The 32 best breweries in the Triangle, divided into East and West regions
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In June 2022, we made a list of the 32 best breweries from across the greater Triangle and let our readers battle it out.
Because the brewing scene here is so expansive, we divided the area’s breweries into equal regions of 16 breweries each: the East, mostly including breweries in Raleigh with a few in Wake Forest, Clayton and Angier; and the West, including breweries in Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary and beyond.
The top vote-getter in the East was Funguys Brewing, owned by Nick Brango and his wife, Carly, who moved to Raleigh from Pennsylvania in 2018. The couple is still hands-on with the slim operation, with Nick writing the recipes and brewing the beer, and Carly handling sales and distribution.
Funguys mostly offers New England-style hazy IPAs, which the Brangos emphasize because they’re largely known for their seasonal whims and varieties of hops.
“We do very specific styles: we don’t have a light lager, we don’t have a witbier, we don’t have a wheat beer, we do have a few lagers,” Brango told The News & Observer. “Our specialties are our smoothie sours and New England IPAs. We don’t check a lot of boxes as a brewery.”
Where to find Funguys Brewing: 2408 Paula St., Raleigh. 984-289-3814 or funguysbrewing.com
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Winner of the West: Barrel Culture
In the West, Barrel Culture Brewing and Blending, which started in Durham then expanded to a production facility in Rocky Mount and a second taproom in Raleigh, claimed the crown.
Barrel Culture, founded by married couple Caroline and Ethan Barbee five years ago, initially focused on mixed fermentation beers, the funky, tart, sour spectrum of ales that have exploded in popularity in recent years, before going big on fruited sours and hazy IPAs.
But, for all its success, the brewery announced late this year that it would be closing its doors at the end of 2022.
“The last five years have been a wild a (sic) crazy ride through this craft beer universe. We have had our shares of ups and downs, and have continued to navigate through them to keep our doors open and taps flowing,” the brewery shared in a Facebook post. “We have reached a point where we can no longer do that and it’s time for us to step away.”
The 16 best breweries in the Eastern Triangle
In the Eastern Triangle, the 16 best breweries in alphabetical order:
BIG BOSS BREWING COMPANY: 1249 Wicker Drive, Raleigh. 919-834-0045 or bigbossbrewing.com
At 15 years old, Big Boss is one of the Triangle’s earliest breweries and remains a strong favorite in 2022.
COMPASS ROSE BREWERY: 3201 Northside Drive, #101, Raleigh. 919-875-5683 or compassrosebrewery.com
This North Raleigh brewery makes an award-winning IPA and boasts the Triangle’s largest taproom, built in its industrial brewery.
CRANK ARM BREWING COMPANY: 319 W. Davie St., Raleigh. 919-324-3529 or crankarmbrewing.com
Make sure to visit during Whitewall Wheat season, one of the signature beers from this bike-themed Raleigh brewery.
DEEP RIVER BREWING CO.: 700 W. Main St., #102, Clayton. 919-585-2296 or deepriverbrewing.com
Clayton’s only brewery makes some formidable beers, from the solid IPA Mango Tango Foxtrot to the boozy Imperial Milk Stout aged in whiskey barrels.
FUNGUYS BREWING 2408 Paula St., Raleigh. 984-289-3814 or funguysbrewing.com
Hazy IPA fans will find plenty to like at this Raleigh brewery off of Wake Forest Road.
HEYDAY BREWING CO.: 5301 Tin Roof Way, Raleigh. 919-351-6668 or heydaybrewing.com
One of the Triangle’s newest breweries, this North Raleigh brewery and pizzeria goes heavy on the hops, but also makes crispy lagers and tart sours.
LYNNWOOD BREWING CONCERN: 1053 E. Whitaker Mill Road, Raleigh. 919-424-7533 or lynnwoodbrewing.beer
One of Raleigh’s busiest breweries, making one of the area’s most popular IPAs in Hop on Top.
NEUSE RIVER BREWING: 518 Pershing Road, Raleigh. 984-232-8479 or neuseriverbrewing.com
Neuse, the winner of The N&O’s Burger Bracket, is first and foremost a brewery, specializing in the Belgian side of beer.
NICKELPOINT BREWING COMPANY: 506 Pershing Road, Raleigh. 919-916-5961 or nickelpointbrewing.com
The taplist at this Raleigh brewery is filled with crispy, easy drinking beers that pair well with its wide patio, which often hosts live music.
NORSE BREWING COMPANY: 203 Brooks St., Wake Forest. 919-554-4555 or norsebrewing.com
Serving one of the most ambitious brewpub menus you’ll find anywhere, this downtown Wake Forest brewery makes a wide variety of classic European and American style beers to pair with Scandinavian food.
R&D BREWING: 1323 Capital Blvd., Raleigh. 919-977-5654 or rndbrewing.com
Most famous for its Storm Brew, the official beer of the Carolina Hurricanes.
RALEIGH BREWING: 3709 Neil St., Raleigh. 919-400-9086 or raleighbrewing.com
At nearly a decade old, this woman-owned Raleigh brewery makes some of the city’s favorite signature beers and is found on taplists around the Triangle.
STANDARD BEER + FOOD: 205 E. Franklin St., Raleigh. 919-322-1499 or standardbeerandfood.com
The beers at this small Raleigh brewpub aim for idealized versions of the classics, the crispy pilsner, the biting pale ale and all your other favorites.
