Fonta Flora Brewery

Fonta Flora is a cool little spot in downtown Morganton. I think what sets this place apart from other breweries in NC is its concept of using fresh local ingredients. They say that they want to take «brewing back to its agricultural roots.» I think that this really shines through in both the beer and the atmosphere of the place. I also love that this brewery isn’t just lost in the crowd of Asheville or Charlotte. Instead they are putting Morganton on the map.
I stopped here on my way back from a work trip. I saw the Morganton exit from the interstate and had heard so much about this brewery that I had to stop. I came in on a Friday night and the place was packed. One of the negatives of my experience is that there weren’t many seats available. I came in by myself, so I didn’t want to grab a whole table, but all of the seats at the bar were taken. Basically what I’m saying, is that they are going to need some more seating, if they continue to grow in popularity.
Once I did find a seat, I bellied up to the bar and ordered a flight. I got five different selections. To be honest, I was disappointed at first. Just about all of the beers were average to me, but then I hit two very good ones: the Papamace and the Double Hop Beard. The Papamace was a very unique tart saison. The Double Hop Beard, by far my favorite, was a double IPA that they had just brewed. This is most likely what I will stick to in the future. The way that I feel about their beer is that most of their stuff is average, but the good beers are really good.
The service was great and both of the bartenders were very friendly and knowledgable. It seemed like just about everyone in the place was a local, except for me, and they knew just about everyones name and drink of choice.
Fonta Flora is doing something unique in Morganton and you should go check it out. The service is good and the bartenders are friendly. The atmosphere is nice and Morganton is a cool little town to check out. On my next visit I’m going straight for the Double Hop Beard.

These guys do it right! The unique selection is unmatched. The building is unique but will soon need more space…

One of the best breweries in North Carolina. An amazing staff revitalizing an up-​and-​coming downtown with a beautiful tasting room and awesomely creative brews (that have recently been racking up national awards) — try the Hop Beard, the Local Carrot IPA, the Irish Table, or the Beet Saison… or any other odd, organic, local recipe that catches your eye. Head brewer Todd is a great host, a wacko creative beer genius, and has a damn handsome man beard to boot.

Really enjoyed this place. Great ambiance, really good beer, very friendly staff. Can’t wait to make an excuse to go back.

Met this brewery at a balloon festival in Statesville, NC and decided to stop by on our way home from Asheville. This place is very cool and I hope to come to an event in the near future. Our pup was allowed inside and we met a very cool couple during our short stop. Be back soon Flora Fonta

We never expected this… what a great spot… the building is gorgeous… the people of morganton are super friendly… service was great… and the most important part (drum roll please) the beer is AMAZING! So worth the trip out, you won’t be disappointed. Added bonus the town is adorable!

An amazing place to hang out and drink delicious and inventive beers brewed using local ingredients! Friendly staff and awesome décor, I love that they feature different local artists work! You definitely won’t be disappointed!

It’s small and located outside of the hub of Asheville’s brewing scene, but if you like interesting beers Fonta Flora is worth the trip to Morganton! In addition to accessible standards they create unusual flavor combinations with locally sourced ingredients but this isn’t just trend bandwagoning; rather than doing the bizarre just to stand out, each ingredient pairing complements the style of beer served at Fonta Flora. I recently enjoyed a beet saison, which blended the earthy sweetness of beet with the fresh, slightly funky aspects of saisons for a beer that really refreshed on an unseasonably warm day, as well as their Urban Monk stout variant with Turkish coffee and cardamom which created a revitalizing coffee taste that was smooth and rich, with the slightly floral astringency of cardamom at the finish. A carrot IPA was also available, and while I didn’t get to try it my friend who did assured me it was another example of FF putting craft before hype.
The space isn’t the largest and can get quite loud when crowded, but it’s well laid out and feels roomy even when very busy. The outdoor seating offers pleasant views, and parking is quite easy. There are several restaurants of various types within easy walking distance if you need something more substantial than the light bar snacks offered, and in general the atmosphere is laid back and enjoyable — much like the brewery itself, for the crowd it’s all about the beers and not about racking up beer nerd points. If you’re in the Asheville area to enjoy some of North Carolina’s great beer tourism choices, make the detour to Morganton for a creative brewery that’s sure to do even bigger and better things as they grow!

