Breweries

Bull City? Beer city.

We brew it, sell it, and drink it (responsibly) here. For twenty years, Durham's craft beer enthusiasts and brewers have been leading North Carolina's craft beer explosion by advocating for and innovating within the industry. With dozens of homegrown, local breweries setting the stage and even more taprooms adding to the scene's diversity, you won’t need to settle for an uninspiring beverage.

Whether you want to sample flights from a few different breweries or sit down and enjoy a pint after sightseeing, each of these breweries adds a refreshing component to the Durham beer scene and definitely deserves a spot on your itinerary. Cheers!

* denotes members of the NC Craft Brewers Guild, which works to make North Carolina a nationwide leader in craft brewing.

NC Breweries by Train

Explore more of North Carolina's booming craft brewery scene on the NC Ale Trail by Rail, with stops between Raleigh and Charlotte via NC By Train's Piedmont Route. Hop on the train for a day, an overnight, or embark on a one-week whistle-stop crawl to explore the cities along the route and taste locally-made brews throughout your journey. The NC Ale Trail by Rail is a partnership between the NC Craft Brewers Guild, NC By Train, and local destination marketing organizations.

See the Route

Bull City Brews

Atomic Clock Brewing Company*

501 Washington St., Unit A

At this Warehouse District taproom and kitchen, taste beers brewed in pursuit of the perfection represented by the world's most precise timekeepers. Atomic Clock's seasoned brewers craft a wide range of beers and the menu includes craft cocktails, wine and a full food menu.

Bull City Burger and Brewery*

107 E. Parrish St.

A serious taste for beer pairs with an emphasis on local agriculture and grass-fed beef at Durham’s oldest brewpub. Local pride prevails in beers like the Parish Street Pale Ale. You can also find their beers at their sister restaurant, Bull City Solera & Taproom. Tours are available most Saturdays.

A burger is stacked high on a plate held together by a knife with an amber beer sitting in the background.
Enjoy a quality beer with a grass-fed burger and Bull City Burger and Brewery.
photo by: Bull City Burger and Brewery

Bull Durham Beer Co.

409 Blackwell St.

Fans of beer and baseball unite. The ballpark is the home base for one of the first breweries in the country started inside a professional sports stadium. While the beer is no longer brewed at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, it is available for sale during games and at local bottle shops. It’s nothing less than a home run.

table full of plates, each with a different meal item like churros, tacos, and flatbreads.
Do It To Tease Your Tastebuds
Adventurous Eating Awaits

Clouds Brewcade + Kitchen*

905 W. Main St. #22

Clouds was originally conceived as a "German-inspired, American-made" brewery. Now, with a full-service restaurant in Durham's Brightleaf Square, they create beers in far-ranging styles. Enjoy the people-watching on the patio out front or settle in for a game near one of the many TVs inside the taproom. If you're not there for the sports on TV, you can stay entertained with arcade games and pool tables in the back room.

Clouds Brewcade + Kitchen in Durham's Brightleaf Square.
photo by: Storm Clouds Brewing LLC

Crank Arm Brewing

620 Fernway Dr.

Located on the ground floor of the Beckon Building in Durham's Warehouse District, Crank Arm Brewing's second location (its first in Durham) is a perfect spot to grab a pint. Created as the combination of two passions, bikes and beer, Crank Arm is committed to cultivating community culture, active lifestyles and quality brews.

DSSOLVR Durham*

630 Rigsbee Ave.

"Brewed until surreal," Asheville's DSSOLVR opened a taproom in Durham in 2023. Here, you'll find a range of beer styles, including lagers, English ales, IPAs, sours and more; dog-friendly taprooms with regular events; and psychedelic, alien-themed art.

Durty Bull Brewing Company*

206 Broadway St. #104

This 6,000-square-foot, 15-barrel production brewery takes a modern approach to classic styles, offering lagers, IPAs, sours, seltzers and more. Pair an Extra Crispy Pilsner with a comedy show or a Painkiller slushie with a live performance on the outdoor patio.

