In 2011 there was just one craft brewery in Mississippi. Today, the state ranks 51st in breweries per capita. We set out on a four-day road trip to learn more about the young beer scene.
At Southern Prohibition in Hattiesburg, Miss., brewmaster Ben Green is helping to build a new beer culture, oriented around bold flavors in everything from hoppy ales to barrel-aged sours.
Victory and Southern Tier unite under Artisanal Brewing Ventures; Massachusetts distributor faces pay-to-play penalty; southern states push to update beer laws; and Slovenian town building public beer fountain.
Mark and Leslie Henderson founded Lazy Magnolia to bring better beer to their home state. Although Mississippi now has 10 breweries statewide, theirs was the first packaging brewery to carry the torch for craft brewing, and did so for seven years under previously restrictive state regulations.
The Mahogany Bar’s lineup of 42 taps includes a wide mix of styles with more than 15 local beers like Crooked Letter Mystery Romp mocha Porter and Southern Prohibition Crowd Control, alongside plenty of bigger regional, national and international brands.
Of the 836 new breweries that opened between 2010 and 2013, approximately 350 will close by 2016. It’s a shocking number that makes sense after asking the people behind recently shuttered breweries about the challenges they faced.
In 2005, when John Neal opened the Keg and Barrel bar in Hattiesburg, Miss., restrictive laws forbade homebrewing and capped the ABV of every beer brewed and sold in the state at 6.25 percent.
Beyond alcohol limits, many Southern states struggle with taxes, breweries operating off-site brewpubs, various antiquated distribution woes, prohibitive homebrewing regulations and much more. But thanks to the region’s proactive beer makers and consumers, many of those laws are beginning to change.
For many breweries, a regional, cultural identity fosters the brand’s wider appeal. Paradoxically, that popularity might dilute the brand by requiring a large-scale production model that precludes ties to its regional roots—something expanding breweries keep in mind.
It is illegal in Massachusetts to bring a beer to a patient in a hospital. In Texas, drinking more than three sips of beer at a time while standing is against the law. There are scores of pointless, strange edicts on the books, but the good people of Mississippi aren’t laughing about a particular law regulating
KettleHouse Brewery pulls back on distribution in Montana; Alpine Beer Company takes action against illegal beer trading; Louisiana brewery changes name to avoid conflict; and new legislation brewing in New York, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Alabama.
AB-InBev and MillerCoors want a piece of the apple cider pie; CAMRA Vancouver FUSS-ing over standardized pours; Belgium celebrates Trappist breweries; Oglala Sioux tribe suing brewers, wholesalers, retailers; and Virginia, Mississippi attempting to pass brew-friendly laws.
