Mills River, NC – June 7, 2023 – Appalachian Mountain Brewery (AMB), Boone’s original brewery dedicated to community, philanthropy, and sustainability, has announced the grand opening of a new Mills River taproom, its first location outside of Boone. The new taproom and restaurant is located at 46 North Mills River Road, minutes from the entrance to Pisgah National Forest and its popular hiking and mountain biking trails. The grand opening celebration will take place Friday, June 23rd - Sunday, June 25th and will feature live music, special limited edition pint glasses, and the brewery’s distinctive laidback Southern hospitality. 

The new taproom opens at a pivotal time for Appalachian Mountain Brewery, following the recent announcement that the original founders Nathan Kelischek and Chris Zieber had purchased the brewery and cidery back from Anheuser-Busch. The brewers also just returned from the 2023 World Beer Cup, where they won Gold in the Golden or Blonde category (for Boone Creek Blonde Ale) and Silver in the American-Style Lager category (for their Down South Lager). 

The new location boasts a full kitchen serving elevated Southern pub fare, a 3,000-square-foot taproom and 4,000-square-foot beer garden, over 100 parking spaces, and is set up to accommodate outdoor, indoor, and to-go orders. The space is dog- and kid-friendly and the AMB team also expects people to come in fresh off the nearby trails. “Our Boone taproom is known for its casual, welcoming atmosphere, and we are excited to bring that to Mills River,” says Jared Edwards, Director of Pubs at AMB.

Beverage options include 32 taps and a full bar, including cocktails, seltzers, wine, and AMB ciders in addition to AMB’s award-winning beer. Diehard AMB fans will appreciate the return of classics like Spoaty Oaty, as well as the new Bojangles Hard Sweet Tea, AMB’s recent collaboration with the Charlotte-based chicken and biscuit maker. 

“We are stoked to bring AMB to Mills River,” said Nathan Kelischek, co-founder and brewmaster at AMB. “I was born and raised in Asheville and this feels like bringing AMB home. You can see the love for North Carolina and the outdoors in the taproom’s design elements.” 

“This new spot is so close to Pisgah National Forest and really lends itself to building community around outdoor recreation and conservation. In Boone, we host a weekly bike meetup, and we're planning to do something similar here,” says Chris Zieber, co-founder of AMB. “Beyond that, we're committed to supporting local non-profits like MountainTrue and the Longleaf Alliance. It’s a tangible way for us to care for the outdoors.”

For the taproom and restaurant’s grand opening weekend June 23-25th, the Mills River and WNC communities are invited to enjoy: 

• Special commemorative pint glasses for the first 200 guests on Friday and Saturday.
• Full kitchen with a condensed menu serving elevated comfort food.
• Live music in the beer garden by WNC-based bands and musicians, including Moonshine State, The Hill Climbers, Todd Cecil & Dirt Yard Choir. 
• A Sunday (12-2pm) mountain bike ride meetup at AMB, hosted by Earth Mountain Bicycle, a local bike shop. The first 50 riders will receive a special commemorative pint glass. 
• A ribbon-cutting with the Hendersonville Chamber of Commerce at 4pm on Friday.
• Connecting with AMB’s nonprofit partners at MountainTrue and SORBA.

To learn more, visit www.amb.beer/mills-river or follow AMB on social media @ambmillsriver. 

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About Appalachian Mountain Brewery

AMB proudly lives out its values of community, philanthropy, and sustainability by supporting and revitalizing communities, mountains, and rivers. When AMB’s original taproom opened in 2013, AMB became the first brewery in Boone, NC, and quickly became known for its award-winning beer and laidback Southern hospitality. AMB has won multiple awards at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup for their Boone Creek Blonde Ale, Down South Lager and Hop Rain Drop IPA. Learn more about AMB at www.amb.beer or connect on social @appalachianmountainbrewery.