Author at Sequoyah National.
Nick Piastowski
I’m wondering about the “Rev.”
now this is it a nickname, though it speaks to something more than just its possible divine inspiration: it should win “Rev.” You’re not greeted as “Rev” on the first day, and “Rev” herded golfers from his seat in the Black Mountain shop apparently had been sitting there since the name of the course was just black bumps. There is no doubt, too, that he had heard every player’s story about Donald Ross track 747 yards, par-6 17th, so come to think of it, maybe “Rev” is “Rev” because countless players have come to him confessing to committing the deadly sins of slices and hooks on the giant.
I’m thinking about Bebette’s beignet maker early in the morning.
IN Bebette’syour mound of sugary fried dough goes into your belly like coffee: hot off the press, which is absolutely a nod to newspaper office right across the street. Beignets are only called into duty after being summoned here and can go rogue if you prefer, such as on a breakfast sandwich, which means you get two (2) beignets, which come with a sprinkling of eggs, cheese and bacon. But each dessert is made for you – not at all removed, certainly not wrapped – by the hands of an angel, the maker of beige in the early morning.
I’ve texted a few people, including Jenny.
Jen runs Wicked Weed Brewing’s mixed-culture program (think sour beers), but she’s also, at least by this account, the town’s mayor. Everyone loves Jen, and Jen loves everyone, but there’s room for more. To illustrate this further, when told that a reporter asked to drink nine beers at nine breweries during his four-day stay, she understandably confused how nine beers at each, didn’t blink, and was game. for challenge 81.
She replied to my message this way:
“Thank you for thinking of us! As you can imagine, everyone is busy trying to rebuild and make sure our teams have the resources they need. At the moment, everyone is fine.”
From now on. This has stuck with me.
That was on October 1st, about a week after Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina, which was about two weeks after my first visit to Asheville, NC, where I’d like to find out if the town was a potential asset to the golf reader – now globally known for its beer, Asheville there seemed to be some good dirty golf, and golf and beer go together like short grass on golf greens. Now, however, I was now seeing the terrible consequences of Helen, and these things struck differently when you can associate— I have been to (insert place affected) and I know (insert person affected), and I had, in fact, just been to Asheville. But I wasn’t exactly CLOSED. I came, I saw, I would write. But if you’ve been yourself, you know what’s coming. Of course, it would be a golf and beer Shangri-la, though for more reasons than just golf and beer. To keep our theme flowing, Asheville is kind of like a corner bar that has an open seat — and a whole bunch of people who don’t just want you to sit down, but want to pick up the tab.
Like the bartender I met Sierra Nevadathe California beer icon that has an outpost near the Asheville airport. As I had my first pint here, someone told him what I was doing, and over their pale ale, we chatted, or he did. He had been reading GOLF magazine. He told me about Asheville’s mountain golf. He told me about the other breweries – it was a constant theme: Everyone wants you to stop at their place, just to mention that you don’t forget another dozen stops. (According to a story published by wncmagazine.com as of late last year, there are 62 breweries in the greater Asheville area.) Let’s see if I can remember the order of the breweries I went to. (My plan was to drink all nine beers at the nine breweries, along with playing 54 holes of golf, all of which are golf-friendly numbers.) Sierra Nevada. AND Asheville Brewingwhere it seemed as if the large windows facing the street were always open. AND Hi-Wirewhich also had a tiki bar. AND Weed (more on those in a second.) And Newfoundlandwhich shared their location with a pizza place. AND highlandthe godfather of Asheville beer. AND obsequialwhich was filled with rain on a rainy Thursday night. AND New Belgiumanother big name with a location in Asheville. AND Zillicoaha favorite of almost everyone I spoke to who at the end of last month posted the video below on their Instagram page.
I’m thinking about Ryan too. He is one of the co-founders of Wicked Weed and was one of four people I played golf with in Asheville. Wicked Weed had originally approached me to visit, and part of my story concept was to have him act as a tour guide, which worked out well, since the Asheville native cares about his golf just as much ( he’s a single-digit player) like our beer cooler. (Notably, he also tipped the beer cart well, knowing he’d brought the brewery’s wares to the course—I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before.) One night, while talking about the overlap of beer and golf, he ate what he considered the “sweet spot” while playing and drinking (which was a beer before the round, followed by a beer every four holes), what makes the best beer cart (food, but not candy only; a cocktail bar and domestic and craft beer) and the best way to shoot a beer (with a tee, of course). Alone, I played Chestnut mountainwhich works well as a short-haul runway from the airport; together, we played well Sequoyah National and the aforementioned Montenegro, where the “Rev” oversaw things. Chestnut and Sequoyah are back in business after Helena; on Thursday, there were no appointment times in Montenegro and no one was answering the phone. You can have too watch this video e Broadmoor Golf Links.
I talked with Rachel.
She’s the Wicked Weed communications czar, who on the first day went with me to Asheville Brewing and Hi-Wire, where she recorded me drinking for a potential video and told me one of Asheville’s beer secrets: its water. But for the purposes of this story, she is the strongest believer in the area. Almost every day, she’s been sharing ways you can help, and I asked her for her list, and you can find it below, along with some of her thoughts.
She also posted this:
Rachel Dudasik
Here’s another reminder: Visit. Check out when things are settled and play golf, eat food and drink beer.
If you beat me, say hello to everyone.
How you can help Asheville and western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene
Where to donate
– Dear Asheville: Most recommended at the moment for a reason. Boots on the Ground, the local organization is getting supplies to those in areas that cannot go to distribution sites. They are a great organization that serves the homeless population 365 days a year, but has also found a way to serve everyone in times of crisis.
– Community Foundation of WNC Disaster Response Fund
– Mountain True / French Wide Aquifer: Helps facilitate well testing and cleanups critical to public health and environmental safety.
– Appalachian Community Fund: Channels resources to areas of greatest need across Appalachia; very basic support.
– Blue Ridge Public Radio: Providing various formats of critical updates throughout the disaster, helping spread the word about rapidly changing information and resource guides to help stay safe.
– MANNA Food Bank: This Feeding America food bank is no stranger to helping feed the community, but their building was nearly destroyed during the storm. They have continued to find spaces and ways to serve those in need and will need support in the coming months with the damage to the facilities.
– Eblen Charity: Help with bills (utilities and rent assistance).
– Heart with hands: Aid based in Swannanoa / Black Mountain, a particularly hard hit area.
– neighborhood: Farmworker Assistance (they run a free bilingual clinic for low-income and uninsured people in western North Carolina).
Food and drink / specific local business
– NC Hospitality Workers Relief Fund
– NC Craft Brewers Guild: Direct links to support the western North Carolina craft beer community via hit brewery GoFundMe accounts; also provides an updated list of breweries participating in the Pouring for Neighbors fundraiser, now with over 265 locations in over 30 states and territories; also provides an up-to-date directory of breweries that serve as drop-off locations.
– Buy beer city a beer: Support Western North Carolina by “buying” a $7 beer (donation) that goes to support BeLoved Asheville.
– Southern Smoke Foundation – Emergency Relief Fund: Used to help F&B workers pay for essentials like groceries, clothing and medication, as well as cover the cost of rent, natural disaster damage, lost wages and more. There is no deadline for requests and no limit on the amount awarded.
– Rural Organizing and WNC Resilience
— A more exhaustive list can be found by clicking here.
