Asheville is such a great getaway to take if you’ve never been. If you live in the South, and really anywhere up and down the east coast, it’s a fairly easy trip from so many places. Living in Atlanta, it’s just a three and a half hour drive. The perfect amount of time to do a weekend with friends without feeling like you’re wasting your day away on a long road trip. This North Carolina city is a really fun place to visit with friends, family and even as a couple’s getaway. There’s so much to explore from the incredible food scene, to music, the arts, hikes and other outdoor activities in the nearby Appalachian mountains. And my personal favorite, lots of incredible breweries. Which was one of my favorite parts about visiting this super walkable mountain town.
Known as The Land Of The Sky, Asheville North Carolina is a must-visit destination. And visiting the breweries is probably the number one activity I’d recommend to anyone who is checking this off their travel bucket list. Here are some of the best Asheville breweries to visit.
Asheville Breweries To Visit
There are so many Asheville breweries you can visit when you head to this charming city. There’s something for everyone and you really can’t go wrong. Many have tasting rooms where you can try a flight of beers while hanging outside enjoying the often beautiful weather in this part of the country. Come hungry as well since lots of breweries have beer gardens allowing you to sit, hang and order some food. Browse each brewery in this list to find one that works for you personal beer preferences (sour beers, IPAs, or something more classic like a Kolsch!) and also your food preference!
From food trucks, to pizza, and more, there’s something for everyone at one of the many breweries in Asheville NC. And don’t forget about the entertainment. Live music can be found at many breweries so plan your days (or nights) accordingly. And for the four-legged friend in your life, many are dog friendly. As a matter of fact, much of this city is which is another reason why I loved it so much!
Get around the city by walking and plan out a few breweries that are near one another. Or make sure to have a designated driver, or grab an Uber.
Wicked Weed Brewing
This was one of the breweries in Asheville I was dying to visit. I was introduced to sour beers recently and fell in love with them. Wicked Weed is known for its high quality sour beers among other beer selections they have on tap. Today’s photos are all from Wicked Weed’s Asheville location which was just walking distance from the hotel we stayed at, the AC Hotel right in downtown. They also offer a food menu so you can have a bite while doing a beer flight to taste all your favorites and discover new ones.
Wicked Weed has a few different places you can visit. Head to Brewpub which is where it all began and is downtown. Or head to Funkatorium which is their house of funky beers like their sours and more, which is located in the South Slope of Asheville. Both have food, Biergarten and are dog friendly on the patios.
New Belgium Brewing
Located in the River Arts District, New Belgium Brewing is known for its flagship brew, Fat Tire. Fun fact, this is a beer I used to drink in high school! We apparently had very elevated taste buds back then. They do tastings and brewery tours. And make sure to come hungry as there’s a rotating schedule of food trucks that come in from the area to serve up delicious food for guests.
French Broad River Brewing
This Asheville brewery has been serving up quality craft beers since 2001. This is one of the oldest breweries in the Asheville beer town too. French Broad River Brewing serves up traditional beers like Kolsch, but also have IPAs and small batch seasonal items too. You can grab a slice of French Broad River Pizza while you’re here as they’re right next door. Make an evening out of it with live music too!
Wicked Weed and quite a few other places we found were very dog friendly. We found this little guy who had the cutest goatee or maybe it was more like a fumanchu. Whatever it was, he was adorable and photo worthy. I of course had to find out what he was because he looked a lot like my sister’s Airedale but softer. He was half Airedale half lab. So adorable. There were also two cute boxers that sat behind us the whole time. I may have turned around at least 100 times to pet them.
Sierra Nevada
For a larger, more traditional tap room and brewery, we all know Sierra Nevada. But they also serve up tastings of their kombucha in the taproom. Grab bites from poutine to pizza to make it an afternoon of fun.
Wedge Brewing Company
There are several locations of Wedge that you can visit around Asheville. Mostly traditional style beers, but they do play around with some more funky brews like sours (try the passionfruit blackberry sour), hazy and seltzers. Explore some fun drafts in their tasting room. Grab something to eat at the food trucks that park here for the day!
Burial Beer Co.
There are two locations of Burial Beer Co, either South Slope or Forest Camp in Asheville. This brewery serves up lagers, pilsners, IPAs, ciders and so much more. Plus, a pretty decent food menu including brunch! Not sure how I feel about pancakes and beer, but hey, if you’re up for it, they’ve got it.
Catawba Brewing Company
Visit either the South Slope or Biltmore Village location to try this brewery out and do a tasting. They’re a newer taproom in the city having just opened in 2015 (South Slope) and 2017 (Biltmore Village). Try their beers and hard seltzers on their dog-friendly patios. Some of their year-round favorites are the Clear Ridge IPA and White Zombie white ale. I do not believe this brewery offers any food, so keep this in mind when visiting.
Green Man Brewery
Asheville’s first ever taproom, Green Man Brewery is a must visit. This taproom and brewery is great to have a beer, watch a soccer game (they’re known for showing the games on their big screen TVs) and enjoy some great food. As always in this city it seems, bring your pups to the patio! Not a drinker? They have their very own Root Beer, non-alcoholic of course, that’s supposed to be delicious!
Dssolvr Brewery
Located in downtown Asheville, you’re welcomed by the big oak doors in front which are original to the building from 1928. This brewery is bold and fun with a rotating list of great beers and lots of options. They allow dogs as well on the heated patio which is great for cooler days. If you’re hungry, you can bring your own outside food. They do offer a few snacks like popcorn and chips.
There’s so much to see and do in Asheville. You can check out my Asheville travel guide below where I share more of my favorite restaurants and things to see and do. This city is truly a gem full of incredible food, award winning chefs and more.
