About Well Crafted NC
Well Crafted NC collects and promotes the history of breweries in North Carolina from the early breweries of the 1700s to the craft breweries of today. We conduct oral history interviews with many of the key players in the NC brewing scene, digitizing materials related to local brewing history, and creating timelines and maps to help trace the changes in the brewing industry across the state.
The initial project launch of Well Crafted NC was funded by the UNCG University Libraries Innovation and Program Enrichment Grant, and focused upon the five Downtown Greensboro breweries and their history. Well Crafted NC currently promotes North Carolina breweries and their history to a broad community, helping locals recognize and appreciate that the current breweries are part of a long history of brewing, while also providing local breweries with a single online resource that traces their histories and places them within the context of the broader development of the brewing industry across the state.
This project is a celebration of brewing history in North Carolina, bringing people into the area to celebrate history and beer and encouraging them to drop by their local breweries during their visit.
Project staff
- Richard Cox
- Digital Technology Consultant, ERIT, UNCG University Libraries
- rlcox@uncg.edu
- David Gwynn
- Digital Projects Coordinator, ERIT, UNCG University Libraries
- jdgwynn@uncg.edu
- Erin Lawrimore
- University Archivist, SCUA, UNCG University Libraries
- erlawrim@uncg.edu
Publications
Media
- From 19th century saloons to modern breweries, exploring Greensboro’s vibrant downtown beer scene (Fox 8 News; Jan 22, 2021)
- Triad beer history on tap (Business N.C. Daily Digest; Jan 16, 2020)
- The First Southern State To Prohibit Booze Now Drowning In Craft Beer (WUNC/The State of Things; Jan 15, 2020)
- Fermenting Revitalization on Main Street- NC Beer is Hopping—Universities Give It A Lift (UNC System; Oct 09, 2019)
- History Museum’s Brewseum Showcases NC Craft Brewing (Yes! Weekly; Sep 23, 2019)
- Brewseum Coming to the Greensboro History Museum (Rhino Times; Sep 19, 2019)
- Well Crafted NC documents brewing industry (Rocky Mount Telegram; May 25, 2019)
- Well Crafted NC (Carolina Brew Scene, p.41; Summer, 2019)
- A Toast to the Women Brewing Change in the Craft Beer Industry (WFMY News 2; May 10, 2019)
- Beer and Women: UNCG History Project Celebrates An NC Tradition (WUNC; March 13, 2019)
- Road Trip - Biere de Femme Beer Festival (Between the Pints Podcast; March 08, 2019)
- Project Showcase: Well Crafted NC (National Council on Public History; February 25, 2019)
- Women's Work (UNCG Research; Spring, 2019)
- Craft Beer Boom in North Carolina (Spectrum News; November 8, 2018)
- UNCG Archivist explores role of women in brewing (UNCG Now; October 17, 2018)
- The History of Local Beer (Winston Salem City Guide; 2018-2019)
- Breweries making huge impact on North Carolina communities (Fox 8 News; May 23, 2018)
- Erin Lawrimore: Archiving NC's Beer History (Western North Carolina Woman; Vol. 17, #5; p.51; May, 2018)
- Gate City Chatter Ep. 6 - Beer History with Well Crafted NC (Greensboro Parks & Recreation; April 16, 2018)
- Spectrum News; April 14, 2018
- From Single Brothers to Little Brother: New UNCG project documents N.C. brewing history (Greensboro News & Record; April 10, 2018)
- Well Crafted NC To Hold Lanch Event in Downtown Greensboro (UNCG NOW; April 9, 2018)
- CRAFTING HISTORY: Two Historic W-S Breweries,
The Well Crafted N.C. project digs deep into the history of local beer. (Winston-Salem Monthly; April 3, 2018)
- History of brewing in the 'Boro (1808 Greensboro; March 30, 2018)
- Greensboro has rich history of brewing (Fox 8 News; March 21, 2018)
