Asheville Brewery Tour Guide
Asheville, North Carolina, is a great city for beer. It has recently gained popularity for its locally brewed beers and has attracted a few national breweries to the region. If you live in the South, this is a great city to tour and taste the many, varied offerings. Also, there are a few towns nearby that are worth checking out. About 30 minutes to the west is Brevard and maybe 15 minutes to the east is Black Mountain. Not to mention the many other towns worth visiting in the vicinity.
I prefer to start in Brevard and then head over to Asheville. The breweries in Brevard are open earlier so you can get the most out of a day trip. I suggest checking each place's website for hours for their tasting room as well as tour hours. I've attached my map with some places pinned on it. It helps so make a driving plan so you're not going all over town. Downtown Asheville traffic can get difficult, especially on a busy Saturday.
Be sure to have a designated driver for this! Also, I highly recommend sharing your tastings with someone. This saves money and your alcohol consumption.
63 E. Main Street
http://www.brevard-brewing.com
They have a large space and are ok with people bringing their own food in. I suggest, if you're there early, bringing in some lunch to have with the samples.
Oskar Blues
342 Mountain Industrial Dr.
http://brew.oskarblues.com/breweries/brevard/tasty-weasel/
This place can be difficult to find so be sure to get good directions. But it's worth finding! A fun, laid back atmosphere with a barrel of peanuts to snack on. They also have weekly small batch barrels with unique flavors they try out. Last time I saw a Banana Nut beer.
Peaks & Creeks
212 King St
peaksandcreeksbrewingco.com
This brewery is in a neat area of Brevard called the Lumber Yard. It has my favorite salvage yard (Underground Salvage), a good restaurant (Magpie Meat & Three), and some other fun shops. They're new to Brevard, having moved from another part of North Carolina. Nice people and good beers.
Square Root
Brevard: 33 Times Arcade Alley
Hendersonville: 111 S. Main Street
http://www.squarerootrestaurant.com/
One of my favorite restaurants in the Asheville/Brevard area. Not a brewery but they carry local beers. They will even do 4 oz pours of beer during lunch, if you want to incorporate this into your tour.
12 Old Charlotte Highway
http://www.highlandbrewing.com/brewery-tours
Highlands is the oldest brewery in Asheville. They have a great outdoor and indoor space for concerts and events. Sometimes they have food trucks park to sell their food. Be aware on the weekends that they can get busy. You may have to get there early to sign up for a tour. We signed up for one tour, then went over to French Broad Brewing to taste, then went back to Highlands in time for the tour.
The Wedge
125B Roberts St
http://www.wedgebrewing.com
In the River Arts District. Another popular hang out for beer and food. They also have a couple corn hole games for people to play. The Wedge only serves beer but they usually have a food truck parked in their lot to serve food. You could also bring your own food if you wanted. Parking can be tricky but, if you're willing to walk some, it's not too difficult.
Green Man
27 Buxton Ave
http://www.greenmanbrewery.com
I haven't been able to visit this place yet. I hear it's neat but I had a difficult time finding it. Next time!
French Broad
101 Fairview Rd # D
http://frenchbroadbrewery.com
A cool little place right near the Biltmore Village. Their beer was pretty good too. It's pretty small so it can be hit-or-miss on getting a place to sit.
Wicked Weed
91 Biltmore Ave
www.wickedweedbrewing.com/
Really good food and beer. The place was packed when we went. It looked pretty popular. But it's worth trying to go to if you're in the area.
Thirsty Monk
Multiple locations
http://www.monkpub.com
Not a brewery but a good place to try new beers. The location downtown Asheville, has a basement that can be less crowded than the main level. Also the basement focus is on Belgium beers.
A few others have opened since this original post: Sierra Nevada has a brewery outside of Asheville. Worth going just to scope the place out. We call it the Biltmore of breweries. Be prepared - it gets crazy busy!
New Belgium has also opened an Asheville brewery. It's across the river from The Wedge. They have a wide selection of beers that you are not able to find bottled or canned.
The South Slope of Asheville has become a neat place to find small breweries and good restaurants. A few of them:
Hi-Wire Brewing
Twin Leaf
Wicked Weed's Funkatorium
Burial Beer (one of my favorite outdoor spaces at a brewery)
Also check out Tasty Beverage Company. A beverage shop with a growler station and great selection of local beers. Take some home with you!
RJ Rockers
226a west main
http://www.rjrockers.com
Greenville
Thomas Creek - south of downtown Greenville
2054 Piedmont Hwy
thomascreekbeer.com
Blue Ridge Brewing - I think they moved to downtown Greer. Check their website for their new location.
Restaurant and brewery. Outdoor seating.
blueridgebrewing.com
13 Stripes
in Taylors, SC, north of Greenville - located in a renovated Mill with other shops and vendors.
http://www.13stripesbrewery.com/
There are some new breweries popping up in Greenville as well.
I-85 Brewing, right off of I-85 south of Greenville.
Quest Brewing, near the Greenville Downtown Airport
Swamp Rabbit Brewery, in Travelers Rest. When we went, they gave us a glass when we paid for a tasting. Check out Travelers Rest while there. It's a great little town. The Community Tap, isn't a brewery but is a good place to try beers and purchase some to take home.
For our last day tour, we started in Brevard at Oskar Blues. Then headed over to Brevard Brewing and had a "picnic" lunch. Then drove to Asheville and hit Highlands and French Broad. Then finished at Wicked Weed. We didn't stay over night. Just drove up and back in a day from Columbia.
Another option: Start in Brevard at Brevard Brewing then lunch at Square Root and then going to Oskar Blues. Then head downtown Asheville for Wicked Weed, Thirsty Monk and/or Green Man. Then finish at The Wedge with dinner from a food truck.
