Who We are

Fiercely Independent, Authentic, Wholly Self-Distributed Craft Beer

Granite Falls Brewing Company is proud to operate from the historic Granite Bottling Works (1903-1978) and Pepsi-Cola Bottling (1978-2012) plant. Our location at 47 Duke Street was an operational bottling plant when: Pepsi-Cola was trademarked (1903), the Wright Brothers first took flight near Kitty Hawk NC (1903), Ford Motor Company was founded (1903), Harley-Davidson was founded (1903), the first World Series took place (1903), the first Tour de France bicycle race was held (1903), and Miller High Life was created (1903). The original 1903 “Bolick’s Bottling Plant” is the brick mothership which houses our public areas: when you enter our establishment, you are literally stepping into history…

Come Celebrate with your GFBeerhead Community 120 Years of Beverage Production and Packaging Onsite!

Grandson of a Sicilian Coal Miner of 41 years comes home to Appalachia, Unearths a 120-Year-Old Mothership, and Retools It Back into Production

On behalf of our owner, and GFB’s 41 employees, we invite you to visit our award-winning craft production brewery and 220-seat tasting room—chomp into a handcrafted burger topped with peanut butter, housemade blackberry-jalapeño jam, and a local farm egg, or enjoy one of our artisanal, made-from-scratch appetizers, international Cheesesteaks, garden-fresh salads, sauces, or desserts—enjoy a free tour of the expansive brew space and carry home a product that was brewed on American-made equipment where you were just standing. We welcome you to become a part of our Great American Revival Story!

hickory crawdads baseball hickory crawdads baseball team southern revival tailypo bairds forge

Our Founder

Mastroeli-MacNeil Equity Investments, LLC has its roots in Malvagna, Sicily (Italy) and Szamosszeg, Hungary. Mario Mastroeli, President and General Counsel, holds a Bachelor’s Degree Summa Cum Laude in Economics/Econometrics, Master’s Degree in Economic Development, and specializes in Corporate Law and Private Equity (UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law ’00).

Mr. Mastroeli’s cousins reside in Malvagna, Sicily where they cultivate grapes in a family vineyard and lemons (limoncello) along the base of Mount Etna. Mario is the grandson of a Sicilian coal miner (Bishop, VA) and Hungarian mother of seven, and a commercial fisherman and his wife hailing from Edgecombe County, North Carolina. He is also a home brewer, cigar aficionado, accomplished pianist/keyboardist having played for decades in traveling bands (funk/gospel/classic rock/80s), a Founding Supporter-Associate Member of International Thriller Writers, and readily goes bonkers over indigenous recipes – particularly obscure regional and international ethnic sauces and dishes.

“I grew up in Enon, Virginia – not a city, not a town, not even a village, but a Census-Designated Place of marshy farmlands, one-lane gravel roads, and Civil War trenches. As of the last Census, Enon has a population of 3,466 – that is 1,250 fewer people than resides in the Town of Granite Falls. Having lived in Granite Falls for 19 years, I named the brewery after the town because I cherish community. I believe that social media is dehumanizing the Human Experience: that face-to-face communication, whether between young hipsters or old ‘soldiers,’ is the means whereby we can reclaim our compassion, solidarity, and, most importantly, our sense of humor as a species. GFB is and will forever remain A Place for All People. #gatheringgoodpeople remains our Mission.”

Malvagna (Mt. Etna), Sicily, Italy – Home to the Mastroelis

Mastroeli-MacNeil is proud to partner with Head Brewer Ben Barber to leverage its vision, in combination with Ben and his team’s talents, to craft exceptional liquid that is born, brewed, and raised locally across the NODU Community – and proud to call North Carolina home.

Head Brewer Ben Barber