Highland Brewing Company

What Highland Brewing Company does

Highland Brewing Company, founded in 1994 by Oscar Wong in Asheville, North Carolina, is the largest independent, family-owned brewery native to the Southeastern United States and Asheville's first legal craft brewery since Prohibition. The company operates a 50-barrel brewhouse within a 180,000-square-foot facility on a 40-acre East Asheville campus, producing an annual capacity of roughly 50,000 barrels and an 8-SKU year-round lineup (Gaelic Ale, AVL IPA, Lower Falls IPA, Daycation IPA, Pilsner, Oatmeal Porter, Saint T's, Black Mocha Stout) plus four seasonal and multiple limited-release beers, including the award-winning Highland Pilsner and Cold Mountain Winter Ale.

The brewery's technical footprint includes one of the largest rooftop solar arrays in U.S. craft brewing (sixth-largest, 324 kW DC peak capacity), a pilot brewery producing 100+ one-off small batches per year, and a dedicated barrel-aging program (The Southern Nouveau Series). Highland operates two direct-to-consumer taprooms — the East Asheville flagship with the Meadow, Silo Cabanas, Event Center, Rooftop Bar, and hiking trails, and the Downtown Taproom at S&W Market food hall opened in June 2021 — drawing over 150,000 visitors annually. Wholesale distribution reaches North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia through retail, on-premise hospitality, and keg channels; the company also runs a paid tour business, private events, brewery merchandise, and charitable programs such as Pints with Purpose (five nonprofit collaborations) and Give Back with Gaelic.

Highland generates revenue through a mix of direct-to-consumer taproom sales (draft, packaged, crowlers, cider, wine, cocktails), paid brewery tours, private event rentals, merchandise and apparel, and wholesale distribution of packaged and draft beer. Pricing varies by format and channel, with keg sales available by 48-hour advance order and a $5 entry fee for VB Monday Pick-up events. The company is family-owned (no venture capital or private equity investment) and led by President/CEO Leah Wong Ashburn alongside founder Oscar Wong, VP of Operations Brock Ashburn, and VP of Brand Development Nikki Mitchell.

Name

Highland Brewing Company

Legal name

Highland Brewing Company

Website

https://highlandbrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Highland Brewing Company is a family-owned craft brewery founded in 1994 in Asheville, NC. It produces roughly 50,000 barrels annually of year-round, seasonal, and limited-release beers across eight core SKUs, distributes through wholesale partners in four Southeast states, and operates two taprooms plus private event venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (312120), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)

Keywords

• Craft brewery
• Craft beer production
• Brewery taproom
• Wholesale beer distribution
• Barrel-aged beer

Headquarters

HQ city

Asheville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Brewery Taproom Sales: Direct sales of draft beer and packaged beer to consumers visiting the taproom and outdoor spaces. Taproom features flagship beers, small batch brews from pilot brewery, cider, wine, non-alcoholic beverages, and liquor cocktails.
2. Brewery Tours: Paid tours of the brewery facility bringing more than 150,000 visitors annually.
3. Private Events: Rental of Event Center, Rooftop, and Barrel Room venues for weddings, corporate events, and non-profit events.
4. Wholesale Distribution: Distribution of packaged beer (6-packs, 12-packs, cases) and draft beer through wholesale partners across NC, SC, TN, and GA.
5. Keg Sales: Keg sales to consumers and businesses, available by calling or emailing at least 48 hours in advance.
6. Merchandise Store: Online and on-site merchandise sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Highland Brewing Company manufactures craft beer on a 50-bbl brewhouse at its 180,000-sq-ft East Asheville facility, producing 8+ year-round beers, 4 seasonal offerings, and 100+ one-off small-batch brews annually for distribution across NC, SC, TN, and GA. The company sells beer directly through two taproom locations (East Asheville flagship and Downtown Taproom at S&W Market), via wholesale distribution partners across the Southeast, and through keg sales by advance order. Beyond packaged and draft beer, the brewery operates a destination experience including paid brewery tours, private event venues (Event Center, Rooftop, Barrel Room), food trucks, live music, and outdoor recreation (Meadow, Silo Cabanas, hiking trails, disc golf, volleyball).

