Asheville - The Thirsty Monk

This is my watering hole of choice.  As a matter of fact it has received many notations in beer publications of its status as a world class beer bar.  You can find this list on some of the tables next to their specials.

If you feel like enjoying American craft brews they have the upstairs which is adorned with signs of the craft brew industry.  The upstairs has about twenty taps which rotate at a fairly quick pace from breweries around the country and a few from here in Western NC.

The downstairs has sixteen or seventeen taps which are usually flowing with tripels, strong ales, barley wines and other high gravity brews.  The downstairs is partially below ground level and decorated with dark woods and makes you feel as if you're in a cave of beer greatness (you are).

The way to go is to pick either the upstairs or the cave downstairs and order a flight of four smaller pours of beers with which you are not familiar.  This is the perfect amount of beer for a full sampling of each and provides a better chance to enjoy a greater variety of these beers which will quickly be moving on.  To order you get a pencil and a card and give it to the bartender with your selections.  I enjoy the process of reading the descriptions on their menu and picking out my dream team of brew greatness.  The card includes an area for each beer where you can make comments and even helps you out with suggestions for the tasting process.  The bartenders are knowledgeable and will be happy to pick out a flight based on your taste.

The people at the Monk are proud to serve pub fare which integrates ingredients from several local breweries.  You can find pizza, pretzels, sandwiches, and even a cheese plate with which to complement your beer tastings.

You can find their menu and beer listings complete with descriptions online at www.monkpub.com.  The beer lists are updated daily and are usually accurate to within one or two taps (sometimes less accurate on the weekend because of the increased business).  They have regular specials and events which are worthwhile and can also be found on their website.  They have a second location now in South Asheville at which they brew some of their own beer in smaller batches.  I haven't experienced enough of their house brews to comment.  I personally believe it's worth the effort to make it out to the original location downtown as it has a wider selection and more authentic ambiance.  Now that I've called your attention to this wonderful place, go to their website or better yet to the Thirsty Monk itself!