Between the type of drinks people order and the vibe, Asheville nightlife is completely different than anything I’ve seen before. There are more breweries, cideries, and tasting rooms than dancing bars or clubs. Even though there are a lot of them, most of the breweries do not stay open very late. Also, the bars that are open late are very casual and do not seem to have a dress code. I saw women in heels and sneakers, jeans and dresses all vibing to the same music.
All of the bars and breweries have a water station. It seems like an Asheville “Must-Have”. Also, no matter how crowded each spot was, we did not have to wait very long to be served. A commonality between the between the breweries is the attention to detail in their bathrooms. They each had a little shelf in the stalls for drinks and most had a way to open the door with your foot.
Wineries
Breweries & Cideries
- Riverside Rhapsody
- Zillicoah Beer Company
- Dissolvr
- Wicked Weed Brewing Pub
- New Belgium Brewing
- Wedge Brewing Co.
- Noble Cider
Bars
- Getaway River Bar
- Lazy Diamond
- Tiger Mountain
- Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar
- The Montford
Wineries
Souther Williams Vineyard
Location: Hendersonville, NC
Overall Rating: 8/10
I did not realize they had wineries all over the USA. This spot is gorgeous and has a really beautifully designed tasting room. For aesthetic and vibes, they would get a 10/10.
When I was younger, I did not understand why people would talk about “bad wine” because it all tasted great to me. As my palette has matured, I am starting to understand there are types of wine that are not my favorites.
At SW, there were a lot of peppery wines and those are my least favorite. We ordered the flight which had wines pre-selected. If I went again, I would try to order something on my own and see if I liked it better.
*Noble Cider listed below is also a meadery
Breweries & Cideries
Riverside Rhapsody
Location: Woodfin, NC
Overall Rating: 8/10
A cute brewery that has delicious food. They are popular for their IPAs. Riverside Rhapsody is in Woodfin on a busy road, so it would be impossible to walk to another brewery. Also, we went to this brewery twice. The first time, we did not enjoy any of the beers. They tasted flat, but that must have been an off day for them. The second time, we all really enjoyed our beers. It was like night and day.
Zillicoah Beer Company
Location: Woodfin, NC
Overall Rating: 10/10
Out of all of the local breweries, Zillicoah was my favorite. They have a ton of places to sit: indoors, outdoors under an awning, and outdoors on the grass. Both times, we went for their Blues Jam Session on Sundays. The musicians were very talented. Also, their beer list was bigger and more diverse in types of beer than other breweries.
Dissolvr
Location: Downtown Asheville
Overall Rating: 9/10
We stopped in Dissolvr because we needed to figure out our next move and I am so happy we did. I tried their Screamo Engine – Cheesecake Sour with Blackberry, Passionfruit, Cinnamon, Vanilla, & Cheesecake. It was the most unique flavor I have ever had in a beer. It was not super sweet and not super sour. The flavor was just perfect. They also had indoor and outdoor seating, games, and events.
Wicked Weed Brewing Pub
Location: Downtown Asheville
Overall Rating: 9/10
As much as they frustrate me, I do enjoy when breweries have set flights. I wish there was always an option to create-your-own, but when they curate the flight, I am forced to try beer I never would have before. At Wicked Weed, I came to the realization that I enjoy sour beer.
I wish the menu online had the beer flight options. So I could try different types of beer, I ordered the mixed flight. I remember that I had the Iron Lady (intense hop aromas and rich chocolate malt flavors), the Kiwi-Strawberry Burst (session sour loaded with kiwi and strawberries), and I think Genesis (American sour ale bursting with mango, papaya, pineapple, and guava. Huge tropical flavor & aroma). These are the ones I remember because the fourth option was the beer I did not enjoy.
There was indoor and outdoor seating with table service and a separate bar area for standing. I enjoyed the décor and the massive chalkboard menu.
