13 Amazing Craft Breweries in Durham NC (The Best Beer!)

Published by Christina. Last Updated on July 29, 2024.

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If you’re looking for the best breweries in Durham, North Carolina, we’ve created this guide for you!

We’ve written quite a bit about Durham, including its amazing food (from breakfast to pizza and more) and our favorite coffee shops. Since we’ve shown you how to eat and get perked up, it’s time to kick back with a beer in Bull City.

In this guide to Durham NC breweries, we’ll show you places leading by example in North Carolina’s beer scene.

With a mix of OG breweries and newer players, including transplants from Asheville and elsewhere, here are Bull City’s craft beer makers, their backgrounds, and our favorite drinks to consume from them.

Read More: Things to Do in Durham

List of Breweries in Durham NC Featured in this Guide

Bull City Burger and Brewery
Bull City Ciderworks
Bull Durham Beer Company
Clouds Brewing
Durty Bull
Fullsteam Brewery
Gizmo Brew Works
The Glass Jug Beer Lab
Hi-Wire Brewing at Golden Belt
Ponysaurus Brewing
Proximity Brewing Company
Starpoint Brewing (Beer Study)
Tobacco Wood Brewing

Bull City Burger and Brewery

Address: 107 E Parrish St, Durham, NC
Website

While Bull City Burger and Brewery (BCBB) has incredible pasture-raised beef burgers, this place is also known for brewing its own world-class beer!

Employing sustainable and community-driven principles for their beer (the same with their food), BCBB keeps its ingredients pure to ensure amazing-tasting results.

The Parish St Pale Ale is our go-to but when we branch out, there are plenty of opportunities to try something new. BCBB’s brewers have dabbled with jalapenos, chocolate, and more fun ingredients.

If you’re heading downtown for a delicious burger and brew, this should be your first stop. Just don’t use the beer to wash down your meal. Savor it and let your tastebuds enjoy the experience.

Bull City Ciderworks

Address: 305 S Roxboro St #3628, Durham, NC
Website

Durham Cider Crawl August Things to Do in North Carolina Image

Bull City Ciderworks was started in Durham by a couple of Lexington guys. And while nearly all of their production happens in the land of red slaw, their cider bar in Durham is certainly worthy of this list.

You can find them next to the Wine Feed downtown, where games and plenty of space await families (and dogs!). Ciderworks also hosts some fun events throughout the year, so you should follow them on Facebook to keep up.

You’ll find 24 taps waiting to pour delicious cider and even cans of NC beers for hop lovers at this location. We love coming here and can’t wait to see new things coming in and out of Bull City Ciderworks!

Bull Durham Beer Company

Durham Bulls Athletic Park (Open April to September)
Website

Durham Bulls Athletic Park NC Image — Enjoy a Bull Durham Beer with this view!

Home games at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park are a fun time and not just because of Wool E Bull’s antics. For starters, each game features players who are either on the cusp of making it to the Show or those who are rehabbing before going back up.

You also have the first brewery brewed in a Minor League Baseball Stadium—Bull Durham Beer Company.

Brewed right next to the concession stand, a Bull Durham beer and baseball really go hand in hand. We like their IPA, which only seems available at the stadium.

When the Bulls aren’t playing, you can find Bull Durham’s Kolsch, Wheat, and Light Ale at stores or bottle shops from Durham to the coast.

Read More: Movies Filmed in North Carolina

Clouds Brewing at Brightleaf Square

Address: Brightleaf Square, 905 W Main St #22, Durham, NC
Website

Personally, I visit Clouds Brewing for a giant pretzel and some wings, but thankfully, the guys behind this company have done their homework to produce and sell some amazing beer, too.

Clouds expanded beyond its original location to include a taproom and restaurant at Brightleaf Square in Durham.

You’ll immediately fall in love with the food here (try the Bavarian Grilled Cheese!), but this Durham brewery’s distinction is the self-pour beer wall. The concept is catching on with other places we’ve visited, but Clouds was where I saw it first, so they won!

