Cheers! These North Carolina cities rank among the nation’s best for beer lovers
North Carolina is home to two of the nation’s most beloved cities for beer — and we’ll toast to that.
Asheville ranks No. 7 and Charlotte is No. 9 on a list of places with the “most outstanding beer scenes,” according to results published Wednesday, March 5.
And on a separate list of best small-town beer scenes, two other North Carolina destinations made their mark. The mountain town of Boone ranked No. 3 and Bryson City earned the No. 10 spot, according to USA Today’s 10Best.
But the praise from 10Best didn’t end there. Across the state, several businesses and attractions also ranked among the nation’s favorites for beer drinkers. They include:
- Raleigh Beer Garden at No. 4 for beer gardens
- The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery & Biergarten in Charlotte at No. 7 for beer gardens
- Brewgaloo in Raleigh at No. 6 for beer festivals
- Blacktoberfest in Durham at No. 9 for beer festivals
- Salud Beer Shop in Charlotte at No. 10 for beer bars
- Burial Beer Co. in Asheville at No. 5 for brewery tours
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Mills River at No. 7 for brewery tours
- Keepsake Brewery in Gastonia at No. 10 for new breweries
- Burial Beer Co. in Asheville at No. 5 for beer labels
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Mills River at No. 7 for beer labels
To determine the best places to grab a pint, 10Best said it turned to travel and beer experts. The panel nominated top-notch beer destinations from across the country, then readers could spend a month voting on their favorites.
What makes the NC beer scenes special?
On the resulting list of readers’ choice award winners, Asheville and Charlotte were the only larger North Carolina cities to receive recognition. They were named among the “hoppiest havens,” known for having a combination of well-known and budding beer business.
“Asheville, North Carolina, offers an impressive number of breweries, friendly beer bars, and bottle shops that provide enthusiasts with easy access to more than 100 local beers,” 10Best wrote in its report.
The recognition comes as Asheville is recovering from Hurricane Helene, which ravaged parts of Western North Carolina with catastrophic flooding in September. Before the storm, a food and drink website named the mountain destination the nation’s No. 1 place for beer lovers, giving nods to its drink prices and availability. Asheville also has earned spots on 10Best’s list since at least 2023.
This time around, the website also praised Charlotte for its concentration of breweries and “continually expanding” craft beer scene.
When it came to places with fewer than 30,000 residents, Boone and Bryson City were honored. 10Best praised the mountain towns for offering beer near outdoor activities.
Nationwide, the No. 1 city for beer lovers was Grand Rapids, Michigan. Meanwhile, the top-ranked small town was Avondale Estates, Georgia, near Atlanta.
In the past, 10Best has told McClatchy News it doesn’t reveal the number of people who vote in its contests.
This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 11:44 AM with the headline "Cheers! These North Carolina cities rank among the nation’s best for beer lovers."
