NPR calls Asheville the "Napa Valley of Beer!" Our beer scene features an amazing selection of bars, brewpubs, micro craft breweries, and cideries. Sample hundreds of local brews from 50+ western North Carolina mountain breweries. Asheville, per capita, has one of the highest rates of craft brew consumption in the Southeast. Accolades include being named Beer City USA for four years in a row, Forbes Travel Guide 5 Beer Cities To Hit This Summer and CNN 8 Best Beer Towns in the USA. (Feature Photo: Green Man Brewery)
Here are our top picks for beer in the Asheville area. Many are located downtown within walking distance of each other (see our South Slope Brewing District Walking Tour). Also see the best downtown Asheville wine bars and cocktails.
Top Breweries, Beer Tours and Cideries in Asheville
Highland Brewing Co.
(12 Old Charlotte Highway, Asheville) Visit the pioneers of craft beer in Asheville, brewing since 1994. Stop by their big Tasting Room to sample 15 brews every day of the week, along with live music and many outdoor concerts. Take a 45-minute guided tour of the fascinating brewing and packaging process. Easy parking.
Jackson County Ale Trail
For a more laid back, small town beer adventure, head to three cool towns near Asheville: Sylva, Dillsboro and Cashiers - home to six breweries with taprooms and restaurants.
Noble Cider Taproom
(356 New Leicester Highway, Asheville) Watch raw apples arriving for pressing, fresh apple juice being pumped into tanks ready for fermentation or the finished product being put into kegs or bottles. Their 20 taps feature their lineup of crisp and creative hard ciders. Open Wednesday-Sunday.c
Sierra Nevada Brewery
(100 Sierra Nevada Way, Mills River) See their impressive east coast brewery in south Asheville - complete with a taproom, big restaurant, free tours, events and live music.
Black Mountain Cider & Mead
Crafting ciders and meads from local heirloom apples and honey, this cidery and meadery blend natural flavors for a robust and unique tasting experience. Enjoy small-batch cider flavors like Basil + Cucumber and Watermelon + Mint with a pinch of sea salt. Their craft meads come in flavors like pistachio, coffee, and strawberry + tarragon.
Banner Elk Wineries & Breweries
Visit three wineries in the Banner Elk area (Banner Elk Winery, Grandfather Vineyard and Linville Falls Winery). Also visit two breweries (Kettell Beerworks and Beech Mountain Brewing). Along the way, enjoy a scenic drive high in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Flat Rock Ciderworks
(305 North Main St, Hendersonville) Visit this tasting room in downtown to try their Wicked Peel and Blackberry Gold hard ciders made from local apples and blackberries from their nearby orchard. Open Wed-Sun afternoons.
Bold Rock Hard Cider
(72 School House Road, Mills River) The biggest craft cider maker in the Carolinas has its cidery and tasting room just south of Asheville near the Sierra Nevada Brewery. Food truck and big outdoor picnic area. Open Mon-Thurs 2-9 PM, Fri-Sat 12-10 PM, Sun 12-9 PM.
Funkatorium Brewery
(147 Coxe Avenue, Asheville) Wicked Weed opened their nearby barrel house and sour tap room in the South Slope in late 2014 to store 1,000+ wine and bourbon barrels. This tasting room has 16 taps for sour and wild beer. Open daily. Read more about the South Slope Brewing District.
Catawba Brewing
(212 South Green Street, Morganton) This family owned, 20-year old craft beer maker with a great location for live music while sampling brews. They opened a downtown Asheville brewery in 2015.
Archetype Brewing
Find easy drinking, clean Belgian and American-inspired ales in a taproom with games, community tables, live music, and a range of food options nearby in hip West Asheville. On Sunday in the warmer months, check out their Sunday Sessions from 3-6 PM with live local music. (265 Haywood Road, Asheville)
Oyster House Brewing Company
(625 Haywood Road, West Asheville) Oyster House creates craft beer in various styles, including their award-winning "Moonstone Stout" brew with oysters (shell and all) as an ingredient to give hints of sea salt, calcium and other minerals. They have a full food menu.
Black Mountain Ciderworks
(100 Eastside Drive, Black Mountain) Their Tasting Room has four ciders on tap, made from Henderson County apples.
Hi-Wire Brewing
(197 Hilliard, Asheville, South Slope) Hi-Wire is open every afternoon with four-year round beers: Prime Time Pale Ale, Hi-Pitch IPA, Bed of Nails Brown Ale and a pilsner lager, Hi-Wire Lager. They also offer seasonals. Visit their second brewery with a tasting room and beer garden in Biltmore Village, 2 Huntsman Place.
