Here’s a fun fact for your next trivia night: Old Fort is technically still a dry town. So how do we have breweries, a winery and a distillery? A 2019 state law, Senate Bill 290, lets places that make beer, wine or spirits serve what they make right on site. That means you can sip local drinks straight from the people who made them.
Hillman Beer
Address: 78 Catawba Ave, Suite F
Hillman pours a wide range of craft beer and has a full menu of salads, sandwiches and more. On a nice day, grab a seat on the patio by the creek.
Modern Alchemist and AMB Outpost & Kitchen
Address: 78A Catawba Ave
Right next to Hillman, Modern Alchemist makes grain-to-glass spirits inside an old sock factory. They also make THC mocktails. Downstairs, Appalachian Mountain Brewery’s Outpost & Kitchen serves beer and pub food. Since these spots sit side by side, it’s easy to try a little of everything.
Whaley Farm Brewery
Address: 178 Catawba Ave
Whaley Farm takes a different path, brewing with local ingredients and botanicals. Look for English-style pub ales and European-style lagers with lots of flavor. Food trucks rotate through, and there are snacks inside.
Euda Wine
Address: 164 Commerce St, Suite 10
Euda Wine is run by husband and wife Michael and Abi McGeary. Michael spent years working grape harvests around the world, from Chile and Napa to New Zealand, South Africa and Switzerland, before they opened here. Their motto is good wine and good company with no expertise required, so this is a relaxed place to try something new. Check their website for tasting room hours, trivia nights and other events.
Foothills Watershed
Address: 655 Catawba River Rd
Out near Catawba Falls, Foothills Watershed is home to Butcher Babe Brewing Company, a small-batch brewery with a rotating tap list of lagers, pilsners, pale ales and IPAs. The kitchen serves smoked barbecue made with pasture-raised meat from Foothills Butcher Shop in Black Mountain. You don’t need a pass to eat and drink at the taproom, which is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. One firm rule: no drinking and riding.
A simple plan for an afternoon
Park once on Catawba Avenue. Start at Hillman, step next door to Modern Alchemist and AMB, then stroll down to Whaley Farm. Finish with dinner downtown. And please bring a designated driver or plan a ride home. We want you back next weekend.