We stopped here on the way back from Asheville… and I am so glad we did. This brewery is small and upcoming but does everything right! I haven’t seen a start up brewery in such a great location when you pull into downtown. The space has been renovated to a historic/​rustic/​craft feel. It was very inviting.
Quality beer, quality taste, and great selection. I enjoyed the sweet potato brew and their stout. The Nitro IPA was also impressive for my other half.
While we did come on a Sunday around 12ish, we were greeted by a great guy that we ended up talking beer, sports, community, school, etc for over an hour. We enjoyed tasting several of their brews. We ended up ordering a growler to go and were very impressed to see the attention to finishing detail that they take the time to do on a regular basis. They fill growers on demand, hand write a tag and dip the cap of the full growler in wax. Have you seen a local brewery do that before? I haven’t!
Next time we are int he area, we will definitely stop by again.

Wow! Maybe it’s because it was the evening after Thanksgiving, and I was ready for some good beer that I like this brewery so much but it’s probably just because this place is awesome. Love the modest brick building on the corner. Who doesn’t love a triangular building? The interior lighting is intimate and a bit on the dark side. It was toasty warm and filled with happy drinkers. Patrons were friendly and chatted openly about the beers. The two bartenders knew their stuff and could give you intimate details about each beer.
My flight consisted of 5 for $ 7. Oyster Stout, Supper Table, Bloody Butcher, Human Rumen and Double Hop Beard. All of them were tasty and with multiple notes that kept popping up (I especially enjoyed the first three). Multiple flavors both distinct and some unrecognizably mysterious due to the ecclectic and even sometimes eccentric ingredients they use. Would you guess that Supper Table was made with pounds of roasted sweet potatoes? Not I said the duck. My least favorite, the Human Rumen, had some earthiness I didn’t care for but was still interesting enough to keep drinking.
Basically, a really rad place to get a good handcrafted brew; these guys are not afraid to experiment and it shows.
Can’t wait for a repeat visit!

I live in Charlotte and I drive here at least twice a month. The beer is some of the best I have had. Great room wonderful service!!! I love this place.

This place is the best thing to happen to Morganton. Bringing to the table culture and competition (being the 2^nd majorly successful brewery in Morganton). Nice relaxing atmosphere paired with a varied selection of brews, some even making use of local ingredients. If you like a good good beer, try this place out.

Great beer. People owner. Good chips and salsa. I travel a lot and this is a gem to find In the mountains of NC. Happy to stumble on this brewery and wish I could find this beer at home in Souther California. Great to see a revival in this small town!

I like to visit Morganton for lunch or dinner, because I find these establishments to be more genuine than their Hickory counterparts. Instead of leaving room for dessert, I try to save space for a pint at Fonta Flora brewery.
Today’s early dinner was at Taqueria Jalisco, then onward to FFB.
They didn’t have any porters on tap, so they recommended their St. Patty’s Day Stout. I tried that on my last visit, so I wanted something different. I went with a pint of their Baba Budan, coffee IPA. $ 5/​pint.
Baba Budan, Coffee IPA:
— The initial flavor is a strong, in your face, burst of coffee flavor.
— Immediately following this is a bold hop taste, which reminded me of NODA’s, «Hop, Drop, and Roll,» which is currently my favorite HOP BOMB.
— Finally, there is a distinct bitterness on the finish, which put me off a little bit a first.
After my second and third gulps, I quickly became used to the bitterness, and I really enjoyed this aspect of the taste. I turned the glass up, not once but twice, to try and salvage the last drop.
The small brewery was nearly full of contented patrons. All the coveted outdoor tables were occupied. Although it was overcast from the intermittent rains, it was also nearly seventy degrees, so sipping a beer outside would have been a pleasant experience. As it was, the doors were open to let in the fresh air, and it was comfortable inside. A hockey game was on the TV, and the crowd was relaxed and amiable.
Someone was leading around a «wolf hound,» I was unfamiliar with the breed of dog, but it was well mannered and big enough to throw a saddle on and ride.
Fonta Flora is quickly becoming one of my favorite local places to grab a fresh microbrew. After thinking about it for a moment, I realized that I had driven past three other breweries on my way there.
My next trip will be to sample a HOP BEARD IPA, unless they have some Urban Porter or Hazelnut Porter on tap.
I’m still rating FFB four stars, but I can see this progressing to five stars as I become more comfortable with this place.
PS: I noticed on their blackboard that they have food delivery available from Mountain Burrito, a local well-​rated restaurant on Unilocal.
PSS: I also circled the building and parked on the left side of the entrance, thereby taking the «blind» curve on the other side of the building out of play. I will continue to do that in the future.
Slainte!

