Discover the art of perfect food and beer pairings at Hillman Beer with our comprehensive guide to locally-sourced comfort foods matched with award-winning craft brews in Asheville and Old Fort.
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The Ultimate Guide to Food & Beer Pairings at Hillman Beer

The Ultimate Guide to Food & Beer Pairings at Hillman Beer

There’s something magical about that first sip of a perfectly crafted beer alongside a bite of delicious food that complements it completely. At Hillman Beer, we’ve been creating these moments since 2017, bringing together our passion for traditional brewing and locally-sourced comfort food. Whether you’re visiting our creekside Asheville location or our spacious Old Fort brewery, understanding the art of food and beer pairing will transform your experience from simply eating and drinking to a genuine culinary adventure.

This guide takes you deep into the Hillman approach to food and beer harmony—from the science behind perfect pairings to our chef-brewer collaborations and signature combinations that keep our regulars coming back. We’ve saved a seat for you at our table, so let’s explore how we bring together Western North Carolina’s finest ingredients with our award-winning beers.

Table of Contents

The Hillman Food Philosophy

At Hillman Beer, our approach to food mirrors our brewing philosophy: quality over novelty, honoring tradition while allowing for creative exploration. We believe that great food, like great beer, doesn’t need to be pretentious to be exceptional. Our kitchens focus on scratch-made comfort foods using locally-sourced ingredients that let the natural flavors shine.

Just as our brewing team respects traditional beer styles while adding their own subtle touches, our culinary team starts with familiar dishes that people love and elevates them through careful preparation and quality ingredients. The result is food that feels both comfortingly familiar and surprisingly special.

This honest approach to food complements our beers perfectly. We’re not trying to reinvent dining—we’re creating the kind of meals you’d want to enjoy with friends over great conversation and even better beer. There’s a reason our regular customers know our staff by name: we’ve created gathering places rather than just places to eat and drink.

Sourcing with Purpose

We partner with local farmers and producers not just because it’s good for our community, but because locally-sourced ingredients simply taste better. When vegetables travel from a nearby farm rather than across the country, they arrive fresher and with more flavor. The same goes for our meats and other ingredients.

This commitment to sourcing is why our grass-fed beef tastes so rich, our seasonal vegetables burst with flavor, and our kitchen can adapt to what’s available throughout Western North Carolina’s growing seasons. It’s not about following trends—it’s about serving food we’re proud to put our family name on.

The Science of Beer and Food Harmony

Creating perfect beer and food pairings isn’t just about personal preference—though that certainly plays a role. There’s actual food science behind why certain flavors in beer complement or contrast with flavors in food to create something greater than the sum of its parts.

Beer brings three main elements to the pairing equation: malt sweetness, hop bitterness, and carbonation. Malt provides sweet, toasty, and sometimes caramel notes that can balance spicy or salty foods. Hops contribute bitterness and often citrus or pine aromas that can cut through rich, fatty dishes. Carbonation acts as a palate cleanser, refreshing your taste buds between bites.

Three Approaches to Pairing

At Hillman, we think about pairings in three ways:

Complementary pairings match similar flavor notes in both the beer and food. For example, the toasty malt character in our ESB pairs beautifully with the caramelized exterior of our grass-fed patty melt, creating a harmony of flavors.

Contrasting pairings balance opposing characteristics. Our Hazy Half Back IPA’s bright hop profile cuts through the richness of our wings, cleansing the palate between each savory bite.

Regional pairings honor the “what grows together goes together” philosophy. Our Old Fort Original lager naturally complements dishes featuring local mountain trout and seasonal vegetables because they share the same terroir.

Understanding Intensity

The intensity of both beer and food needs to be in balance. Delicate dishes like our house-made falafel wrap pair well with lighter beers like our Kölsch, while heartier foods like our rich bread pudding stand up to more robust beers like our Four Fat Baby brown ale.

When the intensity is mismatched, either the beer or the food can overwhelm the other. That’s why we train our staff to guide you toward pairings where neither the beer nor the food dominates—creating experiences where each bite and sip enhance one another.

Signature Pairings: Hillman’s Greatest Hits

Over the years, certain combinations of our beers and food items have emerged as clear favorites among our guests. These pairings consistently deliver exceptional experiences that showcase how beer and food can elevate each other when thoughtfully matched.

ESB & The Grass-Fed Patty Melt

Our award-winning ESB (Extra Special Bitter)—which earned Silver at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival and Gold in 2019—creates magic when paired with our grass-fed patty melt. The beer’s balanced maltiness complements the caramelized onions and rich beef, while its mild hop bitterness cuts through the melted cheese. The subtle notes of toffee in the beer enhance the sandwich’s savory-sweet balance, especially with the tomato jam that adds a bright counterpoint.