Fullsteam Brewery*

900 Park Offices Dr.

Fullsteam makes "distinctively Southern beer," often partnering with other local businesses and sourcing their ingredients from nearby farms or local foragers. Brews like Carver, a sweet potato lager, and Biscuit, a Good Food Award-winning wheat beer, show what these folks are all about. Stop by their taproom at Boxyard RTP for a pint and a slice of square pizza. They also have a new taproom slated to open soon at ATC.

Fullsteam Brewery
photo by: Discover Durham

BrewShots: Fullsteam Brewery

Hear from Fullsteam Brewery owner Sean Lily Wilson on how he led the "Pop the Cap" movement in North Carolina, which lobbied to change legislation limiting the ABV of beer that could be produced and sold in the state. This led to the opening of Fullsteam in 2010, Durham's first craft brewery and a winner of 11 Good Food Awards.

Gizmo Brew Works*

3109 Shannon Rd. #201

The Raleigh-based brewery has expanded to Durham with a location in University Hills. Try one of their flagship beers or latest taproom-only small-batch release. They are family-friendly and pup-friendly, so stop by with the whole crew.

Gizmo Brew Works cheers
photo by: Discover Durham
three different images of people enjoying activities in Durham, NC, at a bar, a parade, and a garden
Do It In Durham
Plan Your Trip

Hi-Wire Brewing*

800 Taylor St. #9-150

This Golden Belt space has 8,844 square feet of interior space, as well as a 1,678 square foot outdoor covered patio and beer garden. Game and activity heavy, featuring full-sized shuffleboard courts, soccer pool tables, ping pong, and more, the bar’s 24 taps feature year-round, seasonal, specialty, sour, and one-offs, as well as wine, local cider, and guest taps from neighboring breweries.

Sip beers and play games at Hi Wire Brewing in Golden Belt.
photo by: Discover Durham

Ponysaurus Brewing*

219 Hood St.

"The beer beer would drink if beer could drink beer." If that doesn't make sense quite yet, just try their Scottish Ale to see what they mean. Visit their East Durham brewery and taproom and tour the 6,000 square-foot facility. The brewery has an onsite pizzeria, so you can get your fill of salads, pies and snacks without leaving the premises. It’s a fun activity for the whole family.

Ponysaurus Brewery

Starpoint Brewing

2501 University Dr.

Starpoint partnered with Beer Study to open a dog-friendly bottle shop and brewery, and soccer bar in the Rockwood neighborhood. Sample beer from their 38 taps, including Starpoint brewed from the facility out back, and stay to play old-school arcade games.

Enjoy local beer from Startpoint Breweing at beery Study in Rockwood.
photo by: Eric Waters

The Glass Jug*

545 Foster St. #10 & 5410 Hwy 55 Suite V

This popular craft brewery, bar, and beer and wine bottle shop has locations next to Durham Central Park and in South Durham. The beers brewed on-site in south Durham are often one-off experimental batches, which you’ll need to visit to try. The Glass Jug downtown taproom, adjacent to Durham Central Park serves exclusive Glass Jug beers on draft.

You can sip on beers from The Glass Jug near Durham Central Park and at their South Durham location.
photo by: The Glass Jug Beer Lab

Tobacco Wood Brewing*

2500 Meridian Pkwy.

Durham's first female, veteran-owned brewery serves beer lovers with more than 15 taps dedicated to their beer, ranging from Cackalacky Southern Pale Ale to The Moose Imperial Stout. The South Durham taproom pairs beers with pub food like salads, sandwiches and burgers.

Pair a Cackalacky Southern Pale Ale with a delicious cheese burger at Tobacco Wood Brewing
photo by: Discover Durham

Epiphany Craft Malt*

This Durham company plays a large part in what makes Durham's beer so special. Epiphany connects local brewers to our regional terroir by working with farmers to source grains from across the Southeast and malting them to exact specifications for use in the brewing process. Partnerships between Epiphany and local breweries ups the quality of the beers while reducing their carbon footprints.

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