Best Asheville Cideries, Meaderies and Distilleries

This guide covers cider, mead and spirits tasting rooms in and around Asheville for anyone who wants a flight of something other than beer. Stops are spread across Biltmore Village, downtown, the South Slope and West Asheville, plus Black Mountain, Mills River and Hendersonville. Eda Rhyne Distilling Co. makes Southern Appalachian spirits, including whiskey from heirloom corn, with botanicals foraged in nearby mountains. Chemist Spirits pours gins, vodka and single malt whiskeys, including a rose gin, in a turn-of-the-century tasting room. At Noble Cider's West Asheville taproom, you can see the production floor from pressing to canning. Black Mountain Ciderworks + Meadery, in a former furniture factory, focuses on dry ciders and session meads made from local apples and honey.

Several tasting rooms keep limited days, so check hours before driving out to Black Mountain or Hendersonville.