We had been hearing good things about Fonta Flora so when we came in town to visit family we decided to check it out. We came on a Friday evening, the place was pretty full but we found a spot by the bar. The bartenders are very friendly and knowledgable. We ordered a flight to start with mainly filled with recommendations by the bartender. All very interesting brews! The atmosphere is comfortable, hip, and non-​pretentious. You can really tell they have put a lot of thought into their concept. Just the type of place Morganton needs! I wish we had a place like this at home. We really enjoyed our time and can’t wait to go back next time we are in town!

A few people have told me what an amazing place this is but like most places I had to experience it for myself.
This building sits on the corner and the building is shaped like the corner which is what is so cool about it. This is the second brewery I’ve been to in the last year that is a corner building but this is by far the best one.
It is a small brewery. Actually the tasting room takes up the majority of the space. If you enter the building, the brewing equipment is t your left. Directly in front of you is the bar which extends to your right a bit. There are really cool 4-​seater pub tables around the exterior of the right side of the pace and seating outside for warmer days.
I have had some of Fonta Flora’s brews at a Charlotte beer festival and a local bottle shop. They had several beers on tap here. I started with my usual flight to sample a few of the beers. All of them were interesting in their own way but my favorite of the day was a coffee IPA which was their collaboration with Appalachian Mountain Brewery in Boone. It looked like an IPA and not a coffee beer but smelled and tasted like a coffee beer.,
The great thing is, Fonta Flora always has some sort of natural element to their beers and always tries to use local ingredients in their beers.
The staff was really great when I was here. Actually, on Unilocal it said they were open at noon on Saturdays but when I arrived, the chalkboard outside said 3. I arrived between 2 and 3 and saw the door open when I arrived. Thankfully they were open. They said when it gets warmer again they will open at noon again.
Honestly, in their short time, Fonta Flora has become one of my favorite NC breweries. I look forward to trying their next brew and need to come back to their tasting room more often. I definitely felt at home here.

A great craft brew pub in Morganton. The beers made in house change regularly, with a few permanent drafts. I like the regular changing beers which give a wider variety trying new things. There are a number of craft beers they make that are interesting in concept but are not a personal taste favorite. There are other beers that are some of the best types I’ve ever had. The service is consistently good, the owners and brewer are very involved in the community making the place inviting. The register set up they have is awkward and problematic making a 5 star rating not possible. The other negative issues, aside from the overwhelming positives, are very few. The seating is limited, and a small space for a highly regarded local brew pub making seating difficult at times. They have local food from Mountain Burrito, not a favorite of mine, but it’s nice to have an option. Fonta Flora also partners with Wisteria to offer food options for sports events which are great and a lot of fun. I have enjoyed oysters while drinking oyster stout. I look forward to seeing how they grow moving forward.

Great addition to the craft brew line up in NC. Todd, the brewmaster, is a master artist in his craft and produces some really unique and tasty brews. I like a lot of his Saisons and his Hop Beard is fantastic for the IPA hopheads. You’ll always see a couple of the owners hanging around the venue and are always friendly which adds a nice, personal touch to the place. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area or if you see them on tap somewhere.