Craft beer in North Carolina is $791 million market


A new study is putting the state’s craft beer scene into perspective. The Brewers Association, the leading industry trade group, estimates craft beer’s economic impact in North Carolina topped $791 million in 2012, putting the state at No. 14 nationally. The top five ranking states: California, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania and Colorado. As a whole, craft brewers contributed $33.9 billion to the U.S. economy in 2012, the latest figures available. The totals include the impact of craft beer at all tiers, from breweries, wholesalers and retailers, as well as brewpub sales. In North Carolina, the study found, the industry employs 10,200 full-time workers, generating about $300 million in labor income for a $29,315 average wage.