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After more than a decade of massive growth, the beer industry is experiencing a slowdown. According to the Brewers Association, in 2024, nationwide closings of brewpubs and taprooms outpaced openings for the first time in 14 years, and overall beer production volume decreased by 1.2%.

Changing consumer preferences factor into this decline. The convenience of ready-to-drink cocktails has, but many people are simply opting to drink less. A January 2025 survey from NCSolutions found that almost half of Americans in 2025.

To achieve this goal, some people are shifting to non-alcoholic drinks, including NA beers. This has created demand for higher-quality NA beers, including non-alcoholic IPAs and stouts. Other consumers are opting for moderation, looking for session beers and light beers that are still full of flavor.

That said, hop-forward beers are still popular鈥攆or example, hazy IPAs were the most popular entrant in the . Fruit beers are also having a moment, with cherry and raspberry leading the pack in a 2024 report from Research and Markets, while drinkers looking for sweeter options can find brewers experimenting with candy-infused beers. Many beer makers are revisiting regional flavors on traditional styles, such as Czech pilsners, Mexican lagers, and Vienna lagers. At the same time, craft brewers continue to push the envelope to find new ways to excite beer lovers, often using unusual ingredients like sage, peppercorn, watermelon, and garlic.

Among all these different options, certain beers still appeal to hopheads more than others. compiled a list of the best beers from North Carolina using data from and sorted them according to their weighted ranking. Beers without images were excluded. Only beers that made BeerAdvocate's top 100 list by state were included.

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BeerAdvocate

1 / 30

#30. Night Jump

- Rating: 4.30 (55 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.0%
- Brewery: Aviator Brewing Company
-

BeerAdvocate

2 / 30

#29. Up All Night - Bourbon Barrel-Aged

- Rating: 4.25 (105 ratings)
- Type: Imperial Porter
- ABV: 10.0%
- Brewery: Triple C Brewing Co.
-

BeerAdvocate

3 / 30

#28. Seasoned Skillet

- Rating: 4.32 (48 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 15.0%
- Brewery: Burial Beer Co.
-

BeerAdvocate

4 / 30

#27. The Miller's Toll

- Rating: 4.28 (71 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 9.1%
- Brewery: Raleigh Brewing Company
-

BeerAdvocate

5 / 30

#26. Kitten Biscuit

- Rating: 4.32 (52 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 9.0%
- Brewery: Wilmington Brewing Company
-

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BeerAdvocate

6 / 30

#25. Querido Y Perdido

- Rating: 4.26 (104 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Casita Brewing Company
-

BeerAdvocate

7 / 30

#24. Griddle

- Rating: 4.25 (148 ratings)
- Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
- ABV: 10.0%
- Brewery: Burial Beer Co.
-

BeerAdvocate

8 / 30

#23. Skillet Donut Stout

- Rating: 4.22 (520 ratings)
- Type: Oatmeal Stout
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: Burial Beer Co.
-

BeerAdvocate

9 / 30

#22. Houtenhamer (2024)

- Rating: 4.39 (40 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 15.0%
- Brewery: Burial Beer Co.
-

BeerAdvocate

10 / 30

#21. Jade IPA

- Rating: 4.24 (1,122 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 7.4%
- Brewery: Foothills Brewing Company - Downtown Brewpub
-

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BeerAdvocate

11 / 30

#20. Collaboration Without Representation

- Rating: 4.31 (103 ratings)
- Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
- ABV: 12.8%
- Brewery: Deep River Brewing Co.
-

BeerAdvocate

12 / 30

#19. Drunken Vigils Breakfast Stout

- Rating: 4.40 (53 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.8%
- Brewery: Southern Pines Brewing Company
-

BeerAdvocate

13 / 30

#18. Rhythm Rug

- Rating: 4.34 (93 ratings)
- Type: Wild Ale
- ABV: 5.9%
- Brewery: Fonta Flora Brewery
-

BeerAdvocate

14 / 30

#17. Hop, Drop 'n Roll

- Rating: 4.27 (2,105 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 7.2%
- Brewery: NoDa Brewing Co. - North End
-

BeerAdvocate

15 / 30

#16. Lindley Park

- Rating: 4.28 (1,088 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 10.0%
- Brewery: Olde Hickory Brewery
-

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BeerAdvocate

16 / 30

#15. Appalachian Walker

- Rating: 4.38 (77 ratings)
- Type: English Barleywine
- ABV: 12.04%
- Brewery: Olde Hickory Brewery
-

BeerAdvocate

17 / 30

#14. Olde Rabbit's Foot

- Rating: 4.30 (492 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 10.13%
- Brewery: Foothills Brewing Company - Downtown Brewpub
-

BeerAdvocate

18 / 30

#13. Dark Age

- Rating: 4.30 (571 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.9%
- Brewery: Wicked Weed Brewing
-

BeerAdvocate

19 / 30

#12. Blurred Up

- Rating: 4.45 (53 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 8.4%
- Brewery: Heist Brewery
-

BeerAdvocate

20 / 30

#11. 脺berQuench'l

- Rating: 4.44 (66 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.2%
- Brewery: Heist Brewery
-

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BeerAdvocate

21 / 30

#10. Framboos Morte

- Rating: 4.38 (146 ratings)
- Type: Wild Ale
- ABV: 7.7%
- Brewery: Wicked Weed Brewing
-

BeerAdvocate

22 / 30

#9. Golden Angel

- Rating: 4.36 (254 ratings)
- Type: Wild Ale
- ABV: 7.0%
- Brewery: Wicked Weed Brewing
-

BeerAdvocate

23 / 30

#8. Blurred Is The Word

- Rating: 4.41 (111 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 6.8%
- Brewery: Heist Brewery
-

BeerAdvocate

24 / 30

#7. Maceo

- Rating: 4.40 (129 ratings)
- Type: Wild Ale
- ABV: 8.6%
- Brewery: Green Man Brewery
-

BeerAdvocate

25 / 30

#6. Angel Of Darkness

- Rating: 4.40 (183 ratings)
- Type: Wild Ale
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Wicked Weed Brewing
-

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BeerAdvocate

26 / 30

#5. Sexual Chocolate - Barrel-Aged

- Rating: 4.36 (1,293 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 9.6%
- Brewery: Foothills Brewing Company - Downtown Brewpub
-

BeerAdvocate

27 / 30

#4. The Event Horizon

- Rating: 4.36 (1,846 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 12.25%
- Brewery: Olde Hickory Brewery
-

BeerAdvocate

28 / 30

#3. Red Angel

- Rating: 4.45 (311 ratings)
- Type: Wild Ale
- ABV: 7.0%
- Brewery: Wicked Weed Brewing
-

BeerAdvocate

29 / 30

#2. Snozzberry

- Rating: 4.48 (257 ratings)
- Type: Wild Ale
- ABV: 5.5%
- Brewery: Green Man Brewery
-

BeerAdvocate

30 / 30

#1. CitraQuench'l

- Rating: 4.49 (389 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 7.1%
- Brewery: Heist Brewery
-

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

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