How President Jimmy Carter Helped Launch the Craft Beer Movement in the United States

The Wall Street Journal explains how President Jimmy Carter helped launch the craft beer movement with HR1337, a bill he signed in 1978 that allowed home brewers to practice their craft legally. This was particularly momentous, as large brewers (i.e. Anheuser Busch, Coors) had previously overtaken the market, squelching inventive products made by home brewers.

Former President Jimmy Carter played an important role in the creation of today’s booming craft beer industry. Craft beer’s roots trace back to underground home brewing, which was legalized with a stroke of the pen by President Carter in 1978.

They spoke with Theresa McCulla, who was a curator for the National Museum of Natural History through 2023, and with Ken Grossman, founder of the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company who got his start through home brewing.

I started home brewing when I was about 15 years old…The roots of craft brewing is home brewing, and I think it was right about the same time that I was planning on opening a brewery that the law got passed. So, it certainly showed that the future was probably gonna be more interesting for home brewing due the wider availability of of ingredients and knowledge

Carter, who passed away on December 29, 2024 at the age of 100, is fondly remembered for his kindness, empathy, and doing the best he could with with what he had as President of the United States.