Beer is everywhere in Asheville North Carolina. From local retailer stores, to bars, to benefits, to festivals; craft beer is king around here. Looking for and finding a great beer is not that difficult in our town, but here is a good road map to get your started on some beer bar hopping.
Note to businesses: Just because you have a bar, and you serve beer, does not mean you have a "beer bar" at your establishment. A certain vibe and following must be there too. If your bar only has 3 seats, we did not consider it. The places listed have a decent size bar, and also room to grow the party if necessary. We know many of you may have favorites and love others not listed here. That is why we allow your comments below. Please tell us where you have been in the Asheville area, and what experiences you have had. Also, sometimes when businesses have 2 locations, our experiences are better at one than the other, so we have specified. Unlike our last blog post, these are not necessarily in our order of favorites.
Note to businesses: Just because you have a bar, and you serve beer, does not mean you have a "beer bar" at your establishment. A certain vibe and following must be there too. If your bar only has 3 seats, we did not consider it. The places listed have a decent size bar, and also room to grow the party if necessary. We know many of you may have favorites and love others not listed here. That is why we allow your comments below. Please tell us where you have been in the Asheville area, and what experiences you have had. Also, sometimes when businesses have 2 locations, our experiences are better at one than the other, so we have specified. Unlike our last blog post, these are not necessarily in our order of favorites.
1. Barleys Taproom - this is the ultimate beer bar experiences with taps, one after another, along a long wall, just staring at you. Add some pizza or some of the many other plates available and its a wrap! Live entertainment regularly, pool tables and darts upstairs, and a whole line of other brews on tap on the 2nd level. WOW. Make sure you ask to try the Bruisin Ales tap while you are here. Oh, and there are a total of 42 Taps! WOOT!
2. Garage at Biltmore - great beer experiences here, usually 4 local brews on tap. Lots of music events also. They are also attached to the French Broad Brewery which carries one of our favorite local brews.. Wee Heavier.
3. Thirsty Monk Downtown - lots of beer and a great atmosphere. Huge selection of Belgian beers and hard to find stuff. Nice corner location in downtown AVL.
4. Asheville Pizza Company North - a nice beer bar strip, and tables all around. Several brews on tap at all times. Pizza and many other items available on the menu. A movie theater where you can eat and drink craft beer, and a nice sized video game room is all part of this establishment. Great place for the family, several options, even split up for a few hours inside.
5. Arcade Asheville - this place is new on the scene and already setting the beer bar atmosphere. Great place for the family and then for the after party when it turns into a dance party on the weekends. It is a big arcade with 2 levels of gaming, and a nice front patio area that is going to explode this Spring.
6. Lab Brewery - great higher end beer bar atmosphere with the brewery showing through the glass. The menu also offers many options to go with your brew. Weekly entertainment includes live music. The Sweet Peas Hostel is located right above this establishment.
7. Green Man Brewery - we are talking about Dirty Jacks. This is one of our favorite hidden small brewery bars in the area. Outdoor smoking patio also provided. Best Porter around!
8. Burgermeisters - this restaurant has beer written all over it. Great atmosphere, many food selections, and awesome burgers too! You just have to drink craft beer on tap with this food. I enjoy the local taps here regularly.
9. Highland Brewing - of course the King of breweries in Asheville is going to show out with a new large tasting room with beer coming from every direction. The official grand opening of the new tasting room was just the other day. Live music every week, "tasting room only" beers on tap, and food sometimes available.
10. Bier Garden - being right in the middle of the downtown area, Bier Garden offers over 100 different brews from local to regional and awesome imports too. Jackson, one of their head bartenders has won Best Bartender in WNC.
11. Nine Mile - even though their bar may be the smallest one on this list, it holds a great local craft beer vibe. The food here is and incredible fusion and goes really well with the beer options too.
12. Wedge - we really enjoyed the setting in this building even though the bar was a little tight. Outdoor seating facing the railroad tracks. They are a brewery located in the River Arts District of Asheville. Packed out every time I stopped by, and a favorite of many. Great Pilsner! (most micro and craft breweries don't make pilsner beer.)
13. Ed Bourdeax –good BBQ and a great beer selection. Everything from Boulder beer to locals and imports.
14. Tollivers - the Irish pub of west Asheville. Lot of great beer selections on tap and in the bottle. They also have a full menu.
15. Hannah Flanagans - awesome Irish pub in the heart of downtown Asheville. They actually carry every Highland Brewing Co. beer on tap! Old school Irish pub with awesome outdoor seating in the summer time with live music. Food also available.
16. Scully's – great neighborhood bar feel with an awesome beer selection on tap and in the bottle. Friendly bartenders and always a good crowd on the weekends and after 10pm. Food also available.
Special shoutout to the Root Bar which is a great beer bar that is located about 10 minutes East of downtown Asheville.
Special shoutout to the Root Bar which is a great beer bar that is located about 10 minutes East of downtown Asheville.
Special thanks to Bruisin Ales who is the beer retail headquarters of Asheville and Western North Carolina with 900+ craft brews available by the bottle or case. Also thanks to Skyland Distributing for being the main distribution center for many great beer in the AVL community.
Thanks to @TheSavvyEater and @GSocialMedia for gathering some of this information!
Photo above of and by @EdgyMama