Kölsch & Falafel Wrap

Our crisp, clean Kölsch offers the perfect refreshment alongside our house-made falafel wrap. The beer’s subtle fruit notes and gentle hops complement the fresh herbs in the falafel, while its effervescence balances the creamy tzatziki. This pairing proves that lighter beers can create sophisticated culinary experiences, especially with foods featuring complex spices and fresh vegetables.

Four Fat Baby Brown Ale & Bread Pudding

For a dessert pairing that feels like a warm hug, our Four Fat Baby brown ale (Bronze winner at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival) alongside our seasonal bread pudding delivers comfort in every bite and sip. The ale’s notes of chocolate and caramel mirror similar flavors in the dessert, while its medium body ensures the beer stands up to the richness without overwhelming the delicate bread pudding texture.

Hazy Half Back IPA & Buffalo Chicken Wrap

When spice meets hops, something special happens. Our Hazy Half Back IPA provides the perfect counterpoint to the heat in our Buffalo chicken wrap. The beer’s citrus-forward hop profile and soft mouthfeel cool the Buffalo sauce’s spice, while the wrap’s rich chicken and blue cheese elements stand up to the beer’s bold character. It’s a pairing that demonstrates how contrast creates balance.

Asheville Location Specialties

Our original brewery on Sweeten Creek Road near Historic Biltmore Village offers a unique dining experience that captures the essence of Asheville’s food and beer culture. The creekside setting creates a peaceful backdrop for enjoying pairings that have become specialties at this location.

Creekside Dining Experience

The Asheville location blends industrial brewery elements with warm touches that make it feel like a neighborhood pub. During warmer months, our creekside seating area provides a tranquil outdoor dining option where you can enjoy the sound of flowing water while savoring your meal and beer. This natural setting enhances the connection between the local ingredients on your plate and the carefully crafted beer in your glass.

The interior space features communal tables that encourage conversation among fellow beer and food enthusiasts. This community-focused layout reflects our belief that great food and drink are best enjoyed when shared. Many lasting friendships have started over pairings at our Asheville tables.

Asheville Menu Highlights

While both locations share core menu items, our Asheville kitchen has developed several specialties that regulars request time and again:

The Pickle Chips with House Ranch have become an Asheville favorite—the tanginess of house-pickled cucumbers in a light, crispy batter pairs wonderfully with our Old Fort Original lager, creating a refreshing start to any meal.

Our Smoked Chicken Quesadilla features locally-sourced chicken given a light smoke that adds depth without overwhelming. When paired with our ESB, the beer’s maltiness complements the smoke while its hop character cuts through the rich cheese.

The Asheville Rice Bowl, topped with seasonal vegetables from nearby farms, represents our commitment to showcasing local produce. This lighter option pairs beautifully with our Kölsch, creating a meal that satisfies without weighing you down—perfect for Asheville’s active lifestyle.

Old Fort’s Mountain-Inspired Menu

When we expanded to Old Fort in July 2020, we embraced the opportunity to create a menu that reflects this mountain community’s character and agricultural heritage. The more spacious setting at 78 Catawba Avenue allowed us to expand our kitchen capabilities while maintaining the quality and approachability that defines Hillman Beer.

Rural Roots, Refined Tastes

Old Fort’s industrial-yet-welcoming aesthetic provides the perfect backdrop for a menu that honors mountain traditions while incorporating contemporary culinary approaches. The expanded dining area accommodates larger groups, making it ideal for sharing multiple dishes and flights of beer to discover your own perfect pairings.

The relaxed atmosphere encourages guests to linger longer, giving you time to experience how your beer pairings evolve throughout your meal. Many visitors make an afternoon of their visit, starting with lighter fare and sessionable beers before moving to heartier options as they settle in.

Mountain Menu Specialties

Our Old Fort location highlights ingredients and preparations that reflect the surrounding mountains and their agricultural bounty:

The Mountain Trout Sandwich features locally-sourced rainbow trout that pairs exceptionally well with our Old Fort Original gold lager. The beer’s clean, crisp profile complements the delicate fish without overwhelming it, while subtle bread notes in the lager echo the toasted bun.

Our Hillman Harvest Plate showcases seasonal vegetables from neighboring farms prepared simply to let their natural flavors shine. This vegetable-forward option pairs beautifully with our Kölsch, creating a light yet satisfying meal that changes with the seasons.

The Old Fort Pretzel Board has become a community favorite for sharing. The house-made beer cheese incorporates our ESB, creating a perfect circular pairing when enjoyed alongside a pint of the same beer that’s in the cheese. The pretzel’s salt and malt notes mirror similar qualities in the beer for a harmony of flavors.

Seasonal Celebrations on Your Plate

Just as our brewing calendar follows the rhythms of the year—with Oktoberfest in fall, warming stouts in winter, and refreshing options in summer—our food menu celebrates Western North Carolina’s agricultural seasons. These limited-time offerings create opportunities for unique pairings that can only be enjoyed during certain times of year.

