“Beast and Barrel” is both a sensory and social experience that cannot be missed on September 29, part of Alumni Weekend at Christ School.
Alumni can kick-off their weekend with all the pleasantries from live-fire cooking – the smells that waft through the air, not to mention the savory flavor of the food that follows.
Dinner will be accompanied by live music and libations. Music will be provided thanks to the Cooper Living Arts Series and will feature Jackass Flats. Libations will feature barrel aged beer courtesy of Gaines Myer '94 and Archetype Brewing.
Food, drink, and music aside, the social side of things is what it’s all about for Jimmy Searle ’89, P’18, P’21, who will be designing the menu and running the event this year. Jimmy has been involved in the food industry for nearly three decades and is an Account Executive for International Gourmet Foods.
“The best part of Beast and Barrel to me is the companionship, the fellowship, meeting one another’s wives. I really enjoy that aspect of this event,” Jimmy said.
“As my wife likes to remind me when I get frustrated from time to time, 'you’ll always have another meal.’”
Beast and Barrel is a concept that was first introduced in the fall of 2017 and originally hosted by Richard Haake ’87. The “beast” side of the name refers to the fact that a whole animal has been cooked in the past, while the “barrel” refers to the aging process that distilleries use. Jimmy expects this year’s event to be the biggest yet as Alumni Weekend is moving to the fall to coincide with the Christ School-Asheville School football game.
Beast and Barrel shifted to an on-campus event in 2022 to accommodate a larger crowd, which Jimmy also views as a positive. This year’s attendees will be able to enjoy their food and drink from 6 to 9 p.m. at the renovated Patrick Beaver Student Center.
“It’s about bringing our alumni back to campus and the feelings that come with it,” Jimmy said.
“To me, I’m not sure there’s anything much better than cooking from that spot (by the athletic fields) and looking out over the mountains.”