The history of beer is inextricably linked to the history of civilization.  It has even been theorized that the cultivation of cereal grains was largely driven by a motivation to produce potent potables.  So, it is no surprise that Virginia colonists began brewing the first “American” beer around 1587.  Similarly, in 1670 John Fenwick noted that in Salem, New Jersey, his fellow settlers “straightaway busied themselves in erecting breweries for manufacturing beer for common drink”.

In the late 1980’s the consumer landscape began to shift as the homebrews of the 1970’s were being marketed to the public in small batches, eventually giving birth to the craft beer boom of the 1990’s.  Since then, the tradition of American brewing and its symbiotic relationship with agriculture has continued to thrive.  In 2020, American farmers grew 104 million pounds of hops and just under 171 million bushels of barley with the country producing an estimated 180 million barrels of beer.

North Carolina has over 300 local breweries, and several regions known for their craft beer legacies.  So how about today, after work, you nip off to your local and get a frosty glass of whatever was brewed right here in good ol’ NC.  Support a brewer, support a farmer, tip your waiter, and raise a glass to National American Beer Day!

Don't know where to go?  Check out this brochure from Hendersonville, "Cheers! Trail: A guide to beer, wine and cider"