Latest news with #WickedWeed
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Wicked Weed Brewing Launches "You Deserve An Upgrade" Contest
Nominate Someone In Your Life For a $10K Grand Prize, Inspired By Wicked Weed's Award-Winning Pernicious IPA ASHEVILLE, N.C., June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- This summer, Wicked Weed Brewing is raising the bar on generosity and good times with the launch of its newest initiative: the "You Deserve An Upgrade" Contest. Wicked Weed is inviting fans to nominate someone they know who they believe deserves a big upgrade. Maybe it's a local artist whose home or studio could use an upgrade, or someone planning a wedding and could use a little extra help? Or an educator that goes above and beyond for the community, or someone who played a big role in disaster relief but could use an upgrade in their personal life? From now through July 9, you can nominate an individual who you believe could use a little extra magic in their lives. Wicked Weed will select one lucky winner to receive an upgrade valued at $10,000 — all fueled by the power of generosity and connection. "We care deeply about quality: in our beer, our experiences, and the way we show up for our community," said Ryan Guthy, co-founder of Wicked Weed Brewing. "This campaign celebrates and recognizes the people who pour so much good into our communities. This is our chance to lift them up, say thank you, and show up for them in a way that's as unforgettable as their impact." The contest is inspired by Wicked Weed's flagship Pernicious IPA family and its slogan, 'Upgrade Your IPA', which celebrates the beloved beer's list of accolades and status as the #1 craft beer sold in the Carolinas and one of the fastest growing craft beers in the country (Source: Circana, NC & SC, TUS, L4W.) To nominate someone in your life, visit and share their story; self-nominations are also accepted. Entrants and nominees must be 21 to participate and live in a market where Wicked Weed is sold. For more information and full contest rules, visit the Wicked Weed Brewing website or follow along on Instagram at @WickedWeedBrewing using #YouDeserveAnUpgrade. No purchase or payment necessary to enter. About Wicked Weed Brewing:Wicked Weed Brewing is an award-winning brewery based in Asheville, North Carolina. Founded in December 2012, Wicked Weed Brewing currently operates a 50-barrel production brewery, a sour beer production facility and three retail locations, including the original Brew Pub in the heart of downtown Asheville, the southeast's first mixed-culture dedicated taproom, the Funkatorium, and the Wicked Weed West taproom. Learn more at or follow us at @wickedweedbrewing on Instagram. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Wicked Weed
Forbes
21-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
On The Comeback: Asheville's Brewery Scene Continues To Heal After Helene
Ryan Guthy of Wicked Weed Brewing. Asheville, North Carolina is an eclectic mountain town that millions flock to each year to see its natural beauty, endless hiking trails, music and arts scene, and award-winning restaurants. Perhaps most of all, Asheville is known for its beer. With more than 60 breweries and taprooms in and around the city, Asheville has one of the highest brewery per capita ratios in the U.S. I visited the dynamic city last May-a few months before Hurricane Helene devastated the city- and can attest too the numer of breweies firsthand. They're everywhere here, and even if you're not a beer drinker going to one is fun way to connect with locals and get a flavor of the city's culture, Local business leader Ryan Guthy is a co-founder of Wicked Weed Brewing, one of the biggest success stories to come out of Asheville's craft beer boom. Known for its flagship Pernicious IPA, Wicked Weed operates their original brew pub in the heart of downtown and has two production facilities and its headquarters on the outskirts of town. Guthy gave Forbes an update on how tourism, the hospitality business, and breweries are faring six months after Hurricane Helene wrought an estimated $59 billion in damage on Western North Carolina. Wicked Weed Brewing Nearly six months after Hurricane Helene devastated Asheville andWestern North Carolina, how are recovery efforts progressing for thehospitality industry? There's definitely still a lot of work to do in certain parts of our area and some areas do have a longer road ahead—including parts of our River Arts District, the shops of Biltmore Village and Swannanoa—but make no mistake... Asheville is open for business! The culture in Asheville is one of incredible mutual support in good times and bad, so it's no surprise that our hospitality community rallied together and did a tremendous job of reopening as quickly as we could. Downtown Asheville is fully back to business, as many of the restaurants, breweries, hotels and music venues in the heart of the downtown area were not seriously damaged. The historic Biltmore Estate welcomed visitors back in November. And while highways were damaged by the flooding, I-40 has reopened near the North Carolina/Tennessee border which will return more visitors by car to Asheville. It's critical to let visitors know that the tourism dollars they spend in Asheville are more important than ever to our economy so we can help finish the job of rebuilding the businesses that still need help, too. How is the beer industry, one of the most popular draws to Asheville, doingas visitors return in growing numbers? One of the reasons Asheville is known as 'Beer City USA' is because we have more breweries per capita than any other city in the United States. What prompts so many brewers to open in Asheville isn't just the pristine mountain water, it's also authenticity—our culture of artisans, creators and craft is part of Asheville's DNA. Since October, several of the breweries have been directly supporting recovery efforts in whatever ways they can, whether it's pop-up events, collecting and distributing supplies, or brewing special beers to give back. Personally, at Wicked Weed, we're very excited to be reopening our Funkatorium pub, which closed after the flooding, in May. The recently renovated Funkatorium continues to highlight our award-winning sour program while showcasing wood-fired menu creations and a German-style bier garden and patio, that's a perfect spot for relaxing in the warmer months. Are there any special events or opportunities coming up that could prompta visit to Asheville? Really any time is a good time to come, but April through October is an especially great window to visit this area when the colors of the Blue Ridge are fully on display. Asheville Beer Week is also coming up May 15-29 and is an incredible way experience our craft brewing world while you're here. We also have an amazing music scene that's picking up steam again. Billy Strings just did a 6-night run in February that brought life back into downtown. We have Bonnie Raitt coming this April, Wilco in May and a three-night Widespread Panic run this July. We're all looking forward to seeing the streets of downtown packed out again. Other than making a trip to visit Asheville, how else can people continue tosupport the businesses and people of the area? So many groups stepped up during the storm and we've continued to see many continue to keep digging, filling the gaps of the work still left to do. Off the top of my head, local longtime nonprofit Manna Food Bank was hit hard and still managed to swiftly move operations to a new location to continue serving the people of our community. The WNC Long Haul – Recovery and Resilience is a donor advised fund through The Community Foundation of WNC focused on long term recovery efforts throughout the region. And Mountain True continues to host clean up events monthly, offering volunteer opportunities to those interested in lending a hand. What does a perfect weekend in Asheville look like to you? For me, a perfect weekend involves a combination of outdoor time and beer exploration. Whether I am out golfing, fishing, hiking or floating down a river, the outdoors of Western North Carolina provides the perfect energy level. By mid-afternoon I recommend a stroll through downtown Asheville complemented by brewery visits, retail exploration and a unique culinary bite.
