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 23.1 million barrels, although that figure represents a 4% drop from 2023, while craft beer's market share by volume remained steady at 13.3%. On the retail side, craft beer's value grew by about 3% to roughly $30 billion, comprising nearly 25% of all beer sales by dollar amount. After years of robust expansion, the number of U.S. craft breweries dipped slightly to 9,612 in 2024—from 9,747 in 2023—marking the first net decline since 2005, with 434 openings and 501 closures. That's still a remarkable rise from 3,108 breweries in 2013, 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—or even across the globe.

To find some top spots near you, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated breweries in North Carolina using data from Tripadvisor. 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!

You may also like: Highest-rated wineries in North Carolina by visitors

TripAdvisor

1 / 30

#30. Weeping Radish Farm Brewery

- Rating: 4.1/5 (127 reviews)
- City: Grandy North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

2 / 30

#29. Raleigh Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.3/5 (54 reviews)
- City: Raleigh North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

3 / 30

#28. Front Street Brewery

- Rating: 4.6/5 (78 reviews)
- City: Wilmington North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

4 / 30

#27. Four Saints Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.7/5 (79 reviews)
- City: Asheboro North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

5 / 30

#26. Catawba Brewery

- Rating: 4.4/5 (174 reviews)
- City: Asheville North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

You may also like: Most commonly seen birds in North Carolina

TripAdvisor

6 / 30

#25. One World Brewing

- Rating: 4.4/5 (119 reviews)
- City: Asheville North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

7 / 30

#24. Sycamore Brewing

- Rating: 4.1/5 (96 reviews)
- City: Charlotte North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

8 / 30

#23. Koi Pond Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.6/5 (38 reviews)
- City: Rocky Mount North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

9 / 30

#22. Whistle Hop Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.8/5 (56 reviews)
- City: Fairview North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

10 / 30

#21. Bond Brothers Beer Company

- Rating: 4.3/5 (88 reviews)
- City: Cary North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

You may also like: National forests with campgrounds open year-round in North Carolina

TripAdvisor

11 / 30

#20. Brewery 99

- Rating: 4.7/5 (28 reviews)
- City: New Bern North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

12 / 30

#19. Bold Rock Mills River Cidery

- Rating: 4.5/5 (194 reviews)
- City: Mills River North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

13 / 30

#18. Mother Earth Brewing

- Rating: 4.5/5 (182 reviews)
- City: Kinston North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

14 / 30

#17. NoDa Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.4/5 (133 reviews)
- City: Charlotte North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

15 / 30

#16. Wedge Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.4/5 (204 reviews)
- City: Asheville North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

You may also like: Highest-rated Class of 2025 women's basketball recruits from North Carolina

TripAdvisor

16 / 30

#15. Wooden Robot Brewery

- Rating: 4.4/5 (97 reviews)
- City: Charlotte North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

17 / 30

#14. Wrightsville Beach Brewery

- Rating: 4.6/5 (95 reviews)
- City: Wilmington North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

18 / 30

#13. Red Oak Lager Haus & BierGarten

- Rating: 4.6/5 (76 reviews)
- City: Whitsett North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

19 / 30

#12. Oskar Blues Brewery Brevard

- Rating: 4.5/5 (238 reviews)
- City: Brevard North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

20 / 30

#11. Lazy Hiker Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.5/5 (218 reviews)
- City: Franklin North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

You may also like: Coldest Januarys in North Carolina since 1895

TripAdvisor

21 / 30

#10. Booneshine Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.4/5 (67 reviews)
- City: Boone North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

22 / 30

#9. Sugar Creek Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.3/5 (99 reviews)
- City: Charlotte North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

23 / 30

#8. Blowing Rock Brewery

- Rating: 4.4/5 (146 reviews)
- City: Blowing Rock North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

24 / 30

#7. Mountain Layers Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.7/5 (134 reviews)
- City: Bryson City North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

25 / 30

#6. Salty Turtle Beer Co..

- Rating: 4.6/5 (57 reviews)
- City: Surf City Topsail Island North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

You may also like: The truth about minimum coverage requirements in North Carolina

TripAdvisor

26 / 30

#5. Appalachian Mountain Brewery

- Rating: 4.5/5 (237 reviews)
- City: Boone North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

27 / 30

#4. Highland Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.6/5 (371 reviews)
- City: Asheville North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

28 / 30

#3. Old Mecklenburg Brewery

- Rating: 4.4/5 (286 reviews)
- City: Charlotte North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

29 / 30

#2. New Belgium Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.7/5 (663 reviews)
- City: Asheville North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

30 / 30

#1. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Tours & Tastings

- Rating: 4.8/5 (1478 reviews)
- City: Mills River North
- Read more on TripAdvisor

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 49 states.

You may also like: Most common jobs 150 years ago in North Carolina