French Broad Brewing Co.
(near Biltmore Village, 101 Fairview Rd, Asheville) Sample their year-round European-style beers: the Wee-Heavy-Er Scotch Ale, 13 Rebels ESB, IPA, Ryehopper, Gateway Kolsch, and Anvil Porter. Tasting Room also has an assortment of seasonal specialties, and frequently a beer on cask. Open daily.
Twin Leaf Brewery
(144 Coxe Avenue, Asheville, South Slope) Twin Leaf has a dozen beers on tap, classic Belgian, English and American-style ales and a rotating line up of lagers and other adventurous styles. Open every day.
Wedge Brewing Co
(37 Paynes Way, West Asheville) Located in a warehouse turned art studios in the River Arts District, this local's favorite neighborhood brewery serves classic styles paired with a big variety of food trucks. Open every day.
Urban Orchard Cidery
(210 Haywood Road, West Asheville) Visit one of the few “True Cider Bars” in the nation. Their taproom offers several varieties of their naturally gluten-free hard apple cider on tap.
New Belgium Brewing
(21 Craven Street, Asheville) Sample brews in the riverside Liquid Center Tasting Room, located just across the French Broad River from downtown Asheville. And take a free, 90-minute brewery tour.
Nantahala Brewing Company
(61 Depot St, Bryson City) Nantahala Brewing Company’s inaugural beer is made with pale malt and a generous amount of crystal malts. Appalachian Trail Extra (ATX) Pale Ale is a lighter golden version of the Nantahala Pale Ale with a crisp dry flavor and a touch of bitterness.
Green Man Brewery
(27 Buxton Avenue, Asheville, South Slope) Sample iconic ales loyal to traditional English-styles at one of the oldest breweries in NC. Their 3-story "Greenmansion" has multiple tasting rooms and 18 taps (mountain views from the top floor). Open seven days a week. Pet-friendly.
Pisgah Brewing Company
(150 Eastside Drive, Black Mountain) is located in Black Mountain about 10 miles east of Asheville. They specialize in brewing hand crafted certified organic beer. Try the Pisgah Solstice, a Belgian-style ale, or the darkest ale, the rich and smooth Pisgah Porter.
Burial Beer Brewery
(40 Collier Avenue, Asheville, South Slope) Burial focuses on Belgian ales and German lagers with a one barrel pilot system. Downtown Taproom is open Monday-Sunday, 12-10 PM.
Whistle Hop Brewing Company
(1288 Charlotte Hwy, Fairview) Located 15 minutes from downtown Asheville, this dog friendly taproom is housed in two retired train cars surrounded by a deck with mountain views and outdoor activities. Their flavorful brews with local ingredients include the Honey Fig Saison, Banana Wheat, Chimperial DIPA and SOB (South Of the Border) Porter. Open daily.
One World Brewing
(10 Patton Avenue, Asheville) Small-batch, hand-crafting nano-brewery and ale house located underneath the Farm Burger in downtown, near Pack Square. With a 1.5-barrel system with 10 fermenters in constant rotation, 10 taps feature 1 local cider and 9 rotating OWB taps. Mon-Thurs 12-11 PM, Fri/Sat 12 PM-12 AM, Sun 12-9 PM. West Asheville location: (520 Haywood Rd)
BearWaters Brewing
(130 Frazier St #7, Waynesville) Their full service Tap Room features 10 signature and rotating beers on tap. Start with a sampling flight paddle.
Catawba Brewing
(32 Banks Avenue, Asheville, South Slope) Catawba opened its big, seven-barrel specialty brewery and tasting room downtown in 2015. They also have a place in Biltmore Village. They have a dozen of their brews on tap. Open every day. Their main production facility is in Morganton.
Wicked Weed Brewery
(91 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville) This 15-barrel downtown brewhouse has a Tasting Room in the basement and another bar and restaurant upstairs with 20 beers on tap. They specialize in west coast-style hoppy ales, open fermented belgian beers and barrel-aged sours. Open daily.
Southern Appalachian Brewery
(822 Locust, Hendersonville) They specialize in making small batches of craft beer. Tasting Room downtown frequently has live music.
Innovation Brewing
(414 West Main, Sylva) They create traditional styles of ale and ol’ standbys, along with experimentation with a variety of fun and fresh ingredients for unique styles.
