Rocky Mount, located near the intersection of HWY 64 and I-95, is home to the largest craft beer incubator in the state of North Carolina. Long before your favorite craft beers reach the bars, high-tops, and beer gardens of crowded cities in the South, they start right here.

Rocky Mount Mills opened in 2017 with an innovative idea: put brewers together in a place surrounded by fresh, local ingredients and see what happens. Jump forward a half-decade, and the Rocky Mount Mills campus is thriving. Visitors who pull up to the converted, centuries-old textile mill find farm-to-table restaurants, the state’s largest tiny house hotel, and, of course, eight breweries.

Brewing at Rocky Mount Mills is not your typical affair. There is no lone brewer off on their own mixing and blending and starting over. Instead, brewing is a group project. Here, brewers share equipment and trade inspirations. The result is a campus filled with rotating flavors of craft beer based on the season, local ingredients, or just a "what if" moment between two brewers.

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Without the expense of buying their own equipment, brewers at the incubator have the freedom to experiment. And with local taprooms and a beer garden, there is a constant influx of public opinion. Test, drink, learn, refine, drink some more. This is the path to the perfect craft beer and it can typically take decades. But here, that time is cut in half.

Hopfly was one of the first breweries to open its doors at the Mill in 2017. In the span of three years, owner Cam Schulz expanded his operation from a one-person start-up to include a 1,700-square-foot taproom. Their products are now distributed in key cities across the state with plans to open a new bar and taproom in Charlotte later next year. Maybe you’ve had a Jalapeno Saison, or a refreshing Universal Sound IPA that tastes like papaya. It’s all made right here in Rocky Mount.

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But outside of familiar brands, the true draw of Rocky Mount Mills is the discovery of what’s next. What are the beers that are only made here or available here? Where can you find the next in-demand small batch only available this week? That’s what makes this place a craft beer Mecca. It’s the chance to get something unique, something rare. It’s a chance to taste something for the first time or only time. Every visit is different.

Order up Mythic Brewing’s wheat beer that is conditioned with vanilla bean, cinnamon, graham cracker, and chock full of peach puree sourced from the nearby Sandhills of North Carolina. Grab Koi Pond’s amber ale that is infused with a taste of Nash County sweet potato and fall spices. Or perhaps try a rare, small batch of First Light from HopFly, aged for six months in bourbon and maple-soaked barrels before being tapped. The result is a craft beer with few wood notes that’s only good for a few days. So the pours are tasty, rare and slightly more expensive per glass. But, hey, what’s a few dollars more for a taste that may never exist again?

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Week after week, Hopheads and Libationists venture out to Rocky Mount to tempt and tease their palates. What started out as a small gathering of friends has now become a regular pilgrimage for many.

Rocky Mount Mills is open seven days a week. But the taprooms are really only hopping Wednesday through Saturday. So we suggest you do what the true enthusiasts do and make a weekend of it. Meet up with friends to kayak the Tar River. Head out to try some local barbecue that will make you believe in a higher power. Then visit each taproom to sample, taste and give your beer palate a bit of a workout. When you get tired, pass out in a tiny house conveniently located in a stumbling distance just across the parking lot.

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In the world of craft beer, Rocky Mount Mills is advanced citizenship. You don’t come here to order the same old beer that you can find in a local bar. While they have those brands and more, this place is for a more adventurous palate. It’s for those among us who seek out the new. For those who wonder if an oyster and marshmallow can peacefully coexist in a lager. If this sounds a lot like you, consider yourself invited. We’ll keep an open barstool and full glass waiting.