Where Asheville drinks local: brewpubs, taprooms and the new wave.
Taprooms, brewpubs and the local beer scene in Asheville worth taking a tram to.
Burial Beer Co opened on Collier Avenue in 2013 and is now one of Asheville's defining South Slope breweries.
Tip: The Forestry Camp restaurant on Shelburne Road is the Burial sister project; ride share between South Slope and the Forestry Camp barrel cellar.
Green Man Brewery opened on Buxton Avenue in 1997 as the first brewery on what became the South Slope. British-style ales out of two adjacent rooms: Dirty.
Tip: Dirty Jack's at 23 Buxton runs the British pub format with darts and football. The Mansion's third-floor patio takes the views.
Wicked Weed's Funkatorium on Coxe Avenue opened in late 2014 as the East Coast's first dedicated sour-and-funky taproom. 20 mixed-culture beers on tap plus.
Tip: Vidl in-house winery pours alongside the sours. The Brewpub at 91 Biltmore Avenue is the sister downtown room.
Wicked Weed's flagship Brewpub on Biltmore Avenue in downtown Asheville opened in 2012. Hop-forward IPAs and lagers, a full-service restaurant, the original.
Tip: Walk-up bar takes the rotating taps. The downstairs cellar has private booths; reserve through the operator site.
Hi-Wire's original South Slope brewhouse on Hilliard Avenue, the first of three Asheville locations. Dedicated to award-winning sours, wild ales and one-off.
Tip: South Slope is the mural-covered art-leaning sour room. Bring your own food; the brewery accepts outside take-out.
Hi-Wire's 27,000-square-foot Big Top production brewery and taproom in Biltmore Village opened in 2015. The largest of the three Hi-Wire Asheville locations.
Tip: Family-friendly with a large lawn and yard games. Food trucks rotate Wed-Sun; check the operator calendar.
Hi-Wire's RAD Beer Garden on Lyman Street is the third Asheville location, an outdoor beer garden built from up-cycled shipping containers covered in murals.
Tip: Outdoor-first; rainy days move under the container roof. Food trucks rotate weekends.
Highland Brewing Company on Old Charlotte Highway in East Asheville opened in 1994 as Asheville's first craft brewery. A 40-acre campus with 18-hole disc.
Tip: Free tours run weekends, check the operator site. The S and W Market downtown taproom is the sister location.
Wedge Brewing's Wedge Studios taproom on Paynes Way in the River Arts District opened in 2008. Beers travel through Belgian, German and American ale.
Tip: The Foundy Street brewing space, destroyed by Helene 2024, reopened October 2025 with a rebuilt beer garden.
New Belgium Brewing's Asheville campus on Craven Street opened in 2016 as the Colorado Fat Tire brewery's second campus, 18 acres on the French Broad.
Tip: 90-minute brewery tours run free with reservation; tours leave every half hour from the Liquid Center.
Sierra Nevada's East Coast brewery campus in Mills River opened in 2014, 15 miles south of Asheville. Pale Ale and Hazy Little Thing roll off the line;.
Tip: Free brewery tours need a reservation; the amphitheater hosts free regional bands every Sat-Sun. Drive only; no public transit.
Twin Leaf Brewery on Coxe Avenue opened in 2014 as a brewer-owned independent on the South Slope.
Tip: Walk-up bar service. The patio takes outside food from neighbouring South Slope kitchens.
Asheville Brewing Company on Coxe Avenue opened in 1998 as Western North Carolina's third-oldest brewery. Brewpub, second-run cinema and pizza joint wrapped.
Tip: Shiva IPA and Ninja Porter on the daily list; pizza pairs especially with the Ninja Porter.
DSSOLVR on North Lexington Avenue opened in 2020 inside the historic Tyler Building. Beer alongside cider, mead, wine and a non-alcoholic list; art-leaning.
Tip: Small bar room downstairs, larger upstairs lounge that takes the late crowd. The label artwork alone is worth the trip in for a single beer.
Archetype Brewing's West Asheville production brewery on Haywood Road runs a 10-barrel brewhouse with a complex, mindful, Belgian-leaning modern lineup.
Tip: Family-friendly taproom. The downtown Tap Lounge at 174 Broadway Street is the sister venue with music nights.
Zillicoah Beer Company on Riverside Drive in Woodfin, just north of Asheville, opened in 2018 as the first brewery in Woodfin. Open-fermented farmhouse ales.
Tip: Riverside outdoor seating with a great sunset view. Food truck rotation Wed-Sun; bring a dog.