It’s Friday and also International Beer Day – a.k.a. the perfect excuse to start making your after work brewery plans. Asheville has over 30 breweries (see the full list here) which means the options are practically endless.

While we all have our go-to brewery (and usually our go-to beer), it’s nice to venture out and make a change every once in a while. That is why we used the ever-so-helpful geosocial networking app Untappd, which allows you to check into breweries, list and rate beers, earn badges, keep up with what your friends are drinking + more.

So, we logged on and checked out the highest rated beer for 15 favorite local breweries. And, because some of the no. 1 picks are seasonal, we also recommend another year-round staple.

You can consider this your #MustTry beer list. Because we all know the options can be overwhelming. And, if you’re already a beer connoisseur or an Untappd medalist, share this with a pal or two who would love to try some of these beers out for themselves.

🍺 Whistle Hop Brewing Company

Micro Brewery |📍1288 Charlotte Hwy., Fairview | Hours

Popular Rated Beer: Strawberry Sour Blonde | Sour-Ale | 6 % ABV | ⭐ 4.25

Kettle sour fermented on 20lbs of fresh strawberries per barrel with Madagascar vanilla bean, and dry hopped with Huell Melon + Belma hops.

*Try the Chai White IPA beer.

🍺 Zebulon Artisan Ales

Nano Brewery |📍8 Merchants Alley, Weaverville | Hours

Popular Rated Beer: Framboze | Sour-Ale | 6.8 % ABV | ⭐ 4.48

Cultured in Chardonnay + Pinot noir oak barrels for 8 months.

*Try the House Saizon for a year-round beer.

🍺 Wicked Weed Brewing

Macro Brewery |📍147 Coxe Ave., Asheville | Hours

Popular Rated Beer: Red Angel | Sour-Ale | 7 % ABV | ⭐ 4.40

Aged in red wine barrels + blended with 1.5 pounds per gallon of raspberries (a total of 11 months and 1 ton of fruit).

*Try the Napoleon Complex for a year-round beer.

🍺 Zillicoah Beer Company

Micro Brewery |📍870 Riverside Dr., Asheville | Hours

Popular Rated Beer: Imperial Stout | Stout | 10 % ABV | ⭐ 4.17

With smokey and chocolate notes.

*Zillicoah just recently opened and is along the French Broad.

🍺 Burial Beer Co.

Micro Brewery |📍40 Collier Ave., Asheville | Hours

Popular Rated Beer: Out of Body Experience DIPA | IPA | 8.5 % ABV | ⭐ 4.30

Made with mango, coconut, + lactose and double dry-hopped with Citra + Azacca.

*Try the Ceremonial or Shadowclock for a year-round beer.

🍺 Eurisko Beer Company

Micro Brewery |📍255 Short Coxe Ave., Asheville | Hours

Popular Rated Beer: Mop Shackled | Strong Ale | 11.6 % ABV | ⭐ 4.18

2/3 Tap-Shackled Imperial Stout, 1/3 Mops + Brooms Barleywine.

*Try the Coffee Porter or Abbey for a year-round beer.

🍺 Ginger’s Revenge

Micro Brewery |📍829 Riverside Dr. #100, Asheville | Hours

Popular Rated Beer: Fall Harvest | Ginger Beer | 4.7% ABV | ⭐ 4.04

Features cinnamon basil, anise hyssop, dried pumpkin from Rayburn Farms + organic cinnamon.

*Try the Lime Agave or Original for a year-round beer.

🍺 Sanctuary Brewing Co.

Micro Brewery |📍147 First Ave., Hendersonville | Hours

Popular Rated Beer: Hop Pig | IPA | 7.2 % ABV |⭐ 3.88

West Coast style IPA with a big citrus nose, followed with orange, citrus rind + grapefruit flavors.

*Try the for Bobby Brown for another a year-round beer.

🍺 New Belgium

National Brewery |📍 21 Craven St., Asheville | Hours

Popular Rated Beer: Super India Pale Ale | IPA | 9 % ABV | ⭐ 4.05

Tropical + citrus tones of the American hops dominate the flavor of the copper-colored beer.

*Try the Fat Tire or Citradelic for a year-round beer.

🍺 Sierra Nevada

National Brewery |📍100 Sierra Nevada Way, Mills River | Hours

Popular Rated Beer: Barrel Aged Narwhal Imperial Stout | Stout | 12.9 % ABV | ⭐ 4.26

Deliciously dark Imperial Stout aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels.

*Try the Pale Ale or Otra Vez for a year-round beer.

🍺 Hi-Wire Brewing

Micro Brewery |📍24 huntsman Place, Asheville | Hours

Popular Rated Beer: Blackberry Sour | Sour-Ale | 8.2 % ABV | ⭐ 4.13

This beer was aged in rye whiskey, red wine + N.C. rum barrels (a total of 18 months).

*Try the Hi-Wire Lager or Hi-Pitch Mosaic IPA for a year-round beer.

🍺 Asheville Brewing Co.

Micro Brewery |📍77 Coxe Ave., Asheville | Hours

Popular Rated Beer: Carolina Mountain Monster | Stout- Imperial | 12.8 % ABV | ⭐ 4.20

Full of chocolate, coffee, vanilla bean + dark fruit notes.

*Try the Lemon Space Dog or Ninja Porter for a year-round beer.

🍺 Catawba Brewing Co.

Regional Brewery |📍32 Banks Ave., Asheville | Hours

Popular Rated Beer: White Zombie Ale | Witbier | 5.1 % ABV |⭐ 3.58

Coriander and orange peel notes give a fruity + spicy character, while the hops are subtle and lightly detected.

*Try the White Zombie or Black Dome for a year-round beer.

🍺 Highland Brewing Co.

Regional Brewery |📍12 Old Charlotte Hwy., Asheville | Hours

Popular Rated Beer: Black Watch | Stout-Imperial Milk | 8 % ABV | ⭐ 4.20

Combines more than 100 pounds of cacao nibs with five malts, roasted barley, and flaked oats for a rich dark chocolate finish.

*Try the Gaelic Ale or AVL IPA for a year-round beer.

🍺 Green Man Brewing

Micro Brewery | 📍23 Buxton Ave., Asheville | Hours

Popular Rated Beer: Bootsy | Sour-Ale | 9 % ABV | ⭐ 4.42

Strong, sour, black ale that was aged in magic funk barrels for over a year.

*Try the Green Man Porter or ESB for a year-round beer.

There are plenty of beer amazing beers in Asheville. Just searching for each brewery’s beer ratings on Untappd I was impressed to see how many were given over 3.5 stars. My personal favorite is Hi-Wire’s seasonal 10W-40 Imperial Stout – talk about vanilla, chocolate + coffee goodness.

Have another beer + brewery combo you think should be on the list? Comment below or tag us in a pic of your favorite brew on Instagram or Facebook. And hey, get ready Highland fans, Cold Mountain will be out for the season before you know it.

We’re all about the fun of living in Beer City USA.🍻

Cheers to Friday!

–Audra and Braulio (AVLtoday intern)