Hey beer fans and mountain lovers—grab a cold one and settle in, because Highland Brewing, Asheville’s OG craft beer trailblazer since 1994, just dropped a seriously inspiring update on crushing 2025 and charging into 2026 with their signature Thirst For Good vibe! After getting hammered by Hurricane Helene in late 2024 (which wrecked the area big time), Highland didn’t just bounce back—they came roaring in like champs. On-premise draft pours jumped a massive +25.4%, off-premise cans and bottles climbed +4.4%, all powered by legends like the iconic Gaelic Amber Ale (still the king of balanced ambers and #2 in its category across their four-state turf), the hazy crush of Highland Haze, the easy-sipping Daycation family (shoutout to that World Beer Cup gold for Daycation Gold), and top-sellers like AVL IPA ruling Western NC shelves. They even turned heartbreak into hope: releasing Highland Haze on draft to raise over $13K for hospitality workers hit hard, and dropping AVL Strong (an imperial take on AVL IPA) one year post-Helene to fund small business grants. Oh, and yeah—President Biden personally called to say thanks for turning their spot into a relief hub, hosting supply drops, nonprofits, and even a herd of lawn-mowing goats. Talk about going the extra mile!
Now, with founder Oscar Wong—the godfather of Asheville craft beer who sadly passed in May 2025—his legacy lives on stronger than ever through daughter Leah Wong Ashburn leading the charge as CEO. “Thirst For Good” is the new rallying cry: Good Flavor (pouring killer cores like Gaelic Ale, juicy IPAs in the Hop Journey variety pack that ranked #4 in the region, and expanding Highland Haze with grocery giveaways and big 19.2oz cans), Good Future (rocking one of the biggest solar arrays in craft beer, repurposed shipping containers, and sustainable everything from brew to can), and Good Feels (their epic 40-acre hilltop campus is leveling up in 2026 with Cultivate Climbing’s 45-foot walls for epic sends, Black Dome Mountain Sports for all your gear and climbing museum vibes, plus a fresh New Haven-style pizza spot slinging thin-crust pies, hearty sammies, and more to pair with your pint). Live music, disc golf, volleyball, weddings, events—it’s already a must-visit hang, and soon it’ll be the ultimate adventure-beer-food playground. Highland’s proving that great beer isn’t just about the brew—it’s about community, resilience, and keeping the good times flowing no matter what. Who’s road-tripping to Asheville for a climb, a slice, and a Gaelic? Let’s go!
About Highland Brewing:
What makes Highland a must-visit destination is their epic 40-acre hilltop campus in East Asheville, which has evolved from a production brewery into a full-on adventure hub with live music, disc golf, sand volleyball, hiking vibes, and space for weddings, events, and thousands of happy hangers-out. In 2026, it’s leveling up even more with big additions: Cultivate Climbing bringing 20,000 sq ft of rope walls up to 45 feet tall (plus bouldering, kids’ areas, and training zones), Black Dome Mountain Sports for gear, apparel, and that cool climbing museum feel, and a fresh in-house pizza spot slinging New Haven-ish thin-crust pies, hearty sandwiches, salads, and more to pair perfectly with a cold pour. Whether you’re crushing a Daycation IPA on the meadow, catching a show, or sending a route then refueling with Gaelic and pizza, Highland delivers that unbeatable mix of killer beer, good feels, and mountain magic—proving they’re not just brewing beer, they’re building community one epic day at a time.
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