Durty Bull

Address: 206 Broadway St Suite 104, Durham, NC
Website

Durty Bull is one of Durham’s best-kept local secrets, tucked away from the main drag of downtown. Step inside the taproom that’s adjacent to their 15-barrel production, and you’ll see that this brewery packs a punch!

Specializing in barrel-aged and sours, Durty Bull also offers nice IPAs, Porters, and other styles depending on when you stop by.

Head down to for a Hurts, Donut?, a Fill in the (Blanc), or something else and let us know what you think!

You can also play old school console games on their TV or Simpsons pinball between pints at Durty Bull. And finally, props to them for the wonderful collection of Simpsons memorabilia inside.

Fullsteam Brewery

Downtown Durham Address: 726 Rigsbee Ave, Durham, NC
Boxyard RTP Address: 900 Park Offices Dr, Durham, NC
Website

You can’t start your North Carolina craft beer journey anywhere other than Fullsteam. A strong connection to Southern farmers and a “Plow to Pint” mantra is just the beginning.

We spent the night of our wedding at Fullsteam and have been coming back for more ever since, while also making time to visit their Boxyard RTP location.

On the taproom menu, you’ll find experimental ingredients like sweet potato, scuppernong, hickory, and pawpaws. At Boxyard RTP only, dig into some of the area’s best food, including square pizzas that’ll fill you up for days.

Fullsteam is also incredibly transparent about where and how they spend their money as you’ll find inside their Southern beer economy report.

If you need further convincing, grab a Rocket Science (IPA, our favorite!) or one of their experimental pints. That way, you’ll know your money is going toward a tasty experience and, most importantly, back to the source.

Gizmo Brew Works

Address: 3109 Shannon Rd #201, Durham, NC
Website

Gizmo Brewing Durham NC Location Image by NC Tripping

With seasonal and experimental beers, Gizmo Brew Works brings flights and pints to the Durham brewery scene. One such notable beer was “Born to Bee,” which used yeast extracted from the wing of a bumble from an NC State research project.

Working with a two-barrel brewhouse, Gizmo was one of the smallest production breweries in North Carolina. It’s since exceeded its size and grown to add a satellite taproom in Chapel Hill and near South Square in Durham.

Our favorite Gizmo beer is #FakeNews, a New England IPA worthy of a visit to their taproom but also to purchase a can to admire the creative labeling.

The Glass Jug Beer Lab

Downtown Durham Address: 545 Foster St, Durham, NC
Original Beer Lab Address: 5410 Highway 55, Durham, NC
Website

The Glass Jug might be known by some for its amazing bottleshop, but their on-site nano-brewery produces amazing beer, with some only for the taps.

Dubbed “The Beer Lab,” this place taps into RTP‘s reputation for science and innovation while experimenting with new exciting flavors and creating great brews.

Here, you’ll find science-y names like Standard Deviation, Binomial, Opacity and other head-spinning words that might remind you of Mr. Johnson’s 3rd period. But unlike Mr. Johnson’s class, these beers are never boring, and the new stuff is always fun to try.

You can spend your time browsing the bottles on the wall or hang out in the beautiful beer garden outside. Visits to The Glass Jug used to make us a little envious that we don’t live in South Durham.

Thankfully, they expanded and opened at taproom in downtown Durham, next to the Farmers Market and across the street from Durham Food Hall.

Hi-Wire Brewing at Golden Belt

Address: 800 Taylor St #9-150, Durham, NC
Website

Hi-Wire Brewing Durham NC Location Image

Some folks might fear Asheville breweries coming east, but you know what? We’re for places like Hi-Wire Brewing bringing a taproom to Bull City!

And Durham is proud to have them in the Golden Belt, occupying a giant space of almost 9,000 square feet. And it’s not just the circus theme and colorful murals that we’re wild about!

With 24 taps, full-sized shuffleboard courts, soccer pool tables, table tennis, and more, it’s clear that Hi-Wire Durham is not your average brewery. They’re always experimenting with barrel-aged sours and wild ales, and the tap board is always changing.

