Weed is hoping to help solidify with their new venture.

“We love the Asheville brewing community; we think it is the best in the country,” said Luke Dickinson, Head Brewer at Wicked Weed. “And if we can be a part of making the South Slope the designated Brewery District and support the breweries down there by doing so, we are going to jump at the opportunity. It will be a beneficial title for every brewery in that area.” 

Although no official date has been set for the opening of the barrel house, Wicked Weed hopes to have the doors open to the public in late summer of 2014.
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