Any way you do it, have fun and be safe!
https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=ze0L_n4hfBX8.kc18uY-j27JI
I prefer to start in Brevard and then head over to Asheville. The breweries in Brevard are open earlier so you can get the most out of a day trip. I suggest checking each place's website for hours for their tasting room as well as tour hours. I've attached my map with some places pinned on it. It helps so make a driving plan so you're not going all over town. Downtown Asheville traffic can get difficult, especially on a busy Saturday.
Be sure to have a designated driver for this! Also, I highly recommend sharing your tastings with someone. This saves money and your alcohol consumption.
Brevard
Brevard Brewing Company63 E. Main Street
http://www.brevard-brewing.com
They have a large space and are ok with people bringing their own food in. I suggest, if you're there early, bringing in some lunch to have with the samples.
Oskar Blues
342 Mountain Industrial Dr.
http://brew.oskarblues.com/breweries/brevard/tasty-weasel/
This place can be difficult to find so be sure to get good directions. But it's worth finding! A fun, laid back atmosphere with a barrel of peanuts to snack on. They also have weekly small batch barrels with unique flavors they try out. Last time I saw a Banana Nut beer.
Peaks & Creeks
212 King St
peaksandcreeksbrewingco.com
This brewery is in a neat area of Brevard called the Lumber Yard. It has my favorite salvage yard (Underground Salvage), a good restaurant (Magpie Meat & Three), and some other fun shops. They're new to Brevard, having moved from another part of North Carolina. Nice people and good beers.
Square Root
Brevard: 33 Times Arcade Alley
Hendersonville: 111 S. Main Street
http://www.squarerootrestaurant.com/
One of my favorite restaurants in the Asheville/Brevard area. Not a brewery but they carry local beers. They will even do 4 oz pours of beer during lunch, if you want to incorporate this into your tour.
Asheville
Highlands Brewing Company12 Old Charlotte Highway
http://www.highlandbrewing.com/brewery-tours
Highlands is the oldest brewery in Asheville. They have a great outdoor and indoor space for concerts and events. Sometimes they have food trucks park to sell their food. Be aware on the weekends that they can get busy. You may have to get there early to sign up for a tour. We signed up for one tour, then went over to French Broad Brewing to taste, then went back to Highlands in time for the tour.
The Wedge
125B Roberts St
http://www.wedgebrewing.com
In the River Arts District. Another popular hang out for beer and food. They also have a couple corn hole games for people to play. The Wedge only serves beer but they usually have a food truck parked in their lot to serve food. You could also bring your own food if you wanted. Parking can be tricky but, if you're willing to walk some, it's not too difficult.
Green Man
27 Buxton Ave
http://www.greenmanbrewery.com
I haven't been able to visit this place yet. I hear it's neat but I had a difficult time finding it. Next time!
French Broad
101 Fairview Rd # D
http://frenchbroadbrewery.com
A cool little place right near the Biltmore Village. Their beer was pretty good too. It's pretty small so it can be hit-or-miss on getting a place to sit.
Wicked Weed
91 Biltmore Ave
www.wickedweedbrewing.com/
Really good food and beer. The place was packed when we went. It looked pretty popular. But it's worth trying to go to if you're in the area.
Thirsty Monk
Multiple locations
http://www.monkpub.com
Not a brewery but a good place to try new beers. The location downtown Asheville, has a basement that can be less crowded than the main level. Also the basement focus is on Belgium beers.
A few others have opened since this original post: Sierra Nevada has a brewery outside of Asheville. Worth going just to scope the place out. We call it the Biltmore of breweries. Be prepared - it gets crazy busy!
New Belgium has also opened an Asheville brewery. It's across the river from The Wedge. They have a wide selection of beers that you are not able to find bottled or canned.
The South Slope of Asheville has become a neat place to find small breweries and good restaurants. A few of them:
Hi-Wire Brewing
Twin Leaf
Wicked Weed's Funkatorium
Burial Beer (one of my favorite outdoor spaces at a brewery)
Also check out Tasty Beverage Company. A beverage shop with a growler station and great selection of local beers. Take some home with you!
South Carolina Upstate (If you're looking for more)
SpartanburgRJ Rockers
226a west main
http://www.rjrockers.com
Greenville
Thomas Creek - south of downtown Greenville
2054 Piedmont Hwy
thomascreekbeer.com
Blue Ridge Brewing - I think they moved to downtown Greer. Check their website for their new location.
Restaurant and brewery. Outdoor seating.
blueridgebrewing.com
13 Stripes
in Taylors, SC, north of Greenville - located in a renovated Mill with other shops and vendors.
http://www.13stripesbrewery.com/
There are some new breweries popping up in Greenville as well.
I-85 Brewing, right off of I-85 south of Greenville.
Quest Brewing, near the Greenville Downtown Airport
Swamp Rabbit Brewery, in Travelers Rest. When we went, they gave us a glass when we paid for a tasting. Check out Travelers Rest while there. It's a great little town. The Community Tap, isn't a brewery but is a good place to try beers and purchase some to take home.
For our last day tour, we started in Brevard at Oskar Blues. Then headed over to Brevard Brewing and had a "picnic" lunch. Then drove to Asheville and hit Highlands and French Broad. Then finished at Wicked Weed. We didn't stay over night. Just drove up and back in a day from Columbia.
Another option: Start in Brevard at Brevard Brewing then lunch at Square Root and then going to Oskar Blues. Then head downtown Asheville for Wicked Weed, Thirsty Monk and/or Green Man. Then finish at The Wedge with dinner from a food truck.
Any way you do it, have fun and be safe!
https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=ze0L_n4hfBX8.kc18uY-j27JI
Comments
Post a Comment