North Carolina Triad Beer: A History

Local beer historians Richard Cox, David Gwynn and Erin Lawrimore narrate the history of the Triad brewing industry, from early Moravian communities and 19th century saloons to Big Beer factories and modern craft breweries.

Now centered on Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point, the Triad was home to one of North Carolina's earliest brewery operations in the Moravian community of Bethabara. Easy access by rail and then highways attracted national breweries and starting in the 1960s the region began producing beer for companies like Miller and Schlitz. The passage of the Pop the Cap, the landmark 2005 legislation that lifted restrictions on high gravity brews, led to an explosion of craft beer and brewpubs. By 2019 three of the top five producing craft breweries in North Carolina were anchored in the area.