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Thirsty Monk proudly welcomes Paul Friedheim, a graduate of Appalachian State Fermentation Sciences Program and former brewer at Devil’s Backbone Brewing, to run their brewing operations in North Carolina.
“I look forward to mastering the already great flagship beers Thirsty Monk has been making for years as well as creating new tasty brews for the people of Asheville to enjoy,” says Paul Friedheim, lead brewer at Thirsty Monk in Asheville.
Friedheim will set up shop at Thirsty Monk’s newest concept, 2×4 Brew Pub in Gerber Village, located off Hendersonville Rd in South Asheville. This taproom pays homage to sister company Compact Cottages, a builder of affordable housing in Western North Carolina. CEO Barry Bialik leads both companies and is also chair of Asheville’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee.
“Our purpose at Compact Cottages is to build homes that Thirsty Monk wage level employees can actually afford in Asheville. If we can’t do that, then something is out of balance,” says Bialik.
For the renowned operator of Thirsty Monk, this location will be the best spot to check out what the North Carolina brewery is working on. The Gerber Village location is open Wednesday through Saturday from 4 to 9 p.m. with rotating beers and similar food offerings to its Downtown Asheville counterpart— including expertly-paired food flights, house-made hand pies, pints of candied bacon, pretzels and much more.
“Our new 2×4 Brew Pub is a playful bridge between our beer and house building worlds,” says Bialik. “2×4 Brew Pub has a library of small house design books, affordable housing resources, information about reasonably priced homes in Asheville, and some fun 2×4-themed items to entertain yourself while you are sipping our beers—from Giant Jenga outside to building blocks inside.”
2×4 Brew Pub is located at 20 Gala Drive #101 in Asheville. This was former site of another Thirsty Monk enterprise – Brother Joe’s Coffee Pub.
