Asheville Beer Scene Tours, Tastings, & Tips

Top ways to experience Asheville's craft brew scene

With more than 50 brewery locations, Asheville has so much for the beer lover or casual beer enthusiast to explore.

Here are unique ways to experience the beer scene in Asheville: Beer City USA.

Top 12 Ways to Explore the Beer Scene in Asheville, NC

1. Asheville Brews Cruise

   Get a behind-the-scenes tour of what's happening in Beer City USA. The Brews Cruise is your all-access pass and comes with your very own designated driver! You can also check out City Brew Tours with exciting behind the scene tours that begin and end in downtown Asheville.

2. Get Funky

   Take a trip down to the Funkatorium, a new and unusual tasting room by the brewers at Wicked Weed. Here you can sample trendy sour and wild beers, which often have more in common with wine than with their hoppy counterparts. Order eats off a tasting menu designed specifically to pair with these bold flavors.

3. Move & Booze

   Also known for an active outdoor scene, it’s no wonder that Asheville offers beer tastings for folks on the move. Grab some buddies and pedal your way around Asheville on the Amazing Pubcycle—part touring trolley, part bike, part party bus. 

4. Mountain Boogie

   Pisgah Brewing Company in Black Mountain jams all summer long with their outdoor concert series. Grab a Frisbee and enjoy a pint of their popular Pisgah Pale Ale under the open sky. Just be sure to leave Fido at home.

5. Go Nano

   And you thought micro-brews were all the rage. Check out the nano-brews served up at Thirsty Monk. Brewing smaller batches allows more flexibility to create unique concoctions like Coconut Porter, Cherry Chocolate Stout and their Scotland TrainWreck IPA. This menu changes constantly so you never know what they'll come up with next.

6. Mountains to Sea

   Bringing the ocean a little closer to the mountains, Oyster House Brewing Company creates quality craft beer in various styles, including their award winning "Moonstone Stout", which is a special brew where oysters (shell and all) are included as an ingredient. You won't get the actual taste of oysters from the beer, but it does provide hints of sea salt, calcium and other minerals that become part of the overall flavor. Oyster House Brewing Company (which also offers a full food menu) is located at 625 Haywood Rd in West Asheville and features a 5 bbl brewhouse, 12 taps and 2 cask beer engines. Their beers are also available exclusively downtown at The Lobster Trap, which is where the brewery was originally founded.

7. Feel the Burn

   Visit Asheville Brewing Company in downtown Asheville for their unique Fire Escape Ale. Brewed with smoked jalapenos, this brew has offers a bit of a bite and a particularly piquant finish. Can't stand the heat? Check out their Rocket Girl Lager, a local favorite.

8. Movie Night

   Sip on an Iron Rail IPA while watching a cult-hit flick at Wedge Brewery in the River Arts District. Bring a chair and enjoy their outdoor theater experience right by the train tracks. Or, take it indoors and catch a movie at the Asheville Pizza and Brewing in north Asheville. 

9. Filtered Flavor

   Shake it up a bit. No not your beer, just the flavor. French Broad Brewing creates unique batches of brew using a Randall filter. This gives them the ability to add roasted almonds to their brown ale or lavender to their porter.

10. Fly South

    Asheville’s South Slope, a fast-growing district located on the edge of downtown, has been dubbed by some as Asheville’s brewing district. Head down here to find great new beers at Burial Beer Co., Twin Leaf Brewery, and Hi-Wire Brewing. Or catch up with some of Asheville’s original favorites at Green Man Brewery, known to the locals as "Dirty Jack’s."

11. Keeping it Classy

    If dive bars aren't your scene, take it up a notch, or at least up a mountain. The Grove Park Inn serves up their very own brew, The Great Gatsby Abbey. Created by Highland Brewing, you can enjoy a pint while taking in the sunset view from the Great Hall Bar.

12. Biltmore Beer

    Biltmore is well-known for their wines, but they also serve up their own signature beers. While visiting the estate, head over to Cedric's Tavern in Antler Hill Village for the Cedric's Brown Ale with hints of toasted caramel or their Pale Ale.