'We’re just growing': Brewers' vision for easier flowing craft beer in downtown Asheville

ASHEVILLE - Easier flowing beer and a roomier taproom are coming to an Asheville craft brewery. An expansion project is underway that’s designed to increase and improve the guest experience in the taproom, as well as beverage production and distribution for the staff.

In December 2019, Dssolvr opened at 63 N. Lexington Ave. in downtown Asheville.

This summer, owners Mike Semenec and Vince Tursi acquired a neighboring commercial space at 61 1/2 Lexington Ave. that will add an additional 2,500 square feet to the brewery.

In the weeks and months to come, customers can expect to see upgrades and layout changes as the Dssolvr team settles into its new territory.

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“Dssolvr is not changing, we’re just growing,” Tursi said.

Better brewing business

The "DSSOLVR 2.0. vision plan" is the business’s first expansion project. It involves gradually increasing and improving production systems and storage and public areas.

The line for ordering at the bar sometimes backs up through the center of the taproom of the narrow building. Soon, guests will find it easier to order beverages and speak with the bartenders about the products without worrying about the line behind them as the taproom will increase by nearly 50%, Tursi said.

“The goal for us with this expansion is to streamline a little bit more the guest experience,” said Tursi, who also is the production director and head brewer. “It will allow us to move all of our current storage that is in the taproom to the other side, which will open up the taproom and create a more open feel, create more table space and an easier flow for customers and create an overflow bar when it’s not being used for an event space.”

An event space with a 50-person-capacity will open and be available for private bookings.

“It’s an expansion onto our taproom that will allow us to open it up and rent it out, so it doesn’t negatively impact the taproom when we do have private events,” Tursi said.

Distribution is expected to improve as the extra room for cold storage will give them the ability to package and sell more beer in retail markets and in the taproom, he said. The changes are intended to bring relief to the staff and allow the taproom to open earlier, too.

“We’re going create permanent housing for our canning line which will allow us to package more and more easily so we can offer more brands on a most consistent basis,” said Semenec, who also is the creative director.

Beer capacity will increase by nearly 20%, Tursi said.

In other enhancements, a beautification project is ongoing in the outdoor space that includes adding native plants and a couple of bar tops, improving lighting and possibly constructing a pagoda.

“The goal is to keep making that feel more comfortable and spacious,” Tursi said.

Landing in AVL

Nearly a decade ago, Tursi and Semenec were graduating college in the Northeast and considering entering the craft beer industry. Tursi worked at several breweries, including Burial Beer Co. in Asheville.

Meanwhile, Semenec was working in the advertising and marketing industries.

By 2019, they had attained a location for their own craft brewery in downtown Asheville.

The high volume of craft breweries in the city didn’t deter them but was a challenge they welcomed. The craft beer industry in Asheville was more approachable than other places they considered, Semenec said.

“Mike and myself are both fairly driven and creative people and the only way to really exist and thrive in that type of mindset is to be surrounded by other people of the same mindset,” Tursi said. “If there’s a bunch of breweries around, you definitely can’t lean on your laurels. You’re forced to work really hard to have an exciting brand, high-quality products – just hit on all cylinders if you want to succeed when there’s that much competition. That’s the kind of environment we want to be pushed to be better in so Asheville made sense.”

Based in a market overflowing with beer, Dssolvr’s surrealism branding of vivid colors, unconventional humor and bold illustrations of beer-loving extraterrestrials and creatures help make the company stand out.

But several months after opening their first brewery, they were sent back to the drawing board to figure out how to stay operational.

“We got hit with the pandemic, and it really lit a fire under us after that happened. We had to rethink our business model pretty much overnight to be a distribution-only company,” Semenec said.

When things opened back up, they were ready to get back to focusing on enhancing the taproom experience and beginning the expansion.

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What to drink

Dssolvr’s main production is craft beer, but they will lean more into brewing cider and wine.

“We make natural cider, so it’s pretty dry, a little bit tart but funky. It’s similar to sour beer but in cider form,” Tursi said. “We don’t release a lot of it because we only use North Carolina fruit for cider and wine, so it’s a little bit harder to source, but we find that it makes a higher quality product that’s individual to us.”

Cider and wine require a lot of space and time. The Dssolvr 2.0 plan will allow the brewers to efficiently increase the production of more new brews.

If stopping by for a beer for the first time, Semenec recommends starting with the flagship Kolsch, Thank You For Existing. It’s an easy drinking beer at 4.8% ABV and ideal if the guest is planning to stay a while or visit other breweries downtown, he said.

Multiple lagers and IPAs are featured on the board, but Tursi recommends first trying Pyramid Games, a house NEIPA with a 5.6% ABV.

“It’s a little bit bitter and a little bit juicy, well-rounded, super drinkable. It’s like the best of all IPA worlds. It’s got a little something for everybody,” Tursi said.

His personal favorite is a limited edition cold Caprese Italian pilsner. Yet, there is much more on the menu and in planning.

“Come on in and see what’s available. It’s always changing,” Semenec said. “We’re rotating through 26 different taps usually and we have a slushie machine in operation, too, so I wouldn’t sleep on that.”

Dssolvr

Where: 63 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville

Hours: 3-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 1-11 p.m. Friday-Sunday

Info: For details, visit dssolvr.com or follow on Instagram at @dssolvr.

Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter/Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times. 

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Dssolvr brewery announces expansion plans, better taproom experience