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Over the past two hundred years, Western North Carolina has evolved from a mountainous frontier known for illicit moonshine production into a renowned destination for craft beer. Follow its story from the wild days of saloons and the first breweries of the 1870s through one of the longest Prohibitions in the nation. Eventually, a few bold entrepreneurs started the first modern breweries in Asheville, and formerly dry towns and counties throughout the region started to embrace the industry. The business of beer attracts jobs, tourists and dollars, as well as mixed emotions, legal conundrums and entrepreneurial challenges. Join award-winning beer writer Anne Fitten Glenn as she narrates the storied history of brewing in Western North Carolina.

Winnebago County has long been a bellwether of Wisconsin beer making.

In the mid-1800s, German immigrants launched small breweries in Butte des Morts, Menasha, Neenah, Oshkosh and Winneconne. By the 1950s, breweries such as Walter Brothers, Peoples and the Oshkosh Brewing Company had a combined output of more than 100,000 barrels of beer annually, and iconic brands like Gem Pilsener and Chief Oshkosh were known across the state. This rich tradition continues today with the rise of modern craft breweries in Omro, Oshkosh and Neenah. Local author and founder of the Oshkosh Beer website Lee Reiherzer reveals stories behind the breweries, past and present, that fostered an enduring beer culture.