Paddles, Peaks, and Pours.
By Ian Guevara
The raft careens over the first boulder, moving swiftly in the brisk current. A five foot standing wave sits at the bottom of this boulder, waiting to crash over the heads of reveling rafters. Without warning the raft rapidly shifts 90 degrees, enveloping the entire right side in the shadow of the crashing white water. The raft erupts through the wave, straightened, with cheers from the now soaked paddlers.
“Ian that was AWESOME,” yells Jeffery excitedly, yet he and the paddlers receive no answer. The four oresman look to the seat of the raft where I, their guide, once sat. It was empty. That maneuver that brought them so much joy launched me about 10 feet in the air and into the icy depths. I could only wave at them as I rode the rest of Patton's Run rapids, shocked by the 55 degree water, feeling every rock carefully placed in that river by mother nature.
“Patton's Run Porter…” I read the name of the beer crafted by Nantahala Brewing Company and am in a trance, unbroken, and flooded with memories, all happy and playful. This is what breweries and their beers are supposed to do, be the elixirs that facilitate good stories.
Don't wag that accusatory finger at me. I know I denigrate beers named after destinations and street names back in the Gnarly Barley interview. However, that was more pointed to New Orleans and South Louisiana that treats nostalgia like a drug and the only fix is yet another product named after something local. Here, in the mountains and valley of the noon-day sun, its different. This is my story, I’m allowed to waffle!
I’ve rafted the Nantahala River over 150 times… ok, I don't know for sure, this is only a guess, but I’ve rafted it enough that my behind has felt nearly all of its eroded rocks. There are too many stories to pinpoint exactly as there are many tales to be told of my time on that river. Mr. Groome taking me kayaking on the river for the first time, terrorizing other boats like a bunch of pirates, saving lost paddles instead of lost rafters because deposits were at stake, jumping off of picnic rock, “Mom” and the dysfunctional operations of Paddle Inn Rafting Company, and so much more. But one is especially funny to me: my time with Mr. Groome on the river.
I craved to kayak the river on an inflatable kayak. The freedom of being your own master of your craft and not enslaved by the whims of an inexperienced guide was almost too enticing for my 10 year old brain to handle. Alas, I was not old enough to solo kayak. But, as always, Mr. Groome was game for adventure.
Ian - Finally Old Enough to Solo Kayak
Little did I know, Mr. Groome had a devious plan for us on the river.
Ever the trickster, Mr. Groome was always plotting little pranks. He once owned a massive plastic foot wide tarantula that terrified me. There was five year old Ian watching Saturday morning cartoons, glued to the television, even during commercials locked in a consumerist trance. Only Millennials will understand the entertaining capacity of the Crossfire Board Game commercials.
During one commercial break I break from the hypnotism to see the tarantula sitting in the hallway. How did it get there? I wondered. The cartoons come back on and so does my trance. Commercial break again and the tarantula is gone. Whew, I thought, I knew that I was seeing things. I lean back in relaxation, confident in my safety, and I feel it! The furry leg of the plastic tarantula. It was behind me! I jump up and my screams of terror are met by the laughter of Mr. Groome, who with the stealth of a ninja, slowly plotted the movements of that tarantula throughout the cartoon programs I watched.
This is the evil genius I was dealing with that fateful day of my first kayak adventure on the Nantahala.
The Evil Genius
“Pa-Pa, don't you think that you’ll need a jacket for the river?” I asked, oblivious to the machinations of the plotting patriarch.
“Oh, I don't know about me, but you definitely should,” he answered. I should have translated that answer into a red flag.
Mr. Groome was a master of the Nantahala River. In his 40 years prior, before the invention of commercial inflatable whitewater rafts, Mr. Groome navigated these waters in a solo canoe enough times to know the location of every standing wave and “rooster tail” that existed on that river. Throughout the next three hours, he would give me a masterclass in locating waves, cutting the nose of the boat, and washing me in the cold crush of whitewater.
He did this and somehow never left the boat at the takeout with dry shorts and only dampness from the mist created by my power wash. He knew from the beginning. He knew that I would be doused and he would be able to change clothes without worrying about a dryer.
Beers with names like “Patton’s Run Porter” and “Noon Day IPA” take me and anyone else who paddled the cold waters of the Nantahala into mesmeric nostalgia-laden trances.
Nantahala Brewing Company is tucked away only a stone’s throw from downtown Bryson City, North Carolina. Sandwiched between a view of the Smokies and the Smoky Mountain Railway track, Nantahala Brewing Company, with its outdoor patio and open tap room, offers a tasty and relaxing getaway from the trivialities of the outside world. The brewery presents five house beers and a litany of guest taps to satisfy any soul. Not serving flights due to draconian county alcohol laws that besiege Swain County, the brewery does offer half-pint pours of which I definitely took advantage.
My half pint glasses were filled with a marvelous beer color wheel, with only fruity colors missing… alas they ran out of the watermelon sour weeks ago, that would have been the perfect compliment to the browns, ambers, and golds before me. The fiver beers tasted were “Noon Day”, “Patton’s Run”, “Sticky Dog”, “Kephart Prong”, and “Dirty Girl”.
Noon Day is an India Pale Ale displaying a butterscotch color with a flashy floral fragrance. A classic IPA, it’s light, hoppy, and sweet to start with a bitter finish. Patton’s Run is a Porter boasting the color amber with a roasty coffee smell. An exceptional Porter and a Dad Beer candidate, it’s smooth and smoky with a sweet start and subtle bitter finish. Sticky Dog is a reliable Stout possessing a chocolate color with a malty smell. It’s robust and liquorice tasting from the beginning with a smooth and spicy ending. Kephart Prong is a classic Pilsner with a seat at the Dad Beer Council’s Table. Corn in color with a floral bouquet, this brew is light and crispy, parading a floral taste with a hop end making it a perfect beer to drink after mowing the lawn or just taking out the trash.
The star of the show is the Dirty Girl, a splendidly satisfying Blonde Ale exhibiting a mellow yellow tinge with a sweet aroma. This is the beer to eat with a meal! It won't fill you up and will leave you room for more, plus a burger. Dirty Girl is light, crispy, and taffy flavored to start with an incredible, but muted, hopp finish. I really like this beer!
Nantahala Brewing Company is open from Sunday through Thursday from 12pm to 8pm and Friday and Saturday from 12pm to 9pm. The brewery offers an outstanding menu of food to compliment its beers, especially the outpost burger for which I adamantly attest is outstanding. The venue provides a scenic outdoor patio with live bands on the weekends.
Like the ever-plotting Mr. Groome, plot yourself a plan to make it over to Nantahala Brewing Company. No tricks, only great brews and solid food.
Address:
Nantahala Brewing Company
61 Depot Street
Bryson City, NC 28713
Social Media:
http://www.nantahalabrewing.com/home.html
https://www.facebook.com/nantahalabrewing
https://www.instagram.com/nantahalabrew/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/nantahalabrew
https://untappd.com/nantahalabrewing
BIG PROPS: Later in the journey I returned to Nantahala. There’ll be a quick story about my new friend, Brock, a bartender and lover of the simpler life like myself!
