Carolina Brewery

About:

Carolina Brewery is a locally owned brewery and restaurant that has drawn international attention for its handcrafted beers, all brewed in-house by Director of Brewing Operations, Jon Connolly, and his team. Founded in Chapel Hill in 1995, Carolina Brewery is the fifth oldest brewery in North Carolina. A second brewpub, Carolina Brewery & Grill, opened in Pittsboro in 2007, greatly expanding the company's brewing and wholesale sales capacity.

Within the last three years, Carolina Brewery has expanded its wholesale operations and now services accounts across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, as well as parts of Tennessee and southeast Virginia.

In 1995, owner Robert Poitras opened Carolina Brewery's doors on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. A third generation UNC alumnus raised in eastern North Carolina, Poitras' interest in craft beer began while still in college when he traveled to Europe and became enamored with the local customs and flavors. The following summer spent in Southern California exposed Poitras to the local craft brewery business in the United States. Upon returning home to North Carolina and graduating with honors from UNC Chapel Hill, Poitras searched for a brew master. He found Jon Connolly at the world famous Siebel Institute and together the two men have built Carolina Brewery.