Brave the Winter Weather and Warm up on a Beer Tour!
Round up your buds and grab some brews with us!
BREWERY TOURS BY BUS IN BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC!
To paraphrase a famous naturalist who probably enjoyed a beer or two on the trail, "Between two pints is the doorway to a new world."
At Black Mountain Ale Trail, we are passionate about the beer that comes from our area’s breweries. We are equally passionate about our natural surroundings – the mountain streams and rivers that make our local beers taste so good. And we are excited to share these passions with you! On the Ale Trail, you will explore breweries in the Black Mountain and Old Fort areas of Western North Carolina, including Black Mountain Brewing, Lookout Brewing, Hillman Beer, Oak & Grist Distilling, and Pisgah Brewing. Our guided bus tours visit three of our partnered businesses, and will give you an opportunity to learn about how beer is made, different breweries and their brewing processes, and the surrounding area – complete with tastings at each stop!
All Black Mountain Ale Trail tours have three stops are about 3.5 hours long and are offered Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Please note that, as a courtesy to our participating breweries, we close registration a day in advance so that we can notify them of our numbers for each tour. Visit our booking page for specific times and availability.
Got questions? Keep scrolling down to the FAQ section. Got more questions? Reach out anytime!
Check out our Contact page to see the different options for getting in touch.
All Black Mountain Ale Trail tours are about 3.5 hours long and are offered Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Please note that, as a courtesy to our participating breweries, we close registration a day in advance so that we can notify them of our numbers for each tour. Visit our booking page for specific times and availability.
FAQS
WHAT IS YOUR COVID POLICY?
On February 15, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted to end the county-wide mask mandate. It is important to us that all guests on the Ale Trail feel safe and comfortable while on our Treks. Masks will be made available for all who would like them, or of course feel free to bring your own. We ask that you help us in trying to keep all guests on the tour safe, and self-monitor for symptoms and stay home if you are feeling unwell or under the weather.
WHERE DO THE BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE TRAIL TOURS START AND END?
All Black Mountain Ale Trail tours start and end at Black Mountain Brewing, located at 131 Broadway Avenue, Black Mountain NC, 28711. There is parking next to the brewery, along Broadway and Sutton Avenues, and throughout downtown Black Mountain.
WHAT BREWERIES WILL WE VISIT ON THE TOUR?
Each Black Mountain Ale Trail tour will visit three area breweries. Each tour through the week will
visit a different collection of breweries from our partnered breweries (listed at the bottom of the
“About” page). Visit our Booking page to see which breweries are visited on which dates!
WHAT CAN I EXPECT ON MY TOUR?
Your tour guide will drive you to three breweries, showing you behind the scenes, sharing insights about the brewing process, and ensuring that you taste plenty of excellent beer! You'll also learn a lot about the history of the area. It's kind of like two tours rolled into one!
WHAT IS INCLUDED WITH MY BOOKING?
Your tour booking includes 3 beer tastings at each brewery visited. Gratuity for each of the
breweries is covered in the ticket price. We highly recommend that you eat something substantial
before the tour.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
$50 per person if you're tasting beer. If you're not going to drink beer, the cost per person is $35 (instructions on how to purchase a Non-Drinker ticket can be found under FAQ: How do I Purchase a Non-Drinker Ticket?), which includes children 12 and up. Due to liability concerns, children under 12 are not permitted on the tours.
HOW DO I PURCHASE A NON-DRINKER TICKET?
Non-Drinker Tickets are discounted by $15 from the pricing for the tour. Enter coupon code NOBEER at checkout to apply this discount! Please note: given our registration platform, use of the coupon code will apply the discount to all tickets within the order, so if there are drinkers and non-drinkers in your party, to receive the discount non-drinkers will need to book separately. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes! For any questions or clarification do not hesitate to reach out through our contact information below!
ARE CHILDREN ALLOWED?
For liability purposes, we are not able to accommodate children under 12, including infants. Tickets are $35 for children ages 12 and up (the same price as a non-drinking adult).
ARE DOGS ALLOWED ON THE TOUR?
Unfortunately, at this time we do not allow dogs on the tour
IS THERE AN AGE REQUIREMENT FOR THE TOUR?
You must be 21 or older to drink beer on the tour. Attendees under the age of 21 or who do not plan to drink can purchase a non-drinker ticket (for instructions on how to purchase a non-drinker ticket, see FAQ: How do I Purchase a Non-Drinker Ticket?). All attendees must provide a legal form of identification. No exceptions will be made. Each brewery offers non-alcoholic options, including local craft sodas, which will be available for purchase by any attendees under 21 years, or those who do not wish to drink alcohol.
WHAT IS YOUR CANCELLATION POLICY?
All cancellations will be issued a refund of the amount paid, LESS the processing fee charged for the transaction. Any cancellation made less than 48 hours prior to the tour’s scheduled departure time will receive a refund of the amount paid, LESS the processing fee and an additional $5 short-notice cancellation fee.
No-shows will not receive any refund.
To cancel a reservation, please contact Black Mountain Ale Trail by phone, at (828) 708-0229, or by email at blkmtnaletrail@gmail.com.
WHAT IF IT IS RAINING OR SNOWING?
Our tours happen rain or shine. If we can’t get down the mountain to Old Fort due to inclement weather, your group will still visit 3 locations, as with all other tours. In the rare event that the tour cannot run at all, you will be given a full refund.
IS GRATUITY INCLUDED?
Gratuities for the breweries and their staff are included in the booking cost. Your tour guides are always appreciative of tips (not included), although they are not required.
"We had such a great time on the Black Mountain Ale Trail! Our guide was very knowledgeable and taught us lots of interesting facts about beer and the breweries we visited. All three breweries have a wide variety of beer and I loved that we got to try some styles that I don’t normally go for. 10/10 would go again!"
Laura C.
CONTACT US
Questions, comments, or just want to chat? Fill out the contact form to the right, or find our phone number and email address below. We'd love to hear from you!
Our meetup point for the brewery tour is at Black Mountain Brewing, located at 131 Broadway Avenue in Black Mountain.
See you there!
Our mailing address:
117-C Cherry Street, Black Mountain NC 28711.
828-708-0229