Highland Brewing Company has been a staple in Asheville, NC for more than 20 years where they have created beers that they describe as a, “Wee bit different.” The brewery along with their local Jacksonville distributor, Brown Distributing Company, has recently announced several fun and exciting events scheduled to highlight their exceptional brews.
The first event will take place Tuesday, May 12 at The Parlour behind Grape & Grain Exchange in San Marco. The tasting event will feature Highland’s Gaelic, St. Terese Pale Ale, Black Mocha Stout, Kashmir IPA and current seasonal on tap as well as a selection of shandies created by the Craftologists at The Parlour. Also at the tasting, guests can enjoy samples of Troy & Sons Platinum, Oak Reserve, Blonde and GGX-barrel aged whiskeys. Cocktails will also be available. The event runs from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Oscar Wong, founder and owner of Highland Brewing Company with your’s truly, The Jax Beer Guy.
The second event is a Highland Brewing Company beer dinner hosted at Total Wine & Spirits in the St. John’s Town Center in Jacksonville. The dinner will feature dishes created by the culinary wizards at Southern Roots Filling Station and paired with five to six Highland brews. In addition to the delicious food and drink, Leah Wong Ashburn, Highland’s president and co-owner will be in attendance and will speak about the brewery and the impact it has had on her life, Asheville, NC and the region’s amazing beer culture.
Highland Brewing Company was founded by Oscar Wong who, after retiring from a career as a successful civil/structural engineer, landed in Asheville in 1994. He started Highland Brewing “as a hobby” in the 3,500 square foot basement of Barley’s Taproom in downtown Asheville. Over time his brewing ambition grew and the brewery moved to its current location. The brewery operates from a 50 barrel main brewing system and a 3 barrel pilot system that is used for special projects and test batches. In a typical week the brewery cranks out 500-700 barrels of delicious beer that translates to over 30,000 barrels a year.
Highland is committed to being as green as it can be by recycling nearly everything. Through responsible practices, the brewery is able to restrict waste that must be hauled to a landfill from the brewery to less than a single dumpster a week. Spent grain, yeast, hops and filter media is given to local farmers as feed for livestock. The amount of water used is restricted to about 2.5 barrels per barrel of beer opposed to the typical brewery’s s
even barrels. Highland even installed 1,045 solar panels on its roof to reduce their dependency and draw on local power resources.
Ticket information for the Highland Beer dinner can be found at the Total Wine & Spirits website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jacksonville-fl-beer-class-beer-and-food-pairing-with-highland-brewing-company-tickets-16616638814.
