New brewery highlights Charlotte's growing craft beer industry

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By Angela Hong
  • North Carolina currently has 133 craft breweries and brewpubs, more than any other state in the South.
  • North Carolina ranks 11th nationally in number of breweries, more than doubling since 2010, from 45 to 133.
  • The annual economic impact of North Carolina-produced craft beer is estimated at $1.2 billion, which supports more than 10,000 jobs in the state.
  • Three major craft breweries (Oskar Blues, Sierra Nevada and New Belgium) all chose Western North Carolina sites for major expansions announced in 2012.
  • North Carolina currently has more than 45 breweries-in-planning set to open in 2015 and beyond.
  • In 2014, North Carolina craft breweries produced 372,473 barrels, ranking 15th nationally. Production is expected to increase dramatically over the next several years.
  • Nationally, craft beer sales were up 18% by volume in 2014. Despite the rapid growth, craft makes up only 11% of the U.S. market share for beer.
  • North Carolina's craft beer industry reflects the state's rich agricultural heritage by sourcing local ingredients, a fact reflected by the State Fair's addition of the North Carolina Brewers' Cup to its competitions.
  • The state's creative brewers have received national recognition for brews that use a range of locally produced ingredients from barley, wheat and hops to sweet potatoes, blueberries, blackberries, kumquats, sorghum and even persimmons.