Spring: Fresh Beginnings

As the mountains awaken from winter, our spring menu incorporates the first tender vegetables of the season. Spring asparagus, early greens, and foraged ramps make appearances in specials that pair beautifully with our lighter beers.

Our Spring Vegetable Flatbread topped with whatever is freshest from nearby farms creates a perfect platform for our Kölsch, with the beer’s subtle sweetness enhancing the vegetables’ natural flavors. The light carbonation refreshes the palate between bites of the herb-infused flatbread.

Summer: Peak Harvest

Summer brings an abundance of local produce, inspiring dishes that celebrate the season’s bounty. Tomatoes at their peak sweetness, summer squash, and fresh herbs dominate our summer specials.

The Summer Tomato Sandwich on locally-baked sourdough with herb mayo needs nothing more than perfectly ripe tomatoes to create a simple yet extraordinary lunch. Paired with our crisp Kölsch or Old Fort Original, it’s a celebration of summer simplicity that regulars wait for all year.

Fall: Harvest Comfort

As temperatures drop, our menu shifts toward heartier fare that pairs with our malt-forward fall beers. Local apples, winter squash, and root vegetables take center stage.

Our Oktoberfest Platter—featuring house-made sausage, beer-braised sauerkraut, and potato salad—creates the perfect companion to our seasonal Oktoberfest beer. The beer’s toasty malt backbone stands up to the hearty fare while its clean finish prevents palate fatigue.

Winter: Warming Traditions

Winter calls for comfort food that satisfies the soul, paired with beers that warm from within. Our winter menu features slow-cooked dishes and rich flavors that match the season’s robust beers.

The Winter Stout Stew, made with our own stout beer and served with crusty bread, creates a perfect closed-loop pairing when enjoyed alongside the same stout used in cooking. The beer’s roasted notes complement the stew’s savory depth, while its subtle sweetness balances the dish’s umami richness.

Behind the Scenes: Brewer-Chef Collaborations

One of the unique aspects of Hillman Beer is the close collaboration between our brewing and culinary teams. This family approach to creating beer and food means that many of our pairings are conceived together from the very beginning, rather than matched after the fact.

The Family Connection

As a family-owned brewery, the connection between what’s in your glass and what’s on your plate runs deep at Hillman. Brothers Brad and Greig Hillman, along with Greig’s wife Brandi, bring their complementary skills to create a seamless experience. When new beers are developed, the food implications are considered from the start.

This collaborative process means our seasonal specials often feature beer as an ingredient—not as a gimmick, but because the flavors truly enhance the dish. From our beer cheese made with ESB to our stout-infused chocolate cake, these incorporations create natural pairing opportunities.

From Concept to Table

When our team develops a new beer or dish, the pairing potential influences decisions throughout the process. For example, when crafting our Hazy Half Back IPA, we specifically designed its hop profile to complement foods with a bit of spice or citrus elements.

Similarly, when our kitchen created our Buffalo chicken wrap, they adjusted the heat level and blue cheese component to harmonize with the citrus notes in our IPA. This back-and-forth between brewing and cooking ensures that neither dominates—instead, they enhance each other.

Our staff training includes extensive education about these deliberate pairings, enabling them to guide you to combinations that will highlight both the beer and food. Don’t hesitate to ask your server for recommendations tailored to your preferences—they’re passionate about helping you discover your perfect pairing.

Local Partnerships on Your Plate

The “local” in our locally-sourced approach isn’t just marketing—it represents real relationships with farmers, producers, and purveyors throughout Western North Carolina. These partnerships not only provide us with exceptional ingredients but also strengthen our community connections.

From Farm to Glass and Plate

We believe that the best beer and food begin with the best ingredients. That’s why we’ve developed relationships with local farmers who share our commitment to quality. These partnerships influence both our regular menu items and our rotating specials.

Local grains appear both in our beers and our kitchen creations, creating a thread of terroir that connects what’s in your glass with what’s on your plate. When you taste the subtle sweetness in our bread pudding alongside the malty notes in our brown ale, you’re experiencing a connection that goes beyond flavor matching—it’s an expression of place.

Partners in Taste

Some of the local producers we’re proud to work with include:

Mountain Foods Farm provides seasonal vegetables that appear throughout our menu, from the fresh greens in our wraps to the roasted root vegetables that accompany winter dishes.

Hickory Nut Gap Farm supplies the grass-fed beef for our celebrated patty melt, bringing ethical farming practices and superior flavor to one of our signature dishes.

Barkley’s Mill grits feature in several of our comfort food creations, offering authentic stone-ground flavor that pairs remarkably well with our ESB.

Appalachian Grown certification ensures many of our ingredients come from farms within 100 miles of our breweries, minimizing transportation impact while maximizing freshness.

