ABOUT
The North Carolina Craft Beverage Museum is dedicated to preserving and interpreting our state’s craft beverage story and celebrates its role in building and defining our local, state, and national community.
The North Carolina Craft Beverage Museum creates an educational space that not only preserves but interprets our state’s craft beverage story. The Board of Directors and Advisors along with staff and volunteers create and implement educational exhibitions, programs, and special events that celebrate North Carolina beverages and their role in building and defining our local, state, and national community.
As one of the most recognized and respected hubs of the craft beer industry, the home of Pepsi and Cheerwine, and the once self-proclaimed “Moonshine Capital of the World,” the state of North Carolina deserves a space to highlight this groundbreaking history and vibrant culture. Utilizing stories of the past and present the museum highlights our state’s oldest beverages including, beer, wine, soda, cider, spirits, tea, sake, and kombucha. Through an immersive museum experience, we emphasize the power of the craft beverage to build community and its important role as an ongoing cultural and social influence.
The museum partners with local beverage producers to create these interpretive spaces that connect our state’s rich history to the products that are produced and sold today. The museum “Archives,” a collection of tasting rooms and taprooms across the state, is unique because it is a fully immersive educational experience. While most museums engage the visitor through site, sound, or even smell and touch, this museum encourages tasting. Visitors learn about North Carolina’s food and beverage narrative as they literally consume history in the making. In addition, these spaces are interdisciplinary, incorporating not just historical topics, but science, technology, engineering, art, and math.
Our History
This museum was established by community members in Asheville, NC in 2017. Our business philosophy is best summed up in one of Freeman Tilden’s six principles of interpretation, “The chief aim of interpretation is not instruction, but provocation.” This is a living, breathing museum that will encourage the visitor to consider their own experience within the flowing history of our state.
Who We Are
What Makes a Drink Craft? Does it have to be locally sourced? Must it be made in small batches? Whether it is an artisanal cocktail or an expertly made wine, we believe craft is a mindset. Through concerted artifact collection, interactive and engaging exhibits, and scholarly programs this museum will chronicle the ongoing cultural, social and economic influence of craft beverage and its power to build community.