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Durham City in North Carolina is quickly becoming a haven for beer-lovers all over the United States. There is a wide array of breweries and beer gardens to choose from in this city’s thriving craft beer culture.
You can find a variety of award-winning brews that are originally crafted by meticulous brewers, showing off their signature styles. Your beer-enthusiast soul will surely fall in love and be full of excitement with this list of seven fantastic breweries in Durham.
1. Hi-Wire Brewing
Hi-Wire Brewing is an Asheville favorite best known for its outstanding lagers that have won many awards and accolades for the brewery. It is a regional brewery with seven active locations in different cities and distributes its beer over nine states.
Hi-Wire’s Durham taproom is known as the Golden Belt, which was established in 2018 and immediately became a local favorite. It features a pet-friendly space, 360° vibrant indoor murals, and fun, interactive games. Moreover, the taproom offers 20 kinds of seasonal and year-round beers on tap and some wines and ciders on draft.
- Crowd Favorite: Bed of Nails. A dry and well-balanced Brown Ale with 6.1% ABV.
- Highly Recommended: Hi-Wire Lager
- Hop-py note: Offers non-alcoholic drinks. Free parking. Spacious outdoor patio.
- Fun Fact: Hi-Wire has won numerous medals from the Great American Beer Festival and NC Brewers Cup from 2014 until now.
Hours: Open Mon-Thur 3pm-10pm, Fri 3pm-12pm, Sat 12pm-12am, Sun 12pm-10pm
Address: 800 Taylor St, Durham, NC 27701
Contact: (919) 295-3700 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
2. Fullsteam Brewery
If you are visiting Downtown Durham for its beer, stop by Fullsteam Brewery. It is a brewery that focuses on crafting beers and serving food items that use only premium and fresh produce from local farms. You can anticipate great brews from this brewery as it has won the Good Food Awards multiple times.
Fullsteam Brewery’s tavern and in-house kitchen are open from Mondays to Sundays. You can order various food items that go perfectly well with any of its 15 beers available on tap. Also, check out its weekly special when you visit, as it will make your mouth water.
- Crowd Favorite: Rocket Science 7% ABV. A true-to-style American IPA bursting with hop bitterness and mild malt sweetness.
- Highly Recommended: Paycheck
- Hop-py note: Offers takeout, delivery, and curbside pickup. Monthly events. Dog-friendly outside seating.
- Fun Fact: Fullsteam Brewery has a membership club called Scythe & Sparrow. Members can enjoy exclusive discounts and benefits whenever they visit the tavern.
Hours: Open Mon-Thur 12pm-10pm, Fri & Sat 12pm-11pm, Sun 12pm-8pm
Address: 726 Rigsbee Ave, Durham, NC 27701
Contact: (919) 682-2337 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
3. Ponysaurus Brewing Company
Nothing can go wrong with pizza and beer, and Ponysaurus Brewing stands strong with that belief. Nestled in Downtown East Durham, Ponysaurus serves its premium brews and gourmet pizza to the locals and distributes its beers across North and South Carolina and Tennessee.
Ponysaurus’s taproom is open daily and features a spacious beer garden and covered outdoor patio. The place also has a full bar where you can find a selection of spirits, ciders on draft, and kombuchas, along with its quality beers. Moreover, you are not allowed to bring outside food because Ponysaurus has an in-house pizzeria where you can get delicious pizza and cinnamon knots.
- Crowd Favorite: Bière De Garde. An award-winning French farmhouse ale with 6.3% ABV.
- Highly Recommended: Don’t Be Mean To People. A Golden Rule Saison
- Hop-py note: Dog-friendly. Kids are allowed but need to be with their guardians at all times.
Hours: Open Mon-Thur 3pm-10pm, Fri 3pm-11pm, Sat 12pm-11pm, Sun 12pm-10pm
Address: 219 Hood St, Durham, NC 27701
Contact: (919) 584-4265 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
4. Barrel Culture Brewing And Blending
One of the newer breweries in Durham, Barrel Culture, will knock you out with its ever-changing list of premium crafts. Whether you want strong IPAs, tasty sours, or robust lagers, Barrel Culture has a beer for you! But if you don’t feel like drinking your heart out, you can have its special soft serve beer or slushy that are perfect for the summer heat.
