Highland Brewing Co. Closes Taproom for Winter Break

Highland Brewing Co. in Asheville, North Carolina has announced that it will close its taproom due to constantly rising COVID-19 cases in the state (and the entire country) coupled with a loss of outdoor seating due to lower temperatures.

This is a bold move for the brewery, and one that others should consider, due to the record-breaking pandemic numbers that are occurring every day across the U.S. Full details on the brewery's decision as well as its reopening are below.

To our fans and guests, 

After careful consideration, the team and I have come to the decision to temporarily close our Taproom after regular service on Wednesday, December 23. Our hibernation will continue into early 2021, with curbside pickup reopening on January 6 and full reopening at a later date.

We decided to voluntarily close the Taproom doors with a few factors in mind: 

• The loss of outdoor seating options due to colder weather 
• Increased safety mandates regarding capacity, hours, and operations
• The local increase in COVID cases and projections for that upward trend to continue through the holidays

What does that mean for the beer? Brewing operations will remain full steam ahead, around the clock. Curbside pickup at the brewery will also close down on December 23 and will reopen on January 6. However, you will still be able to find Highland beer in stores across our distribution footprint as usual. Plus, we have some exciting new beers to share with you in 2021. Keep an eye out for our upcoming releases! 

What does this mean for our team?  We made this decision to temporarily close out of care for the health and safety of our team. All of our hospitality team members will receive support during this closure including paid time off and shifts available to focus on Taproom improvement projects, training courses, and supporting other departments. 

Read Full Letter from President/CEO Leah Ashburn