Now let's head to Old Fort, where brewing starts long before the grain reaches the glass.

At Whaley Farm Brewery, farming, brewing, and community all work hand in hand, creating a gathering place that's deeply rooted in the land and the people around it.

(upbeat music) - Whaley Farm Brewery is a small, community-minded pub here in Old Fort, North Carolina.

We're a brewery and a farm store and taproom.

This idea started over a decade ago with Jessica and I, she being a farmer and me being a brewer and in the beer industry.

Beer being such an agriculturally, it really is an agricultural product when you break it down.

And so being able to combine our passions under the same roof and then share that with folks is something that we are definitely passionate about and what we strive to do here in the taproom.

- We like approaching beer as an agricultural product because it takes so many hands really at the end of the day to make it all come together.

And this is really more of a space for the community.

In addition to that, I grow herbs and flowers that Chris uses in our beers.

Right now, it's an outlet for me to sell things that I grow, but also partner with other local growers and makers too.

(upbeat music) - Years of being in the industry and studying beer and really wanting to share what I love about beer with folks and trying to articulate that through our offerings is including British Cascades, a lot of like continental European lager styles and Appalachian farm beers, just sort of like a mix of things that Jess is growing and then trying to articulate those flavors that we can derive from what she's growing into the beers.

- Whaley is really interesting in what they offer.

They have gone back to a lot of traditional recipes and beers.

So instead of seeing IPAs, pale ales, hazies, they're going back to English bitters, historical beers that most likely you haven't ever heard of, which is really exciting.

- Looking back on it to surmise like what, like the real tempering of speaking of community, this one thing that I find Helene really did was, you know, sort of trauma bonded everyone in town.

Yeah, starting to just get mud out and just working together, everybody trying to achieve the same goal of figuring out what is going on and how we continue the next day.

- I feel very fortunate that we were able to rebuild and I'm proud of us and our team and all of everybody, so many hands that went into helping us get back on our feet.

- They are farming and using as much local goods as possible in their product, in their brews, supporting local horticulture and the whole community.

Like it kinda is this full circle that is something that I really am proud of and wanna be a part of.

- I truly believe that this is the best beer I've ever had.

And I feel like that this is a person who, he and his wife have worked very hard at trying to create not just great beer, but a great atmosphere and also with fresh vegetables.

I mean, yeah, it's pretty amazing.

- To me, this is my coffee in the evening and I hope he never stops making it, but it's an old ancient recipe that he did and it's so tasty.

Old Ford is so lucky to have this.

- You know, we wanna try and make the absolute best beer we can, which is not new to the industry, but I think it's about getting together and getting some face-to-face time with your neighbors and friends and just beer being that sort of conduit to community.

- Whaley Farm Brewery is located at 178 Catawba Avenue in Old Fort.

Their hours are Thursday and Friday from four to 8 p.m.

Saturday from noon to 8 p.m.

and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

For more information, visit whaleyfarmbrewery.com.