How It Started
A garage, 40 pounds of grain, and an argument about hops.
Founders Clay and Margot Ridgeway moved to Asheville in 2012 from Charlotte, convinced by the city’s creative energy and its then-emerging craft beer scene. Clay had been homebrewing for six years. Margot had a hospitality background and a precise palate. The garage on Elk Mountain became their test kitchen.
By 2015, friends who tasted their work started saying what people always say about good homebrewers: you should open a brewery. Clay and Margot took it seriously. They spent a year researching brewery economics, visiting taprooms across the Southeast, and refining 12 recipes down to 6 core beers. Ridgemont Brewing Co. opened on Merrimon Ave in March 2016.
The original 3.5-barrel system has been upgraded twice. The taproom has doubled in size. The dog-friendly patio - built because Margot refused to open without one - became the most-reviewed feature on every travel site that covers Asheville. The garage is still there, now used for one-off experimental batches that sometimes make it to tap.
What We Believe
Craft beer philosophy, without the pretension.
Ingredient Quality
We source NC-grown barley when supply allows, use local honey in our seasonal ales, and maintain relationships with independent hop farms. What goes in determines what comes out.
Patience First
Our Czech pilsner lagered for six weeks. Our stout is conditioned for three. We don't rush fermentation to hit a tap date. Good beer takes the time it takes.
Community Place
A taproom should be a place people want to stay in, not just pass through. That's why we invested in comfortable seating, good lighting, and a patio that makes you forget you're on Merrimon Ave.