BAD Craft has the good stuff in Black Mountain
Local beer, art and desserts take center stage in Cherry Street store
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
November 20, 2020
Randy Giles opened BAD Craft on Cherry Street in 2017 to showcase local beer, art and desserts in downtown Black Mountain. Photo by Fred McCormick
There is an immediate competition between the senses when shoppers step off of Cherry Street and into BAD Craft. Creatively designed craft beer cans line the shelves, vibrant art and handmade curios are displayed carefully on the brick walls and shelves and the smell of warm desserts occasionally floats through the air.
The enticing distractions can almost take away from one of the most unique features about the shop, which opened in December of 2017 — everything in it is local.
Owner Randy Giles opened his store in time for Holly Jolly three years ago with a concept that supports several of the things that made him want to make Western North Carolina his home.
“After my son was born, I wanted to not just be someone who lives around here, but part of the community,” he said. “So, I thought why not have a place to showcase local artists who don’t have their own galleries and all of the local beers. Those are some of the things that make this place what it is, all of these talented creative people.”
Those talents also extend to the kitchen, where local bakers carefully mix up sweet treats. Beer, art and dessert coalesced into an identity as Giles used the first letter from each to form the name BAD Craft.
‘B’ in BAD
There are six rotating taps in BAD Craft pouring beers brewed in WNC, including one that is dedicated to ginger beer offerings from Ginger’s Revenge. Customers can purchase individual cans, create their own six-packs or fill growlers. Cold cans are available upon request.
“We usually have around 50 varieties of cans at any given time,” Giles said. “We will occasionally feature cans from breweries just outside of the mountains, but the vast majority of what we carry comes from right here.”
Products from breweries like Pisgah Brewing Co, Hillman Beer, DSSOLVER, Hi-Wire Brewing, Boojum and more are prominently featured among the selection, which also boasts locally made sodas. The selection is curated by Giles, who regularly adds new brews to the mix.
Randy Giles organizes craft beer cans on a shelf in BAD Craft, which carries around 50 locally brewed beverages at any given time. Photo by Fred McCormick
“We rotate the beers we have on tap consistently,” he said. “When a keg kicks, we have a new beer ready to replace it.”
The beer selection has attracted tourists interested in a taste of WNC, while regular local customers can find their favorite IPA, stout, porter or pale ale and support the local businesses.
“If you buy five things here you’re supporting five breweries, artists, bakers, craftspeople and this business,” Giles said. “The money that is spent here really just goes right back into the community, and that’s something that was really important to me when I started this.”
‘A’ is for art
The combination of the cozy environment and deliberate placement of art in BAD Craft places the diverse collection of locally produced work in nearly every line of sight. The display is currently a collection of pieces created by around 50 local artists.
“When I first opened, I had a handful of artists who were friends of mine or people who I had connected with through mutual friends,” Giles said. “Now I have a lot of artists, and many of them are doing this more as an outlet than for an income. So the idea is to have a space that displays those talents in an engaging way.”
Colorful paintings that cover the walls depict everything from vivid landscapes to abstract images, each labeled with the artist’s name and purchase price. Handcrafted jewelry is displayed throughout the shop, which features larger pieces like one-off smartphone speakers fabricated by metal workers using old horns, stained glass window panes and golf club heads fashioned into bottle openers. Stickers designed by local artists are among the most popular items in the store.
“We try to find space for the people who bring in things they want to put out there,” Giles said. “I always wanted it to be a place that showcases the artists in a way that blends in with the whole concept. You’ll find their stuff almost everywhere you look.”
It would be hard to miss the carvings of Black Mountain resident Sam Moore, who happened to stroll by BAD Craft one day carrying a wood spirit he sculpted out of an old fence post.
“Randy opened up the door and said ‘hey, what do you have there?’” said Moore, who has patronized the shop since it opened, but only recently began his endeavor into carving. “I asked him if he’d be interested in putting some of my work in the store and he said absolutely.”
Moore's long standing relationship with art began with his connection to his uncle Puryear Mims, who was an art professor at Vanderbilt University, where he would become the sculptor in residence in 1958. Puryear was on the Gutzon Borglum team that sculpted Mount Rushmore.
The influence of his uncle, a love for nature that was fostered by his experience as an arborist and tree-climbing instructor combined with a constant urge to work with his hands and what Moore calls an “insatiable curiosity” drew him into wood carving.
After leaving a high-pressure career as a corporate project manager last year, Moore discovered an outlet that complemented those interests by chance.
“A YouTube video popped up in my feed with a small wooden squirrel that showed how to carve one,” he said. “I didn’t really care about carving one of those, but I was very comfortable with chainsaws as an arborist. So I took a screenshot of that squirrel and went out back and carved a squirrel into a piece of wood.”
The result was conclusive, according to Moore: “it was the worst chainsaw carving on the planet.”
He was undeterred.
“I discovered I needed to learn to carve a small version with a knife first so I could have the three-dimensional form when I use the chainsaw.”
Relying on his comfort with a chainsaw and a lifelong appreciation for art, Black Mountain artist Sam Moore turns a piece of white pine into a decorative tree. Photo courtesy of Sam Moore
Moore practiced by constantly carving small wooden squirrels and his next chainsaw carving improved drastically. Eighteen months later, his portfolio has expanded to include realistic black bears, elaborate wood spirits and detailed trees and pumpkins etched into single pieces of wood.
His creations can be found at BAD Craft and Trillium Gallery in Little Switzerland, while Moore’s wood spirit bottle openers and bear head wine stops are available exclusively at Merry Wine Market.
“I believe art should be accessible, so I price my work to make it accessible,” Moore said. “I’m just a guy who enjoys doing this, and I’m happy to share it with people who appreciate everything that goes into it.”
‘D’ is for local desserts
The sweetest thing about BAD Craft is undoubtedly the dessert platter on the counter that is always filled with the latest offerings from Four Sisters Bakery in Black Mountain.
“Who doesn’t like a warm chocolate chip cookie?” Giles asked.
Sugary selections rotate regularly and can include treats like snickerdoodles, oatmeal butterscotch cookies and lemon blackberry cheesecake bars. Conjure Craft Chocolate bars, a Swannanoa-based business that primarily uses organic and locally sourced ingredients in its recipes, is also featured prominently on the counter.
Sam Moore, right, bring his latest carving to BAD Craft where owner Randy Giles displays and sells locally made art. Photo by Fred McCormick
While adults enjoy pairing beer with sweets, the dessert options promote the family-friendly atmosphere in BAD Craft, according to Giles.
“Parents regularly bring their kids and they get a cookie, sticker or soda,” he said.
The combination of local beer, art and dessert has been well-received, Giles said, and the community has embraced BAD Craft.
“I love being a part of Black Mountain,” he said. “And, this business helps support a lot of what makes it so special.”
The Valley Echo will publish a series of features throughout the holiday season that will highlight Swannanoa Valley businesses to encourage the community to shop local .