Zillicoah Beer Co. in Woodfin, North Carolina by Edwin Arnaudin
Heading north from downtown Asheville means leaving behind the convenience of over 10 breweries within easy walking distance of each other, but plenty of quality offerings await mere minutes beyond this nexus of suds.
One of the latest to fit that description is Zillicoah Beer Co., roughly two miles away in an unassuming warehouse in the Woodfin neighborhood.
Taking its name from the Cherokee word for a particular section of the French Broad River, which flows just behind the brewery walls, Zillicoah places an emphasis on open-fermented farmhouse ales and lagers. Its brewers honed their skills at Hi-Wire Brewing, Asheville Brewing Co. and Lexington Avenue Brewery, and currently start the beers at other breweries around the area, then finish them at their own facility.
After a soft opening in late October, Zillicoah packed the house for a phase two launch at the tail end of 2017, featuring collaborations with some of Asheville’s heavy-hitters: Burial Beer Co., Asheville Brewing and the acclaimed Fonta Flora Brewery a little over an hour away in Morganton.
Like the similarly hidden ginger beer brewery Ginger’s Revenge down the street, Zillicoah attracts a strong batch of regulars from the thirsty neighborhood and is poised to continue pulling in visitors and locals alike willing to make a little extra effort.
In addition to high-quality beer, patrons will be rewarded with a warm, spacious interior as well as outside seating and room for games near the river, complete with tasty Mexican dishes from the Taquería Muñoz food truck.
Zillicoah Beer Co.
870 Riverside Drive
Woodfin, NC 28804
Phone: (828) 484-6502
zillicoahbeer.com