With the opening of Highland Brewing, in 1994, Asheville, North Carolina, cemented its reputation as one of the country’s earliest craft beer capitals. A year ago, more than 50 breweries were operating in the greater Asheville area. But in September 2024, Hurricane Helene decimated the region and the local brewing industry with it.
For our September/October 2025 issue, contributing editor Joshua Bernstein visited Asheville to report on the region’s long road to recovery and the current state of the craft beer scene one year later. Many brewers pitched in to help their colleagues and the city at large, some breweries never recovered, and some beloved locations are finally reopening their doors. For beer lovers, it’s a great time to revisit a city that exemplifies the passionate and persevering spirit of the industry.
Born in 2013, in Asheville’s South Slope Brewing District, Burial Beer now has four locations in the city, plus outposts in Raleigh and Charlotte. Rooted in the culture of celebration around both life and death (inspired by two of the founders’ years in New Orleans), Burial aims to help community gather—around their beers, from double IPAs to traditional light lagers, and around events like regular live music and their annual Burnpile festival. Even post-hurricane, Burial became a supply hub. They partnered with grassroots nonprofit Each One Teach One Through Food to help distribute food and supplies to the local communities…