Sideways Farm & Brewery
Sideways Farm & Brewery is a brewery and working farm in the small town of Etowah, situated conveniently off route 64 in between Hendersonville and Brevard.
The evening I went was ominous, rainy, and slightly spooky - but don’t worry; there’s really nothing scary about Sideways itself (except maybe the 1800’s corn crib featured on their website - That building totally looks haunted).
Anyway - Sideways features a different food truck every Saturday & the night I went “Baires” was there; so I stopped to get some authentic Argentinian comfort food on my way in. After I placed my order for some Empanadas & Fries, I headed into the Brewery itself.
The interior of Sideways is definitely aesthetically appealing - with a beautiful wood bar, herbs hanging from the windows, and dried flowers galore.
I’d call it “farmhouse chic”; very pretty - but not overtly pretentious. Bonus; there’s no loud music playing so you can talk to the other people at the bar, yourself, the imaginary voices inside of your head, or those strange ghosts always eating sandwiches that won’t stop haunting you.
I’d call it “farmhouse chic”; very pretty - but not overtly pretentious. Bonus; there’s no loud music playing so you can talk to the other people at the bar, yourself, the imaginary voices inside of your head, or those strange ghosts always eating sandwiches that won’t stop haunting you.
So - kind of a unique concept; Sideways offers not only beer by the glass, and bottles for sale to take home - all the beer is served from bottles to make sure it’s extra fresh; and brewed mainly from ingredients that grow on the farm, as well as local honey.
They also offer beer tastings, which is similar to a wine tasting - but with beer. They whole thing with the bottles and personal touch makes the experience feel “old fashioney” made modern - I loved, loved, loved it.
There’s two tastings to choose from (one on either side of the menu) and is uber affordable at only $12 per person - plus; included in the tasting is one of their super cute signature ale glasses to take home as a functional memento.
Right before I began my tasting - my food came up - so I got to nosh on it in between pours.
Actually, (truth be told) - I devoured the *very* tasty Spinach Empanadas in like two ghastly bites, and decided to slowly savor the fries after I realized I had globs of spinach running down my face and most likely looked like an overgrown American Pygmy Shrew.
Actually, (truth be told) - I devoured the *very* tasty Spinach Empanadas in like two ghastly bites, and decided to slowly savor the fries after I realized I had globs of spinach running down my face and most likely looked like an overgrown American Pygmy Shrew.
The Empanadas themselves were *so* flavorful, the shell was perfectly crunchy and the spinach filling was just the right temperature and texture.
The Baires Fries that came topped with Chimmmichuri Sauce and Parm were also insanely authentic and delish, a perfect snack to go with my beer tasting.
I felt kinda bad that I didn’t have any leftover scraps to put in the bucket that goes to feeding the farm animals.
So; next time I’ll just have to order more food so I have extra scraps to share.
So; next time I’ll just have to order more food so I have extra scraps to share.
Well anyway - I did the “Sideways Side” tasting, which includes more fruity type and unique brews such as “Smoked Sage”, “Farmhouse Berries”, and “”Molasses Cookie Porter” to name a few.
Not only was the beer super tasty, unique, and fresh - the entire tasting was a great adventure.
Every different type of beer they have on the menu has an interesting story behind it. Not only did I learn so much information about the farm itself, I also gained a wealth of knowledge about their unique and progressive (yet traditional) brewing process.
Some fun facts that you’ll learn in the tasting - is the story behind the Molasses Porter that is made from an age old family recipe, how they’re able to get an authentic sage taste in their “Smoked Sage” brew, and the story behind their beer brewed with local Kombucha.
Every different type of beer they have on the menu has an interesting story behind it. Not only did I learn so much information about the farm itself, I also gained a wealth of knowledge about their unique and progressive (yet traditional) brewing process.
Some fun facts that you’ll learn in the tasting - is the story behind the Molasses Porter that is made from an age old family recipe, how they’re able to get an authentic sage taste in their “Smoked Sage” brew, and the story behind their beer brewed with local Kombucha.
Sideways Farm & Brewery is definitely on my radar to go back this spring and enjoy their “U pick” flower experience, grab a carton of fresh eggs, and interact with all the adorbs farm animals. If you do decide you’d like to venture out onto the farm, just make sure you stop by the tasting room first and check in for all the deets.
Next time you’re in the Asheville area; Sideways is a spot *not* to be missed - i’d definitely say it’s a superb spot for a bridal shower, anniversary, full on day trip, or benevolent ghost gathering spot for ghouls night out.
