Last night we screened Brewconomy in Charlotte for the first time.
It was a well attended screening hosted by the Levine Museum of the New South at NoDa Brewing Co. Huge thanks to both for hosting us!
Brewconomy screening at NoDa Brewing Company organized by the Levine Museum of the New South on Tuesday, May 24, 2016.
We had a great crowd there, responding to the movie with laughter and cheers. The Q&A following the screening covered lots of great stuff, including the connections between legislation and opportunities for craft beer growth in North Carolina.
As we explore in the movie, legislation has a huge influence on craft beer in North Carolina. The Pop the Cap movement, which started in 2003 and changed law in 2005, opened the doors to the growth we’ve seen in the last 10 years here.
Distribution laws are a big part of the conversation now. North Carolina law permits brewers to self-distribute, but only up to a certain level of production. Once a brewer reaches that cap, they’re required to hand over distribution to a third party.
Todd Ford, owner and manager of NoDa, talked about the laws during the Q&A last night. It was really helpful to hear him talk about how the legislation limits the growth of a brewery.
If you missed the conversation last night, check out CraftFreedom.org to learn more about these distribution laws.
Following the movie, there were really great conversations about Charlotte’s beer scene. It has grown so much in recent years. I am so happy about what’s taking shape there and look forward to returning soon to continue exploring it.
One of the most frequent questions I get is whether or not we’ll do a follow up.
Let me say this: it would be a dream to continue exploring craft beer. There are so many people I want to spend time with to hear their stories to share with the people who love craft beer. The challenge is finding funding. To do a follow up justice, we would need a healthy budget. So I’m staying open to the possibilities. (By the way, if you know someone who wants to invest in something like that, please let me know.)
In the meantime, we’re screening Brewconomy often so that we can practice what we preach. With each screening, we want to partner with organizations that are deeply rooted in the community, doing good work, and ideally serving craft beer at the screening so people can taste it.
Seeing a room full of people with pints in their hands while we talk about North Carolina craft beer makes me really happy.
THANK YOU
Huge thanks to everyone who came to see the movie last night, and stayed to ask great questions. We really appreciate it!
The screening would not be possible without support from the Levine Museum of the New South, so stop by and check it out. They’re doing such cool stuff. Special thanks to NoDa Brewing for hosting the screening.
Haven’t seen Brewconomy?
We’re working on additional screenings, as well as digital distribution and creating DVDs so you can see it. You can follow along on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
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