Product overview

Highland Brewing Company is a craft beer producer offering a portfolio of 8+ year-round beers, 4 seasonal releases, and multiple limited-edition and one-off small-batch beers. The core year-round lineup includes Gaelic Ale (flagship American Amber Ale), AVL IPA, Lower Falls IPA (light session IPA at 95 calories), Daycation IPA (session IPA), Pilsner, Oatmeal Porter, Saint T's (American Pale Ale), and Black Mocha Stout. Seasonal offerings include Clawhammer (Oktoberfest Märzen lager), Cold Mountain Winter Ale with spin-off variants (Coconut, Breakfast, Cinnamon Roll), Berryful (spring fruited ale), and Nutz & Voltz (coffee porter). The brewery also produces limited releases such as Rising Haze IPA, High Pines Imperial IPA, and Hazy Heights IPA, alongside a Pints with Purpose charitable beer series supporting five local nonprofits. Beyond packaged beer, the company operates two taproom locations — its East Asheville flagship facility and a downtown taproom at S&W Market — offering on-site experiences including the Meadow outdoor venue, private event spaces, live music, volleyball leagues, disc golf, and hiking trails. Keg sales, private events, and charitable initiatives like Give Back with Gaelic and Night Flight Race round out the offering. Distribution spans North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gaelic Ale Highland's original flagship American Amber Ale and Asheville's first craft beer; year-round packaged and draft offering for retail and on-premise customers.
• AVL IPA Unfiltered American IPA with notes of lychee, mango, lemon, and papaya; hops include Apollo, Citra, and Centennial. Awarded 99 Points by Craft Beer & Brewing and 97 Points by Wine Enthusiast. Year-round for craft beer consumers.
• Lower Falls IPA Light-bodied session IPA at 95 calories and 3.5% ABV, featuring Centennial and Mosaic hops; named for waterfalls around Asheville. For health-conscious and sessionable craft beer drinkers.
• Daycation IPA Light-bodied session IPA at 4.9% ABV and 40 IBUs with Mosaic, El Dorado, Apollo, and Azacca hops. Ranked #4 Best Session IPA by Paste Magazine and featured in Forbes.
• Highland Pilsner Crisp, clean German-style pilsner with balanced bitterness and dry finish. Named 50th Highest Rated Beer of All Time by Beer Connoisseur and received 90 Points from Wine Enthusiast.
• Oatmeal Porter Dark, roasty smooth oatmeal porter; entry in the book 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die.
• Saint T's Timeless American Pale Ale featuring bright notes of orange blossom, apricot, and pine; brewed with Apollo and Cascade, dry-hopped with Cascade at 5.1% ABV.
• Black Mocha Stout Award-winning year-round stout as part of Highland's core lineup.
• Clawhammer Oktoberfest Bavarian-inspired Märzen lager with Hallertau Mitterfrue and German Spalt Select hops, smooth and well-rounded with toasty malt character at 5% ABV. Seasonal Oktoberfest offering.
• Cold Mountain Winter Ale Cult-favorite spiced winter ale with notes of vanilla, hazelnut, dark fruit, and cinnamon at 5.9% ABV; annual seasonal release with ticketed release weekends, live music, and online pre-orders. Available in 6-packs, 24-packs, and draft.
• Cold Mountain Spin-offs (Coconut, Breakfast, Cinnamon Roll) Variant spin-offs of Cold Mountain Winter Ale: Coconut (5.9% ABV with toasted coconut and winter spices), Breakfast (8% ABV with coffee and maple), and Cinnamon Roll (5.9% ABV with cinnamon and vanilla).
• Nutz & Voltz Coconut Coffee Porter Porter featuring locally roasted coffee and toasted coconut; seasonal release for craft beer enthusiasts.
• Rising Haze IPA Hazy IPA brewed with Citra, Mosaic, and Galaxy hops at 7% ABV and 35 IBUs; double dry-hopped with tropical notes of citrus, pineapple, and apricots. Highland's first widely distributed hazy IPA.
• High Pines Imperial IPA Imperial IPA brewed with Mosaic, Simcoe, Centennial, and Comet hops at 9% ABV and 65 IBUs; big West Coast IPA with resinous blueberry and piney hop flavor. Year-round offering for craft beer enthusiasts.
• Hazy Heights IPA Fruity and unfiltered hazy IPA brewed with Citra, Ekuanot, Amarillo, Centennial, and El Dorado hops at 7.5% ABV and 45 IBUs; notes of pineapple and mango. Year-round hazy IPA.
