Lord knows, we at Lazy Otter Outfitters love all our local breweries but we do have a special fondness for Sideways Farm & Brewery in Etowah. Just as we know we’re never going to be the biggest river outfitter on the French Broad and don’t aspire to be, Sideways won’t be challenging Sierra Nevada’s market share anytime soon. We both just like doing what we do well!
“They grow a lot of their ingredients themselves, usually basing their brews on what’s in season on the farm.”
A visit to Sideways is actually more like a visit to a winery compared to most area beer tasting rooms. Jon and Carrieann Schneider started the “Farm” part the Farm & Brewery a few years before they started making their small-batch beers and they grow a lot of their ingredients themselves, usually basing their brews on what’s in season on the farm. If they can they’re happy to show you what’s growing and they can go into detail about all the ingredients and flavors during the guided tastings they offer. The beers themselves are fun and unique, with flavors such as Blackberry Blanc and Blueberry Lemongrass Wheat.
The tasting room as Sideways is small but cozy, with a gorgeous handmade bar top and local
art and crafts for sale. They’re only open on Fridays and Saturdays as of this writing and Jon and Carrieann are usually there themselves pouring the beer, but if you can’t make it during tasting room hours you can stop by in the afternoons during the week to pick up bottles. Another unique offering of interest to locals is their Community-Supported Brewery or CSB program, similar to the CSA subscriptions for produce from local farms.
How to Find It
Sideways Farm & Brewery is about 20 minutes from downtown Hendersonville in the town of Etowah. Coming from Hendersonville, go all the way through Etowah on Highway 64 and then take a left on Old Highway 64. You'll see the blue brewery building near the railroad tracks.
Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/3ocSaNMhcmy
Web site: https://www.sidewaysfarm.com/