Background
Uli Bennewitz came to North Carolina in the early-1980s and decided to open a microbrewery similar to the ones he’d left behind in Bavaria. The only problem was that it was illegal in North Carolina for a brewery to sell beer directly to the consumer. Working with State politicians, Uli changed the law in North Carolina allowing microbreweries to sell their beer on site. Weeping Radish Farm Brewery, North Carolina’s first brewery, is located in the town of Grandy.
Experience
Just a bit of a drive from Kitty Hawk in the Outer Banks is the the place that started it all for North Carolina craft beer. Weeping Radish Farm Brewery is an impressive location, a huge barn like structure in a farm setting. There were even goats in the yard! Not only is some pretty tasty beer brewed here there is an onsite butchery, so some pretty tasty sausages are available to accompany the beer! We had a flight and enjoyed the most delicious liverwurst and fried green tomatoes.
All of the beers are brewed according to the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot Purity Law of 1516. They also use locally sourced meat and vegetables with minimal processing in their food prep. Tours are offered, but we prefer to just sit and drink. A viewing platform upstairs allows the guest to view the enormous operation. The walls in that room shows the timeline of craft breweries in North Carolina. We also grabbed a couple of cans to take back with us. Our favorites were the OBX Kolsch, Bitter Bee, and the Schwartbier, Black Radish.
When in the area check out Outer Banks Brewing.
