Head Brewer, Kiel Arrington, takes Nick on a mini-tour of the brewery and what goes into making your favorite beers.

Owning a business was always in the back of Arrington’s mind and Vaulted Oak wasn’t his first attempt at starting a brewery business.  In 2015, he pitched a brewery to investors and they didn’t bite.  But Arrington wasn’t deterred and counts it as a good learning experience.

“It took years, up to a decade, in the food and bev industry to grow into where I am today,” says Arrington.

Years passed and Arrington started a family but didn’t give up on the brewery idea.  He started looking at the possibility of opening a bottle shop near Lake Lure when his realtor turned him onto a former BB&T bank location that was just bought.  

Arrington brought on business partner, Johnie Jones, and signed the lease in September 2019.  Next step – he had to bring on investors.  In the 11th hour, Arrington got it done.  (the space almost became a Pop-eye’s!)  

After breaking ground in July 2020 amidst a pandemic and dealing with delays and supply shortages, Vaulted Oak Brewing finally opened its doors on June 8, 2021.

And the brewery was immediately embraced.

“Overwhelming and humbling were phrases I used a lot of times.  We didn’t expect that level of support, especially in a pandemic,” reflects Arrington on the community support.

“Community was always a pillar of our business model. we wanted to be more than just a place to get a beer.”

Arrington’s advice for business owners:

• Never burn bridges because never know when you’re going to need someone’s relationship.
• Fail and fail often.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help.