A spotlight on the Tarheel State’s booming craft brewing industry.
The State of Craft Brewing in North Carolina
North Carolina has three main craft brewing hubs- the Research Triangle area, Charlotte and Asheville. However, with the rise in popularity of craft beer, many breweries are popping up in small towns as well. According to the Brewers Association for Small and Independent Craft Brewers, North Carolina ranks #8 in its number of craft breweries out of all 50 states. North Carolina has 257 craft breweries for thirsty patrons, at 3.4 breweries per capita per 100,000 adults of drinking age, according to the Association. NC Beer Guys, a website devoted to all things craft brewing in North Carolina, tracks that 5 NC breweries are woman owned and 24 are veteran owned. These breweries collectively make quite a splash in North Carolina’s economy, brewing 1,211,393 barrels each year and adding 2,042 million dollars to the economy, per the Brewers Association.
The Future of Craft Brewing in North Carolina
The craft brewing segment is growing at a rapid pace each year. The Brewers Association notes that there were less than 100 craft breweries operating in 2011, but almost 300 in 2017. NC Beer Guys projects that there are 107 new craft breweries opening around the state soon, bringing the total to 364. Of the new breweries, 3 will be veteran owned and 1 will be woman owned. If the pace continues, there could be 500 breweries in NC by 2021.
Interested craft beer fans can check out 75+ craft breweries in action at Charlotte’s Oktoberfest on September 29that Bojangles Coliseum.
#craftbrewing #northcarolina #nc #charlotteoktoberfest #ncbeerguys #brewersassociation
Sources:
https://www.brewersassociation.org/statistics/by-state/?state=NC
http://www.ncbeerguys.com/nc-breweries/nc-breweries-coming-soon/