- Biere de Femme Showcases Female Brewers in North Carolina This Saturday (IndyWeek; February 28, 2018)
- In Depth: Biere De Femme Festival Showcases Women in Beer (Spectrum News; February 20, 2018)
- Beer Scout: Pink Boots empowers women brewers, plans second Biere de Femme festival (Mountain XPress; February 14, 2018)
- A Well Crafted NC (The Carolinian; February 14, 2018)
- Greensboro's beer history documented in new online project (Greensboro News & Record; January 30, 2018)
- UNC Greensboro University Libraries Launches Well Crafted NC Project (Society of North Carolina Archivists; January 29, 2018)
- University Libraries to document history of brewing in Greensboro (UNCG NOW; August 3, 2017)
Events & exhibits
- "Triad Beer & Brewing History" (Presentation, The Kiwanis Club of High Point; Dec 3, 2021)
- "Community Engagement as Archival Practice" (Panel presentation, NC Library Assoc. Annual Conference; Oct 20, 2021)
- "Historic Taverns of the North Carolina Backcountry" (6 presentations, Frasier's Ridge Homecoming Event; Oct 14-17, 2021)
- "A History of Beer in the Triad" (Presentation, High Point Historical Society and Paddled South Brewing; Oct 8, 2021)
- "Triad Beer & Brewing History" (Book launch signing & exhibit, Four Saints Brewing Co.; Jul 29, 2021)
- "Well Crafted NC: Documenting the History of Beer and Brewing in North Carolina" (Presentation, Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association Conference; Jun 8, 2021)
- "Well Crafted NC: Community Engagement, Digital Humanities, and North Carolina Beer" (Spring 2020 Digital Humanities Collaborative Institute; March 6, 2020)
- "Hop into History: Greensboro Saloons and Prohibition" (History exhibit, Oden Brewing Company; Jan 16, 2020)
- "History of Triad Beer and Brewing" (History exhibit, Founder's Day, Historic Bethabara Park; Nov 16, 2019)
- "GHM After Hours: Brewseum" (Supporting lecture, interviews, trivia, & history exhibit, Greensboro History Museum; Sep 27, 2019)
- Cascade: Caring for a Place — Documentary screening and discussion" (Supporting lecture & history exhibit, Greensboro History Museum; May 15, 2019)
- "Well Crafted NC" (History exhibit, Carolina Brewsfest; May 11, 2019)
- "A Brief History of Triad Brewing" (Presentation & history exhibit, Triad History Day 2019; April 6, 2019)
- "Brewing Public History" (Panel Discussion, NCPH Annual Meeting, Hartford, Connecticut; March 29, 2019)
- Biere de Femme (History exhibit; March 2, 2019)
- "History & Future of Craft Beer in NC" (Presentation & history exhibit, Beer Growler Winston-Salem; January 26, 2019)
- "Well Crafted NC: Documenting the Craft Beer Industry" (Presentation & history exhibit, Wake Forest University; January 23, 2019)
- "Well Crafted NC" (History exhibit, Our State Public House, NC State Fair; October 15, 2018)
- "Local Flavor: Wineries and Microbreweries" (History exhibit, Bryan School of Business & Economics; May 22, 2018)
- "History, Future, and Economics of the Craft Beer Industry in North Carolina" (Presentation, First Annual Piedmont-Southern Virginia Hops Conference; May 19, 2018)
- "NC Beer Month Coffee & Conversation" (History exhibit, Greensboro Chamber of Commerce; April 19, 2018)
- Well Crafted NC Launch Event (History exhibit, Little Brother Brewing; April 14, 2018)
- "Community, Documentation, and Beer: Hop into History and Well Crafted NC" (Poster Presentation, Society of North Carolina Archivists Conference; March 14-16, 2018)
- Biere de Femme (History exhibit; March 3, 2018)
- "Well Crafted NC" (History exhibit, Brewconomy screening, Four Saints Brewing Co.; February 27, 2018)
- "Well Crafted NC" (History exhibit, Brewsmart Conference; February 26, 2018)