Breweries from Asheville to the Outer Banks are represented, including French Broad Brewery in Asheville, Aviator Brewing in Fuqua-Varina, and Weeping Radish in the Outer Banks.

Customers can choose the popular sampler tray of three beers for $4.50 and select from a variety of beer styles, including IPA, hefeweizen, pale ale, oatmeal porter, kolsch, schwarzbier, rye ale, milk stout, and more.

The state of North Carolina leads the south in breweries and award-winning beers.

“Fat Tony’s dedicated North Carolina beer tap room is an excellent way to showcase the thriving brewing community in the state and the quality of its beers,” said Win Bassett, Executive Director of the North Carolina Brewers Guild. “There has never been a more exciting time in North Carolina beer, and the new tap room will allow enthusiasts and newcomers to experience this excitement in ‘The State of Southern Beer.”We’ve had high demand to offer more beers from North Carolina,” said Eric Rylander, Certified Cicerone ® Beer Sommelier at Fat Tony’s, “and we’re excited to expose local Wilmingtonians to a wide variety of choices to pair with their food. When we researched the possibility, we found only one more place in the state with this many North Carolina breweries represented under one roof.”

About Fat Tony’s Italian Pub:
Fat Tony’s Italian Pub is a gastropub in historic downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, serving homemade Italian food and 25 draft beers in a fun, pub atmosphere. Located on Front Street and with two outdoor dining patios, Fat Tony’s has been serving local Wilmingtonians since 2003, and now includes the North Carolina Tap Room, featuring craft beers from 12 different North Carolina breweries. Beer selections and food pairings are made by the in-house Certified Cicerone ® Beer Sommelier. A unit of Marzini Restaurants, LLC. For more information about Fat Tony’s, including a full menu of offerings, please visit http://www.fatpub.com.

About the North Carolina Brewers Guild
The North Carolina Brewers Guild is a not-for-profit 501(c)6 tax-exempt organization comprised of brewers, wholesalers, retailers and craft beer enthusiasts focused on promoting North Carolina beer. North Carolina boasts the largest number of craft breweries in the American South, with more than 50 breweries and brewpubs. It is also the most decorated state in the South with more medals from the World Beer Cup® and the Great American Beer Festival than any of its neighboring states. The North Carolina Brewers Guild seeks to preserve and to promote the beer and brewing culture of “The State of Southern Beer.” For more information about the North Carolina Brewers Guild, including a list of North Carolina’s brewery members, visit http://ncbeer.org and follow @ncbeer on Twitter.

CONTACT:
Eric Rylander
Certified Cicerone ®
President, Marzini Restaurants
910-343-8881
info@marzini.com

Bassett is contributing writer and education coordinator for All About Beer magazine and its World Beer Festivals, and he is co-founder and writer at http://ncbrewing.org. He is also interim secretary of the North American Guild of Beer Writers.

Bassett holds bachelor degrees in electrical engineering and computer engineering from North Carolina State University, where he was a Park Scholar. He earned a J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law and was an editor of the North Carolina Law Review.

“All of us were extremely impressed with [his] enthusiasm and with [his] suitability for the Executive Director position,” said Paul Philippon, Founder of The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery in Farmville and President of the North Carolina Brewers Guild Board of Directors.

“The North Carolina beer community is thriving,” said Bassett. “We have over fifty existing breweries and brewpubs, and at least five more plan to open in 2012. With Sierra Nevada coming to the western part of the state by 2014, I cannot think of a more exciting time to be a member of this community, which is truly unique due to its extremely collaborative and congenial nature, focus on local and hyper-local communities, commitment to sustainable practices and fervent support from its enthusiasts.”

Bassett stated that he will focus on “communication, transparency and legislative efforts in leading this new era of the North Carolina Brewers Guild.” “I agree with [his] priorities, said John Marrino, Owner of The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery in Charlotte. “From my perspective, [he's] off to a good start.”

About the North Carolina Brewers Guild
The North Carolina Brewers Guild is a not-for-profit 501(c)6 tax-exempt organization comprised of brewers, wholesalers, retailers and craft beer enthusiasts focused on promoting North Carolina beer. North Carolina boasts the largest number of craft breweries in the American South, with more than 50 breweries and brewpubs. It is also the most decorated state in the South with more medals from the World Beer Cup® and the Great American Beer Festival than any of its neighboring states. The North Carolina Brewers Guild seeks to preserve and to promote the beer and brewing culture of “The State of Southern Beer.” For more information about the North Carolina Brewers Guild, including a list of North Carolina’s brewery members, visit http://ncbeer.org and follow @ncbeer on Twitter.