Closed brewery is vandalized

The night after it abruptly closed, the Black Star Line Brewery was victimized by a break-in and vandalism, including the writing of racial slurs on the taproom's walls.

Hendersonville police responded to an alarm at the business at 131 Third Avenue West at 2:47 a.m. Friday, said police Capt. Bruce Simonds.

"They found the door open," he said, and the vandalism. The DVR for a security camera also was missing. "You wouldn't have any video at that point," Simonds said.

An incident report said the vandal or vandals gained entry by breaking the glass, "wrote racial slurs on the wall" and took the security device. The business was locked up at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.

"Thanks for the love, Hendersonville," the brewery said in a Facebook post at 5 p.m. Thursday. "At this time, we will no longer be operating on 131 3rd Ave W. We'll let you know about updates as soon as they are available. Thank you."

A sign on the door confirmed the closing, saying Black Star Line "will no longer be in operation at this location."

The break-in was the second instance of racially charged threats to have hit Black Star Line, which billed itself as the first "black and queer-owned" craft brewery in the Asheville and Hendersonville area. On Nov. 16, brewery employees reported that they had received email threats with racial slurs and that some equipment had been damaged.

“We are just getting started N----,” the email said. “We hate N----. Especially gay, men hating n----. We still coming …”

Detectives are still working on that case as well, Simonds said.

'Not a regulatory issue'