Hardly anybody in Western North Carolina anticipated the devastation Tropical Storm Helene would bring to the Southern Appalachians late last September. As the wind brought trees crashing down on homes and businesses in Asheville, heavy rains engorged the Swannanoa and French Broad rivers, flooding out Biltmore Village and the River Arts District. Property damage mounted into the billions. Power blinked out. Roads were impassable. Communication was spotty. Businesses shuttered, families were displaced, and much of the region faced weeks without safe drinking water.
That’s when the brewery community became a lifeline in Beer City USA.
“Nobody really knew the impact Helene was going to have,” recalls Ryan Guthy, cofounder of Wicked Weed Brewing.
The impact became clear quickly, as Guthy realized the storm’s devastation extended far beyond downed power lines and waterlogged basements. Employees lost homes. Breweries across town were inundated. And with potable water unavailable for several weeks, even Asheville’s proud brewing culture was in jeopardy.
“We were lucky compared to a lot of others,” Guthy says. The Wicked Weed taprooms and brewing facilities were largely intact. But the real challenge was keeping the yeast alive and supporting employees and other Ashevillians.
That challenge turned Wicked Weed into a hub of relief. Guthy’s team facilitated distribution for World Central Kitchen, providing meals to displaced families and responders. Pallets of bottled water, shipped in by Wicked Weed’s corporate partner Anheuser-Busch, Amazon, and wholesalers from across the Southeast were stored and redistributed from Wicked Weed’s facilities. Once the roads cleared, tanker trucks began rumbling in, pumping thousands of gallons of water to keep beer brewing, dish pits running, and kitchens serving.
Wicked Weed Response After Helene
Guthy knew it would take some time before Wicked Weed could resume business as usual. “But in a different way, we were back in business within 24 hours, helping the community and our employees,” he says. “I was just so blown away by what our teams had initiated.”
Deep community involvement had been brewing at Wicked Weed long before Helene hit. Its philanthropic foundation, Beers that Build, has donated more than $1 million in proceeds to local nonprofits. The company stresses sustainability, and employees are granted paid volunteer days.
As a whole, Asheville’s craft beer community, famously collaborative rather than cutthroat, knows how to help each other out, Guthy observes.
“Craft beer is great at bringing communities together,” he says. “As the craft grows and thrives, we all thrive as a unit. It’s true in other cities as well, but I do really feel a special embrace here in Asheville.”
Wicked Weed has long been close to Asheville’s creative heartbeat, hosting concerts at their Funkatorium taproom and partnering in AVL Fest, a homegrown music festival Guthy hopes to bring back soon. Earlier this year, the brewery launched its “You Deserve an Upgrade” campaign, recognizing community heroes and awarding $10,000 to local artist Matthew Richmond.
“He lost his whole studio in the River Arts District,” Guthy says. “And instead of leaving town, he went right back in to help the community first. We’re excited that we were able to celebrate the upgrade together.”
These days, recovery continues. Sections of the River Arts District and Biltmore Village are still rebuilding. “There’s a lot of things that need to come back up,” Guthy says, “and hands still need to be busy and active.”
But what Asheville needs most to fuel its economic comeback, Guthy stresses, is visitors.
“The biggest thing now is rebounding hospitality and tourism,” he says. “We want to spread the word that Asheville is back. Come back and visit us, whether you’re a foodie, whether you love coffee, whether you love art. Enjoy your community, and let’s unite over that pint.”
For Guthy, who launched Wicked Weed in 2012 with his parents, Rick and Denise, and longtime family friends Walt and Luke Dickinson, sitting idle during a crisis in his hometown simply wasn’t an option.
“I’m from Asheville,” he says. “This is what I know. It’s always been about trying to build this community, grow the economy here, and keep this the special place that we grew up in.”
What’s Up in WNC?
Asheville’s coming back strong, and there’s plenty to do in Beer City USA this fall besides leaf-peeping. Proceeds from several of these events will go toward community nonprofits and Helene recovery. Learn more at exploreasheville.com.
October 4
Burnpile 2025 Music and Beer Festival, Burial Beer Co. Forestry Camp Taproom
October 5
Asheville VeganFest, Pack Square Park
October 11–12
4th Lovely Asheville Annual Fall Arts Festival, Pack Square Park
October 16–19
Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, Harrah’s Cherokee Center
October 25
Wicked Spooky 5K, South Slope District
October 25–26
Beaverdam Studio Tour, North Asheville
November 8–9
RADfest, River Arts District