Ponysaurus Brewing

Address: 219 Hood St, Durham, NC
Website

Breweries in Durham NC Ponysaurus Flight Image

Ponysaurus Brewing has been pouring pints since 2015, starting in an attic that could only be accessed via a scissor lift. These lovely folks brew experimental American, Belgian, and European style beers, which they describe as “forward-think and backward-tasting.”

Crowd favorites include the Biére De Garde and Don’t Be Mean To People Golden Rule Saison. However, you’ll also find experimental sours and bourbon barrel-aged beers here. That’s why we think Ponysaurus is an awesome brewery for everyone.

The wide-open lawn out front is perfect for warm weather picnics and family-friendly hangouts too!

And of all the breweries in Durham, this one is where one governor has stopped by to kick off NC Beer Month in April.

Read More: Durham Airbnbs

Proximity Brewing Company

Address: 491 S Driver St, Durham, NC
Website

Proximity Brewing Company is Durham’s first Black-owned brewery and one that I was anticipating for a long time. Owner Mike Potter had an office near mine at one point and I learned about his story and his plans to open a new brewery in Durham.

His dream came to fruition when Proximity Brewing opened at the end of 2023. It is located in East Durham alongside other Black-owned businesses like Mike D’s Barbecue and Congress.

The brewery offers a fantastic line-up of North Carolina beer, wine, and whiskey.

Potter is also the creator of Blacktoberfest, a festival that helps Black brewers promote their business.

Starpoint Brewing (Beer Study)

Address: 2501 University Dr, Suite 4, Durham, NC
Website

Beer Study Arcade Durham NC Location Image — Who are ya gonna call? Beer Study!

Beer Study combines a few of our favorite things (bottle shop, taproom, and arcade) to make one hell of a place to hang out in Durham. And speaking of the taproom, you have 38 taps to choose from.

There are plenty of guest taps waiting, but Starpoint is the one if you’re seeking some on-site brewed deliciousness.

Starpoint started in Carrboro and quickly built a following, courtesy of the hoppy yumminess they were pumping out. You’ll still find a few of them on the menu, including Tekno Boy (West Coast Imperial IPA) and Hipster or Hobo (Pale Ale).

A Starpoint is perfect for a stroll around the bottle shop, conversation at one of their many tables, or sip between games in the arcade.

That combination is wonderful, but the most important component is the beer. And that’s why we’ll always include it among our favorite breweries in Durham.

Tobacco Wood Brewing

Address: 2500 Meridian Pkwy, Durham, NC
Website

Tobacco Wood Brewing’s Durham location is its second, and is unique compared to the other transplants. TWB’s original taproom is in Oxford about 30 minutes north of Durham in Granville County.

It’s the first modern brewery in Granville County and also, North Carolina’s first female veteran-owned brewery.

As the only brewery that came to Durham from a lesser known area, this place knows how to make its mark.

The food menu at TWB Durham is more expansive than its original location and the beers are just as plentiful.

There’s really something for every season at TWB, with great IPAs like False Motivation, heavy stouts like The Admiral, and lighter options like Rocket Surgery (Kolsch).

Conveniently located off I-40 (Exit 278), Tobacco Wood Brewing is a great addition to South Durham, and we hope they’ll stick around for a while!

What Are Your Favorite Durham NC Breweries?

Durham Breweries The Glass Jug Beer Lab Image

Durham’s brewery scene is part of why we moved to North Carolina. It keeps growing, along with our love for the city, and we’re excited to see what happens next in this growing beer hub.

Have you ever visited any of these breweries in Durham? Which one is your favorite? If you’ve never been or been lucky enough to frequent these spots, which one do you think deserves the fame of your first pint?

Let us know in the comments below and remember to share your Durham NC beer adventures in our North Carolina Travel Facebook Group!

More Things to Do (Including Durham NC Breweries)

By the way, we’ve created beer guides for Durham neighbor Raleigh and veteran brewery-heavy Fayetteville. Stay tuned as we research the beer scenes for other parts of our wonderful state!

We’ve also produced many more travel guides that feature these Durham breweries and other things to do. Here are a few of them.

13 Craft Breweries in Durham (The Go-To Guide for a Bull City Pint)