Oscar Wins Brewers Association Recognition Award
Highland is proud to announce with the Brewers Association that Oscar Wong is the 34th recipient of the Recognition Award for “individuals whose inspiration, enthusiasm and support have contributed to the craft brewing movement”. Wong, a Chinese-Jamaican immigrant, came to the U.S. to study Civil Engineering. After a successful career in that field, he retired and founded Highland Brewing Company in 1994. The brewery was Asheville’s first brewery since prohibition and a spark that ignited a revolutionary new wave of craft breweries in the Southeast. In the 26 years since Wong founded Asheville’s first craft brewery, Highland has become the largest native brewery in North Carolina with distribution across the Southeast. Immigrant founded and now woman-led by Wong’s daughter, Leah Wong Ashburn, Highland continues to blaze a trail in Asheville craft and remains a leader in the Southeast.
Highland Gives Back $10K to Asheville Community During Time of Great Need
Highland was built by the Asheville community. In the midst of this global pandemic, the brewery’s leadership recognized the need to give back to the community even as they worked to keep the brewery moving forward. From March to present, the brewery has given 10% of curbside sales to OneBuncombe Fund totaling almost $7,000 to date. Brewery President, Leah Wong Ashburn, also felt particularly touched by the work of their Community Partner, Helpmate, Part of The Buncombe County Family Justice Center. She instituted an internal staff fundraising challenge that the brewery matched for a total gift of $4,716. Highland also participated in the newly formed “Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice” coalition and supported Color of Change with 10% of sales on Father’s Day. On July 31st, Highland will debut “MANNA Pale Ale” where a $1 from every pint of this Taproom-only release will be donated to support MANNA in fighting food insecurity in Western North Carolina.
Meadow Reopens for the Season on July 10
Highland’s Meadow is one of those Asheville summer traditions for locals and visitors alike. The season is highlighted by long-running musical acts on the outdoor stage, small-batch beers and seasonals at the shipping container bar, food trucks, and wide-open space for the community to gather from a safe distance. In an effort to remain compliant with new state and local pandemic guidance, the Meadow will reopen on Friday, July 10 as a family-friendly space that features a long list of new safety features and practices. Those include new outdoor hand-washing stations, a touchless payment system with Arryved App, plexiglass shields at the container bar, and social-distanced seating circles that define space for different sized parties on the grass. There will be picnic tables and campsite-like seating circles for folks to bring their own chairs and blankets. While the Meadow will be open to families, the Taproom remains 21+ for the foreseeable future.
Summer hours for Meadow and Taproom beginning July 10: Mon-Thurs 3-9 PM, Fri-Sat 12-10 PM, Sunday 12-7 PM
Brewery Updates
- Walking Trails are Open: The first phase of Highland’s all-new hiking trails on the brewery’s 40-acre campus opened to the public this spring. The trails offer a wooded retreat with sections along a creek and an old railroad just steps outside the brewery’s Taproom. While guests cannot bring beer on the trails, they are welcome to enjoy a beer in the Taproom or Meadow before or after their walk through the woods.
- Barrel Room Open for Small Private Events: The brewery’s newest addition to the Event Center hosts 80 guests or less. This unique venue was inspired by the brewery’s barrel-aged beer program and bookings available through 2021. Email events@highlandbrewing.kinsta.cloud for details.