Twenty hopping years in Western North Carolina’s beer history

1993: Smoky Mountain Brewery opens in Waynesville. It closes one year later. 1994: Oscar Wong and John McDermott start Highland Brewing Company in the basement of Barley's Taproom in downtown Asheville. 1997: The Blue Rooster, Asheville's first brewpub, opens next to Barley's featuring Highland beers exclusively. It closes a year later. Asheville Beer Week Events […]