Jimmy Carter's Legacy Includes Revitalizing American Craft Beer

The former president's 1978 legalization of home brewing helped spark a $28 billion microbrewery industry in the U.S.

Jimmy Carter's 1978 legislation legalized home brewing, paving the way for the modern craft beer movement in the United States.
At the time of the legislation, there were fewer than 100 breweries nationwide; today, there are nearly 10,000, generating $28 billion annually.
The law empowered home brewers to become entrepreneurs, leading to the creation of iconic breweries like Sierra Nevada and Bell's Brewery in the early 1980s.
Carter's efforts complemented earlier measures, such as Gerald Ford's 1976 tax cut for small breweries and state-level deregulation of brewing practices.
The craft beer boom has created 190,000 jobs nationwide and fostered a global connection through imported ingredients and innovative brewing techniques.