The 10 Best Breweries In Asheville, NC
Zebulon Artisan Ales
Just outside the city limits of Asheville, about ten minutes to the north, is perhaps the most whimsical brewery in North Carolina. Mike Karnowski and his wife Gabe have a 7 BBL brewhouse in a quaint space in downtown Weaverville, NC, right next to a laundromat. His beers are exceptionally special as he is an historical brewer who finds old recipes from yesteryear and brews them as close as he can to how they used to brew them back in their heyday. Try all of of Zebulon's offerings for only a buck or two for a tasting of his European beer creations. You will be given a piece of paper to record the beers that you have consumed. You simply hand that sheet of paper in when you are ready to close out. Don't forget to buy some bottles to go as many of his beers are brewed and aged for a long time and are made with some additional aging in mind. Zebulon also has a bonafied beer engine from England in order to enjoy Cask Ale poured like you are in a pub in England. Any beer "on Cask" is a must for any beer lover. Don't be afraid to enjoy a classic English pint pulled out of the cask at 55 degrees with carbonation from the yeast only. These pints may be as low as 3% ABV for a classic English Bitter or Mild or over 10% for a snifter of a classic Imperial stout. Pro Tip: Zebulon is open 1-6 Friday and Saturday only so plan accordingly.
Green Man Brewing
This is the original taproom and soccer bar of the now bustling South Slope neighborhood. Green Man is a staple of beer, soccer and local culture in Asheville for over twenty-five years. Brewing up award winning English ales, like the 2021 GABF Gold Medal winning English Porter, Green Man is well established as a must stop for any beer lover visiting Beer City USA. Try visiting one of their two spaces on Buxton Avenue, the original Dirty Jacks or the grandiose and beautiful packaging hall/taproom dubbed by the locals as, "The Green Mansion." The Mansion was used to describe the 20,000 square foot mammoth building after being made brick by brick in 2016. Choose from a delicious array of eighteen beer offerings in each taproom ranging from Asheville classic English Ales, crisp brewer friendly German lagers and exceptionally balanced and fruity dry hopped American IPAs. Get the Wayfarer IPA or Trickster IPA to see the precursors to the Haze Craze. Green Man is a must see when visiting Asheville and what better way than with a local beer expert? Book here to go on Beer City Brewery Tours.
DO YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HAZY BEER? CLICK HERE TO READ MY BLOG POST.
Hillman Beer
Open for over five years in Asheville, Hillman Beer is a wonderful place to eat fabulous house made sandwiches and salads with your choice of award winning, tasty brews. They have a beer and burger special every Wednesday as well. Now with two locations in Old Fort and Asheville, Hillman has become a great new staple of Beer City USA. A former home brewer, Brad Hillman, along with his brother Greig and his wife Brandi, has made quite an impression in Beer City with their quality brews as well as chill indoor and outdoor hangs. If you are in the Biltmore Village area, go and have their award winning ESB, Belgian Dark Strong (or Quadruple), or one of their fantastic other offerings like their delicious Hefeweizen. If you are hiking, biking, kayaking or playing out East on I-40 check out their production facility in downtown Old Fort. There is also a brand new brewery right down the street from them called Whaley Farms that I very highly recommended as well.
CHECK OUT MORE ABOUT WHALEY FARMS IN MY BLOG POST
Sierra Nevada Brewing
Well, it's really hard to come to Asheville and not tip your cap to one of the pioneers of the American craft beer scene, Sierra Nevada. After all without Ken Grossman we may not be experiencing the current Beer Renaissance in this country. Thanks Ken! This absolutely stunning facility, taprooms and outdoor spaces are typically pouring twenty four beers on draft. Sitting on a huge estate decked out with their own garden, multiple outdoor areas and amphitheater, the "Biltmore of Beer" is a must see for an afternoon when visiting the Asheville area. I recommend to hit Sierra Nevada before you enter downtown unless you happen to be staying towards the airport. This isn't a brewery that you have one beer and leave, either. You must check out the California sheik indoor and outdoor design with North Carolina wooded decor. They also have a regarded kitchen that is dialed in to feed the masses of beer drinkers that visit every year. The beers are remarkably "hoppy"as Sierra Nevada was one of the first breweries to utilize in their beers some of those delicious flowers that we all love today, West Coast hops (especially Cascade). That being said, Sierra prides itself on making plenty of smaller batch, not necessarily hop forward, Audition beers that turn their guests into willing guinea pigs. We call that QC or quality control in the biz. Make a day of it or wait for your flight a few hours earlier than normal and enjoy the stunning grounds, beers and food all while being in the presence of beer royalty.
Eurisko Beer Company
Eurisko Beer Company is the best brewery in Asheville that many locals have never even heard of. Eurisko (meaning EUREKA in Greek) is tucked away on Short Coxe Avenue (yes, that's the street name) in a non descript blue building in the South Slope. Eurisko is very much a slightly off the beaten path brewery that opened its doors a little over four years ago. It may not be right next door to all of the other breweries in the neighborhood but your short stroll on Beer City Brewery Tours will be very worth it. Brewing on a beautiful 15 BBL brewhouse, Brewer/Owner Zac Harris is brewing up some of the best beers in Beer City. Eurisko has a great artsy, chill, neighborhood vibe. Go and play video games, corn hole or watch a classic flick and chat with the witty and movie quote-centric bar staff all while sipping on a finely crafted German lager, Hazy IPA or Imperial Stout. The Eurisko Helles is one of my favorite beers around town.
