Visit the oldest bar in Smithfield, North Carolina

History of

 

The Little Brown Jug

A man named Rainey Norton who was the brother of Chief of Police at the time sold the Pure Oil Station To Jack Gardner in 1958. While your car was serviced, you could go inside and grab a beer where the current bar sits now. It was considered the “back room”. The station was originally white with dark blue trim – the trademark of Pure Oil. It was brick-veneered in the 1960s.

 

Beer sales, outlawed since the prohibition days, became legal again in Smithfield in the late 1960’s with a private, members-only bar was opened in the back. Jack & Rose operated the bar and when they divorced Rose leased the business to Linwood & Pauline Shiflett around 1974-75. Pauline sold the business to JD Health in January 1993 and then subsequently sold it to Durwood Benson. Years later Jeanette & Carl Schultz purchased it in 2005 and sold it in August 2014 to her brother Andrew and his wife Erika. They hope to keep the institution and tradition alive in Johnston County.

Y’all come back now ya hear!

 

Famous Customers

Percy Flowers

Neil Lancaster

William Dallas Drake

Wade Stewart (County Commissioner)

Ava Gardner

Jerry Sands (Baseball Player)

Before the Bar

“As you can see your favorite bar used to be a Pure Gas Station.”

Now known as The Little Brown Jug

 

Meet the Crew

Discover our fantastic

Beers & Wines

[justified_image_grid preset=2 load_more_limit=25 ng_gallery=2 justified_image_grid mobile_preset=3]

Apparel

lbjshirt1
lbjshirt2

T-Shirts are $15 each

*$5 surcharge for super large sizes

Voted the “Coldest Beer” in Johnston County, North Carolina

Wanna cold one?

Contact Us


Come enjoy the coldest beers & wines in Smithfield, North Carolina.

Email – info@littlebrownjug.rocks

Phone – (919) 934-0368

Location – Smithfield, North Carolina