Asheville, North Carolina, is proud to say that it holds the best beer production in the country. Asheville breweries are the most preferred form of beer as the leading beer ingredients are locally available, which is even more reason to visit this amazing place.
Asheville is an abundant beer producer in west-central North Carolina, near the Blue Ridge Mountains in the eastern part of the United States of America. The place is a tourist attraction. Some tourists never fail to visit Biltmore village to see one of America’s largest private houses built by the Vanderbilts called Biltmore Estate.
Another tourist attraction is the French Broad River, where you’ll find one local ingredient in craft breweries- water. The water of this river attracted one of the largest craft breweries. New Belgium Brewing Company was situated between downtown Asheville and West Asheville.
Some large-scale breweries have set their place in Asheville, such as Highland Brewing, Oskar Blues, Sierra Nevada, and Wicked Weed, among many others.
In 2009, Asheville was named the Beer City USA as the amazing production and unique flavors of beer from the place won many hearts before and continue to do so.
List of 6 Asheville Breweries to Explore
Some of Asheville breweries locally preferred are:
1. Highland Brewing Company
In 1994, a retired engineer called Oscar Wong started the first Asheville brewing company. Surprisingly, it was one of the best craft breweries, which installed almost 51 local breweries that caught the nation’s attention.
The company is still one of the premium brewing companies located on a vast 40 acres with nature trails in Asheville. Highland Brewing Company is one of the reasons why Asheville breweries are still preferred among the majority.
2. Wicked Weed Brewing
Wicked Weed Brewing, another of Asheville’s favorites, is located in the downtown region of West Asheville and has tours and tasting rooms. While many Asheville breweries are friendly places to eat and drink with your friends, here in Wicked Weed, you can also bring your pet dog to hang out on the patio of the building.
It is also known for its funky style, which resulted in its being named “sanatorium.” Among many Asheville breweries, Wicked Weed is separated into two parts of the building where one can experience two different experiences but still love to come back for more.
The upstairs part of Wicked Weed Brewing is a full restaurant with a gastronomy of 16 varieties of beer and a variety of cocktails. Here, one can enjoy a good meal with a few glasses of their delicious brew.
The downstairs part is dedicated to the beer part of Wicked Weed, where one can taste and experience 25 varieties of beer. You can find yourself in a tasting room and the bottle shop where you can experiment with your tastes first.
3. Oskar Blues
Oskar Blues is another one of many Asheville breweries that started as a brewpub in 1997 by Dale Katechis. It later hit the big markets when Oskar Blues launched its craft beer in a can in 2002, which is still preferred by many people.
4. Catawba Brewing Company
The birth of Catawba Brewing Company was back in 1999 by Billy Pyatt, Jetta Pyatt, and Scott Pyatt, who opened the locally loved craft brewery in Asheville’s South Slope Brewery District.
The production of their barrels rose significantly for the top-selling ale called Dale’s Pale Ale, and they expanded their brand further to Longmont, Colorado. Packaging grew from 59,000 barrels in 2011 to 149,000 barrels in 2014 and still sees a rise today.
The brewery currently has over 25 beers on tap with a pet-friendly area, handicap accessibility, and outdoor seating that people prefer over other Asheville breweries. But the advantages don’t just stop there. The dining provided by the company is also group-friendly for a get-together. If not, takeout is also available.
In 2015, Catawba Brewing opened a tasting room downtown with a big seven-barrel specialty fondly for its customers. The brewing company also has a place in Biltmore Village, although the main production facility is in Morganton, North Carolina. Some of the beers that people genuinely enjoy are White Zombie Ale and Hopness Monster IPA.
The company also comes with wedding and various event features with off-premise catering, a great outdoor area, and a private room according to your likability. Catawba Brewing is also called “Craft Beer of the Carolinas.”
5. Wedge Brewing Company
Located in the heart of the River Arts District of Asheville, NC, in a classic brick warehouse turned into an art studio, Wedge Brewing is another locally loved and enjoyed that serves its unique styles in a large variety of food trucks parked outside the warehouse that serves food.
The food trucks make it a more socially attractive place than Asheville breweries. If people wish to make friends, they can stop here as they share food and talk.
Established in 2008, Wedge Brewing uses the best locally available ingredients to make the best beer. But it isn’t just the beer that is attractive in it but also the very open and friendly community.
6. Hi-Wire Brewing
Hi-Wire Brewing is another South Slope brewery, which is also situated across North Carolina in Durham, Wilmington, and Knoxville. Still, another Hi-Wire is brewing in the Biltmore Village, so you can never miss it if you are visiting the place.
The place is such a refreshing place with so many murals that surely make it unique to the other Asheville breweries.
Since its opening in 2013, Hi-Wire has become another established brewery in Asheville that runs a circus-themed, attracting artists and tourists. The place is known for its wide variety of beer varieties and for its tart kettle sours, wild ales, and lagers.
Ending Note
Asheville is such a beautiful place to visit because of its natural scenery and, of course, its wide variety of breweries readily available.
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology
