Highland Fact Sheet 2023

Highland Fact Sheet 2023

 

 

  • Highland Brewing Company was founded in Asheville by Oscar Wong on April 21, 1994
  • Highland was Asheville’s pioneer and first brewery founded in the city since Prohibition and the third oldest craft brewery still in operation in the state of North Carolina
  • Highland is named for the Scotch-Irish who played a large part in the European settlement around Asheville. The name is an acknowledgment of this local heritage and the beer-making traditions that come along with it
  • Brewery headquarters are in East Asheville and house a 50-bbl brewhouse within its 180,000-sq-ft building on 40 acres
  • Highland specializes in crafting beers that are a unique blend of tradition and innovation including Asheville’s first craft beer — Gaelic Ale
  • In 2020, Wong was recognized for his lifetime commitment to the craft beer movement with Brewer’s Association Recognition Award
  • Highland’s President/CEO and Second Generation Family-Owner, Leah Wong Ashburn named a 2018 James Beard Award semi-finalist in the category of Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional
  • Ashburn has been named to the Business North Carolina magazine’s Power 100, Top 100 Most Influential Business Leaders in 2018-2022.
  • In 2019, Ashburn was featured in a book of essays called Southern Women by the Editors of Garden and Gun Magazine
  • Highland was named The South’s Best Brewery in 2018 by Southern Living
  • Gaelic Ale was named North Carolina’s Best Beer by Thrillist in their 2020 Ranking of the Top Beers in All 50 States
  • 2018, Highland Pilsner was named a World Class Pilsner by Beer Connoisseur Magazine
  • 2019, Highland Pilsner was named “Best in Show” at The Tennessee Championship of Beer
  • 2020, Rising Haze IPA featured as a Fresh Pick in Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine
  • 2020, Daycation Session IPA featured in Six Session IPAs To Drink This Summer in Forbes
  • 2022, Highland’s small-batch Kolsch took Gold in The Best of Craft Beer Awards
  • Oatmeal Porter has an entry in the book, 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die edited by Adrian Tierney-Jones
  • Highland’s distribution footprint spans throughout the Southeast including four states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee.
  • Highland’s award‐winning lineup of year‐round brews includes Gaelic Ale, AVL IPA, Pilsner, Daycation Session IPA, Oatmeal Porter, and Black Mocha Stout. Highland also features seasonal beers available on a limited-run throughout the year, and an experimental, one‐time‐only small-batch series
  • Highland Brewing is one of Asheville’s top destinations as both a tourist hotspot and a local showpiece for Asheville residents, bringing more than 150,000 visitors annually through its doors for an up-close look at how craft beer is made
  • Highland opens its doors and taps to the public seven days a week with brewery tours, food trucks, and live music
  • The Meadow at Highland is one of Asheville’s best outdoor music venues and the container bar, made from a repurposed shipping container, is open seasonally
  • Highland’s Event Center is an award-winning private event space and a Wedding Wire People’s Choice Award Winner for 2020
  • Martha Stewart Weddings also lists Highland’s Event Center in their article, 22 Breweries that Double as Wedding Venues
  • Asheville is a four-time winner of the annual Beer City USA poll, hosted by Charlie Papazian
  • Riverbird Research, a division of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, revealed the total economic contribution of Asheville-metro breweries in 2019 was $935 million. That’s one-third of the state’s $1.7 billion total output for the brewery industry.

Sustainability:

  • Family owners Oscar Wong and Leah Wong Ashburn loved hiking in the mountains and were committed to environmental responsibility long before the conception of Highland Brewing
  • From rehabilitating a brownfield site for the brewery’s home in East Asheville and reusing irreparable kegs to making light poles in front of the event center, sustainability is a core value at Highland and resources are conserved whenever possible
  • Many of the administrative offices and the bars in the Meadow and on the Roof are made from repurposed shipping containers
  • The wood that covers the bar and front façade of the Event Center is made from repurposed pallet wood from the brewery

Solar Panels

  • Highland maintains the sixth-largest array of solar panels for a craft brewery and the 22nd-largest array for a brewery worldwide
  • The panels sit on the roof of the production area and were installed by Entropy Solar Integrators, LLC
  • Under peak conditions, Highland’s solar panel array can create up to 324 kW DC and can fully power the brewery’s operations

 

Pints with Purpose and Community Partnerships:

Night Flight Race:

  • This 4.5-mile long run through gorgeous East Asheville is celebrating its 8th year in 2023
  • Over 500 participants run the course annually
  • 100% of race profit is donated to the development of greenways in Asheville and Buncombe County and the race has raised over $40,000 in its six years.
  • In 2019, Highland raised over $12,000, and with support from local government and voters passing a bond package, a new greenway will soon be built along the Swannanoa River in East Asheville, near the brewery

 

The Craft Beer Industry (Provided by the Brewers Association):

  • The Craft Brewing Industry Contributed $26.8 Billion to the U.S. Economy in 2021, with more than 400,000 Jobs
  • The number of operating breweries in the U.S. in 2022 was over 9,500
  • NC ranks 10th in the country for the number of craft breweries in operation.
  • There were 364 breweries operating in North Carolina in 2021

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ABOUT HIGHLAND BREWING

Highland Brewing was founded in 1994 by retired engineer and entrepreneur Oscar Wong, establishing it as the pioneer of Asheville, NC’s now booming craft beer industry. Proudly regional, Highland’s beers are distributed in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. Highland is committed to quality and sustainability, boasting the sixth-largest solar array in an American craft brewery. Today, the company is led by Wong’s daughter, Leah Wong Ashburn, and serves as the largest independent, family-owned, and operated brewery native to the Southeast. Located in a rehabilitated manufacturing facility in East Asheville, the brewery affords space for visitors to enjoy limited-release beers, walking trails, volleyball courts, and live music. For more information, visit www.highlandbrewing.com. Follow Highland on Twitter at @HighlandBrews and Instagram at @HighlandBrewing. Become a fan on Facebook at facebook.com/HighlandBrewingCompany.