These partnerships create a ripple effect in our community—supporting local agriculture, reducing environmental impact, and connecting you more directly to the source of your food and drink. When you enjoy a meal at Hillman Beer, you’re participating in a local food system that benefits everyone involved.

Hosting Your Own Hillman Beer Dinner

Love our pairings so much you want to recreate the experience at home? We’re flattered! While we can’t share all our kitchen secrets, we can provide guidance for creating your own Hillman-inspired beer dinner using our beers available to-go in crowlers and growlers.

Planning Your Menu

Start by selecting 3-4 Hillman beers that offer different flavor profiles. A good progression might include:

Start light with our Kölsch or Old Fort Original lager paired with a simple appetizer like a cheese board featuring local cheeses and honey.

Move to the middle with our award-winning ESB alongside a main course featuring beef or pork with caramelized elements and seasonal vegetables.

Finish strong with our Four Fat Baby brown ale paired with a dessert that incorporates caramel, chocolate, or coffee notes.

Pairing Principles

Remember the pairing approaches we discussed earlier: complementary flavors, contrasting elements, and considering intensity. For example:

Complementary: The malty sweetness in our ESB complements caramelized onions or roasted root vegetables.

Contrasting: The hop bitterness in our Hazy Half Back IPA balances rich, fatty foods like cheese or fried items.

Intensity: Match delicate dishes with lighter beers, and hearty foods with more robust brews.

Presentation Tips

Enhance your at-home experience with these simple touches:

Serve beers in proper glassware—a tulip glass for ESB, a traditional pint for the Kölsch, and a snifter for the brown ale.

Present each pairing with a brief explanation of why the combination works, encouraging your guests to notice specific flavor interactions.

Consider temperature—allow the beer to warm slightly from refrigerator temperature (except for the lager and Kölsch) to fully express its flavors.

Space out your courses to allow conversation about each pairing, just as we encourage lingering and connection at our brewery tables.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I don’t drink alcohol but want to enjoy your food?

We offer several non-alcoholic beverages that pair wonderfully with our food, including house-made ginger beer and craft sodas. Our staff can recommend pairings just as thoughtfully for non-alcoholic options as they do for our beers.

Do you accommodate dietary restrictions in your pairings?

Absolutely! We offer several vegetarian options like our house-made falafel wrap and can modify many dishes to accommodate dietary needs. Just let your server know your restrictions, and we’ll suggest appropriate pairings from our beer menu.

How often does your menu change?

Our core menu remains consistent to provide the familiar favorites our regulars love, but we offer rotating specials that change with the seasons and availability of local ingredients. This creates new pairing opportunities throughout the year.

Can I purchase gift cards for beer pairing experiences?

Yes! Gift cards are available at both locations and make perfect presents for food and beer enthusiasts. Consider giving the gift of discovery with enough value for a full meal with paired beers.

What Our Guests Are Saying

“Great menu here for food… We got the falafel wrap and roasted turkey wrap. Both good… The pork rinds were exceptional. Light dust of old bay was perfect. The seltzer and light beers were perfect for our crowd.” – Erin Rose Raduazo

“Loves the service and the beer. The wings and burger were quite good as well! I’m a bit picky about my burger buns and these were top notch. I feel like the burger could have been a little thicker or the bun a little smaller but all in all it was a pretty great flavor mixture.” – Julie Stevens

“We drove 2.5 hours to get to Asheville and after reading through all the options, we landed at Hillman’s to start our adventure. It was exactly what we wanted. Super good atmosphere, really good food and super good beer! We had the Octoberfest, Hazy IPA and the IPA and all three quinched the thirst!” – Michael Barnes

“What a great place, especially if you have a dog. Burger was awesome, turkey Ruben had have carved turkey!! A little light on the dressing but good overall. IPA was delish and the ginger beer was also very good.” – stealthPizzaMaker

“The chicken sandwhich was fabulous. Nice crispy breading with succulent chicken… wife ordered the sourdough grilled cheese. It has spinach, Swiss cheese, & tomato. She loved it… Fries and chips were homemade too!” – Steve Stanek

Come Experience the Perfect Pairing

Whether you’re a beer aficionado or just beginning to explore craft brews, our approachable environment welcomes everyone to discover the joy of thoughtful food and beer pairings. We’ve created spaces where quality, service, comfort, and community come together—where the beer enhances the food, and both enhance the conversation.

Visit our Asheville location for creekside relaxation near Biltmore Village, or explore our spacious Old Fort brewery for a mountain-inspired experience. Either way, come hungry and curious—we’ve saved a seat for you at our table.

Our kitchens remain open until 9pm daily, while the breweries welcome guests until 9pm Sunday through Tuesday and 10pm Wednesday through Saturday. No reservations needed—just bring your appetite for good beer, good food, and good company.