By Winston-Salem turned the old machinery of a tobacco-and-textile town into one of North Carolina’s most rewarding craft beer scenes, and the result is a city where you can sip an experimental sour inside a former NASCAR garage one afternoon and a barrel-aged stout in a converted West End building the next. More than a dozen breweries and taprooms now operate across the Camel City, many clustered in walkable downtown districts that make a self-guided beer crawl genuinely easy. Whether you are visiting for the weekend or you live a few minutes away in the Triad, here are the breweries worth building a day around.
The Pioneer: Foothills Brewing
No conversation about Winston-Salem beer starts anywhere but Foothills Brewing. Established in 2004, Foothills lit the fuse on the modern craft movement here and remains the heavyweight, distributing across the Southeast while still pouring pints at home. Its annual Sexual Chocolate imperial stout release draws devoted fans who line up before dawn, and its Hoppyum IPA and Jade IPA are Triad mainstays.
There are two distinct experiences. The original Downtown Brewpub is a full-service restaurant and bar in the heart of the city, ideal if you want shareable plates with your flight. The larger Tasting Room near Interstate 40 sits at the main production facility, with a long bank of taps, live music, and vendor markets.
- Downtown Brewpub: 638 West Fourth St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101. Phone (336) 777-3348.
- Tasting Room: 3800 Kimwell Dr., Winston-Salem, NC 27103. Phone (336) 997-9484.
- Website: foothillsbrewing.com (check the site for current hours at each location)
Downtown and the Innovation Quarter
The eastern edge of downtown, in and around the redeveloped Bailey Power Plant, has become the densest cluster of taprooms in the city. You can park once and reach several on foot.
Incendiary Brewing Company
Set inside the historic Bailey Power Plant at Innovation Quarter, Incendiary Brewing pairs raw industrial architecture with a sprawling outdoor space known as the Coalpit, where wood-fired pizza from neighboring Cugino Forno keeps families fed. The brewery built its reputation on sharp IPAs and rich stouts, and the patio is one of the best spots downtown to spend a warm evening. It is genuinely family-friendly, which sets it apart from a lot of taprooms.
- Address: 486 N. Patterson Ave., Winston-Salem, NC 27101
- Hours: Monday through Thursday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to midnight, Sunday noon to 10 p.m.
- Website: incendiarybrewing.com
Fiddlin’ Fish Brewing Company
A short walk away on North Trade Street, Fiddlin’ Fish Brewing is a local favorite for good reason. It has both indoor and outdoor seating, plenty of TVs for game day, live music on Fridays, and the rare downtown luxury of its own parking lot. The beer list leans approachable, making it a comfortable first stop for anyone new to craft.
- Address: 772 N. Trade St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101
- Phone: (336) 999-8945
- Hours: Monday through Thursday 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 9 p.m., Sunday noon to 8 p.m.
- Website: fiddlinfish.com
Wise Man Brewing
Wise Man Brewing occupies a building close to a century old, carefully renovated before the brewery opened to the public in 2017. Today it is one of the city’s most reliable taprooms, with an ever-changing lineup that runs the full spectrum of styles, from crisp lagers to hazy IPAs. The cavernous space and frequent events make it a natural anchor for a downtown beer day.
- Address: 826 Angelo Bros. Ave., Winston-Salem, NC 27101
- Phone: (336) 725-0008
- Website: wisemanbrewing.com
Radar Brewing Company
Tucked into the Industry Hill area in an unassuming building that once stored NASCAR race vehicles, Radar Brewing has become one of the more talked-about names in town. Known for its Belgian-inspired and experimental beers, Radar rewards drinkers who like to venture off the IPA path. The garage-bay setting gives it a casual, easygoing feel.
- Address: 216 E. Ninth St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101
- Phone: (336) 999-8090
- Hours: Closed Monday, Tuesday through Thursday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday noon to 11 p.m., Sunday noon to 8 p.m.
- Website: radarbrewingcompany.com
For the Barrel-Aged Devotee: Joymongers Barrel Hall
In the West End, Joymongers Barrel Hall is one of the few breweries in the country to dedicate so much of its production to barrel-aged beer. Alongside dependable IPAs, pale ales, lagers, and stouts, the team ages select brews in fresh bourbon and wine barrels, producing complex, slow-built beers you will not find at a standard taproom. It is the destination for drinkers who want depth and a little patience in their glass. (Joymongers also runs a brewery in Greensboro, so Triad fans can find them on both ends.)
- Address: 480 West End Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27101
- Phone: (336) 608-4290
- Hours: Monday and Tuesday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 4 p.m. to midnight, Friday 2 p.m. to midnight, Saturday noon to midnight, Sunday noon to 10 p.m.
- Website: joymongers.com
Worth a Detour Around the Triad
The Winston-Salem beer scene spills well past the city limits, and a few nearby spots are worth the short drive for locals especially:
- Lesser-Known Beer Co. in West Salem is a small, lager-focused brewery with a boutique approach that pairs perfectly with anyone tired of hop-forward menus.
- Little Brother Brewing and Gypsy Road Brewing Company in nearby Kernersville offer relaxed, family-friendly taprooms a short hop east toward Greensboro.
- Brouwerij DuBois, on the outskirts of town, leans into an old-tavern atmosphere that regulars love.
For the most current roster as the scene keeps growing, the official Visit Winston-Salem breweries and distilleries guide is the best single reference, and broader trip planning lives at Visit NC.
How to Plan a Winston-Salem Brewery Day
The smartest move is to base yourself downtown, where Incendiary, Fiddlin’ Fish, Wise Man, and Radar sit within a compact, walkable radius. Pick one or two of those as your core, then add Foothills or Joymongers by a short rideshare. Always confirm hours on each brewery’s own website before you go, since taproom schedules shift seasonally and many spots close earlier or stay shut on Mondays.
If you are staying overnight, choose an Expedia-bookable downtown hotel near the Fourth Street corridor and the Innovation Quarter. That keeps the densest stretch of taprooms within walking distance, lets you leave the car parked, and puts you steps from Winston-Salem’s restaurants and arts venues for the rest of the evening. Designate a driver or plan on rideshares between the further-flung breweries, and you have the makings of one of the best beer days in the Triad.