Leah Wong Ashburn is the president and CEO of Highland Brewing, Asheville’s first craft brewery since Prohibition.
Highland was founded in 1994 by Leah’s father, Oscar Wong, who became known as the Godfather of Asheville Craft Beer. More than three decades later, the brewery remains family-owned, with Leah at the helm and her husband, Brock Ashburn, serving as vice president of operations.
As Highland’s leader, Leah has helped guide the company through a changing craft beer industry, a pandemic, and Hurricane Helene, when the brewery became a hub for community relief efforts.
Today, Highland is much more than a brewery. Its Asheville campus has become a gathering place for live music, volleyball, disc golf, food, and both private and community events. And it continues to evolve, with the addition of Oscar’s Pizza, a new on-site pizza kitchen named for Leah’s father.
In this episode, Leah reflects on her relationship with her father, the winding road that brought her to Highland, and the challenges of leading a family business through extraordinary circumstances.
She also discusses Cold Mountain, Highland’s beloved winter seasonal beer, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. What began as Asheville’s first seasonal beer release has become an annual tradition for people across the region, marking the arrival of the holiday season.
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Theme Music
The song “Goa” was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.