Highest-rated breweries in North Carolina

Cold beer, anyone? American beer drinkers have their fair share of options, no matter where they might live.

Indeed, a market once dominated by a handful of major brands has become far more diverse since the craft beer scene expanded sixfold between 2008 and 2016. In 2024, independent craft brewers still accounted for , although that figure represents a 4% drop from 2023, while . On the retail side, craft beer's value grew by about 3% to , comprising nearly 25% of all beer sales by dollar amount. After years of robust expansion, the number of U.S. craft breweries in 2024鈥攆rom 9,747 in 2023鈥攎arking the , with 434 openings and 501 closures. That's still a remarkable rise from , equating to about a 209% increase in 10 years. Cheers to that!

Why the ongoing obsession? Putting aside the fact that people simply love their brew, beer has emerged as a wildly versatile beverage category. Craft breweries explore beer to its fullest potential and tend to rank highly as a result.

Another thing about beer is that every sip tells a story. It's first and foremost the journey of the beer's own production, namely one involving water, malted grains, botanical hops, and yeast. However, it's also a chronicling of the area in which the beer was produced since every state has its own respective history, climate, geography, and resources. Then there's the tale of the people who produced it, turning their love of carbonated alcohol into a passion project and hiring all kinds of local talent.

Combine America's love of beer with endless flavor possibilities, and you arrive at a sensational pastime and a thriving national industry. With nearly 10,000 craft breweries bubbling up across the nation, each one offers its own unique qualities, some complete with guided tours and tasting rooms (and maybe some hearty gastropub fare).

Many of the nation's highest-rated breweries are so small and independent that the only way to sample their suds is to visit them in person. In contrast, others distribute their products around the country鈥攐r even across the globe.

To find some top spots near you, compiled a list of the highest-rated breweries in North Carolina using data from . Tripadvisor ranks places using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, a business with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of Aug. 12, 2025.

Regardless of the brewery's size and scope, one thing is for sure: Now is a great time for a beer!

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#30. Weeping Radish Farm Brewery

- Rating: 4.1/5 (127 reviews)
- City: Grandy North
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#29. Raleigh Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.3/5 (54 reviews)
- City: Raleigh North
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#28. Front Street Brewery

- Rating: 4.6/5 (78 reviews)
- City: Wilmington North
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#27. Four Saints Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.7/5 (79 reviews)
- City: Asheboro North
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#26. Catawba Brewery

- Rating: 4.4/5 (174 reviews)
- City: Asheville North
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6 / 30

#25. One World Brewing

- Rating: 4.4/5 (119 reviews)
- City: Asheville North
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#24. Sycamore Brewing

- Rating: 4.1/5 (96 reviews)
- City: Charlotte North
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#23. Koi Pond Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.6/5 (38 reviews)
- City: Rocky Mount North
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#22. Whistle Hop Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.8/5 (56 reviews)
- City: Fairview North
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#21. Bond Brothers Beer Company

- Rating: 4.3/5 (88 reviews)
- City: Cary North
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#20. Brewery 99

- Rating: 4.7/5 (28 reviews)
- City: New Bern North
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#19. Bold Rock Mills River Cidery

- Rating: 4.5/5 (194 reviews)
- City: Mills River North
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#18. Mother Earth Brewing

- Rating: 4.5/5 (182 reviews)
- City: Kinston North
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#17. NoDa Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.4/5 (133 reviews)
- City: Charlotte North
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#16. Wedge Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.4/5 (204 reviews)
- City: Asheville North
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#15. Wooden Robot Brewery

- Rating: 4.4/5 (97 reviews)
- City: Charlotte North
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#14. Wrightsville Beach Brewery

- Rating: 4.6/5 (95 reviews)
- City: Wilmington North
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#13. Red Oak Lager Haus & BierGarten

- Rating: 4.6/5 (76 reviews)
- City: Whitsett North
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#12. Oskar Blues Brewery Brevard

- Rating: 4.5/5 (238 reviews)
- City: Brevard North
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#11. Lazy Hiker Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.5/5 (218 reviews)
- City: Franklin North
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#10. Booneshine Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.4/5 (67 reviews)
- City: Boone North
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#9. Sugar Creek Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.3/5 (99 reviews)
- City: Charlotte North
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#8. Blowing Rock Brewery

- Rating: 4.4/5 (146 reviews)
- City: Blowing Rock North
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#7. Mountain Layers Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.7/5 (134 reviews)
- City: Bryson City North
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#6. Salty Turtle Beer Co..

- Rating: 4.6/5 (57 reviews)
- City: Surf City Topsail Island North
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#5. Appalachian Mountain Brewery

- Rating: 4.5/5 (237 reviews)
- City: Boone North
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#4. Highland Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.6/5 (371 reviews)
- City: Asheville North
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#3. Old Mecklenburg Brewery

- Rating: 4.4/5 (286 reviews)
- City: Charlotte North
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#2. New Belgium Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.7/5 (663 reviews)
- City: Asheville North
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#1. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Tours & Tastings

- Rating: 4.8/5 (1478 reviews)
- City: Mills River North
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This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 49 states.

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