Environmental Stewardship at Hillman Beer: Partnering with Foothills Conservancy of NC

Why a Craft Brewery Is Talking About Land Conservation

Craft beer and conservation might not seem like obvious partners, but at Hillman Beer, the connection is straightforward. Water quality, clean air, and healthy land are not abstract ideals for a brewery that draws from the mountains of Western North Carolina. They are the conditions that make good beer possible.

Hillman Beer’s partnership with Foothills Conservancy of NC through their Power in Pints program puts that belief into action. When you order a pint at either the Asheville or Old Fort taproom, part of what you are paying for goes toward protecting the forests, ridgelines, and waterways of the Catawba River headwaters region.

Foothills Conservancy of NC has protected over 60,000 acres of land in the Southern Appalachians since its founding, preserving wildlife habitat, water sources, and recreational access for future generations. That kind of track record matters when choosing a conservation partner.

For the Hillman family, this is not a marketing exercise. It is a reflection of where they live, where they brew, and what they believe a business in this region owes to the land around it.

Environmental stewardship at Hillman Beer is rooted in the direct relationship between land health and brewing quality. Their Power in Pints collaboration with Foothills Conservancy of NC channels real resources from beer sales into the protection of Western North Carolina’s natural landscape.

What Power in Pints Actually Means for Western NC

Power in Pints is a giving program that connects breweries with conservation organizations, allowing customers to contribute to land protection simply by drinking locally. Hillman Beer’s participation means that a defined portion of proceeds from participating beer sales is donated to Foothills Conservancy of NC to fund their ongoing land preservation work.

The geography here matters. Old Fort, where Hillman opened their second location in July 2020, sits at the eastern gateway of the Black Mountain range. The surrounding McDowell County landscape is precisely the kind of terrain Foothills Conservancy works to protect: headwater streams, forested slopes, and connected wildlife corridors that support biodiversity across the Southern Appalachians.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, protected headwater streams account for more than 60 percent of total stream length in the United States and provide drinking water for roughly one-third of the country’s population. Protecting these areas is not symbolic. It is practical.

Asheville, where Hillman has operated since April 2017, sits within the French Broad River watershed, another region where land conservation directly influences water quality, flood resilience, and habitat connectivity. When Hillman Beer invests in Foothills Conservancy’s mission, the benefits flow outward in every direction.

“When land is protected, the whole community benefits, from cleaner water and air to better outdoor recreation and stronger local economies.”

Foothills Conservancy of NC, organizational mission statement

Power in Pints at Hillman Beer directs beer sale proceeds to Foothills Conservancy of NC, supporting the protection of headwater streams and forests across the Old Fort and Asheville regions of Western North Carolina. The program makes environmental stewardship a direct outcome of choosing local craft beer.

How This Partnership Reflects Hillman Beer’s Core Values

Since Brad Hillman first started homebrewing in Brooklyn in 2006, the guiding philosophy has been simple: make beers you actually want to drink again. That means prioritizing quality ingredients, honest brewing, and a space where people genuinely want to gather. The Foothills Conservancy partnership sits inside that same thinking.

Hillman Beer is already certified as using craft malt, which reflects a commitment to ingredient sourcing that goes beyond cost efficiency. Their kitchens at both locations use locally-sourced food, connecting the taproom experience to the regional agricultural community. Environmental stewardship is the natural extension of that supply chain awareness, acknowledging that the land producing those ingredients needs protection too.

According to the Brewers Association, sustainability is one of the fastest-growing priorities in the independent craft brewing sector, with more breweries now tracking water usage, sourcing local ingredients, and partnering with environmental organizations than at any previous point in the industry’s modern history. Hillman’s affiliation with the Brewers Association, the NC Craft Brewers Guild, and the Asheville Brewers Alliance places them within a broader industry conversation about what responsible brewing looks like.

What sets Hillman apart is that their conservation commitment is tied to a specific, local organization doing measurable work in the same communities where their taprooms operate. This is not a generic carbon offset program. It is a relationship with a neighbor.

The family-owned structure of the brewery also matters here. Brad, Greig, and Brandi Hillman are not managing a brand from a distance. They live in the region, they know these mountains, and they have a personal stake in what happens to them. That kind of accountability does not show up in a press release. It shows up in the partnerships you choose to maintain over time.

Hillman Beer’s partnership with Foothills Conservancy of NC grows directly from their existing values around ingredient quality, community investment, and honest business practices. Environmental stewardship is not a separate initiative but an integrated part of how a family-owned brewery takes responsibility for its place in Western North Carolina.

What This Means for You as a Customer

Choosing where to spend your time and money in Asheville or Old Fort is a real decision with real consequences for the region. When you sit down at a Hillman taproom and order a pint, you are participating in something that reaches beyond the glass.

The Old Fort location offers mountain views that are worth protecting. The Asheville taproom’s creekside setting is the kind of environment that exists only when upstream land is managed responsibly. These are not decorative details. They are direct outcomes of conservation work.

For outdoor enthusiasts in Western NC, the connection is even more immediate. Foothills Conservancy’s work protects land that includes hiking access, wildlife observation areas, and water recreation corridors. Supporting Hillman Beer through Power in Pints contributes to keeping those spaces accessible and intact.

The GABF Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards Hillman has earned for beers like Four Fat Baby Brown Ale and the Hillman ESB are evidence of technical quality. But for eco-conscious drinkers, the brewery’s environmental stewardship is its own kind of standard. It says something about who is making your beer and what they think their business is responsible for.

Every pint ordered at Hillman Beer contributes to environmental stewardship through their Power in Pints partnership with Foothills Conservancy of NC, making the taproom experience a direct investment in the Western North Carolina landscape that surrounds both locations.