Remembering Oscar Wong — and the Legacy Behind Highland Brewing
Nearly a year later, it still feels like Oscar is here.
In the brewery. At the bar. In the stories that get better every time they’re told. If you’ve spent time at Highland Brewing in Asheville, you’ve experienced a piece of what he built.
Oscar P. Wong, founder of Highland Brewing, was more than a craft beer pioneer. He was a connector, a mentor, and a driving force behind Asheville’s rise as a nationally recognized craft beer destination.
The start of Asheville’s craft beer story
When Oscar founded Highland Brewing in 1994, Asheville’s beer scene looked very different. Highland was the first legal craft brewery in the city since Prohibition, originally brewing in the basement of Barley’s Taproom downtown.
What began as a retirement project quickly became something bigger. Oscar believed Asheville could become a place where people gathered over great beer — long before it was known as “Beer City, USA.”
His early beers, like Gaelic Ale and Oatmeal Porter, built a loyal following and helped spark a broader craft beer movement across Western North Carolina.
Today, Asheville is one of the most recognized craft beer destinations in the country — and Highland Brewing remains a cornerstone of that story.
A legacy built on people
For Oscar, success wasn’t measured in growth or recognition. It was measured in relationships.
He said it often: “Personal relationships are the currency of life.”
That philosophy continues to shape Highland Brewing today. It’s in the way strangers become friends over a pint. It’s in the sense of belonging that defines the taproom experience. It’s in the community that gathers here, from locals to visitors exploring breweries in Asheville.
Oscar’s impact extended far beyond beer. He was known as a mentor, a community leader, and someone who made people feel seen and valued.
Carrying the Highland legacy forward
You can still see — and feel — Oscar’s presence throughout Highland Brewing.
It lives on in traditions, in storytelling, and in the beers themselves. One example: the return of Oscar’s Oatmeal Porter, brewed from the same beloved recipe and bearing his signature — a tribute to one of his favorites.
His legacy also continues beyond the brewery. At UNC Asheville, a dedicated garden honors his role as a community leader and trustee — a lasting symbol of something meant to be shared and grown over time.
More than a brewery
Oscar taught us how to brew beer — but more importantly, how to build something meaningful.
He led with humility.
He made time for people.
He believed in showing up, every day.
That mindset continues to define Highland Brewing, one of the most enduring and influential breweries in Asheville, NC.
Because what we’re building isn’t just a brewery.
It’s a place for people to connect.
And that’s exactly what mattered most to Oscar.