One Of America's Top Independent Craft Breweries Is An Eco-Friendly North Carolina Spot With Famous Sips

The , and . The state ranks tenth in the entire country for craft beer and boasts the North Carolina Ale Trail by Rail, a scenic train ride that stops at several great craft beer spots. One in particular is the expansive, resort-like campus of Sierra Nevada Brewing, located  of Asheville's Biltmore Estate, aka "America's Largest Home."

Sierra Nevada is , starting as a California homebrew operation in the late 1970s by two men using   and ,  revolutionizing the craft beer industry. Of course, as with so many enterprises, craft brewing has evolved, with many  where business is the bottom line. Yet despite its prolific distribution and name recognition (and that !), Sierra Nevada is still privately owned by its  The brewery has become renowned not only for its  but also for its commitment to and the

Sierra Nevada has two main locations: one in Chico, California, and the other in Mills River, right outside Asheville, North Carolina. Drive through the front gates and take the winding road through trees and boulders all the way up to the  and it feels like you're entering a movie when you drive up to the brewery.

Sierra Nevada has always had a keen emphasis on sustainability. It sources its ingredients, particularly hops and barley, from local farmers, thus cutting down on transportation emissions. It's committed to using organic ingredients that aren't grown or produced with toxic chemicals like pesticides. The Mills River location features at least 2,000 solar panels on its expansive roof along with  Sierra Nevada boasts that the company is at almost . It also treats wastewater onsite, has composting facilities, and using not only solar but also bio-fueled turbines.

 so Sierra Nevada decided to pursue a grant to . In , including  Sierra Nevada has received accolades for its environmental commitment, including receiving platinum zero-waste certification from the

 committed to reducing emissions and conserving more water. To celebrate this,  made with organic hops. investment in alternative energy infrastructure, financial and personnel investment in nonprofits, promoting initiatives for responsible drinking, and the use of regenerative/sustainable materials in producing day-to-day operations.

North Carolina's Sierra Nevada brewery is a must-visit for beer lovers spending time in the Asheville area. The campus, which is "more like a resort than a brewery," as one visitor described it, offers a number of and tastings that you can reserve online beforehand. If you don't want to experience the , you can simply visit the grounds at Sierra Nevada's Mills River location. They're stunning, offering hiking trails, picnic areas, relaxing patio vibes, and multiple stages, including an outdoor amphitheater where the brewery often holds free

The doesn't offer ordinary pub food; the certified organic menu is sourced locally and creatively curated with seasonal products as well as in-house baked goods and preserved vegetables. There are plenty of Sierra Nevada beers here, including , and the massive gift shop sports all kinds of beer-themed merch, six-packs, and novelty items.

There are plenty of other fun, non-beer-related things to do if you're visiting the Asheville area. While you could easily spend a half-day or evening at Sierra Nevada Brewery, consider also checking out Dupont, an underrated state forest with hidden lakes and gorgeous waterfalls just south of the city, or Boone, an artsy mountain town with its own breweries and fewer crowds than Asheville.