TROPHY BREWING: 656 Maywood Ave., Raleigh. 919-803-1333 or trophybrewing.com
Creative and prolific, Trophy has multiple taprooms and restaurants in downtown Raleigh and its session IPA Trophy Wife has to be in the Triangle’s all-time six pack.
VICIOUS FISHES: 219 Fish Drive, Angier. 919-639-3363 or viciousfishes.com
Born in Angier, this fairly young brewery is one of the fastest growing in Wake County, with taprooms in Apex and Fuquay-Varina and another on the way in Cary.
WHITE STREET BREWING CO.: 218 S. White St., Wake Forest. 919-647-9439 or whitestreetbrewing.com
Perhaps best known for its crisp and clean Kolsch, this brewery brings Triangle beer fans to downtown Wake Forest.
The 15 best breweries in the Western Triangle
In the Western Triangle, the best breweries listed in alphabetical order:
AVIATOR BREWERY: 209 Technology Park Lane, Fuquay-Varina. 919-567-2337 or aviatorbrew.com/brewery
Aviator has built a beer and restaurant empire in Fuquay-Varina, but it all started with its brewery, which brews up variations on all the classics.
BOND BROTHERS BEER CO.: 202 E. Cedar St., Cary. 919-459-2670 or bondbrothersbeer.com
One of the Triangle’s most celebrated breweries, Bond Brothers helped establish the hopping downtown Cary of today. Its taps are always fresh and changing, often showcasing world-class sours and barrel-aged beers.
BULL CITY BURGER & BREWERY: 107 E. Parrish St., Durham. 919-680-2333 or bullcityburgerandbrewery.com
The quintessential downtown Durham brewpub, nearly everything on the menu is made in-house, including the beer. There’s about 10 feet from the brewing tanks to the bar, serving some of the freshest beer imaginable.
CAROLINA BREWERY: 460 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. 919-942-1800 or carolinabrewery.com
In the heart of Franklin Street is the Triangle’s oldest still-operating brewery. This Chapel Hill brewpub also has a Pittsboro location and recently expanded distribution to South Carolina.
DURTY BULL BREWING CO.: 206 Broadway St., #104, Durham. 919-688-2337 or durtybull.com
A few blocks from downtown Durham, Durty Bull has become a beer destination for solid lagers and hazy IPAs.
FORTNIGHT BREWING CO.: 1006 SW Maynard Rd., Cary. 919-342-6604 or fortnightbrewing.com
The oldest brewery in Cary’s hopping beer scene, Fortnight specializes in English style beers and is a destination for soccer fans looking to watch a big match.
FULLSTEAM BREWERY: 726 Rigsbee Ave., Durham. 919-682-2337 or fullsteam.ag
An influential and pioneering player in Southern beer, Fullsteam weaves local and seasonal produce into its brews, all while producing some of the Triangle’s most popular styles, including its pale ale Humidity.
GIZMO BREW WORKS: 5907 Triangle Drive, Raleigh. 919-782-2099 or gizmobrewworks.com
Nearly a decade into the brewing game, Gizmo is spreading its wings and opening taprooms around the Triangle, including its 2018 revival of Chapel Hill’s old Rathskeller and its newest location in Durham.
GLASS JUG BEER LAB: 5410 NC-55, Suite V, Durham. 919-813-0135 or glass-jug.com
Starting as a bottle shop, this South Durham nanobrewery recently expanded downtown with a new taproom. It’s beer offerings are often playful and experimental, including beach-worthy Mexican lagers and even a variation on malt liquor.
HAW RIVER FARMHOUSE ALES: 1713 Saxapahaw-Bethlehem Church Rd., Saxapahaw. 336-525-9270 or hawriverales.com
One of the Triangle’s top breweries is just a picturesque drive out in the country. Look for floral saisons, a toasty Oktoberfest and the smoothest oatmeal stout around.
LONERIDER BREWING CO.: 8816 Gulf Ct., #100, Raleigh. 919-246-1820 or loneriderbeer.com
One of the early breweries in Raleigh, Lonerider has been at the forefront of the local craft beer wave, and its Sweet Josie Brown Ale is one of the most widely poured local beers.
PONYSAURUS BREWING CO.: 219 Hood St., Durham. 919-584-4265 or ponysaurusbrewing.com
One of the Triangle’s most popular spots to grab a beer, Ponysaurus is best known for is versions of the classics, year-round and seasonal IPAs, its signature Biere de Garde and a taproom with snacks by the scoop.
SOUTHERN PEAK BREWERY: 950 Windy Road, #100, Apex. 919-623-0827 or southernpeakbrewery.com
Built as a neighborhood brewery and taproom in Apex, Southern Peak has been embraced by its community, hosting dogs and run clubs and yoga to pair with its beers.
STEEL STRING BREWERY: 106 S. Greensboro St., Suite A, Carrboro. 919-240-7215 or steelstringbrewery.com
Born in the heart of Carrboro, Steel String recently added a farm taproom to match its agricultural roots. Look for bright and citrusy IPAs and vibrant saisons.
TRIANGLE BEER CO.: 320 E. Durham Road, Cary. 919-377-0098 or trianglebeer.co
This brewery, which includes Cotton House Craft Brewers, has quickly brought an influx of new and tasty beer to downtown Cary.
This story was originally published December 28, 2022 at 6:00 AM with the headline "The 32 best breweries in the Triangle, divided into East and West regions."
