Beer, metal brewery opens in Asheville as a place for 'beautiful weirdos'

ASHEVILLE - Eleven years ago, Nick Nunns designed a brewery concept where beer and metal could co-exist in a welcoming, communal space.

On March 15, Trve Brewing Company ― pronounced “true” ― expanded with a second location at 255 Short Coxe Ave. in Asheville's South Slope brewing district.

“Asheville’s full of so many beautiful weirdos and I’m excited to tell them to come hang out with us. We want to be your friend,” said Nick Nunns, a former electrical engineer who’s been a metal music fan since he was young.

He said the name “Trve,” with spelling inspired by the Roman letter “u,” was to mock those who take themselves too seriously.

“When I founded the brewery, I saw a lot of parallels between the heavy metal community and craft beer community wherein everybody was being condescending about what they do or don’t like and I’ve always found that to be off-putting,” Nick Nunns said. “I wanted to poke fun of that ― this is just beer and metal music. Like what you like and just come in here and enjoy it.”

After years of growing the Colorado brewery, Nick Nunns and his business partners EJ Nunns ― who is also his wife and Trve Brewing’s chief operating officer ― and longtime friend and head brewer Zach Coleman have secured a place in Asheville to unite people over good beer and “abrasive heavy metal music.”

“What Trve provides is a safe place for people who were maybe a little nerdy, maybe a little bullied, maybe a little outcast with their peers growing up,” EJ Nunns said. “Being a metal fan and a ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ fan is not the most popular thing you could have been growing up and Nick had that experience, and he wanted a space where those folks could come.”

Beer and metal taproom

Other metal-themed U.S. breweries and bars motivated Nick Nunns to create Trve Brewing’s branding on the music genre, yet people may be surprised to see the lack of metal paraphernalia in the taproom.

Trve Brewing’s South Slope taproom, located on the second floor of the building, is painted black with black tables and chairs and wood accents. The side patio off Short Coxe Avenue offers picnic table seating and tabletop firepits.

“You look around this taproom and our aesthetic is like a weird Scandinavian minimalism approach," Nick Nunns said. "The heavy metal in our interpretation is the music we play, it’s the artwork we put on our merchandise and cans.”

EJ Nunns said many are drawn to Trve Brewing because it doesn’t look like a typical taproom, nor will it conform to the mainstream.

Trve Brewing may not be the place to find trivia nights, but themed gaming events, like for “Magic: The Gathering,” are in consideration.

Trve beginnings

Nick Nunns, like his wife, grew up on the East Coast and said coming to Asheville is like coming home.

EJ Nunns, who first moved to Asheville in 2002, launched her beer career as the brand manager for Wicked Weed Brewing in 2012, then head of marketing for Burial Beer Co. in 2016.

In 2015, she attended a beer festival in Colorado where she met Nick Nunns who stopped by the vendor booth to sample Wicked Weed’s beers.

Long distance dating led to the couple marrying and EJ Nunns eventually joining the team and imparting her expertise.

In 2019, they planned to open the Asheville taproom but couldn’t find the right location, then plans were thwarted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Last year, they learned that Eurisko Beer Co. would be closing, and the owner, Zac Harris, was looking for a buyer. The Asheville-founded brewery closed in November.

“He was looking to sell it to somebody who could do what he wanted to do in this space but wasn’t able to and somebody who knew was going to make good beer and that he trusted,” EJ Nunns said. “Thankfully, he thought that was us.”

She said she’s grateful that many regular customers of Eurisko have visited and the Asheville community has welcomed Trve Brewing from the beginning.

Nick Nunns said Trve Brewing has long, established relationships and collaborations with Asheville breweries, like Burial Beer and Dssolvr.

“It’s been tremendous to see how welcoming and inviting this community has been to us and we’re so appreciative,” he said.

North Carolina meets Colorado beer

Nick Nunns said there’s a lot of cultural exchange and people living between Asheville and Colorado, and other Colorado-based breweries like New Belgium, Oskar Blues and Sierra Nevada have made a home in Western North Carolina.

“This area has so much to offer in terms of quality of life, access to good, clean water, local ingredients we can source from all around the area,” he said.

EJ Nunns said North Carolina is a good barley belt and people in the state share an appreciation for craft beer like in Colorado.

In support of the local agriculture industry recipes are being retooled to use North Carolina malts.

Trve Brewing’s Denver brewery and taproom offer bestsellers like Cold Kellerpils, Tunnel of Trees IPA, Bloodaxe Nordic Ale. However, the different environment, water and use of ingredients sourced from local farmers may slightly alter the taste of the Asheville brews.

“The beers won’t be precisely the same beer and we kind of like that about it. You’ll be able to get a real sense of the terroir water of those ingredients and how it affects the beer if you go to both locations,” Nick Nunns said.

Trve Brewing beers

Zach Coleman worked in the beer industry and often visited Trve Brewing before becoming friends with Nick Nunns.

“We had the same views of the kind of beers we wanted to be making so I told him to come work with us instead,” Nick Nunns said. “My own dad joke is that our beer got good when I stopped making it.”

Coleman, now the head brewer and Trve Brewing’s third co-owner, is over the production of easy-sipping beers that range in styles, flavors and techniques. Nick Nunns said Coleman refined the company’s beer ethos and improved all aspects of the beer.

“We like beers you can enjoy over the course of a drinking session instead of just making these things that are just impactful, like a big stout that’s going to knock your socks off and you’re good with one or two sips,” Nick Nunns said. “Our approach is much more about beer that develops over a course of an entire glass, and you can enjoy at length with friends or by yourself.”

The first brew to come down the line was in collaboration with Eurisko Beer Co., Glastonbury Grove, a lager made with locally sourced malts and wheat and traditional German hops.

Seasonal beers will be in rotation with recipes dictated by local harvests.

Where to buy Trve Brewing beers

Trve Brewing is distributed in Colorado, local customers will have to go to the Short Coxe Avenue to purchase retail cans.

Nick Nunns said distribution is challenging, hyper-competitive and sales margins are slim. Instead, the business partners are focused on direct customer experience.

“What we do here at Trve is so unique as far as the experience that we provide for people that we are hoping that moving forward with all of our future expansions it’s more about our spaces and inviting people into them than about putting beer on shelves,” Nick Nunns said.

What’s next for Trve Brewing

Partnerships with neighboring bakery, Mother, and South Slope Cheese Co. were forged so guests may order pretzels and charcuterie with other food options to come.

EJ Nunns, who has worked in the wine industry, said a wine and cocktail program is in the works and she’d like to offer a secret cellar list with “cool, vintage” wine for guests to purchase.

She said they’re considering transforming the ground level of the building into a public area as the business expands over the next couple of years.

“It’s different from everything else that’s around here, for sure. It’s a unique experience and we’re hoping that resonates with folks here,” Nick Nunns said.

Trve Brewing

Where: 255 Short Coxe Ave., Asheville.

Hours: 3-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday.

12 p.m.-12 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

12-10 p.m. Sunday.

Info: For more, visit trvebrewing.com and follow on Instagram @trvebrewing.

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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 Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Trve Brewing Co. invites 'beautiful weirdos' to Asheville taproom