The Whale A Craft Beer Collective

"Great vibes, cozy space, great beer, amazing wine suggestion, dog friendly, amazing food, friendly folks and a giant skeleton, what's not to love?! Thanks for hosting us!"

"The salsa we ordered wasn't really fresh. Other than that we liked everything."

"I had a great time here. The staff was really nice and they had a great beer selection. There is plenty of seating and a great vibe to the whole place. The restaurant next door has good food, too. Definitely worth checking out."

"This is my favorite place to drink beer in a town full of wonderful places to drink beer. They share a patio space with Haywood Common so the food and drink offerings make for an excellent day. Inside The Whale is a cosy vibe and outside is plenty of space for drinking when the weather cooperates. You can't go wrong here - cheers!"

"My “home” bar after my weekly radio show on Sundays. The wonderful thing about the Whale is it feels very local. We have been going to the Whale for many years, prior to Covid in fact, because I host a weekly radio show down the street that ends at 6pm, So at 6:01 we take the guests, who are all poets and writers, to the Whale. At one point, the bartender joked that we should host a satellite version of our radio show there and call it “poetry and pints” so the Whale feels like home. This place is magnificent for so many reasons. The draft selection is excellent, and the bartenders are well acquainted with all of the offerings! Many places have a wonderful selection of beer. But what differentiates the Whale is the incredibly knowledgeable staff. Shout out especially to Josh! He knows I love a big, juicy IPA, but he knows I also like high gravity, and something with a little citrus. And something that’s a bit hazy, and not too grassy. I know that sounds a bit specific, but every single time, Josh knows exactly what I want. if he doesn’t have what I want on draft, he is not hesitant to recommend from the wonderful selection of cans and bottles that they have. When I’m not in the mood for a beer, there’s a gorgeous red wine that is available. They even have cold sakes when I’m not in the mood for either. And my husband is a cider fan, and they always have some interesting options. My only complaint is they used to have mead by the glass, and then there was a distributor situation or something, but I would love to see them return to a few affordable traditional meads by the glass. But that doesn’t diminish an excellent experience… Every… Single… Time. The music selection is wonderful! When we go on Sundays, they play a full album, often something fabulous like The Fixx. Inside it feels cozy in the winter, but we cannot forget about the magnificent patio they have with heaters. For three seasons a year we sit outside…and during Covid, we sat outside even if it was freezing, and cuddled up next to one of the heaters and just brought blankets. It was so nice to be able to go out, and feel safe outside, while still feeling cozy The Whale feels like home."