Archetype Brewing Co. - Where West Asheville Connections Are Made
At Archetype, they stay true to their West Asheville roots, making a range of quality beverages that reflect the experimental, funky neighborhood culture.
ROAD TRIPASHEVILLE
Ben and Rebecca Marmaduke
9/22/20267 min read
Walking into the taproom, the first thing you notice is how much is going on without the room ever feeling crowded or chaotic. Strings of warm lights run across the industrial ceiling, plants spill down from shelves and hanging planters, and rows of wooden barrels form an almost architectural backdrop behind the tables. Stainless steel brewing equipment is visible beyond the taproom, reminding you that this isn't simply a place where beer happens to be served. The beer is being made right there, in the middle of the life of the room.
Archetype was founded in Asheville in 2016–2017 by Brad Casanova and Steven Anan, with the idea of creating a neighborhood gathering place along the developing East-West corridor of West Asheville. The brewery opened on Haywood Road near Beacham's Curve around the same time as several other businesses that would become part of the neighborhood's identity, including OWL Bakery and Pizza Mind. The idea wasn't simply to make good beer, although that was certainly essential. The founders wanted to raise the bar for quality and consistency while preserving something of the funky, experimental character that makes West Asheville what it is.
Nearly a decade later, that balance still seems to be at the heart of Archetype.
The Basics
Location: 265 Haywood Rd., Asheville, NC 28806
Parking: free shared parking lot
Website: archetypebrewing.com
Social media: Facebook, Instagram
Vibe/Atmosphere: relaxed, casual, sunny, playful and social
Beers We Tried: What the Helles, RuBisCo Hazy IPA, Haywood Gold Rush Grissette, False Antagonist Gose, Original Blonde Belgian Blonde Ale
(We also enjoyed tank pours of beers still in the tank, and therefore not quite ready for formal tasting notes.)
Important NC Beer Explorer Tip: When consuming alcohol, always have a designated driver. Be safe out there, friends! Follow these simple tips for safer consumption.
An Archetype for Everyone
The name itself comes from Carl Jung's concept of archetypes, the recurring patterns of personality and behavior that Jung believed could be found across cultures. Archetype takes the idea seriously enough to have its team members identified by their own archetypes, and if you visit the brewery's website, you can take a short quiz to discover yours.
Naturally, we had already done this.
Ben took the test a couple of times and managed to come up with two different answers: Caregiver on one attempt and Innocent on another. Rebecca took a longer version of the quiz and was identified as a Ruler.
Ben's response was, essentially, no comment.
It was a particularly appropriate moment for a brewery whose philosophy is built around the idea that there are many different ways to approach the same thing. Archetype wants to make excellent beer, but it also wants to be approachable, experimental and inclusive, with a wide range of beverages so that people who aren't necessarily beer drinkers can find something they enjoy. The beer matters enormously, but so do the people drinking it and the place where they are drinking it.
That distinction came through repeatedly in our conversation with Kedur. There is a real emphasis here on quality and consistency, but not at the expense of curiosity. Archetype seems perfectly comfortable with the idea that a brewery can be precise without being predictable.
Turning the Tables
There are certain brewery visits where you arrive with a pretty good idea of what you’re going to find. Archetype Brewing was one of those places for us. We knew its reputation for carefully made beer, its history of awards, and its connection to the creative culture of West Asheville. We knew there would be plenty of beer to explore. What we didn't expect was that one of the first questions we would be asked had almost nothing to do with beer.
“Tell me about you.”
That was head brewer Kedur Perez, greeting us with a question that caught us completely off guard. Usually, we're the ones asking the questions, and for a moment neither of us seemed quite sure where to begin. So we told him about NC Beer Explorer, our passion project, and why we spend so much of our free time traveling around North Carolina talking to brewers and exploring taprooms. It turned into the kind of conversation that doesn't feel much like an interview at all, which, as it turned out, was a pretty good introduction to Archetype.
Rows of wooden barrels in the taproom remind beer lovers that they have come to the right place.
A Brewer With a Taste for Funk
Kedur told us that one of the great things about brewing in Asheville is the sheer variety of beer being produced around town. With so many talented brewers exploring different styles, there's room for just about every kind of beer lover.