Fonta Flora Brewery
(317 North Green, Morganton) This microbrewery is striving to create a totally unique North Carolina/Appalachian style of beer. By utilizing local grains and foraging the countryside for wild flora, we are taking brewing back to its agricultural roots.
Up Country Brewing Co
(1042 Haywood Rd, Asheville) They specialize in making beers that perfectly accompany any outdoor activity. Open Wed-Sun. Live music many nights. West Asheville.
Bruisin’ Ales
(66 Broadway Ave, downtown Asheville) Asheville’s retail store just for beer lovers with 600 Belgians, Belgian-style, high-gravity, craft brews, microbrews, and the best from around the globe.
Asheville Brewing Company
(77 Coxe Avenue, Asheville, South Slope) In addition to their longtime favorites, their brewer series pushes the paradigm with amazing creations. Ask for a tour! In addition to great pizza, their downtown spot has a huge covered patio. Their original "mothership" location at 675 Merrimon Avenue has a movie theater.
Frog Level Brewing Company
(56 Commerce Street, Waynesville) Taste some of the smoothest craft beer to touch your tongue, from the bite of their IPA to the smokiness of their Scotch Ale.
Heinzelmännchen Brewery
(545 Mill Street, Sylva) German-born brewermaster Dieter Kuhn and his wife Sheryl Rudd are creating light and refreshing German beer made with wholesome grains, fresh hops & no preservatives. This microbrewery is about 45 miles west of Asheville.
Ginger's Revenge
(829 Riverside Drive, Asheville) A short drive north of downtown, this new brewery specializes in gluten-free alcoholic ginger beers as well as grain-based brews. All organic ingredients, including ginger direct from Hawaii. In RAMP Studios, open Wed-Mon afternoons.
Oskar Blues Brewery
(342 Mountain Industrial Drive, Brevard) Oskar Blues' east coast brewery opened in 2012. The Tasty Weasel taproom is open daily with free tours of the brewery. Sample specialty draft ales, enjoy live music and gather with friends.
Hillman Beer
(25 Sweeten Creek Rd) Located just outside Biltmore Village, this small, family-owned brewery brings pub-style back to the brewery experience. With an emphasis on quality beer and a focus on classics and comfort. They also offer a pub-style menu. Open daily. Dog friendly!
Bhramari Brewing Company
(101 S Lexington Ave) Presenting a selection of flagship brews, as well as fun and unique small-batch brews, this brewery and restaurant offers a friendly atmosphere and is rumored to have the best burger in Asheville. Don’t miss brunch from 11 AM-3 PM on Sundays. Open daily.
Top Beer & Local Craft Brews
Taste your way through Beer City USA at craft breweries and pubs in and near Asheville. Many are located downtown, so you can create your own walking tour. See our top spots for local brews.
The Whale
(507 Haywood Rd) This craft beer collective in West Asheville is the perfect spot for beer snobs, offering a variety of hard-to-find craft, world-class craft beer. Choose from their 20 rotating taps and extensive bottle selection of craft beers, wines, meads, sakes, and ciders. Open daily 12-11 PM.
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Asheville & WNC Beer Festivals
Winterfest Beer Festival
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Sample 50 beers and ciders from North Carolina breweries indoors at the Beech Mountain ski resort Alpine Village, 4-8 PM. Live music and shuttle. Great way to end a day of play on the slopes.
Brew Horizons Beer Festival
Saturday, February 29, 2020
Held in downtown Asheville inside the big Harrah's Cherokee Center 2-6 PM, tickets include a souvenir tasting stein for sampling from 20+ regional craft breweries and cideries, food tastings, live music, artisan vendors. Fundraiser for our clean energy future. $41/person. Limited tickets, so buy in advance.
Cider, Wine & Dine Weekend
Friday, April 22, 2022 to Sunday, April 24, 2022
Visit the Hendersonville area for a celebration of food and drink! Wineries and cideries partner with other outdoor venues for a signature four-day event featuring tours, tastings, food trucks, music in the vineyards, wine releases and more. Set amidst the backdrop of apple blossom season in this Blue Ridge Mountain town.
Asheville Beer Week
Friday, May 22, 2020 to Sunday, May 31, 2020
Experience the largest annual celebration of craft beer in Asheville and western NC with a big variety of beer-related events including releases and tastings paired with music, food and great settings.
Beer City Festival
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Sample brews from 30+ local breweries downtown in Pack Square Park, with live music and local food. Hosted by Asheville Brewers Alliance, part of Beer Week. Buy tickets in advance (often sells out).
