Kure Beach / Wilmington Area

I vacationed in Wrightsville Beach 3 years and found Wilmington to be a fantastic beer town. Flying Machine, New Anthem, Mad Mole, and Wilmington Brewing were my favorites in the area. The only shop I visited was Hey! Beer and I thought they had a great selection too.

I didn't spend any time in Kure other than a day trip to the aquarium but recall there was only one brewery (Good Hops) and one shop (Island Beverage) at the time though I didn't stop by either. Definitely wasn't much of anything down that way.

If you're on FB there's a pretty active group, Wilmington Beer Scene, I found very helpful when seeking recommendations from locals.

There's also the Wilmington Ale Trail site that has a directory of places too.

 

Hey! Beer bottle shop has tons of great beer in cans, bottles and on tap as well. They do crowlers, etc too!

They have everything you could want from all the great breweries who distribute in the area.

Cheers!

 

Any styles or preferences you're looking for in particular?

Bestway Grocery and Gate City Growlers in GSO (Greensboro) have big selections of local NC offerings.

Assuming you're driving over on I-40, you'll pass through Graham. Forgotten Road Ales is right downtown, like a mile off the interstate. If FRA was in AVL, Raleigh, or Charlotte, they would be one of the most hyped in the state. Serious NE-IPAs, fruited sours, farmhouse ales, and big stouts.

If you need a pit stop in Raleigh, Burial Beer Co has a taproom near downtown. You can place an order online and pick up it to go. They're in a food court/hall, so a potential food stop if you're traveling with a family. Funguys in Raleigh is another hyped-up local brewery, particularly with their pastry dessert sours.

Down in Wilmington, I'll echo the previous advice: Hey! Beer, Cape Fear Wine & Beer, and Lighthouse (Wrightsville Beach) for bottleshop/bars. New Anthem, Wilmington Brewing, Flying Machine for starters on the brewery side. Tons of breweries down there these days, so great opportunities for brewery hopping.

 

Thank you! Came here for this as I'll be down in Wilmington for last 2 weeks of June.
Any particularly kid-friendly brewery/restaurants? Bonus points for outdoor areas.
Last time down we really enjoyed Sour Barn & Waterline, but admittedly it's been a couple of years and the family dynamics have changed.

 

Hey Beer in Wilmington gets drops of Burial beers the last 2 years I’ve been down there. Fermental is a boutique style bottle shop in Wilmington that I’ve always liked as well. New Anthem and Flying Machine seem to be making tasty beers. Good Hops brewing is a great location in Kure/Carolina Beach, but I found their beers very so/so. For food, we love going into Wilmintgton for breakfast at the Cast Iron Kitchen. Really good southern food and not too expensive either. The couple restaurants right in Kure are just so/so and we either go to Carolina Beach or into Wilmington for better dining options. With that said, I love Kure Beach, so chill and relaxing even in the summer, enjoy your vacation.

 

If you like German style lagers, Old Mecklenburg is getting wider distribution outside of Charlotte and I found their beers in grocery stores down by Kure Beach. Need to check freshness dates like any grocery store beers however.

 

Saw someone mention this weekend in a local beer group The Veggie Wagon near Kure has a decent beer selection. https://theveggiewagon.com