In early 2017 I was trying to figure a few things out. My daughter was three months away from being born, I was facing a big book deadline, and the company I was working for was collapsing.
An all-hands-on-deck meeting was held at the company headquarters in Durham, North Carolina and I left the two-day event not feeling great about the future. I decided to take a few vacation days, and I pointed the rental car west and wound up in Asheville. Only my wife knew where I was, and I bounced around from brewery to brewery taking notes for the book that would wind up being Drink Beer, Think Beer (Hachette, 2018).
As I spent time trying to find answers at the bottom of various pints, I wandered into Highland Brewing Co. Sitting at the bar, minding my own business, I bumped into Oscar P. Wong, the brewery’s founder, the Godfather of Asheville beer, and one of the great gentlemen of the brewing industry.
We had met several times before and I had interviewed him for various articles. Today with no agenda, he joined me for a pint, which led to a tour of the recently expanded brewery, and a few more pints.
He talked about being a father and we bonded over a shared New Jersey connection. He had worked in the Garden State before founding the brewery in 1994. He spoke of bringing his daughter Leah to Star Tavern, a legendary pizzeria not far from my childhood home, where she had her first Coca-Cola. I’ve thought of him every time I’ve stepped into the pizzeria since.
Wong casually dispensed meaningful advice, we had another pint, shook hands and departed into the evening. That encounter had a profound impact on my professional life, leading me on the path to where I am today.
I last saw him in person in May of 2022 when we did an episode of the Drink Beer, Think Beer podcast at the brewery. It was ostensibly to commemorate the release of another book, but really, I just wanted to hang out at the brewery with Oscar.
What few in the room knew was that Wong had received a cancer diagnosis shortly before, and doctors had given him a year to live. Like so many other things in his life, he beat the expectations.
Oscar Wong died on May 25, 2025. The brewery says his wife of 57 years Anna, and Leah, one of his two daughters, was at his side. He was 84-years-old.
“From his humble beginnings as the son of Chinese immigrants in Jamaica, to Notre Dame, to a career as an engineer, to community service at the ARC, Rotary and UNC Asheville, to handball, to Highland, Oscar’s legacy is woven into the fabric of every community he touched,” the brewery wrote in a statement. “Oscar was an engineer-turned-entrepreneur who embodied generosity, humility, and above all else, connection. Whether telling a story of the old Highland days, giving advice to an employee, or hand-writing a heartfelt note in exquisite penmanship, Oscar had a gift for making people feel seen and valued. Anyone who had the pleasure of knowing him, or even meeting him once, likely felt touched by Oscar’s sincere and vivacious spirit.”
My experience was not unique. Wong had the ability to carefully listen, of offer guidance, and to see the larger mission through small details. Building Highland into a respected brewery was no easy feat. The beers introduced countless drinkers to the flavors offered in the craft space. And he showed the right way to handle a generational handoff of a brewery. Leah Wong Ashburn is now the company CEO and President, continuing her father’s vision while also keeping the brewery focused on the future.
Wong’s commitment to his community, the beer industry, to his employees, and customers was inspiring, and he set an example that many current brewery owners would be smart to follow.
“The company is named in honor of the Scottish and Irish immigrants who initially settled this area of the state, and its ales have helped foster a taste for UK-style beers in the region. Highland has nurtured the local market with as much community presence as possible. Our Gaelic Ale, Kashmir IPA, Oatmeal Porter and other brews have made believers of a previously skeptical public,” Wong said in an interview for this magazine in 2007.
His memory is a blessing, and his contribution to countless good times over pints will endure. A true original in the beer industry, the brewery notes he “lived fully and always encouraged those around him to do the same.”
A celebration of life will be held at Highland Brewing on June 29 starting at 12pm.
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