Hikers visit Dry Falls in Franklin County.

Put ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 minutes. With a flexible spatula, remove strata to

Sponsored

A Year-Round Guide to Franklin and Nantahala

[cool-timeline based="custom" category="state-brews" layout="compact" compact-ele-pos="main-date" designs="design-4" skin="light" date-format="custom" pagination="ajax_load_more" filters="no" icons="NO" line-filling="false" animations="none" show-posts="25" story-content="full" order="ASC"]

Food

Rosemary and Goat Cheese Strata

[cool-timeline based="custom" category="state-brews" layout="compact" compact-ele-pos="main-date" designs="design-4" skin="light" date-format="custom" pagination="ajax_load_more" filters="no" icons="NO" line-filling="false" animations="none" show-posts="25" story-content="full" order="ASC"]

Wineries & Breweries

Sips Through Time

North Carolina is home to the largest number of craft breweries in the South, a reputation that started with the state’s earliest European settlers — or beer lovers.

by Chloe Klingstedt

NC State Brews

illustration by Kyle T. Webster

1585

Beer brewed in the homes of English settlers on Roanoke Island becomes a part of the colonial diet.

1756

A Moravian brewery and distillery in Bethabara is the first in the state.

1908

Before nationwide Prohibition, North Carolinians vote on a statewide referendum to outlaw alcoholic beverages.

1937

North Carolina passes the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (ABC Law), which allows voters in each county to determine whether spirituous liquor should be sold at retail locations.

1986

After brewpubs are legalized in North Carolina in 1985, Uli Bennewitz founds the state’s first microbrewery, The Weeping Radish Restaurant and Brewery in Manteo.

1990s

A great number of breweries begin to open across the state, including Spring Garden Brewing Co. — later Red Oak Brewery — in Greensboro in 1991 and Highland Brewing Company in Asheville in 1994.

2005

The state legislature raises the 6 percent ABV limit to 15 percent thanks to the efforts of the Pop the Cap campaign, which is led by a group of local brewers and beer lovers.

2022

North Carolina’s more than 400 craft breweries and brewpubs generate $2.8 billion annually and account for 18,000 jobs.

Editors’ Picks

ferns, flame azaleas, white trilliums at Emily Allen Wildflower Preserve

Living in North Carolina

Winston-Salem’s Secret Garden

Tucked into a historic neighborhood, a backyard in Forsyth County holds hundreds of Southern wildflowers collected by one wild flower woman.

by Katie Kane Reynolds

John Champlin pictured with a hot dog

The Hot Dog King of North Carolina

John Champlin has traveled across the state — and the nation — in search of hard-to-find spots that serve an unforgettable hot dog. After 11 years, what he’s discovered goes way beyond the bun.

by Jeri Rowe

Baseball glove and mitt

A League of Their Own

In the early 20th century, textile mill owners sponsored baseball teams, providing entertainment for their employees and nurturing a passion for the game that’s been handed down through generations of North Carolinians.

by Brad Campbell

Mark Kemp shops the vinyl selection in a record store

North Carolina, Noted

For the Record

Our writer reflects on where his love of vinyl began, and how the snap, crackle, and pop of a needle sliding across a turntable will always satisfy his soul.

by Mark Kemp