Asheville Eats: Local New Belgium Beer and Artisanal Pizza

Pizza and beer - what could be better? If that is the way you feel too, then you will be delighted to hear that New Belgium’s Asheville brewery is opening its Asheville Liquid Center tasting room on May 2! On top of that, the California-started artisanal pizza concept known as Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza opened its first location in Asheville last week. 

This is great news for your next Asheville vacation with us! Asheville, a place filled with culinary delights to suit every palate, now has a new, perfect pizza and beer fix for you. 

Ah, that delightful sensation (for a beer person at least) when ice cold beer flows over your tongue, coating it with a carmely, hoppy, and sometimes even chocolaty or fruity flavor. It is the signal that a long day is over, or that vacation is still in full swing. Asheville is already a mecca for craft breweries, with each one being delightfully different. We are so excited that another one is joining the craft-brewery family. The New Belgium’s Asheville brewery will focus on brewing the signature Fat Tire Amber Ale. 

The part of the brewery that we are most excited for here at Asheville Connections is the Liquid Center. The Liquid Center, which opens its doors to the eager public on May 2nd, is going to be a stunning beer tasting room. Here, customers can enjoy the local New Belgium brews before or after an intriguing and educational tour of the brewery itself. Built on the site of what was once a stock yard, the Liquid Center is furnished with locally hand crafted chairs and tables, as well as bars, that were built from wood that was salvaged from the old stock yard itself. The atmosphere is warm and friendly and the view is fantastic, as the brewery and tasting room front the French Broad River. Tasting room hours are Monday through Saturday 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM and Sunday from noon to 8:00 PM.  

While beer is delicious by itself, it is even better with pizza. And just like each brewery is a little different, so is each pizza parlor. If you are going to indulge in a scrumptious, decadent, cheesy concoction, then you should check out Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza - a modern day "pizza joint” that serves up artisanal, custom built pizzas. Blaze Pizza, a California-started pizza concept, just had its Asheville location’s grand opening on April 22nd.

Every day each Blaze Pizza restaurant lovingly makes its pizza dough from scratch. Mindful of everyone’s dietary needs, they not only make their normal dough, which is already vegan, but they also make a gluten free variation. The pizza’s are then ready for each patron to customize with a lovely variety of fresh toppings. Then the generously sized personal pies are sent into an open-flame oven to cook into thin-crusted perfection. The entire process takes only 180 seconds, which makes this delicious indulgence perfect for the busy day you inevitably have during your vacation.    

Pizza and beer is one of the ultimate comfort foods. Which means that sometimes you just want to indulge in the combination when you are curled up on a comfortable dining room chair, with the couch just a few steps away. Happily, the Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza makes pizzas to-go for you! And, of course, you can pick up a pack of New Belgium brew at a local store. 

We can’t wait to have you come and relax in one of your delightful homes with your favorite comfort food combination. Check out our beautiful accommodations that we have available for you, and don’t delay your much-needed, rejuvenating vacation!