New Belgium Brewing
Location: River Arts District
Overall Rating: 10/10
We went to New Belgium Brewing two times. The first time, we went in the middle of the day in the middle of the week in June. The outdoor section was under construction and the place was fairly empty. We ordered a flight and this was the first time I tried a sour. Whenever we were out and it was on the menu, I ordered the Mimosa Sour for the rest of the trip.
The second time we went, it was the Sunday afternoon of Labor Day Weekend. The sun was shining, the outdoor section was open, and the place was packed. This time, I only ordered my Mimosa Sour. It has since become one of my favorite beers. Previously, I didn’t really have a favorite beer.
Wedge Brewing Co.
Location: Downtown Asheville
Overall Rating: 9/10
We stumbled into Wedge while waiting for our table to be ready for dinner on a Friday evening. The décor was very hipster and artsy. The place was almost empty, but that did not stop us and it never will. Sometimes, it is about timing and not about the quality of the product. I ordered the AOB Stout and was not left disappointed.
Noble Cider
Location: Downtown Asheville
Overall Rating:
We went to Noble Cider on our trip in June because we love mead. Each of us ordered a flight with different ciders and meads and had completely different reactions to them. Personally, I thought their mead was too sweet. On the other hand, my boyfriend and his mother loved it! There were some very unique flavors of ciders as well. Our favorite was a seasonal blueberry cider.
Bars
Getaway River Bar
Location: Woodfin, NC
Overall Rating: 8/10
Their vibe is cool. They are 100% about inclusivity and kindness which is important to remember before you walk in. Once inside, the bar could be confused with a biker bar. It was a great way to have the feeling of going to a biker bar in a safe way. We went on Karaoke Night and everyone was so supportive to each singer, despite how they sounded. The beer was so cheap we all did a double take. Also, their water faucet was the cutest of them all (see pictured below).
Lazy Diamond
Location: Downtown Asheville
Overall Rating: 5/10
When your staff is rude, there is no way I am going to like your establishment. This bar has signs and decorations for one brand of beer and when my friend tried to order it, the bartender rudely said they don’t sell it. Also, the person next to us was hogging the menu, so we didn’t even have a chance to check. I am confused by this spot because the reason we went was for old arcade games. We didn’t see a single one. We drank our beer as quickly as possible and left immediately.
Tiger Mountain
Location: Downtown Asheville
Overall Rating: 10/10
The nightlife in Asheville is this bar. As long as you are a decent human and tip your bartenders, you will be just fine. There is a pool table and a stage. There are also cute booths in the back. They sell alcoholic slushies and jello shots. We came to this bar thinking there would be more dancing, but we enjoyed the music.
Because there is only one hot nightlife spot in Asheville, this bar attracts all different types of people. It was very interesting getting to know some of them. It seemed like most people were talking to strangers, so if that is not your vibe, don’t come here. Sometimes they have live music and a cover, but you’d have to check ahead of time.
Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar
Location: Downtown Asheville
Overall Rating: 9/10
An extremely classy joint. We came here twice because it is such a cool experience. Tell the hostess that you want to walk around with your drink. We loved walking around and checking out books while boozing. The first time, we were seated outside to order. The second time, we knew better, and asked to be seated inside. The tables are gorgeous and placed right in the middle of the bookcases. I would only go here for one drink since it was a little more expensive, but the experience makes it worth it.
The Montford Rooftop Bar
Location: Downtown Asheville
Overall Rating: 9/10
Going to a rooftop bar while you are in Asheville is a “must-see”. The mountains are gorgeous and there are a few options of bars. We chose the Montford based on reviews. You need a reservation for most of the roof-tops because they are so popular. If there was ever a bar to dress up for to take a picture, it would be these. When we went, it was during a heat wave, so we could not sit outside. I wish we went again on a cool day to really be able to soak in the views.
Challenge
Allow yourself to do something “touristy” in your home city. We always try to live like the locals, but if we only do that, we may be missing out on some really cool opportunities. There is a reason they are touristy.
