RALEIGH, N.C. (April 1, 2015) ? Taps are flowing from the mountains to the coast for the third annual NC Beer Month this April. Proclaimed by Gov. Pat McCrory, NC Beer Month is presented by Visit North Carolina and the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild to celebrate brewer craftsmanship and the destinations that nurture it in the state of Southern beer.
Travelers are invited to experience craft beer culture with festivals and events, special-edition beers, lodging packages, beer dinners and educational panels. To encourage participants to celebrate safely with a convenient, reliable transportation alternative, NC Beer Month’s Safe Ride Partnership with Uber will provide a free ride up to $20 for first-time users of the mobile app using the promotion code “NCBEER.”
Highlights include:
- Banana Dash:Tonic Delivers craft beer market presents Jackson County’s first beer run (April 11 in Sylva). Runners will wear banana suits (provided with registration) in the 0.4-mile race from the state’s most photographed courthouse to Tonic Delivers for a complimentary glass mug filled with a special banana beer, live music and complimentary bananas Foster.
- Kinston Beer Weekend: Weekend features a beer dinner pairing of Vivian Howard (PBS’s “A Chef’s Life”) with award-winning Mother Earth Brewing, a Brews Cruise and a downtown Barbecue, Oysters and Beer Bash (April 17-18 in Kinston).
- Barks and Brews Night at Natty Greene’s:Four-legged friends are welcome at this Natty Greene- and Humane Society of the Piedmont-hosted event. Enjoy live music and free dog treats with each purchased pint (April 24 in Greensboro).
- Hickory Hops: Festival featuring handcrafted North Carolina beer from more than 50 microbreweries and the Carolinas Championship of Beer (April 25 in Hickory).
- World Beer Festival Raleigh and Brewgaloo: An international beer fest with more than 250 brews to sample (April 11) and a locally focused event featuring North Carolina craft brews, food trucks and entertainment (April 25 in Raleigh).
- JUGS (Just Us Gals) NC Beer Social at the Glass Jug: Hang out with Katy Creech, full-time manager of the Glass Jug, a counter-pressure growler filling station (April 29 in Durham). Gents are welcome to congregate at the bar.
- Travel deals: Sweeten stays at hotels, vacation rentals and storied inns such as Jarrett House and Balsam Mountain Inn. Lodging packages are also available in the Raleigh and Charlotte areas.
“NC Beer Month adds dozens of fun ways to approach a visit to North Carolina,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit North Carolina. “It inspires creativity and heightens the focus on collaborations among brewers and chefs. And think of how much fun it will be to see people in banana costumes streaming down the hill at the stately Jackson County Courthouse.”
Starting today, craft beer aficionados can enter the Greater Raleigh Brewmaster Experience Sweepstakes for a chance to win a weekend getaway featuring food, music and crafting a 900-gallon batch of beer at Aviator Brewing. Find the sweepstakes entry form on NCBeerMonth.com, which also includes travel tips, event details and other information.
The Uber promotion also takes effect today. Travelers can use the app to request a safe ride in cities across North Carolina, including Asheville, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Durham, Fayetteville, Greensboro, High Point, Raleigh, Wilmington, and Winston-Salem. Currently, one in three North Carolinians have access to safe and reliable rides through Uber.
“We’re proud to be a part of NC Beer Month and to provide access to reliable rides, helping folks get around town safely,” said Billy Guernier, Uber’s general manager of regional expansion.
Follow @NCBeerMonth on Twitter and @NCbrewersguild on Instagram for the latest information and live updates from NC craft beer month events across the state.