My friends and I made a 2025 New Year’s resolution: Support our local economy by selflessly going to Asheville breweries. A different one every Wednesday. All year long. In the order they opened.
There are, after all, 52 weeks in the year and about 52 breweries in the area — all of which would probably appreciate some post-Helene support.
First up: Asheville’s oldest, Highland Brewing.
Perched on a hilltop off Old Charlotte Highway in East Asheville, Highland was established in 1994 in a downtown basement by retired engineer Oscar Wong. The company moved to its current location in 2006 and is now run by Wong’s daughter, Leah Wong Ashburn, who has not only maintained but elevated the company over the past decade, expanding the taproom’s footprint and amenities, refreshing its branding and adding a downtown outpost at S&W Market.
When my friends and I arrived at the brewery on New Year’s Day, we first noticed that there were almost as many dogs as there were people. Had we stumbled upon some sort of theme night? The Asheville Tourists host Doggies at the Diamond games — was this Puppies at the Pub?
Full disclosure: I don’t generally love other people’s dogs. I mean, my dog is spectacular, but I don’t need to be besties with yours. So, I wasn’t sure how this was going to go. Thankfully, all the pups were super well-behaved and friendly.
The space was great, as always. In warmer weather, we would have enjoyed the brewery’s Meadow or Rooftop Bar areas. But for a chilly winter’s day, we stayed inside the main taproom, which is somehow both spacious and cozy — able to accommodate large crowds without feeling crowded.
And the beer? I have to admit that I stopped buying Highland beer at the store years ago because so many intriguing (gimmicky?) new beers stole my attention. But getting a Highland Oatmeal Porter on tap at the production facility is like running into my best friend from high school and picking up right where we left off.
Overall, what the Highland beers may lack in weirdness, they more than make up for in quality. The porter paired perfectly with the Firebird grilled cheese sandwich from the Melt Your Heart food truck outside the taproom. Yum. My friends mostly grabbed IPAs — all of which are great.
After we settled in at a high-top table, we toasted Jimmy Carter — the first centenarian U.S. president — then launched into a deep discussion of Tropical Storm Helene recovery efforts around Western North Carolina.
These are big topics, and they’re best discussed with good friends and good beer. On my way out, I grabbed a variety pack of Cold Mountain Winter Ale.
Our next stop is Green Man Brewing at Jack of the Wood. Join us if you like.
Christopher Arbor is a beer-loving native North Carolinian, who has lived in the Asheville area since 1998. He describes himself as someone who “wears Carhartts and Chacos, drives a Subaru, loves the outdoors and embraces other such Asheville stereotypes.” He teaches social studies at Omega Middle School.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.