“Cheers to 40 Years! A History of Craft Beer and Brewing in North Carolina,” a new exhibit in Hodges Reading Room, traces the history of craft beer in North Carolina. In 1985, North Carolina State Senator Marc Basnight of Manteo sponsored Senate Bill 536, “An Act to Allow On-Premise Sales of Beer at Mini-Breweries.” Crafted by German immigrant Uli Bennewitz, this bill built on existing laws that permitted on-site winery sales to allow breweries to also sell their products on-site. On July 4, 1985, the bill was officially signed into law, legalizing on-site sales of beer by breweries and beginning North Carolina’s “micro-beer” revolution. Bennewitz himself led the way when he opened Weeping Radish Brewing in Manteo on July 4, 1986.

In the 40 years that followed, North Carolina has become a nationwide leader in craft beer. The state’s 808,016 barrels of craft beer produced in 2024 ranks eighth in the country. From the coast to the mountains, craft breweries have moved into former industrial sites or onto declining Main Streets, helping bring locally-driven revitalization to areas needing an economic boost.