Stories by Cat Kessler

18 Stories Posts
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Cat is the former Director of Content for ExploreAsheville.com. When she's not tweeting about hiking and cheese, you can find her posting photos of Blue Ridge Mountain vistas and many pints of craft beer.

Copy of Oscar Wong and Leah Wong Ashburn - Highland Brewing Company

Asheville Beer History

The Evolution of a Beer Town Asheville’s beer culture all started back in 1994, when Oscar Wong, a retired engineer living in Charlotte, moved to Asheville and opened Highland Brewing Company in a rustic basement space below Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria in downtown Asheville. What began as a home-brew hobby became the first successful brewery operation in Asheville landing Wong his

Amazing Pubcycle Tour

Asheville Beer Scene Tours, Tastings, & Tips

Top ways to experience Asheville's craft brew scene With more than 50 brewery locations, Asheville has so much for the beer lover or casual beer enthusiast to explore. Here are unique ways to experience the beer scene in Asheville: Beer City USA. Top 12 Ways to Explore the Beer Scene in Asheville, NC Asheville Brews Cruise Get a behind-the-scenes tour of what's

Mother and daughter standing in the gardens at Biltmore Estate

Biltmore Blooms

Biltmore Estate Events for Spring 2024 Biltmore Blooms 2024: March 25 – May 23, 2024 Welcome spring in high style at Biltmore with more than 100,000 flowers blooming in gardens fit for a Vanderbilt. At Biltmore Blooms, the estate's annual festival of flowers, the color and fragrance of orchids and thousands of spring bulbs steal the show. New for Blooms this year from May

6 Things You Didn't Know About Biltmore Village

6 Things You Didn't Know About Biltmore Village

Street cars, fancy fast food and what's coming next When George Vanderbilt and his team of architectural experts built the 250-room mansion and developed the (then) 120,000-acre estate that became Biltmore, they did so with a broad vision for the role the estate would play in the local community. Beginning in the 1890s, architect Richard Morris Hunt and landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted

Once Upon a Tap: Asheville By the Beers

12 Beers That Take You On A Tour of Asheville

A Tale of the City Behind the Famous Craft Brews It could be the water, the welcoming community, or a little bit of mountain magic. But for some reason, Asheville has become a craft brewing mecca in the Southeast. On any given day, hundreds of local craft beers are on tap and sold in bottles and cans around town, and many of them help tell the story of Asheville. Here's a 12-pack sampler from

Copy of Asheville Hotel Matches Guests with Dogs

Asheville Hotel Matches Guests with Dogs

A New Kind of Pet-Friendly Vacation An unusual amenity at one Asheville hotel is drawing a lot of attention, and is warming hearts and saving lives in the process. Guests checking in to downtown's Aloft hotel may notice a furry, four-legged greeter in the lobby, an ambassador from the hotel's new adoptable dog program that matches rescued pooches with potential owners from all over the

Brunch in Asheville

Where to Eat Brunch in Asheville

A Weekend Morning Guide to Foodtopia Brunch. That magical, (mostly) morning meal that permits diners to mix pancakes and sandwiches, eggs and entrees – perhaps with a little hair of the dog to boot. For weekend travelers, brunch also offers another opportunity to sample the local flavor. And in Asheville, N.C., also known as Foodtopia, there is no shortage of choices.  In