Craft beer guide
The best craft beer stops in Wilmington, NC
Wilmington is the craft beer capital of North Carolina's Cape Fear coast — and the hometown of Next Glass / Untappd. The scene took off in the 2010s around the Brooklyn Arts District and the Cape Fear River waterfront, and today the city supports a dozen-plus breweries plus sharp craft bars pouring NC and regional beer. The route below runs from the riverfront west to the outer suburbs, mixing production breweries, neighborhood taprooms and two essential craft bars on N Front Street. Every brewery has an Untappd link so you can check the current tap list before you go.
10 spots · Cape Fear coast · Updated 2026
The 10 stops
From the Cape Fear riverfront out to the suburbs — a natural afternoon-to-evening loop.
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1. Waterline Brewing Co.
Brewery — Cape Fear River · Surry St
721 Surry St, Wilmington, NC 28401
Tue-Thu 16-21, Fri 15-22, Sat-Sun 12-22
The Wilmington craft anchor — brewed under the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge in a renovated 1940s warehouse with a huge beer garden. 4.8 with 400+ reviews.
Riverfront warehouse, beer garden, local classic
Cape Fear IPA · Riverfront Lager
1h30
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2. Flytrap Brewing
Brewery — Brooklyn Arts District · Walnut St
319 Walnut St, Wilmington, NC 28401
Mon-Thu 13-22, Fri-Sat 12-23, Sun 13-20
Neighborhood brewery in the Brooklyn Arts District, small-batch American and Belgian-style ales with a laid-back beer garden. 4.8, 400+ reviews.
Arts district, beer garden, small batch
Venus Flytrap IPA · Belgian-style ale
1h30
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3. Ironclad Brewery
Brewery — Downtown · N 2nd St
115 N 2nd St, Wilmington, NC 28401
Mon 12-17, Tue-Wed 12-21, Thu-Sat 12-22, Sun 13-19
Downtown production brewery and taproom in a historic building, solid core range and rotating seasonals. 4.5 with 250+ reviews.
Historic downtown taproom, solid range
Ironclad IPA · Porter
1h30
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4. Cape Fear Spirits & Beer
Craft bar — Downtown Riverfront · N Front St
139 N Front St, Wilmington, NC 28401
Daily 13-02
The essential Wilmington craft bar — 40+ rotating taps, deep bottle list and a riverfront beer garden. 4.7 with 400+ reviews.
Riverfront craft bar, huge tap list
Rotating NC craft taps · Rare bottles
1h30
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5. Pour Taproom Wilmington
Craft bar — Downtown Riverfront · N Front St
201 N Front St g101, Wilmington, NC 28401
Wed-Thu 15-22, Fri-Sat 12-24, Sun 12-21
Self-pour taproom on the riverfront with dozens of local and regional craft options by the ounce. 4.6, 850+ reviews.
Self-pour riverfront taproom
Self-pour local craft · Regional IPAs
1h
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6. Hi-Wire Brewing Wilmington
Brewery — Soda Pop District · Princess St
1020 Princess St, Wilmington, NC 28401
Mon-Thu 14-22, Fri-Sat 12-23, Sun 12-21
Asheville-based Hi-Wire's massive Wilmington outpost in the Soda Pop District — games, spacious taproom, circus-themed lagers and IPAs. 4.7, 390+ reviews.
Soda Pop District, games, big taproom
Hi-Wire IPA · Ringmaster Lager
1h30
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7. Flying Machine Brewing Company
Brewery — Devon Park · Randall Pkwy
3130 Randall Pkwy, Wilmington, NC 28403
Mon 16-21, Tue-Thu 16-22, Fri-Sat 12-23, Sun 11-21
Adventure-minded brewery known for hazy IPAs, lagers and sours in a modern taproom near midtown. 4.6 with 440+ reviews.
Modern taproom, experimental IPAs
Hazy IPA · Mexican Lager
1h30
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8. Wilmington Brewing Company
Brewery — Winter Park · S Kerr Ave
824 S Kerr Ave, Wilmington, NC 28403
Sun-Wed 11-21, Thu-Sat 11-23
Grew out of a homebrew shop into an 11,800 sq ft brewery and family-friendly taproom with 15 rotating house drafts. 4.8, 400+ reviews.
Family-friendly taproom, house drafts
Tropical Lightning IPA · Seasonal rotating
1h30
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9. Broomtail Craft Brewery
Brewery — Dutch Square · Amsterdam Way
6404 Amsterdam Way Unit 100, Wilmington, NC 28405
Mon-Fri 7-21/22, Sat 8-22, Sun 8-20
Woman-owned, family-run neighborhood brewery off Market Street — true-to-style beers, strong community feel and the highest local rating. 4.9, 175+ reviews.
Neighborhood brewery, woman-owned, cozy
Kölsch-style ale · Roasty stout
1h30
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10. Outer Dunes Brewing Company
Brewery — Porters Neck · Market St
7976 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28411
Mon-Thu 16-22, Fri-Sat 12-23, Sun 12-21
Oasis-style brewery in the Porters Neck oaks with a huge outdoor beer garden, rustic tap house and event space. 4.3, 300+ reviews.
Oak-shaded beer garden, rustic tap house
House pale ale · Seasonal IPA
1h30
Wilmington craft beer — FAQ
Is Wilmington a good craft beer city?
Yes — it's the strongest coastal craft scene in North Carolina, with 10+ active breweries, several taprooms and two excellent craft bars downtown. It's also where Untappd is headquartered.
Where should I start?
Begin at Waterline Brewing under the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, then walk or ride-share through downtown (Flytrap, Ironclad, Cape Fear Spirits & Beer, Pour Taproom) before heading to Hi-Wire, Flying Machine and the outer breweries.
When do Wilmington breweries open?
Most open between 11 AM and 3 PM on weekdays, with earlier openings on weekends. Downtown spots run later; outer breweries often close by 9-10 PM.
Is it expensive?
Reasonable for US craft. Pints run $6-9 in taprooms, flights $10-16. Cards accepted everywhere and tipping is standard.
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