• Water Rabbit (Lunar New Year Collaboration) West Coast-Style Pilsner brewed with Yuzu; fourth annual Lunar New Year collaboration with Lucky Envelope Brewing Company (Seattle). Limited-release cultural collaboration celebrating Chinese heritage.
• Pints with Purpose Series Charitable beer series supporting five local nonprofits with monthly taproom-exclusive releases including Mountain Chaser Hazy Pale Ale, Black Bear Kolsch, Community Harvest Fruited Ale, Survivor Strong Hazy IPA, and Hair of The Dog IPA.
• Small-Batch / Experimental Beers (Pilot Brewery Program) Pilot-brewery small-batch and barrel-aged beers available on-site only at the Taproom, rotating weekly with over 100 one-off releases annually; includes the Southern Nouveau Series barrel-aged program.
• Brewery Experience & Taproom (East Asheville) On-site visitor experience including the Taproom, Meadow outdoor venue, Event Center, Rooftop Bar, and Silo Cabanas with brewery tours, food trucks, live music, volleyball courts, disc golf, and hiking trails at the East Asheville facility.
• Downtown Taproom at S&W Market Second taproom location within Asheville's S&W Market food hall opened June 2021, featuring mezzanine-level bar with 18 taps of small-batch and barrel-aged offerings plus a first-floor bar with 6 taps.
• Keg Sales Kegs available for direct purchase to consumers and businesses with 48-hour advance notice via phone or email order.
• Private Events (Event Center, Rooftop, Barrel Room) Private event venue rentals including the Event Center, Rooftop, and Barrel Room for weddings, corporate, and non-profit events; coordinated via [email protected].
• Brewery Tours Paid tours of the brewery facility bringing 150,000+ visitors annually for an up-close look at craft beer production at the 180,000-sq-ft campus.
• Online Merchandise Store Online and on-site merchandise store selling apparel and promotional items.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150,000 visitors annually through brewery doors
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Asheville Brewers AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026Asheville Beer Week host, a two-week celebration of the local craft beer industry's resilience and community. Highland Brewing is participating in the 2026 Asheville Beer Week running May 15-29.
• Lucky Envelope Brewing CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2023Fourth annual Lunar New Year collaboration with Seattle-based Lucky Envelope Brewing. Collaboration brew Water Rabbit, a West Coast-Style Pilsner brewed with Yuzu, was brewed on both coasts and celebrates Chinese cultural heritage.
• Ellington Realty GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Highland opened its Downtown Taproom as anchor tenant at S&W Market, developed by Ellington Realty Group in the historic Art Deco S&W Building. The partnership brought Highland back to downtown Asheville.
• Meherwan Irani (Chai Pani Restaurant Group)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Culinary consultant and operator for S&W Market where Highland's Downtown Taproom is located. Irani, a five-time James Beard Award semi-finalist, curated the food hall's tenant mix.
• Entropy Solar Integrators, LLCminorOthers · 1 January 2020Solar panel installation provider for Highland's rooftop solar array, one of the largest in American craft brewing.
• MANNA FoodBankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2019Pints with Purpose community partner supporting food security in Western North Carolina. Highland releases special collaboration beers with portion of proceeds benefiting the organization. Partnership has included Community Harvest Fruited Ale and ongoing fundraising through draft sales.
• Asheville Humane SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2019Pints with Purpose partner supporting animal welfare. Collaboration included Hair of The Dog IPA release with proceeds supporting the organization's mission to ensure animals have quality lives.
• Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2019Pints with Purpose partner supporting environmental conservation. Collaboration included Mountain Chaser Hazy Pale Ale with SAHC-curated trail scavenger hunts at the brewery.
