For those who love the finer tastes in life, we've developed an exciting brewery guide for the Outer Banks. Our OBX Beer, Wine, & Spirits Trail stretches from our Northern Beaches, to Roanoke Island & Dare Mainland, and south to Hatteras Island. This tasty trek will help you experience the rich, local tradition of beer, wine, and spirits. Visit here for a full list of Outer Banks bars and restaurants. Please enjoy the trail responsibly, take advantage of local cabs, Ubers, or the OBX Party Bus.
Northern Beaches
The Vineyard Voyage - Duck
A cool water excursion taking you from the chic town of Duck on the Outer Banks across Currituck Sound for a wine tasting and 4x4 safari tour of Sanctuary Vineyards on the mainland. 33 acres of viniferous grapes. Learn the vine-to-glass process, smell the French oak barrels and meet the master winemakers amid a setting with rich waterfowl and farming heritage. Sanctuary Vineyards produces over 7,000 cases of wine seasonally and has won over 100 accolades for their award winning wines.
TRIO Restaurant and Market - Kitty Hawk
TRiO is an exciting retail and tasting destination with an inviting yet cosmopolitan vibe. They're all about simple pleasures, authentic flavors and good times. A place to feed your passion – for wine, beer, cheese, casually inventive food and more. Comprised of both a gourmet wine, beer and cheese market as well as a restaurant with a wine bar and tap house, TRiO offers the best of the worlds of wine, beer and cheese for your enjoyment on premise or in the comfort of your home
Tap That OBX - Kitty Hawk
The robust selection of bourbons, tequilas, and beers on tap at this dog friendly, oceanside spot alone warrants a visit. But then you walk in and find out it also has a cigar lounge and game room, featuring a variety of free games, like darts, pool, and foosball. With a laid back atmosphere, the cozy space invites relaxed, loungey visits. It doesn’t offer food, but with a place this accessible and luxe, you don’t need it. If you’re feeling snacky, you can bring your own food or grab an incredible burger at long-standing restaurant Art’s Place (located next door) for a delightful craft beer and food pairing.
Chips Wine & Beer - Kill Devil Hills
No brewery guide would be complete without a mention of Chips Wine & Beer, which boasts over 2,000 wines and 600 craft beers. And for a sublime shopping experience, it also offers wine tasting machines, six beer taps, and a friendly and knowledgeable staff so you can sip while you shop. Its wares extend beyond beverages — in addition to items like cigars, pint glasses, and chocolates, you can also find 60 artisan-made olive oils and vinegars at Outer Banks Olive Oil Co., now located inside Chip's Kill Devil Hills location.
Outer Banks Brewing Station – Kill Devil Hills
Known as the first wind powered brewery in America, the Brewing Station offers high quality and esoteric menu items, without reaching the stratospheric menu prices of other local gourmet destinations. But at its heart and soul the Brewing Station is about the beer. Brewmaster Scott Meyer’s creations run the gamut — lighter pilsners, ales, IPAs, heavier stouts. The brews are recognized around the country for their quality, and aficionados make it a point to add the Brewing Station to their itinerary. The Brewing Station has made a difference on many levels on the Outer Banks — a world-class brew pub, superior food, engaging bands, alternative energy and promoting social issues.
Swells’a Brewery and Tasting Room - Kill Devil Hills
Upon entering Swells’a Brewery and Tasting Room, you’ll see why it’s been called “everyone’s favorite living room of the Outer Banks.” The vibe is relaxed and welcoming, and the seating is spacious and comfortable. It includes a tasting room, a large outdoor patio, and a beautiful rooftop deck with unbeatable ocean views. In addition to being dog and kid-friendly, Swells’a also hosts fun rotating events including live music, pizza nights, yoga, and more. Pro tip: The rotating selection of local sips leans toward IPA centric, and if you try something you like, you should buy some to take home.
Fish Heads Bar & Grill - Nags Head
Located on a fishing pier, this family friendly bar and restaurant offers up fantastic views, live music, and classic, affordable beach fare, like fresh fish tacos, fish baskets, and killer burgers. To quench your thirst, it
features 33 craft brews, wine, bubbly libations, and sake cocktails. In addition to daily drink specials, Fish Heads offers happy hour shrimp: 20-cent seasoned steamed shrimp from 4-6 p.m. With on-site beach access, parents can enjoy their meal while their kids play in the sand and hunt for shells.
Roanoke Island & Dare Mainland
Outer Banks Distilling Company - Manteo
The four owners all met years ago working at a local brewery in Kill Devil Hills and became fast friends over their shared love for good beer and rum. Over the course of many sessions spent sipping rum and talking shop, they came to the conclusion that starting a craft distillery on the Outer Banks made a lot of sense. Adam Ball and Kelly Bray worked at the area’s local breweries for many years, while Matt Newsome and Scott Smith have more than 20 years of bar tending experience on the OBX. Their story perfectly ties in with the more than 1,000 shipwrecks along the Outer Banks' Graveyard of the Atlantic with wreckage containing barrels of rum.
The Mothervine - Manteo
The Mothervine is America’s Oldest Cultivated Grapevine, circa 1584, in Manteo on Roanoke Island. The Mothervine Company creates high quality, American-made products using the Muscadine, nature’s richest source of polyphenolic antioxidants. The Mother Vine is the oldest cultivated grapevine in America, 430+ years old and it lives in Manteo, NC on Roanoke Island…part of the Outer Banks. Its lore can be woven into that first attempted settlement associated with The Lost Colony and beyond. The Lost Colony Wine & Culinary Festival takes place April 8-9, 2022 and pairs the mystery associated with the first attempted English colony in America circa 1587, as portrayed in The Lost Colony Outdoor Drama, with Francis Ford Coppolla’s new Virginia Dare Winery line of tribute wines.
Lost Colony Brewery - Stumpy Point
The Lost Colony Brewery specializes in British and Irish style beers. They use Marris Otter malt as their base and then add various combinations of Black Patent, Brown malt, Crystal malt, and Roasted Barley depending on the individual beer. Hop varieties include Fuggles, East Kent Golding and Challenger. Their brewery in Stumpy Point is housed in a 10,000 square foot former boat shop, capable of producing 1,000 gallons of beer at a time.
Hatteras Island
Lighthouse Sports Bar - Buxton
When heading south, you'll find Lighthouse Sports Bar who took it upon themselves to sample hundreds, even thousands, of the finest beers in the land to bring you one of the finest selections of great local North Carolina beers and ciders. They offer a full bar, with tons of beers and wine along with the entertainment of pool tables, darts, live music and more. Open for brunch, lunch, happy hour & dinner with late night food.
*BONUS Beer, Wine, & Spirits Trail Extension: If you wish to make a day trip south of Hatteras Island, hop on a car or passenger ferry to uncover Ocracoke Island's very own craft brewery, 1718 Brewery.
