If there’s a ‘Father of Craft Beers,’ it might be former President Jimmy Carter

By Chris Davis

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    NASHVILLE (WTVF) — If there’s such a thing as a Father of Craft Beer, the late President Jimmy Carter may be it.

It’s strange to think about now, but home brewing used to be against the law. “I am so grateful this is not illegal,” said Jordan Powell, an avid home brewing enthusiast. “It’s definitely interesting that a President who didn’t really care for beer decided to pass this law.”

In 1978, President Carter signed into law a bill that legalized homebrewing. Like most inventions, this new style of ale didn’t stay inside garages for long.

Brandon Jones now brews craft beer at local favorite, Yazoo Brewing Company. “I think everybody was inspired by a good batch of home brew, or a bad batch of home brew at some point,” said Jones, who is one of the head brewers at Yazoo.

He learned how to brew at home too, only instead of a garage, he had an apartment at the time. “My wife, fiance at the time, bought me a little brew kit to make two gallons at a time,” said Jones.

Jones says, there’s no doubt in his mind, that craft breweries would have never existed without President Carter. “I don’t think you would have ever fostered that creativity, I don’t think you would have ever fostered that sense of community, which is so important to small breweries,” said Jones.

As for Powell, he plans to keep creating unique creations in his detached garage. “I made a chocolate-covered cherry sour stout, one time, just because I thought that sounded good,” said Powell. “I think that’s every serious home brewer’s dream is to have their own brewery where people can come and have the beer that they made.”

Who knows what creative creations we’ll taste next, all thanks to a President who fostered yet another good idea born in a garage. “Jimmy Carter is essentially the grandfather of the craft beer scene that we know and love today in the United States,” said Powell.

Carter, himself, wasn’t a beer fan. According to several reports, other than the occasional white wine, Carter did not drink alcohol.

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