Sierra Nevada Beer Camp
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Epic adult day camp at Sierra Nevada Brewery includes obstacle course, keg bowling, hammerschlogan, silent disco, costume contest and more. Pair those with their iconic and special collaboration beers, along with great food. 12-6 PM. $25/person includes entertainment, games and shuttle.
Oskar Blues's Burning CAN Beer Festival
Friday, August 7, 2020 to Saturday, August 8, 2020
The weekend-long lawn jam on their scenic REEB Ranch by DuPont State Forest includes a beer fest with 50+ craft-canning breweries, internationally touring bands, camping, food trucks, and plenty of mountain sports.
Sierra Nevada’s Oktoberfest
Friday, October 9, 2020 to Saturday, October 10, 2020
Join a festive evening at their big brewery south of Asheville, with music, glassblowing, stache competition, souvenir beer stein, special beers and a German-inspired feast. Limited tickets, buy online. Free shuttles from Asheville and Hendersonville.
CiderFest NC
Saturday, October 10, 2020
At North Carolina’s premier cider celebration, taste 90 different varieties of cider and mead from 20+ makers, plus see local arts and crafts, taste unique food pairings and enjoy live music. Benefits Western NC Green Building Council. 1-5 PM at Carrier Park near the River Arts District. $33/person advance tickets.
Tryon Beer Fest
Saturday, November 6, 2021
A festive time with outdoor oyster roast, games, live music, and a great selection of craft beers and ciders. Downtown Tryon. 1-6 PM. Tickets: $35/person through August. $75 after Sept 1. Tickets capped at 1,000.
Downtown Asheville Brewery Map
Biltmore Village Breweries
Located just two miles south of downtown is the historic village outside the entrance of Biltmore Estate. It's becoming the next hot spot for breweries - and it's usually easier to find parking! Check out Catawba Brewing (63 Brook Street), French Broad Brewery (101 Fairview Road) and Hi-Wire Big Top (2 Huntsman Place). Sample 50+ beers, ciders and wines at Pour Taproom (2 Hendersonville Road). Read more about Biltmore Village.
Top 10 Craft Breweries Outside of Asheville
Innovation Brewing (414 West Main, Sylva) They create traditional styles of ale and ol’ standbys, along with experimentation with a variety of fun and fresh ingredients for unique styles. Nearby is Balsam Falls on the Jackson County Ale Trail.
Southern Appalachian Brewery (822 Locust, Hendersonville) They specialize in making small batches of craft beer. Tasting Room downtown frequently has live music.
Sanctuary Brewing Company (147 First Avenue East, Hendersonville) in downtown is a place for craft beer enthusiasts and animal lovers for a strong sense of community and environmental responsibility. Try their farmhouse ales, American stouts and West Coast IPAs.
Nantahala Brewing Company (61 Depot St, Bryson City) From their Flagship, Noon Day IPA, to their epic adventure-inspired Trail Magic Ale™ Series, their brews have ties to the rich history of brewing in the Great Smoky Mountains.
BearWaters Brewing (130 Frazier St #7, Waynesville) Their full-service Tap Room features 10 signature and rotating beers on tap. Start with a sampling flight paddle.
Frog Level Brewing Company (56 Commerce Street, Waynesville) Taste some of the smoothest craft beer to touch your tongue, from the bite of their IPA to the smokiness of their Scotch Ale.
Fonta Flora Brewery (317 North Green, Morganton) This microbrewery is striving to create a totally unique North Carolina/Appalachian style of beer. By utilizing local grains and foraging the countryside for wild flora, they are taking brewing back to its agricultural roots.
Catawba Brewing (212 South Green Street, Morganton) This family-owned, 15-year old craft beer maker with a great location for live music while sampling brews. They opened a downtown Asheville brewery in 2015.
Oskar Blues Brewery (342 Mountain Industrial Drive, Brevard) Oskar Blues' east coast brewery opened in late 2012 and produces 56,000 barrels of beer a year. Take a tour any day of the week. Some specialty draft ales are only available at the brewery tasting room, which includes a restaurant and music venue. See our Oskar Blues Brewery Guide.
Brevard Brewing Company (63 East Main Street, Brevard) They specialize in lagers, cold-fermented and aged over twice as long as ales.
Pisgah Brewing Company (150 Eastside Drive, Black Mountain) Located in Black Mountain about 10 miles east of Asheville, they specialize in brewing hand-crafted certified organic beer. Try the Pisgah Solstice, a Belgian-style ale, or the darkest ale, the rich and smooth Pisgah Porter.
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