Moreover, there are local restaurants surrounding Barrel Culture where you can order food, as the taproom does not sell food or host food trucks. You are free to order and bring any food from these restaurants back into the taproom.
- Crowd Favorite: Daze. A Double IPA dry-hopped with three hops and contains 8.5% ABV.
- Highly Recommended: Summer Jam: Pineapple Beets
- Hop-py note: Dog-friendly outdoor area. Street and private lot parking.
- Fun Fact: Barrel Culture has another branch in Raleigh, a cozy, modern taproom.
Hours: Open Tue 3pm-8pm, Wed & Thur 3pm-9pm, Fri 3pm-10pm, Sat 12pm-10pm, Sun 12pm-7pm, Mon Closed
Address: 4913 S Alston Ave, Durham, NC 27713
Contact: (919) 908-9659 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
5. Durty Bull Brewing Company
If you are in Downtown Durham, make sure you drop by at Durty Bull Brewing. This 15-barrel production brewery crafts classic beers using traditional brewing methods blended with passion and creativity.
You can find its taproom to be very modest and features 16 innovative brews on tap. There are food trucks on-site if you are wondering if you can eat good food while having a drink at its taproom of outdoor area. Moreover, the place also hosts fundraising events, concerts, and other fun events to support many local non-profit organizations.
- Crowd Favorite: Lager. A well-balanced Vienna Lager with 5.6% ABV.
- Highly Recommended: Orange Rosemary Sour
- Hop-py note: Offers curbside pickup. Live music. Indoor and outdoor seating.
- Fun Fact: Durty Bull offers free brewery tours at 7 pm every first and third Friday of the month.
Hours: Open Mon-Thur 2pm-10pm, Fri 2pm-12am, Sat & Sun 12pm-12am
Address: 206 Broadway St #104, Durham, NC 27701
Contact: (919) 688-2337 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
6. The Glass Jug Beer Lab
The Glass Jug is an original and award-winning retail beer store in the Research Triangle Park with an on-site brewery crafting an ever-changing lineup of experimental beers. It has a new taproom in Downtown Durham serving its signature beers on-draft and cans to-go and has a great view of Durham Central Park.
If you wish to visit The Glass Jug’s RTP location, you will be greeted by an outdoor beer garden that hosts weekly live music and trivia nights and hosts terrific food trucks. Moreover, you can choose from its selection of over 20 beers available on tap and grab a bottle from its retail craft beer store to take home with you.
- Crowd Favorite: Opacity. A juicy and dry-hopped hazy IPA with 7.3% ABV.
- Highly Recommended: Transparency
- Hop-py note: Indoor and outdoor seating. Offers wine and ciders for non-beer lovers.
- Fun Fact: The Glass Jug was honored by the NC Retail Merchants Association as 2015 Retailer of the Year.
Hours: Open Mon-Wed 11am-10pm, Thur & Fri 11am-11pm, Sat 10am-11pm, Sun 11am-9pm
Address: 5410 NC-55 V, Durham, NC 27713
Contact: (919) 813-0135 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
7. Bull City Burger and Brewery
Come for the beer, stay for the food. You will experience this when you visit Bull City in the heart of Downtown Durham. Bull City is a restaurant and brewery serving farm-fresh burgers, hotdogs, and its award-winning craft beers. Bull City’s burgers are made of pasture-raised beef and fresh produce from local farms in North Carolina. The beers like the Starlite Black Nite Black Lager and Honeycutt Milk Stout are also to visit as they have won many awards from national beer competitions.
- Crowd Favorite: Parrish Street Pale Ale. A pleasantly smooth and aromatic English pale ale with 5% ABV.
- Highly Recommended: Bryant Bridge Gateway Golden Ale
- Hop-py note: Spacious indoor area and year-round outdoor patio. Offers delivery and pickup.
- Fun Fact: Bull City is the first certified B Corp restaurant and brewpub in North Carolina.
Hours: Open Tue-Thur 11:11am-9:30pm, Fri & Sat 11:11am-10pm, Sun 11:11am-9pm, Mon Closed
Address: 107 E Parrish St, Durham, NC 27701
Contact: (919) 680-2333 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
