Top 10 Breweries in Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina — population roughly 95,000 — has been named Beer City USA in public votes more than any other American city, a reflection of a brewery-to-resident ratio that consistently places it among the highest in the country. The city's beer culture grew from a confluence of factors: strong independent retail culture, a large arts and outdoor recreation community, favorable local licensing, and the arrival of nationally significant breweries that brought both capital and credibility. The result is a scene that punches significantly above its population weight.
1. Wicked Weed Brewing, Asheville
Wicked Weed opened in 2012 in the historic Dr. Katz building on Biltmore Avenue and within two years had established itself as one of America's most significant new craft breweries — a distinction unusual enough that its 2017 acquisition by AB InBev (as part of the High End portfolio) generated genuine controversy in the craft beer community. The brewery's Funkatorium facility, a dedicated sour and wild ale production space adjacent to the main brewery, became a destination for barrel-aged beers of national repute. The Oblivion series of spontaneously fermented ales and the Milk the Funk saison drew comparisons to Belgian lambic producers. Post-acquisition, the technical quality has been maintained, though the independent spirit that originally defined the brand has understandably faded.
2. Highland Brewing, Asheville
Highland is Asheville's original craft brewery, founded in 1994 by Oscar Wong and now the largest craft brewery in western North Carolina. Its East Asheville facility includes a rooftop bar with Blue Ridge Mountain views that has become a destination in its own right. Gaelic Ale, the amber ale that has been in continuous production since the beginning, is the beer that introduced many North Carolinians to craft brewing. The Oatmeal Porter and Cold Mountain Winter Ale are other long-running benchmarks. Highland's longevity and its role in building Asheville's reputation before the current boom gives it a foundational status no newer arrival can claim.
3. Burial Beer, Asheville
Burial opened in 2013 in the South Slope district and quickly became known for aggressive, thoughtfully crafted beers — specifically IPAs and dark ales — combined with genuinely unusual branding that draws on Norse and Germanic mythology without the seriousness that could make it alienating. The Skillet Donut Stout and Surf Wax America IPA have been among the most talked-about beers in Asheville's recent history. Burial's taproom is one of the South Slope's anchors and the brewery's expansion to a second Raleigh location has brought its approach to a wider North Carolina audience.
4. Hi-Wire Brewing, Asheville
Hi-Wire occupies a large South Slope production facility and several taproom locations, including a Big Top venue that references the circus aesthetic running through the brand. Founded in 2013, Hi-Wire has grown significantly and now distributes across North Carolina and into neighboring states. The core range of Lager, Hefeweizen, IPA, and Amber is deliberately accessible — Hi-Wire has been explicit about wanting to serve the full range of beer drinkers rather than only the craft enthusiast market. That approach has made it Asheville's most commercially successful craft brewery of the current generation.
5. Asheville Brewing Company, Asheville
Asheville Brewing is one of the city's older independent operations, known primarily for its pizzerias that serve house-brewed beer alongside wood-fired pizza. The combination is one of Asheville's most reliable casual dining experiences and the beer — particularly the Rocket Girl Lager and Ninja Porter — is consistently well-made. The brewpub model that Asheville Brewing has executed for over two decades is the template that a dozen subsequent operators in the city have followed.
6. Sierra Nevada, Mills River (near Asheville)
Sierra Nevada's eastern U.S. facility, opened in 2014 in Mills River just outside Asheville, is one of the most significant brewing investments in the southeast. The brewery produces the full Sierra Nevada portfolio for eastern distribution and operates its own taproom, restaurant, and outdoor recreation facilities on a large campus that incorporates sustainable design and renewable energy. Torpedo Extra IPA, Pale Ale, and a range of seasonal and small-batch beers are produced here. The facility's presence has amplified Asheville's beer tourism profile and provided a technical benchmark that benefits the entire regional scene.
7. Catawba Valley Brewing, Asheville
Catawba was founded in Glen Alpine, North Carolina in 1999 before establishing its Asheville presence, making it one of the region's original craft operations. The Asheville South Slope taproom is among the district's most visited. White Zombie White Ale and Firewater IPA are the flagship brands; the seasonal range includes genuinely creative limited releases that have earned Catawba recognition beyond its hometown base.
8. Green Man Brewery, Asheville
Green Man, founded in 1997, is another of Asheville's original craft producers and focuses on British-influenced cask and keg ales — ESB, IPA, and Stout — that maintain a traditional sensibility in a scene increasingly dominated by American-influenced hop-forward styles. The Woolly Booger ESB and Irish Stout have been in the range for most of the brewery's history. Green Man's longevity and stylistic consistency make it a reference point for what Asheville's beer culture looked like before the current boom.
9. French Broad Brewing, Asheville
French Broad Brewing occupies a large facility in the River Arts District and has built a loyal following through consistent quality and an atmospheric taproom space. The Wee Heavy Scotch Ale and Day Hiker Pale Ale are core products; the seasonal and small-batch range is inventive. French Broad's location in the River Arts District — Asheville's gallery and studio concentration — makes it a natural stop for arts-focused visitors.
10. Oskar Blues (Brevard/Asheville area)
Oskar Blues, the Colorado brewery famous for canning Dale's Pale Ale in 2002 and proving canned craft beer viable, opened its Carolina facility in Brevard, NC (near Asheville) in 2012. The facility serves the eastern US market with the full Oskar Blues range and operates its own taproom. Dale's Pale Ale, Pinner IPA, and Ten FIDY Imperial Stout in their canned formats are benchmarks of the American craft tradition.
Explore on the map
Asheville's South Slope district has one of the highest brewery concentrations in the American southeast, with Highland, Burial, Hi-Wire, and Catawba all within walking distance. Open the map to plan your Asheville beer route and find the opening hours and taproom details for every brewery on this list.