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Hi Wire Brewing
Hi-Wire Brewing is growing in Asheville and beyond. Choose from one of their three taprooms in South Slope, Biltmore Village and the River Arts District for three different vibes. You can't go wrong at any of them. Hi Wire has many diverse beer styles and good vibes at each location as well. They are known for their crisp, clean light and dark lagers, like their GABF award winning Marzen. They also have a huge lineup of hop forward IPAs and pale ales, wild ales aged in oak (some fruited) as well as other seasonal and small batch items. Grab a burger or whatever the special of the day is at Foothills Butcher truck right next to the "Big Top," or production facility location in Biltmore Village. No matter which Hi Wire location you choose be prepared to enjoy several delicious and well crafted beers. Just be sure to give yourself enough time to try their many beer choices.
Burial Beer Company
On Beer City Brewery Tours I refer to Burial as the darling of the Asheville beer scene these days. Burial has certainly put themselves on the map when it comes to beer and brewing. What a difference nine years makes! From a humble 1 BBL system in 2013 to operating multiple brewhouses today including a 10 BBL brewing system at the original Collier space, a 30 BBL system at their Forestry Camp location in Biltmore Village as well as a 20 BBL brewhouse at their newest space (soon to be restaurant and music venue) on Buxton Avenue. Life is very good at Burial. People come from all over the nation to get their hands on their "Hazies" (pale ale, IPA, double IPA and "triple"IPAs) dressed inside morbid and colorful cans. Copious amounts of hops and hop products like Cryo hops and Incognito hops draw hop heads to Burial to purchase many cases of beer to take home to their friends and family all over the world. They are also known for their super rich, alcoholic and dessert-like Imperial Stouts amongst other styles. There is no wonder why Beer & Brewing Magazine named Burial the #1 Brewery in the Nation based upon the votes calculated by fan voting. That aligns very well with the fans voting Asheville the #1 Beer City in the Nation in 2021 as well. Beer City USA, indeed.
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Zillicoah Beer Company
Just a short drive North from Asheville over the city line is the quaint town of Woodfin. Overlooking the French Broad River is a fantastic lager focused indoor/outdoor brewery called Zillicoah. Zillicoah started brewing at Eurisko before they had their brewing equipment and would truck the "wort" to their space down by the river in order to ferment their wonderful lagers and wild ales. Now with their own brewhouse, Zillicoah offers low ABV lagers in order to imbibe their amazing suds with a world class taco off of their permanent food truck, Taqueria Munoz. They even have an annual beer fest called Session Fest where they host some of their brewer friends from around the nation to come together and pour low alcohol, but not low flavor, beers for an day of imbibing. Go down and destroy an authentic beef cheek taco, burrito or sope all while washing it down with one of their open fermented light, copper or dark lagers. There's a reason why locals love coming to Zillicoah. It is one of those places that I love because of its simplicity. It nears the top of my list because of their comforting and refreshing beers with authentic and delicious tacos. It's the perfect combination! Drink and eat like a local all while chilling with your favorite canine as the French Broad River flows right by you.
The Cellarest Beer Project
In West Asheville it is all about what is happening on Haywood Road, or the main artery bisecting this hip neighborhood. Just east of Interstate 240 in West Asheville is the two year old brewery, The Cellarest. The Cellarest fits right in the neighborhood as art meets beer meets wood. All of their beers touch wood in some way and they are all made using North Carolina grains. They are a certified carbon neutral and a craft malt certified brewhouse. Talk about remaining local and/or hyper-local with the best intentions for the community. What all of this means is that their beers are going to be nothing like any other in Beer City or any other city. Using oak, cherry and other woods these wood inspired beers carry distinct flavor profiles that are perfect for anyone who wants to drink outdoors and outside of the box. Add in live music, poetry, and rotating food trucks and you have a wonderful neighborhood gem that will be testing our tastebuds for many years to come.
CHECK OUT MY BLOG ABOUT THE CELLAREST'S LATEST 1 YEAR OAK AGED DOPPLEBOCK COLLAB WITH EURISKO HERE
The Wedge
Carl Melissas has been brewing in Beer City USA for decades and it shows. He has won multiple awards for his beers, including a Gold Medal at GABF for his German Marzen lager in 2017. While being the Brew Master at the Wedge Carl has seen a lot of growth including the adding of more Wedge taprooms around town. Now with three fabulous locations (The Wedge Studios, Foundation, and The Grove Arcade) The Wedge is spreading its wings to more than just a locals only spot. Going back to 2008, The Wedge has transformed and grown into multiple brewhouses with brewing New World beers like Pineapple Vape Juice to go along their established Belgian and English ale lineup. Go to Foundy, or The Wedge Foundation, and play ping pong outside on their permanent net and table. Get the Golem Triple or the Vadim Bora Imperial Stout if you want to live on the edge with a couple very smooth yet high alcohol beer styles. Be careful! These beers don't drink like their actual alcohol content. Enjoy!
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Evan Rosenberg Owner/Operator
Certified Cicerone®
beercitybrewerytours@gmail.com
828-677-2337 (BEER)
