Asheville, North Carolina is known for many good things. Beautiful mountain views, more artists-per-capita than any other city in America, the grandeur of Biltmore Estate, great one-of-a-kind eateries, terrific bed and breakfast inns (oh, yes!) and …amazing craft breweries.

The history of craft-made beer in Asheville and the surrounding area goes back to the early 1990s. The first one in Asheville’s city-limits, the Highland Brewing Company was established in 1994 along with Barley’s Taproom on Biltmore Avenue in Downtown. Just three years later, Two Moons Brew and View (now called Asheville Pizza and Brewing) and Jack of the Wood/Green Man Brewing came along. And to make sure you could experience the full spectrum of this art, the first “Brewgrass Festival” was held. 2011 will mark this festival’s fifteenth year.

The first decade of the 21st century has seen more new breweries open along with a regular column in the Asheville Citizen-Times devoted to beers, called The Beer Guy. Those new additions included French Broad Brewing (2001), Pisgah Brewing (2005), Bruisin’ Ales (2006), The Wedge Brewery (2008), Craggie Brewing (2009), Oyster House Brewing Company (2009), Lexington Avenue Brewery (2010). And a “Belgian brew pub” with 150 varieties of beers and ales called The Thirsty Monk opened in 2008.( Stay tuned: this year they plan a ‘nano-brewery’, too.) Plus, ‘The Asheville Brews Cruise’ tour of micro-breweries in the area will make it easy for you to find, visit and taste these local craft beers. And, don’t worry, our Asheville bed and breakfast will make sure you get directions to locate the tour and savor some of these.

Is it any wonder that Asheville was voted “Beer City USA” in a national online poll and the ‘Beer City Festival’ debuted in 2010? The creativity of Asheville NC rolls on!