TRVE Brewing Announces Upcoming Brewery & Taproom in Asheville, NC

2024 is shaping up to be a massive year for Denver’s TRVE Brewing. Just over a month ago, the metal-themed brewery announced that it would open a second Denver location in the popular River North Art District sometime in the new year. Now, TRVE has confirmed the long-rumored opening of its first out-of-state brewery and taproom in Asheville, NC. Expected to open in early 2024, TRVE Brewing AVL will take over the space previously occupied by Eurisko Beer Company, at 255 Short Coxe Ave in the South Slope neighborhood.

TRVE first began searching for an Asheville location in 2019 with a location nearly finalized before COVID hit in 2020. Co-owner and COO, EJ Nunns had spent a formative portion of her career in the Asheville beer scene and knew Eurisko founder, Zac Harris from her time in the industry.

“I started my craft beer career in 2012 at Wicked Weed Brewing where I became the Brand Manager, and left in 2016 to be the Head of Marketing for Burial Beer Co. Those experiences provided me with an unparalleled vantage point and perspective on NC beer, and business and I am excited to pair that with the expertise, uniqueness, and perspective of Nick, Zach, and our TRVE team,” said Nunns. There is a lot of symbiosis for TRVE in Asheville and, honestly, a lot of healthy antagonism.”

Harris announced in July via social media that the brewery would begin winding down operations throughout the summer and officially closed the brewery this past Saturday. But the silver lining to this weekend’s closure is that Harris’ brewing legacy will be handed off to familiar faces.

“We had literally just learned that a space we had been working on was impracticable due to FEMA flood plain restrictions,” said Nunns. “We were totally gutted and a brewer at Burial just casually said, “Go talk to Eurisko.” I’ve known Zac for a long time so we went over to Eurisko unannounced, found Zac, and began a conversation that has ended in an incredible conclusion. We are so proud to continue brewing in a space that Zac has made so integral to the South Slope beer scene.”

“My biggest goal through this process has been to do right by Eurisko,” states Founder and Co-Owner, Nick Nunns. “Getting to know Zac has been truly great; we seem to share a lot of core values when it comes to beer. He’s expressed excitement in a brewery taking over the space that he’d like to continue to visit, and we’re gonna do our damnedest to honor that.”

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Before Harris moves on from the brewing industry, he’ll help pass the torch by brewing one final collaboration Lager which will be available during TRVE AVL’s grand opening.

Helmed by co-owner and Head Brewer, Zach Coleman, TRVE’s AVL location will retain Eurisko’s 3-vessel 15bbl system, which will also allow the brewery to employ decoction mashing for the first time. These small features, along with utilizing local ingredients, will factor into bringing a local touch to several of TRVE’s classic core brands, seasonal offerings, a limited selection from their iconic mixed culture sour program, as well as a few beers brewed exclusively for the new location with local tastes in mind.”

“TRVE AVL will mirror a lot of the brands that we are currently making in Denver, but these beers will also be different because we are going to source North Carolina/regional ingredients as much as possible (just like we do in Colorado),” said Coleman. “Working directly with suppliers to source killer local ingredients has been a central focus of our beer program for many years, and now we get to explore what that means in a new place. It lets us express the beautiful terroir that this state has to offer, and that’s very exciting.”

Similarly, the look and feel of the new TRVE location will nod to the familiar aesthetics that drew such a cult following over the past 11 and a half years, while drawing from local inspiration. “My Grandaddy hails from the Smoky Mountains portion of Appalachia, so I’m excited to tap into the rich legacy of horror in theses hills,” said EJ Nunns.

Photo by: Dustin Hall, The Brewtography Project

Not ones to remain idle, it seems that the potential for success in Asheville may help to kick off additional growth opportunities for TRVE Brewing in the not so distant future.

“There are a whole bunch of personal reasons we made this decision, but from a business perspective, we believe that what we have to offer will resonate with the Asheville community,” said Nick Nunns. “We’re lucky to know a lot of people here and have made many lasting friendships with them. Any time we’ve been out here with beer in tow, we’ve gotten a lot of really positive feedback, which encouraged us to strongly consider and ultimately pursue having a brewery here. We’re hopeful that this location can be the first of a small handful more around the East Coast. Swing through our taproom and plead the case for your city.”