North State Brewing

North State Brewing is a veteran-owned nano-brewery and meadery on East Main Street in downtown Youngsville, in Franklin County. Co-owners Rob Smith and Ian Zech brew small batches of beer and make mead in the same space, and the taproom opened in September 2026 with a ribbon cutting.

The tap list runs from hazy and West Coast IPAs to a Märzen, a Vienna lager, a cream ale with coffee notes and a Belgian blonde. A fruit mead, a hard kombucha, a prosecco, two wines and a root beer fill out the board, and flights hold four small pours.

What to know

• Smith is a U.S. Navy veteran with a background in culinary service.
• Zech spent 25 years in accounting and finance and holds Wake Tech’s commercial brewing certification.
• The taproom has two dart boards, a refurbished pool table and reclaimed barn wood.
• Taco trucks park at the brewery on scheduled Saturday evenings.
• A darts league plays at the taproom on Wednesdays.