Veterans and Craft Beer: How Hillman Beer’s Old Fort Location Supports American Legion Post 56 and Military Communities in WNC

When Brad and Greig Hillman opened their Old Fort taproom in July 2020, they weren’t just launching a second location. They were planting roots in a town with a proud, working-class identity and a deep respect for military service. Old Fort, North Carolina, sits at the foot of the Blue Ridge and carries a quiet, resilient character that mirrors how Hillman Beer approaches everything it does: no pretension, just quality and connection. That character made a partnership with American Legion Post 56 a natural fit, and it’s one of the clearest examples of how Hillman Beer’s Old Fort location supports veterans and military communities across Western NC.

Why Old Fort Is the Right Place for Veteran Community Support

Old Fort is not a tourist destination in the way Asheville is, and that’s exactly the point. The community here is tight-knit, historically rooted, and home to a significant number of veterans and military families. American Legion Post 56, which serves the McDowell County area, has been a cornerstone of local veteran support for decades, providing resources, fellowship, and advocacy for those who served.

Hillman Beer chose to open in a converted hosiery mill on Catawba Avenue, a building that itself carries the weight of local history. The larger kitchen, spacious layout, and mountain views give this location a grounded, unhurried feel that suits the Old Fort community. It’s a place where veterans can come in after a meeting at the Post and feel equally at home. There’s no velvet rope here, no exclusive club feel. A seat at Hillman Beer’s bar or patio table is open to everyone, and that accessibility is something the brewery takes seriously.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2023), social connection and community belonging are among the most effective protective factors for veteran mental health and long-term wellbeing. A local gathering space like Hillman Beer, where the atmosphere is warm and the welcome is genuine, can play a real role in that equation.

Old Fort’s character as a close-knit, veteran-connected community makes it an ideal home for Hillman Beer’s community-first approach. The brewery’s Old Fort location offers the kind of unpretentious, welcoming space that military families and veterans recognize and trust.

Hillman Beer’s Partnership with American Legion Post 56

Hillman Beer’s relationship with American Legion Post 56 reflects how a small, family-owned brewery can show up for its neighbors in concrete ways. Rather than limiting support to occasional social media posts or token gestures, the brewery has worked to build a genuine connection with Post 56 and the veterans it represents in the McDowell County area.

That means hosting events that bring Post members and the broader community together, creating space for conversations that matter, and treating veteran customers with the same care and respect that defines every interaction at Hillman Beer. The family-ownership model matters here. Brad, Greig, and Brandi Hillman are not distant investors. They are present, personally invested, and aware of who walks through their doors.

“Veterans thrive when they have consistent community anchors, places where they’re known, welcomed, and don’t have to explain themselves. Local businesses that make that commitment matter more than people realize.”

Dr. Matthew Friedman, Senior Advisor, National Center for PTSD, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

American Legion posts across the country serve over 2 million members, according to The American Legion (2024), with local posts functioning as the frontline of veteran advocacy, social programming, and community service. A brewery that actively chooses to stand alongside that work, rather than simply operating in the same zip code, sends a clear message about its values.

Hillman Beer’s scratch-made pub food, including their beer-battered fish and chips and house-made Reuben, gives these gatherings a practical, grounded quality. People stay longer, talk more, and leave feeling like they were genuinely part of something, not just customers.

Hillman Beer’s partnership with American Legion Post 56 goes beyond surface-level support, reflecting the brewery’s broader commitment to being a real community anchor in Old Fort. The family-owned nature of the business means these relationships are built person-to-person, not policy-to-policy.

What Veteran Support Looks Like at a Community Brewery

Supporting military communities doesn’t require a corporate foundation or a national campaign. At Hillman Beer’s Old Fort location, it looks like consistency: a reliable, welcoming space where veterans, their families, and their neighbors can gather without fanfare.

The brewery’s core values align naturally with principles many veterans hold closely: quality over shortcuts, accountability, community over self, and doing the work without needing recognition for it. Hillman Beer earned a Gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival for their ESB, not by chasing trends, but by executing a traditional style with discipline and precision. That approach resonates with people who understand what it means to commit to a standard.

Research supports the idea that local businesses play a meaningful role in veteran reintegration. According to the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (2022), social infrastructure at the local level, including community-oriented small businesses, significantly contributes to veteran reintegration and quality of life in rural and small-town settings.

Western North Carolina has a substantial veteran population. U.S. Census Bureau data (2022) indicates that rural counties in the Appalachian region, including McDowell County where Old Fort is located, have veteran population rates that frequently exceed state averages, making local support infrastructure all the more important.

At Hillman Beer, that support infrastructure looks like a pint of Kölsch shared after a long week, a table held for Post 56 members, and a family-owned business that knows its neighbors by name.

Veteran support at the community level is built through consistent, trustworthy presence, and Hillman Beer’s Old Fort location provides exactly that for military families and veterans in Western NC. The brewery’s values of quality, accountability, and community reflect principles that resonate deeply with those who have served.

How You Can Be Part of It

Choosing where you spend your time and your dollars is a form of community investment. When you visit Hillman Beer’s Old Fort taproom at 78 Catawba Avenue, you’re supporting a business that actively works to show up for veterans, military families, and the broader Western NC community. You’re also getting award-winning craft beer and scratch-made pub food that stands on its own merits.

The taproom is open Sunday through Tuesday until 9pm and Wednesday through Saturday until 10pm, with the kitchen running daily until 9pm. Whether you’re a veteran, a family member, or a neighbor who believes businesses should earn their place in the community, there’s a seat waiting for you.

Hillman Beer has always operated on the belief that brewing good beer and building good community are not separate ambitions. At the Old Fort location, that belief takes on particular meaning through the brewery’s ongoing relationship with American Legion Post 56 and its commitment to the veterans and military families of Western North Carolina.