Best Breweries in Winston Salem

Winston Salem has quietly built one of the best craft beer scenes in North Carolina. There are more than nine breweries in the downtown area alone, most of them within walking distance of each other. Foothills Brewing started it in 2005, and the rest followed. The city now has enough variety that you can spend a full afternoon moving between taprooms without repeating a style or running out of options.

Foothills Brewing

Foothills Brewing at 638 W Fourth Street is where it all started for Winston Salem craft beer. They opened in 2005 and have been the anchor of the scene ever since. The downtown brewpub is a full restaurant and bar with a solid food menu and a long tap list. Their flagship beer, Sexual Chocolate, is an imperial stout brewed with Peruvian cocoa nibs that has won awards at both the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. It is released once a year around Valentine's Day and people line up for it. Beyond the stout, the full lineup is consistently good. This is the brewery most people start with in Winston Salem, and for good reason.

Wise Man Brewing

Wise Man Brewing at 826 Angelo Bros Avenue sits in the heart of Industry Hill, one of the most interesting pockets of the city for food and drink. The brewery was founded in 2017 by three friends with professional backgrounds that had nothing to do with beer, a chemist, a lawyer, and an accountant. The taproom is housed in the old Angelo Brothers building and serves more than 20 beers and ciders on tap at any given time. Wise Man played a big role in revitalizing this part of the city, and the neighborhood has built up around it since. It is a good starting point if you want to explore Industry Hill.

Fiddlin Fish Brewing Company

Fiddlin Fish Brewing at 772 N Trade Street operates out of a converted tobacco warehouse, which is about as Winston Salem as it gets. The brewery was founded by cousins who grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and that influence shows up in the branding and the overall feel of the place. The 15 barrel brewhouse gives them room to rotate styles regularly, so there is usually something new on the board. The taproom is big enough to handle a crowd on weekends without feeling packed. It sits between the downtown core and Industry Hill, making it a natural stop on a brewery crawl between the two areas.

Incendiary Brewing Company

Incendiary Brewing at 486 N Patterson Avenue is located inside the revitalized Bailey Power Plant in Innovation Quarter. The setting alone makes it worth a visit. The power plant has been converted into a mixed use space and Incendiary fits right into it. The beer is solid across the board, with a good mix of approachable styles and more adventurous options. If you are coming from the Foothills area of downtown, Incendiary is about a 10 minute walk east and worth the detour.

Joymongers Barrel Hall

Joymongers Barrel Hall at 480 W End Boulevard is one of the few breweries in the state dedicated specifically to barrel aged beers. The building is a 90 year old garage in the West End neighborhood with a 50 foot bar and seating for over 200 people. The barrel aging program is serious and the results are worth seeking out if you have a taste for complex, aged beers. They also operate as a full brewpub with food service, so you can make an evening of it.

Radar Brewing Company

Radar Brewing at 216 E 9th Street is on Industry Hill, about a five minute walk from Wise Man. The brewery focuses on Belgian style beers brewed with an open fermentation process, which sets it apart from most of the other breweries in the city. The taproom has vaulted ceilings, good natural light, and an outdoor beer garden that is one of the better spots in the area when the weather cooperates. It is dog friendly outside. Food trucks park out front regularly.

Small Batch Beer Co

Small Batch Beer Co at 241 W 5th Street started as a nanobrewery in 2014 and has grown into a full brewery, bar, and restaurant. They brew in small batches on site daily, which means the tap list changes constantly. The food menu leans into bar food done well. It is a casual, no fuss spot on Fifth Street that works as both a lunch stop and a late night option. Good wings.

Lesser Known Beer Co

Lesser Known Beer Co at 901 S Broad Street takes a different approach from most of the downtown breweries. They focus on lagers inspired by German and Czech Republic brewing traditions. The result is clean, crisp, well made beer that does not try to be flashy. The taproom is small and laid back with indoor and outdoor patio seating. It is in the West Salem neighborhood, a short drive or rideshare from the main downtown cluster but worth the trip if you appreciate a well brewed lager.

How to Do the Brewery Crawl

The best way to hit the Winston Salem breweries is to pick one of the two main clusters and work your way through. The downtown cluster includes Foothills, Small Batch, and Incendiary, all within easy walking distance. The Industry Hill cluster has Wise Man and Radar about five minutes apart on foot. Fiddlin Fish sits right between the two areas and makes a natural bridge. Joymongers is a short walk west in the West End. Lesser Known is the only one that requires a rideshare.

Visit Winston Salem promotes a Craft Draft Crawl route that connects the downtown breweries. All nine are within a 1.5 mile radius, making this one of the most walkable brewery scenes in the state.

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