• WNC Nature CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2019Pints with Purpose partner supporting wildlife conservation. Collaboration included Black Bear Kolsch with label design inspired by the Nature Center's work protecting animals.
• HelpmatecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2019Pints with Purpose partner supporting domestic violence services. Collaboration included Survivor Strong Hazy IPA with proceeds supporting HelpMate's services in Buncombe County.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Wicked Weed Brewing: Wicked Weed is an Asheville-based craft brewery operating multiple taproom locations and a brewpub within the city. It is Highland's most direct local competitor for both on-premise taproom visits and shelf space across the Southeast distribution footprint.
• SweetWater Brewing Company: SweetWater is an Atlanta-based craft brewer with deep Southeast regional distribution, a destination taproom experience, and similar seasonal and year-round portfolio strategy. Highland and SweetWater are direct Southeast craft peers, with SweetWater's 2020 Apollo acquisition providing a relevant transaction benchmark for Highland's scale.
• New Belgium Brewing Company: New Belgium is a large employee-owned craft brewery known for sustainability leadership, a destination Fort Collins taproom, and a multi-state distribution footprint. Comparable to Highland on family/employee ownership values, sustainability differentiation, and a tour-and-taproom-led experience strategy.
• Asheville Brewing Company: Asheville Brewing is a longstanding local Asheville craft brewery with multiple taproom locations, food service, and family entertainment amenities (movie theater). Direct local competitor sharing Highland's craft-taproom-plus-experience playbook and Asheville market.
• Dogfish Head Craft Brewery: Dogfish Head is an independent craft brewery known for year-round, seasonal, and limited-release beers with strong taproom hospitality and East Coast distribution. Comparable to Highland on portfolio breadth, off-premise distribution strategy, and brand-led limited-release innovation.
• Green Man Brewery: Green Man is a downtown Asheville craft brewery with a taproom and small regional distribution. It is one of Highland's closest in-city peers, competing for Asheville taproom visitors and a share of the local craft identity.
• Bell's Brewery: Bell's is a large, family-influenced Midwest craft brewery with destination brewpub operations in Kalamazoo and Comstock, plus broad multi-state distribution. Comparable to Highland in being a longstanding family-rooted craft brewer with destination taprooms and a regional distribution model.
• Oskar Blues Brewery: Oskar Blues is a craft brewery with regional taprooms across multiple states and a packaged-beer distribution footprint similar in scale to Highland's. It is a comparable independently-led craft producer with a destination taproom experience and broader regional canned-beer distribution.
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Sierra Nevada is a large, family-influenced craft brewery with a flagship Chico, CA campus featuring tours, taprooms, sustainability initiatives (solar, on-site wastewater), and broad distribution. Comparable to Highland in scale (multiple hundred thousand bbls vs. Highland's 50K), destination-brewery model, and emphasis on independent, sustainability-led craft production.

Regional players

• Terrapin Beer Co. Terrapin is an Athens, Georgia-based craft brewery that shares Highland's Southeast U.S. distribution territory and produces a similar portfolio of year-round and seasonal craft beers. Closely comparable on regional geography and craft positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HighlandBrews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXQ-G6fbnJw-VerqyHhUcoQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/HighlandBrewingCompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/highlandbrewing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Highland Brewing Company