Finding Brew Gold in Sylva

Not far from Asheville, NC there’s a small town called Sylva. It feels like it was plucked right from the vine of Americana – a perfect piece of small-town America set to an alpine backdrop where everybody’s friendly and there’s a story in every building. While each building holds its own unique charm and charming proprietors, three contain breweries, which combine to form a wonderful cross-section of the American brewing scene. From the first-generation Bavarian-owned brewhouse to the bootstrapped alternative joint, all willed into being by any means necessary, what is known as the Jackson County Ale Trail has something for everybody.

Heinzelmännchen – Dieter Kuhn and wife Sheryl Rudd are the team behind the oldest brewery in Sylva, which has been around for about 13 years. Straight outta’ Bavaria with the beers to boot, the walls of Dieter’s cozy brewery are adorned with custom-made steins, baby pictures and caricatures of his beaming countenance.

(All photos by Nick Breedlove)

The beers are made with love – all 531 of last year’s barrels were brewed by Dieter, and though it’s located in downtown Sylva, North Carolina, the water is similar in character to his home region of Bavaria, allowing Heinzelmännchen to produce authentic German beer.

Dieter and Sheryl will happily walk you through their currently-tapped lineup, and since it’s their beer, they can tell you exactly what flavors to look for.

Though the beers I tried were all delightful, among the favorites was the Gopher Ale, a pilsner with a light hint of malt made to go with any meal, which was also the first beer Dieter brewed. Hoppy Gnome was also a standout – a thunderously dry-hopped Pilsner (think double IPA with minimal bitterness), and perhaps the most memorable, the Heavenly Gnome. This is a bit of a rarity – the Kilted Gnome Scottish Ale, which was delicious in its own right, aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels.

The result is a mix of sweet vanilla and boozy heat mixed with a mild lacto-character, a ‘happy accident.’ Dieter was kind enough to bust out a bomber of this bad boy, as his kegged reserves tapped out just as we arrived.

Heinzelmännchen brings the best of Germany to Sylva, while matching the local charm. Be on the lookout for its divine Beer and Chocolate pairings with local family-owned chocolatier Baxley’s Chocolates. We followed Baxley’s owner down the block to Heinzelmännchen for a personally guided tour of the pairings, which produced astounding complementary results. The White Chocolate Lime Truffle followed with a swig of Weise Gnome Hefeweizen was, for lack of a better word, heavenly.

I could go on about where the name Heinzelmännchen comes from (Spoiler alert: it involves gnomes), but it would be better told firsthand by Dieter. 

There’s another brewery in town whose name has an even more esoteric origin. Sneak-e-Squirrel is a quirky place, no doubt – at first glance you might think the owners are nuts. And you’d be right, because they’re nuts about running a one-of-a-kind craft brewery with an “Ale or Nothing” mentality.

The brewery, which has taken over what used to be a used car dealership, is run by John Duncan and his team of brewers and trained chefs. Duncan also provides the origin for the otherwise baffling name – it was his longtime computer gaming handle. But the Sneak-e-Squirrel has logged out of the online server and into the game of crafting quality ales and locally sourced meals in a family-friendly environment.

I can almost guarantee there is an aspect of this seven-barrel brewpub that will surprise you. If you’re a fan of specially rigged equipment, you’ll love what John and his team have done to get their system up and running, and if you’re a fan of food and drink as humans generally are, you’ll be amazed at what the chefs create.

Sneak-e-Squirrel has the gaming aspect covered from every angle too. They’ve got ping pong outside on the patio, and board games abound on the inside. Even the food and drink get caught up in the gaming vibe. You can order a “Heisen-burger,” named for the Uncertainty Principle, where you roll four-sided dice that correspond to various ingredients in the kitchen and receive a one-of-a-kind burger. The results are surprising, but guaranteed to be delicious, like a strawberry jam and pimento cheese elk burger. And be sure to try the ice cream made with their Get the Frack Out Stout. It was fracking delicious.

On the beer side, the Squirrel has nine beers on tap, with a rotating Beer of the Week that’s often more experimental in nature. The experimentation extends to the drinking also, as we were encouraged to try a hop infusion – a choose-your-own hop adventure that can completely change a beer’s flavor. I infused their Citra IPA with the Waimea varietal, and it was intense. Their woody, powerhouse Prison Shank Old Ale also comes recommended.

The folks behind the Squirrel want it to be the kind of place you can bring the kids and enjoy yourself. If you come in with an open mind, you’ll find something to like.

Founded by Nicole Dexter and Chip Owen, a couple of seemingly endless energy and foresight, Innovation Brewing would seem equally at home in both a cosmopolitan haven and small town America. The beer is just as buzzworthy as the brewery, which was recently caught up in a copyright dispute with Bell’s over the use of “Innovation.”

The brewery lives up to the name, featuring a full-blown barrel-aging and sour/funk program, along with 32 of their own beers on tap at all times (plus a house-made ginger ale), a mighty impressive feat for a brewery that’s only been around for a couple years. And if that weren’t enough, they’ve just started bottling their Circumnavigation Double IPA.

Co-founders Nicole Dexter (pictured) and Chip Owen have poured countless hours into fine-tuning every detail of Innovation.

While the bottles may find their way to you, the brewery itself is worth the trip – the taproom is expertly laid out, with its spacious and naturally lit interior spilling out onto a patio overlooking a stream. There’s also a resident food truck – Cosmic Carryout, which serves delicious burgers for a great price. When I stopped in it was thumping, featuring tunes from local White Stripes-Black Keys hybrid Masonjar Menagerie, with a bit of Zeppelin and Hendrix mashed in. The band was a perfect match for the brewery, modern without forsaking its rustic roots. The vibe was electric, and it felt as if Innovation was the heart of the town.

Though the sheer quantity of styles Innovation produces is impressive, the quality is uniformly appetizing. I particularly enjoyed their uber crisp Ginger Pale Ale, fragrant Black Balsam Porter, and Chippy’s Appalachian Cure-All, an American Strong Ale featuring a dazzling mélange of aroma and flavor, including coconut, caramel, nut, spice and a hefty helping of booziness.

The town of Sylva itself has grown as the best breweries do, focusing on character and quality. You won’t find fast food chains in town, just locally owned businesses with small town values. From the acclaimed clay-smiths at Treehouse and Riverwood Pottery, to the overly modest chefs at Lulu’s on Main – nothing in Jackson is artificial or overstated. The masters let their crafts speak for themselves. 

For more information on Jackson County and its brew scene, follow the links below:
Heinzelmännchen
Innovation Brewing
Sneak-e-Squirrel

Visit Jackson County, NC