Beer, Cider, Distilled Beverages

Adventures from Micro to Macro

The Asheville beer industry receives plenty of attention on a national scale, to the point that you may feel a bit daunted by the challenge of navigating the scene once you’re here. With nearly 30 breweries within city limits — and a handful of them operating multiple taprooms — visitors looking to get the most out of their trip should consider trying one of the following approaches:

Maximize Your Time

Downtown Asheville sports six breweries within a few blocks of each other, and you’ll find 10 more in the highly lauded South Slope brewing district just a few blocks away. And while the five breweries in West Asheville aren’t quite as close to one another, the neighborhood sights seen while walking between them are fine consolation prizes.

Tour The Major Players

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in nearby Mills River and New Belgium Brewing Co. in Asheville’s River Arts District are warranted destinations for beer tourists from across the country. Once you’ve locked down your vacation dates, go ahead and reserve your spots for a free tour at these nationally distributed breweries’ East Coast facilities. They fill up fast.

Photo by Katy Luquire courtesy of Urban Orchard Cider

@ urbanorchardciderco

Go Rouge

Not into crowds? Interested in brews that are all but unavailable at downtown bars and taprooms? Weaverville, Fairview and Black Mountain are all short drives away and feature their own distinct brewing scenes. If you want to see what the true microbreweries are up to, enlist a designated driver or ride-share service and go the extra mile — 9-to-16 miles per outing, to be precise. It’s well worth the effort.

Investigate Local Spirits

Distilling is a craft intrinsic to Appalachian culture, and modern Asheville honors that heritage with a flourishing artisan spirits industry. From classic moonshine to small-batch gin, vodka and whiskeys — and even a locally sourced fernet — local distillery tasting rooms offer a broad range of experiences. Though long hampered by North Carolina’s outmoded liquor laws, recent legislation has enabled many local artisans to expand their businesses to include full cocktail bars.

Sip The Ciders

Whether due to personal health or a desire to try something new, odds are good that not everyone in your crew will want to stick solely to beer. Fortunately, neighboring Henderson County is an apple-growing paradise, and the dedication by area beveragemakers to utilize local ingredients has resulted in a robust cider industry. Offerings range from downtown cidery taprooms to at least one cider option at practically every Asheville brewery — including a few house-made varieties by brewers who’ve embraced the fruit.

Visit A Local Bottle Shop

Asheville is home to several well-curated stores where you can stock up on your favorite beverages from the weekend and try out intriguing new options. Best of all, you can sip on a pint while browsing — and, if you get home and want some more, most of the businesses will be happy to mail you additional bottles and cans.

Photo by Luke Van Hine