Highland Brewing Founder Oscar Wong Dies at 84

Oscar Wong, founder of Highland Brewing Company and known as the 'Godfather of Asheville Craft Beer,' died peacefully at home on May 25, 2025, at age 84, nearly three years after a cancer diagnosis. A Jamaican immigrant of Chinese descent, Wong opened Asheville's first legal craft brewery since Prohibition in 1994, helping transform the city into 'Beer City, USA.' Under his leadership, Highland Brewing became the Southeast's largest family-owned brewery, drawing over 150,000 visitors annually and boosting the local economy. Wong was recognized for his character and community commitment, earning the William A.V. Cecil Tourism Leadership Award, the Brewers Association’s national Recognition Award, and North Carolina's Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Asheville and Buncombe County honored him by declaring May 16 as Oscar Wong Day. Leadership of Highland Brewing passed to his daughter, Leah Wong Ashburn, in 2015, who continues his legacy.