Asheville NC Weekend Travel Guide: Breweries & Views

A Perfect Getaway that Combines the City, Outdoors, Mountain Views, and Of Course, Beer

Back in March, Jesse and I did a weekend trip to Asheville, North Carolina. This was a birthday trip for Jesse. This article will not be one of our typical hiking and brewery content. But if you are looking for a perfect getaway that combines the city, outdoors, mountain views, and of course, beer, then look no further!

Breweries We Visited in Asheville

We arrived late afternoon to Asheville on a Friday and left on Sunday. During this weekend, we were able to visit two breweries:

Burial Beer Company

Burial Beer Company is located in Asheville’s South Slope area. This brewery is a renovated transmission shop and has been open since 2013. This brewery is spooky but in the best way possible. This brewery combines themes of life and death but not in a depressing way. The main bar area feels like an old cemetery caretaker’s shed. Old tools are the bar taps, a veiled skull mural is on the front of the building, and the beers have moody names like “The Separation of Light and Darkness” and “Hellstar.” From the description, this might seem like a gloomy and bleak brewery. Trust us, it is not!

Spooky but in the Best Way Possible

There is a second building with a rooftop area where you can watch the sun set over the mountains. There is a giant mural of Sloth from The Goonies and Tom Selleck arm and arm, watching over the cozy alleyway that is dotted with string lights. This brewery is also family and dog friendly.

While Jesse and I were here, we tried “Nada,” a Mexican style amber lager, “The Separation of Light and Darkness,” a golden sour ale with Carolina peaches, the “Ocean Swallows the Sun,” a gose with hibiscus and rose hips, and the “One of Us Will Have to Bury the Other,” a Mexican lager. All of these beers were excellent, but I especially enjoyed the gose. Jesse liked the Mexican amber lager, too. In addition, there are non-alcoholic options, wine, a few mixed drinks, and THC sodas.

Burial Beer Company - Beer Menu — Burial Beer Company’s Draft Menu

Highland Brewing

Highland Brewing is a famous Asheville brewery. This company is a powerhouse brewery. We had heard that Highland Brewing was a must-see brewery in Asheville. However, you can’t quite grasp the scope of this brewery until you visit. It is quite literally the largest brewery we have ever visited. According to Highland’s website, their property is 40 acres. This property has a large taproom, a brewhouse, a production brewery, and a giant outdoor space called the Meadow. When we were there on a Saturday afternoon, the place was packed. A wedding was going on in the event space area, there was a live band at the Meadow, and there were several food trucks.

Highland Brewing in Asheville Has Something for Everyone

This brewery has something for everyone. If you like to stay inside, go hang out in the large taproom. If you like to sit outside, you can sit in the outdoor seating area or go to the Meadow. The Meadow even had a separate bar so that you didn’t have to walk all the way back to the taproom for a beer. The brewery is family friendly and dog friendly. There is even a play area for kids. I suggest going on a nice day so that you can really enjoy the outdoor areas at this massive brewery.

While there, Jesse and I tried 3 beers. We both got the “Briar & Stone,” a dark sour with cherries and blackberries. After that, I tried the “Wanderlush” white ale and Jesse tried the “Highland Haze” juicy citrus IPA. The dark sour was awesome! It has a higher ABV (7%), so it is not necessarily a light beer. However the flavors were awesome. If you want a lighter beer, pick the Wanderlush. If you are not a beer person, there are mixed drinks as well (red sangria, hurricane, etc.).

What else is there to do in Asheville?

Asheville is sometimes called Beer City, USA. It is the second city in the US with the highest number of breweries per capita. But what should you do in between those cold drinks? In true Trails and Tap fashion, we wanted to spend that time outdoors. Here are two great options:

Western North Carolina Nature Center

This is a small zoo located just outside of Downtown Asheville. This zoo is probably my favorite thing we did on the trip! There are black bears, red pandas, otters, and even endangered red wolves at this nature center. Do not skip out on the Western North Carolina Nature Center while you are in Asheville!

Travel the Blue Ridge Parkway

We traveled south on the Blue Ridge Parkway on Sunday going home. We started at the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center. This location serves as the park headquarters as well. Yes, the Parkway is a park run by the National Park Service. The Parkway is 469 miles, located in North Carolina and Virginia. Before traveling on the Parkway, check the National Park Service website to check for road closures. Weather conditions, occasional forest fires, and even some rebuilding from Hurricane Helene will close parts of the Parkway.

When Jesse and I left the visitor center, we traveled south. When we went, it was a blustery early spring day. Being so high up in the mountains, the weather would change quickly. At one point it would be clear, the next we were driving through a storm and then extremely dense fog. Even though the weather was unpredictable, the drive was perfect. There are many areas to pull off the Parkway to view mountain vistas.

One of Our Favorite Spots Along the Blue Ridge Parkway – Graveyard Fields

There are several trailheads for hiking along the Parkway. We wanted to go hiking while we were here, but because of the weather, we opted for driving instead. We were able to travel from the Visitor Center to Balsam Gap area before the Parkway was closed. One of our favorite spots we got out at was Graveyard Fields. We were able to walk down the trail a little ways to a mountain creek. Here we explored (and even found a few salamanders!) before we got back in the car for our journey home.

Even though it was a short weekend trip, we truly had so much fun in Asheville. There is something for everyone here. The locals are nice, nature is everywhere, and the beer is cold! We cannot wait for our next trip there, and we hope that you are able to visit soon, too!

Happy Trails,
Katie & Jesse

Tips for your trip to Asheville

If you are traveling on the Blue Ridge Parkway, please stop by a visitor center and get a physical map. There were several spots where we did not have service and therefore no GPS. We relied on that map for traveling.
If you are traveling with a camper, check the areas on the Parkway with tunnels. We traveled through maybe 10 tunnels, and I am not sure all 5th wheels could fit through them.
When I was booking a place to stay for our trip, I was looking at hotels. The hotels were on the pricier side – but there are tons of Airbnbs. We ended up getting an Airbnb located in a scenic valley for cheaper!
If you can, go eat at the Blue Ridge restaurant at the Omni Grove Park Inn. This is a restaurant located at a historic inn. The dining area overlooks the mountains and while we were eating we watched the sunset. The restaurant is a buffet and all the food was phenomenal! Jesse and I still bring up the cheesecake from time to time.