His own interests tend toward farmhouse beers and the funkier side of brewing: sour, earthy and sometimes slightly wild flavors. He's beginning to explore more of those styles at Archetype, although doing so as the brewery's lone brewer keeps him more than busy. Archetype once had three brewers; now Kedur is carrying the brewing operation himself, which makes his enthusiasm for the work all the more impressive.
And enthusiasm was one of the things we noticed most. He talked about brewing with the kind of genuine interest that makes it clear this isn't simply a job he's very good at. He enjoys the process, the experimentation and the opportunity to keep learning, and that curiosity seems to find its way into the beer.
We had the opportunity to taste tank pours, which always makes us a little giddy. Because those beers were still in the tank, we weren't there to formally evaluate them, but we enjoyed them very much. There's something particularly appealing about drinking a beer while it's still making its way into the world, especially when you're talking with the person responsible for creating it.
The brewery's long history of competition success certainly provides some context for what we were tasting. Archetype won Best in Show at the 2018 N.C. Brewers Cup and went on to earn additional recognition, including two gold medals at the 2023 competition. Its Belgian Strong Dark Ale, The Sage, received national attention as well, earning a place among Beer Connoisseur magazine's top beers in the world. Archetype eventually stepped away from competitions after 2024 to concentrate more fully on the taproom experience.
That decision makes a certain amount of sense after spending time there. Awards can establish a reputation, but they don't create a neighborhood gathering place. That requires something different.
Kedur pulls a couple of tank pours for us, immediately sealing our fandom.
At Archetype, brewing is their business. People are their mission.
More Than the Beer
The taproom is relaxed and social, with plenty of room to settle in for a while. It's casual without being careless, and playful without feeling like it's trying too hard to entertain you. That may be the most difficult atmosphere for a brewery to create because it can't really be manufactured. People have to feel comfortable enough to linger.
Archetype doesn't have its own kitchen, but food isn't difficult to find. Takeout is available from nearby businesses including Gan Shan Neighborhood Asian and OWL Bakery, making it easy to bring something to the table and stay awhile.
And staying awhile seems very much in keeping with the point.
Because what we came away with from Archetype wasn't simply the impression that the brewery makes very good beer. We expected that before we arrived. What surprised us was how much the personality of the place seemed to come through in the people working there.
Our conversation with Kedur was genuine, informative and curious. He wanted to know about us before telling us about himself, and that small reversal said quite a bit about the culture he represents. Leah, who took care of us in the taproom, offered the same easy sense of welcome.
We went to Archetype to learn about the brewery and its beer, and we certainly did that. But somewhere along the way, the conversation became less about what Archetype makes and more about what Archetype is trying to create: a place where good beer, good people and the particular character of West Asheville can exist comfortably in the same room.
It turns out that may be the most fitting archetype of all.
Ben got to "nerd out" over the brewing equipment and processes when Kedur gave us a brief tour.
NCBE's Beer Notes - Archetype Brewing
What the Helles, 5.0% ABV*
Appearance: light yellow, brilliant, white head
Aroma: bread, light spice
Taste: biscuit, toasty, light bitter, dry, crisp
Mouthfeel: low/medium body, high carbonation, crisp
Finish: balanced, refreshing
Overall: excellent representation of this classic style
RuBisCo Hazy IPA, 5.2% ABV *
Appearance: Yellow, hazy, med/lt off- white head
Aroma: tropical fruit, lemon, orange, lt sweet
Flavor: pineapple, lemon, orange, balance to sweet, light
Mouthfeel: medium body, billowy, medium carbonation
Finish: bitter citrus
Overall: very easy drinking, delightful hazy IPA
Haywood Gold Rush Grissette, 4.4% ABV*
Appearance: gold, clear, light white head
Aroma: strawberry, light floral
Flavor: light tang, strawberry, floral, dry, light
Mouthfeel: light, effervescent
Finish: tangy, chrysanthemum, bitter
Overall: light and refreshing with subtle, elegant complexity
False antagonist Gose, 4% ABV
Appearance: gold, hazy
Aroma: tangerine and mango
Flavor: tangerine, mango, sweet/sour, funky
Mouthfeel: medium body, high carbonation
Finish: tangy
Original Blonde Belgian Blonde Ale, 6.3% ABV
Appearance: amber, medium beige head
Aroma: banana, baking spice, lightly sweet
Flavor: lightly sweet malt, banana, baking spice, light floral
Mouthfeel: medium body, medium high carbonation, bright
Finish lightly: sweet transitions to bitter
