Asheville Beer Scene & Brewery Tours

Visitor Guide to "Beer City USA"

⏱ Half day to evening👤 All ages$$

Few cities of its size can rival Asheville's craft-beer culture. The city and surrounding Buncombe County boast one of the highest numbers of breweries per capita in the country, and Asheville has repeatedly been crowned "Beer City USA." It's a genuine pillar of the local identity and a major reason many visitors come.

The scene has deep roots and impressive range. Highland Brewing, founded in the 1990s, was the pioneer that helped start it all. Today, downtown and especially the South Slope district (a walkable cluster of breweries just south of the center) are packed with taprooms from acclaimed independents — names like Burial, Wicked Weed, Hi-Wire, Green Man, and many more — spanning every style from hazy IPAs to sours and stouts. The Asheville area is also notable for hosting the East Coast operations of two of America's biggest craft brewers: Sierra Nevada's expansive brewery and taproom in nearby Mills River (with tours, a restaurant, and grounds) and New Belgium's riverside brewery in the River Arts District area — both major destinations in their own right.

You can experience the scene two ways. Independently: wander the walkable South Slope and downtown taprooms, sampling as you go (it's easy to brewery-hop on foot). Or on a guided brewery tour: numerous local operators offer tours that include tastings at several breweries, transport between them (so no one has to drive), and the history and behind-the-scenes stories of the city's beer culture — a fun, safe, and informative way to dive in. Either way, it's a quintessential Asheville experience for beer lovers. (Confirm current taproom and tour operations, as some businesses in riverside areas were affected by Hurricane Helene in 2024.)