Rooted in the love of craft beer and a deep passion for the Carolinas, Appalachian Mountain Brewery (AMB) was founded in 2011 in Boone, NC by Asheville natives and cousins Nathan Kelischek and Chris Zieber. They drew from their German heritage as well as their love for the outdoors and North Carolina to build AMB into an award-winning brewery that not only creates high-quality craft beer and ciders, but also gives back to its community. Becoming the first continuously operating brewery in Boone, NC., AMB’s original taproom opened in 2013 and quickly became known for their hospitality and producing beautifully balanced crafts with their own Southern twist.
In 2014, AMB partnered with Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) to help increase production and expand distribution across the Carolinas and in 2018 CBA fully acquired the company. When CBA expanded its partnership with Anheuser-Busch (A-B) in 2021, AMB joined A-B’s craft portfolio, where among other milestones they partnered with Bojangles Restaurants to release Bojangles Hard Sweet Tea in North Carolina and South Carolina to overwhelming consumer excitement. Since then, Kelischek and Zieber have continued to lead the efforts of AMB under these different ownerships.
After reaching an agreement to purchase AMB from their partners at A-B, Nathan Kelischek and Chris Zieber share their sentiments, “We’re grateful to have spent the last two years as active founders within A-B’s craft portfolio and want to thank the people at A-B, including our fellow craft brewery founders, for the support, collaboration and friendship that we’ve enjoyed during our time together.”
As they embark on this new chapter, Kelischek and Zieber share what the future holds for AMB, “We will be shifting our focus immediately on growing our local team, opening our new taproom in Mills River, NC, and continuing our investment in sustainability and philanthropy efforts that make a difference in our North Carolina communities. This all hinges on producing the highest quality products and delivering a unique experience for our customers.”
Innovation and high standards have always remained at the core for Kelischek and Zieber. Adding to this reputation, AMB brought home 2 medals last week at the 2023 World Beer Cup®, including a Gold medal in the Golden or Blonde Ale category for Boone Creek Blonde Ale and a Silver in American-Style Lager category for their Down South Lager.
In addition to opening their new taproom in the Asheville area, Appalachian Mountain Brewery and Cidery will continue to own and operate their original location in Boone, North Carolina and offer their beers and ciders throughout the Carolinas with their same wholesale partners and retailers.
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