With more than 50 breweries in the Asheville area alone, every business in the craft beverage industry was impacted by Hurricane Helene, according to Asheville Brewers Alliance Executive Director Karis Roberts.

Across WNC, infrastructure damage disrupted essential services like water, electricity, internet, and cellular communication—all critical for a craft beverage company’s operations. Regardless of physical damage, these impacts affected every business. In some areas, lack of power and potable water persisted for days and weeks, causing an extended gap in brewing capabilities.

Bringing in potable water was a huge undertaking. Not only was it a costly solution for businesses already suffering revenue losses, limited storage space compounded the problem. 

Additionally, breweries faced issues with the absence of non-potable water, which was essential for basic operations. Many businesses had to rely on portable restrooms, but early shortages of these facilities added further strain.

The challenges for the brewing industry didn’t end there. Many employees were unable to get to work due to downed trees and power lines, and damaged or blocked roads. Many breweries suffered flood damage to their delivery trucks. Computer systems were damaged. Despite these setbacks, many area breweries became community hubs for supply distribution. 

“We were getting large donations coming in tractor trailers, but there were challenges of where to store them,” Roberts said. “Breweries were a great resource because they had easy loading docks. Their employees had transferable job skills of using palletizers and forklifts and knowing how to logistically operate large truckloads of resources coming in at one time, so it was really cool to see that.”

The local brewery community is also collaborating to support each other through fundraising initiatives. DSSOLVR launched Higher Calling, and Sierra Nevada dedicated $1 per barrel of their Celebration IPA, both donating proceeds to the NC Craft Brewers Guild Foundation. The NC Craft Brewers Guild also began the Pouring For Neighbors initiative that encourages brewers from across the state to contribute $1 per pour to the Foundation, which will be redistributing funds to support impacted WNC breweries. Burial Beer Co. has announced collaborations with hard-hit breweries and has engaged in their own fundraising efforts.

Tourism, a key driver of the craft brewing industry, also took a significant hit. Throughout the fall of 2024, water shortages that directly impacted breweries also compounded the decline in tourism.

“You can’t possibly entice folks to come to a city and say ‘don’t put your toothbrush under the faucet’,” Roberts said. “Water was the cause of declined tourism and brewing itself, which both have separate but equal impacts on the brewer. There’s not a lot enticing folks to come to Asheville right now. We’re still rebuilding, traffic’s insane, and there’s going to be trash in places there shouldn’t. We’re open and we’re ready, but how do we softly start promoting tourism so it’s a viable thing again?”

As potable city water has returned to Asheville, most of the local breweries have been able to reopen, apart from several that experienced devastating damage to their physical locations. Some have had to repurchase ingredients, brewing equipment, and delivery trucks, and many have shifted their product selection and distribution goals. Whether shifting to a tap room focus, contract brewing in other facilities, or shipping products to areas where tourism is currently higher, breweries are doing what they can to stay up and running.

According to Roberts, as people begin to feel comfortable with visiting the area again, brewers will begin to feel the positive effects on their business.

“There is definitely hope on the horizon,” Roberts said. “Folks are eager and ready to rebuild, and I think the hope is that we get grants and an influx of funding so that Asheville can be rebuilt quicker and better than before, so if this ever does happen again, there is more structure and stability. We all have to take a deep breath and try to be pragmatic and understanding and patient, and we have to just take this in stride and figure out what to do next.”