The Craft Draft Crawl

Winston-Salem has quietly become one of North Carolina's good beer towns, and the Craft Draft Crawl is the self-guided way to taste it. Downtown contains eight craft breweries in a walkable area, so a visitor can build an afternoon or evening around them without ever needing a car. The suggested route starts at Foothills Brewing, one of the city's best-established names, then moves through the Industry Hill cluster, where Fiddlin' Fish, Wise Man and Radar sit near one another, before continuing to Joymongers, Lesser-Known and Small Batch. Each brewery has a distinct personality, from the playful to the industrial, and the variety of styles, from crisp lagers to hazy ales and sours, means there is something for most palates. The crawl is not just for drinkers. Non-drinkers can order house-made non-alcoholic beers or Bingo Bango soda at several stops, and Incendiary Brewing is family-friendly, with a large outdoor courtyard where children can run. Many breweries have food trucks or kitchens, board games, live music or dog-friendly patios, and the atmosphere is relaxed and conversational. The tourism board offers a suggested itinerary, so it is easy to adapt the route to your interests and pace. The crawl also gives you a window into the way the city has used old industrial buildings. Breweries have taken over former warehouses and factory spaces where tobacco and textiles were once handled, and the high ceilings, brick walls and loading docks add character. Industry Hill, in particular, is a good example of a district that has been reborn through small businesses.

Pacing matters. Eight breweries in one day is not the goal. A sensible approach is to choose three or four, order flights or half pours, drink water between stops and eat a proper meal along the way. Many visitors begin in the afternoon, when taprooms open and are quieter, and finish in the Arts District for dinner. If you are traveling with a group, appoint a designated driver or use a ride service, and check each brewery's hours, since many open later in the week and close earlier on Sundays and Mondays.

The route fits together with other downtown activities. The Arts District's restaurants, galleries and shops are a short walk from several breweries, and the Innovation Quarter sits close by. Kaleideum is nearby for families, which makes it possible to split a group: parents can visit a family-friendly taproom while children enjoy the courtyard at Incendiary. Visitors staying at downtown hotels such as the Kimpton Cardinal, Hotel Indigo or the Marriott will find the whole route within a short walk or ride.

For beer fans, the crawl offers a chance to meet brewers and ask about what is on tap, which is often experimental or limited. For casual drinkers, it is a pleasant way to see the neighborhoods at street level. For history lovers, the building stories are a bonus. And for anyone who prefers other drinks, the district also includes a distillery and a tea shop, so an afternoon can be designed around whatever you like.

Remember to bring identification, as taprooms check it, to tip your bartenders and to leave room in your schedule for a slow pace. The result is one of the easiest and friendliest ways to spend a few hours in the city.