Lookout Brewing Co. says cheers to 10 years
‘Fantastic beers’ and loyal customers propel Black Mountain hangout to momentous milestone
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 28, 2023
From left to right: Torsten Pullich, Tonya Engelbrecht, John Garcia, Jake Yochem, Sarah Noga, Tikanne Hererra and the rest of the Lookout Brewing Co. team will celebrate the Black Mountain hangout’s 10th anniversary, Saturday, May 6. The event will feature live music, games and food specials at Mac’s food truck. Photo courtesy of Lookout
The burgeoning craft beer industry had yet to make its way into the center of Black Mountain in 2013, when John Garcia began renovating a 1,300-square-foot section of an old strip mall in town. A modest half-barrel brewing system produced 10-gallon batches of beer, compelling the new owner to sharpen his business and brewing skills in a hurry.
“I had no idea what I was getting into,” said Garcia, who is inviting the community to Lookout Brewing Co., from 12 - 10 p.m., Saturday, May 6, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of a Black Mountain institution now known for its diverse array of hyper-local brews. “But, our regulars have stuck with us through some of the hardest times, and there is no way we would be where we are now without all of the support we’ve received these last 10 years.”
Lookout popped up in the corner of a previously empty building on Ridgeway Avenue as the WNC craft beer industry was beginning its march through the mountains, and Pisgah Brewing Co. was the sole brewery in the Swannanoa Valley. Garcia was eager to explore the creative aspects of the profession.
“I owned a completely different business in 2008, when the economy crashed,” he said. “I had been doing really well, but by Thanksgiving of that year I was doing odd jobs in construction, and I was eventually bartending at the Ale House.”
Getting to know some of the brewers in the pioneering Asheville market sparked Garcia’s interest in the rapidly growing industry.
“I knew Dennis Thies, the owner of Green Man, because our kids played soccer together, and he invited me to go brew,” he said. “Mike Karnowski, who is the founder of Zebulon Artisan Ales in Weaverville, was brewing there at the time, and he told me everything to not do.”
Garcia and a friend bought a home brew kit and learned some valuable lessons.
“What was supposed to have taken me four hours took eight, and it was a horrible batch,” he said. “But, by the time I was done with the process, I was already working on a business plan for a brewery here in Black Mountain.”
As a novice on the scene, that passion for the craft was the fuel that launched Lookout.
John and Alison Garcia toast a decade of Lookout Brewing Co., which they founded in Black Mountain in 2013. Photo courtesy of Lookout
“Before I bought my second brewing system, which produced about 100 gallons per batch, I was brewing six batches a day. That was me coming in at like 4 a.m. and not leaving until after midnight,” Garcia said. “We were forced to get a bigger system because we were selling it too quickly, and I was brewing six or seven days a week, multiple times a day. It still wasn’t enough to keep up.”
Loyal customers, steady tourist traffic and a committed team of employees bolstered the young brewery’s success, he continued.
“Right before the pandemic we were really on a steady rise,” Garcia said. “We had over 30% growth in 2017, and again in 2018. We went back to brewing multiple times a day.”
In an effort to accommodate that growth, Lookout expanded its footprint to include its current system, just as the unthinkable happened.
“We ordered the brewhouse and then the whole world shut down,” he said. “We freaked out for a solid few months.”
A toast to a ‘beautiful community’
As businesses were forced to close their doors with the arrival of a global pandemic, manager Tonya Engelbrecht was nearing the end of her first year as an employee of the brewery. The Lookout team focused its attention on developing strategies that would maintain their beloved brewery.
Lookout Brewing Co. Owner and Founder John Garcia and manager Tonya Engelbrecht will be joined by the rest of crew, May 6, when the brewery hosts its 10th anniversary party. Photo courtesy of Lookout
“We have something really special here,” Engelbrecht said. “I’ve worked in the service industry for a long time, and this is such a healthy environment. John trusts us a lot, and we have amazing customers who create this genuine feeling of community around here.”
Maintaining the crew, which largely consists of long-time Lookout employees, was only possible with the support of the community, according to Garcia.
“People were buying beer to go, and sometimes extra beer just to help out,” he said. “While we were all scared, we truly realized how much the people here care about Lookout and the people who work here.”
Engelbrecht, who serves a core group of regulars every week, was overwhelmed by the community’s kindness, but not surprised.
“We go out of our way to provide five-star service here and be the most welcoming people we can be, because that’s what we all want when we go to bars,” she said. “But, what makes Black Mountain so special is that people here always want to reciprocate that. So we have regulars who bring us food, firewood for our fire pit and even plow the parking lot when it snows. It’s really a beautiful community of people who help each other.”
The 10th anniversary party, Engelbrecht continued, is an opportunity for Lookout to express its appreciation to its loyal customers.
“We’re all looking forward to it, and I know I really love it when all the people we know get together here on a nice day,” she said. “It’s really a special feeling, and an amazing reflection of what John has created here.”
The event will feature live music by Lyric Jones & Band, who will perform outdoors from 3 - 6 p.m. DJ Kilby will spin records from 7 - 10 p.m. Food specials will be available through Mac’s food truck, which partnered with Lookout in 2021 to offer a permanent on-site dining option.
“We’re going to block off our parking lot and set up a big tent,” Engelbrecht said. “We’ll have games, like cornhole, and the fire pits will be going. Everything will be spread out, and of course, we have tons of great beer.”
The house that Hopshine built
While the first few yeas of Lookout included plenty of milestones, a turning point came in 2017, in the form of a hazy New England IPA called Hopshine. The popularity of the beer ushered in a new era for the brewery, which now occupies the entire 4,500-square-foot building and covered outdoor patio. Mac’s Burgers & Cheesesteaks sells its signature items from a bright red food truck in another uncovered seating area.
Lookout Brewing Co. opened in a small corner of an empty strip mall in Black Mountain in 2013. The brewery will celebrate 10 years of hyper-local beer on Saturday, May 6. Photo courtesy of Lookout
“The beer has always been at the center of it all, and this is the house that Hopshine built,” Garcia said. “When you look at the numbers, it’s clear the public loves it. It’s far and away our number one product, because it’s a phenomenal beer.”
The brewery now carries 14 of its beers on tap, ranging from Twisted Vine Saison to Dark Town Brown Ale. Its flagship beer lineup, anchored by Hopshine, includes Native Sun Pale Ale, Trail Supplies Golden Ale and Floyd’s Humor Raspberry Wit.
“Chris is an amazing brewer, and his consistency is well beyond anything I could do,” Garcia said. “We work together so well, and we’re fortunate to have him, and the rest of our team.”
While the growth of Lookout has led to many changes in the last few years, the relaxed atmosphere has remained unchanged, according to Engelbrecht.
“We don’t have much staff turnover here, so most of our employees have been here for years,” she said. “So, we all have really good relationships with our customers and we go out of our way to make sure everybody has a good time and is comfortable here.”
When Garcia walks into the brewery he founded a decade ago, he is humbled by the sense of community he feels there today.
“It really has become a local spot, and that is the driving force behind all of this,” he said. “When I come here with my wife Alison on a Saturday afternoon, I always think about how lucky we are to be here, doing this.”
As Lookout prepares to celebrate its big day, Garcia is excited to see what the next decade brings.
“People drink beer in good times and bad times, at weddings and funerals,” he said. “It brings people together, and we’ve seen that constantly these past 10 years. It’s validating to know that all the scary times were worth it, and knowing we’re on the right path is our motivation to keep going.”