Thirsty for something local and full of character? North Carolina’s booming brewery scene offers hoppy IPAs, smooth lagers, and mountain-view patios from the mountains to the coast.
If you are in a hurry, I recommend:
Unique North Carolina Breweries:
1. Raleigh Brewing Company
Start your tour at the Raleigh Brewing Company, Wake County’s third largest production brewery that produces over 4,500 bottles of handcrafted brews a year. Featuring a 20bbl and 3bbl brewhouse and a spacious taproom with 32 taps, the locally owned and operated brewery a beer-lover’s haven with a 144-tap North Carolina bar on the lower level, along with a high-end spirits bar, a 222-tap domestic and import bar on the main level, and a small rooftop bar with around 12 taps and fantastic views.
Owned by Kristie Nystedt, the ¬first woman to own a brewery in the state of North Carolina, Raleigh Brewing Company has become the biggest brick and mortar homebrew supply shop on the East Coast and continues to grow from strength to strength.
Raleigh Brewing Company, 3709 Neil St, Raleigh, NC 27607, Phone: 919-400-9086
2. Big Boss Brewing Company
Big Boss Brewing Company focuses on producing a range of flavorful and tasty beers in different styles. Big Boss Brewing Company was founded in 2006 as a collaboration between UNC graduate, Geoff Lamb, and Brewmaster Brad Wynn, who boasts more than 12 of brewing experience including successes with Victory, Wild Goose, and Native Brewing Companies. Located on Wicker Drive in Raleigh, the laid-back brewery focuses on producing a range of flavorful and tasty beers in different styles, including year-round brews like Hell's Belle Belgian Blonde, Bad Penny Brown Ale, Angry Angel Kolsch Style Ale, Blanco Diablo Wit Ale, and High Roller IPA. Seasonal brews include Aces & Ates Coffee Stout, Harvest Time Pumpkin Ale, Big Operator Belgian Black Raspberry, Sack Time Amber Rye and Monkey Bizz-ness Belgian Style Ale. The brewery offers brewery tours every second Saturday of each month, which includes sample beers.
Big Boss Brewing Company, 1249 Wicker Dr, Raleigh, NC 27604, Phone: 919-834-0045
3. Brevard Brewing Company
Brevard Brewing Company is a laid-back, arty microbrewery with a tasting room offering house-made craft beers and live music. Owner and brewer Kyle Williams opened the brewery in downtown Brevard to tap into the community’s thirst for craft beer, which it has done with great success ever since. Located between Kiwi Gelato and Brevard Delicatessen on the Main Street, the brewery offers will be five beers on draft, including an American IPA, an American red ale, an American premium lager, a Munich Dunkel and the flagship brew, Bohemian pilsner, a lower-alcohol brew inspired by European-style lagers. Brevard Brewing Co.is, open Thursday through Sunday and hosts, live music and other artistic events throughout the month.
Brevard Brewing Company, 63 E Main St, Brevard, NC 28712, Phone: 828-885-2101
Date Ideas:
4. Broomtail Craft Brewery
Broomtail Craft Brewery founded by husband and wife team, Barry and Lisa Owings in 2014 through a passion for brewing and with the intent of developing and producing high quality, delicious beer. The warm and welcoming brewery has a tiny taproom and some outdoor space, which makes for a cozy spot in which to taste some of the excellent brews, which boast an equine theme, like the Hay Bale Ale, Moe Beer, Rappe Imperial Stout, Red Roan, Acerbic Ecstasy, and Elysium Bier de Garde. Broomtail Craft Brewery beers can be tasted and purchased in the taproom or can be found in various bars, bottle shops and breweries around town.
Broomtail Craft Brewery , 6404 Amsterdam Way, Wilmington, NC 28405, Phone: 910-264-1369
5. Brown Truck Brewery
Founded by two friends with a combined passion for brewing and love for making beer, Brown Truck Brewery opened to the public in 2016 and has a been a friendly community gathering spot and award-winning brewery ever since. Located in the Uptown district of High Point, the brewery is a community gathering spot with nationally award-winning beer and a friendly, relaxed vibe. Brown Truck features a 10-bbl. Brewing system and all brews are sold on the premises, along with a selection of outsourced cider and wine. Signature beers include No. 4 Saison, No. 10 American Light Lager, No. 14 IPA, No. 19 Belgian Wit, No. 47 Fainting Goat Spirits Saison, all of which can be tasted at the brewery in the taproom and purchased in various bars and restaurants around the state.
Brown Truck Brewery, 1234 N Main St, High Point, NC 27262, Phone: 336-886-1234
6. D9 Brewing Company
Located in the Lake Norman town of Cornelius, North Carolina, the D9 Brewing Company features a 12,000 square foot production brewing and packaging facility that produces 15 draft beers that can be sampled and purchased in the modern taproom, seven days a week. D9 Brewing Company was started by two engineers and a doctor with a mission to offer the community a range of exciting and original crafted ales, and since the launch of their Taming Wild Beasts® in 2017, to become the leading producer of wild fermented beer in the southeastern United States. Other signature beers produced by the brewery include year-round essentials such as Swell Rider, Tangerine Session IPA, Brown Sugar Brown Cow, and Mocha Brown Ale, and sour ales like Viking, Scottish-Style Sour Ale, Whiskers, and Blonde Sour Ale.
D9 Brewing Company , 11138 Treynorth Dr, Cornelius, NC 28031, Phone: 704-457-9368
📔 I get asked this a lot so I decided to include it:
- How has North Carolina’s brewery scene evolved?
- North Carolina’s brewery scene has been on the rise for several years, and the state now boasts the most significant number of craft breweries in The South.
- How many breweries are there in North Carolina?
- There are more than 260 breweries and brewpubs spread around the state.
Map:
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