Thursday, August 06, 2009

Hooray, (N.C.) beer!

"Welcome to the revolution. North Carolina is the craft beer state of the South."

Those are the opening sentences to this News & Record article about the rising reputation of North Carolina brewmasters.

To wit:

Right now, as you read this, there are 42 breweries operating across the state with at least a half-dozen expecting to open by year’s end. In the big cities of Tobacco Road. And in far-flung places such as Farmville and Holly Springs and Jarvisburg, a pinprick of a place in northeast North Carolina where the idea of a craft beer pub was born.

Why? Well, that’s anybody’s guess.

Hang on any bar stool and you’ll hear a dozen reasons: the changing laws, the increasing interest, the supportive retailers, the growing number of festivals, and the natural tie-in to the homegrown food movement.

And of course, the brewers themselves. They’re making good beer here.

You’ll also hear barroom proclamations about North Carolina becoming more hip and hear how Beer Advocate magazine picked Asheville over Portland, Ore., earlier this year as the No. 1 beer destination in the country. ...

It ain’t just Miller Time in North Carolina anymore.

No comments: