HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WSPA) – A brewery that rebranded itself two years ago has become one of the top spots for live music, and beer, in Henderson County. On First Avenue in downtown Hendersonville, you’ll find Oklawaha Brewing, a place with something for every palette.

Joe Dinan is the brewery’s owner.

“We probably brew I’d say 50 different options throughout the year because we’ve got the flagships but we also really try to be seasonal and rotate new things in and out to make things fun and interesting.” 

Hop Pig, an American IPA, is their most popular beer. If hoppy is not your thing, they’ve got lagers, sours, porters and everything in between. Over a dozen in-house brews are on tap at one time. 

They have medal-winners too. The Bobby Beer Jr. Kolsch took bronze in its category at the 2022 U.S. Open Beer Championship. Their barrel-aged blonde ale, Rural Brewer, received a silver. 

Noteworthy output from a small brewing facility. That’s about to change with new equipment on the way. 

“We’ll literally go from 100 gallons at a time to 500 gallons at a time, from a three-barrel up to a 15-barrel system.” 

Impressive. But just what is an Oklawaha? 

“Oklawaha is actually the creek that runs through downtown Hendersonville. It’s Cherokee in roots like a lot of the names around here. It got renamed Mud Creek.” 

Open space inside opens to the outside making it a great venue for live music and bringing people together. 

Oklawaha also gives back. One way is with their Charity of the Month program. 

“We’ll have a kickoff party at the beginning of the month where we donate a large portion of the proceeds that day, and then throughout the month a portion of every single pint that people buy goes back to that charity.” 

The September charity is the Boys and Girls Club of Henderson County. 

In addition, Oklawaha has also held fundraising events for the Blue Ridge Humane Society, Habitat for Humanity, and the Hendersonville Arts Council.  

Much like First Avenue, the support between the brewery and the city is a two-way street. 

“The community is just so fantastic here in Hendersonville, and I feel so lucky, so blessed to be supported by such a great group of folks here.” 

Enjoy responsibly.