Craft Beer Quest in Jackson, MS | Weekend Road Trip

Lucky Town Brewing Co.‘s co-founder and Brewmaster Lucas Simmons is fully aware of the challenges of being a craft brewer in Mississippi.  When I visited the brewery and chatted with Lucas he laughed and showed me the label of his Old No. 49, a nod to the fact they weren’t the last state to pass a law allowing direct sales in their breweries.  We have that “honor” here in Georgia.  Hey, we may have placed last but at least we finished the race.

Brewers in the Magnolia State also face a challenge in changing the minds and palates of one of the most old-fashioned and conservative states in the US.  I lived outside of Jackson over 30 years ago and not a lot has changed since then.  My cousin still lives in Mississippi and explained in frustrated tones that they just can’t seem to get new and “cool” things to take off there.  When I asked Siri to find me beer in Jackson, MS she responded with, “Sorry, I can’t find that item.”  Fortunately she was wrong, but it is still a bit of a challenge.

I visited Lucky Town on a Saturday afternoon and hung out with a small crowd of about 15 while sampling their beers.  They offered a good variety of styles including their Upper End of Social NE-style IPA (a decent take on this trendy brew) and their tart Gose Gamblin’.  Their flagships include Ballistic Blonde and Lucky Town Pub Ale (English Mild), the blonde was good but unfortunately they were fresh out of their Pub Ale.  Their Flare Incident Oatmeal Stout and Hot Coffee Imperial Stout both impressed, with Hot Coffee coming in at 10.3% ABV, the state’s limit.

After a few brews we headed down the street to Pig & Pint for some BBQ (the best in in the state according to First We Feast) and more beer.  A friendly cashier greeted us where we placed our order then stepped around the corner to their beer bar for drinks.  They offer over 100 draft and packaged choices featuring Mississippi and regional breweries as well as some national brands.  I went with the Ghost River Golden Ale, not MS beer but one I can’t get here in Atlanta.  The food at Pig & Pint is great, I had a brisket sandwich paired with their highly recommended smoked collard greens and got a mountain of their loaded pulled pork Disco Fries and boudin balls to share.  I’d recommend all of them.

After getting our fill of ‘cue I needed some local flavor to bring back to Georgia.  Jimmy, one of the patrons at Lucky Town, suggested we hit LD’s Beer Run to stock up.  LD’s is a nothing fancy beer shop with a selection of craft and macro beer.  Perhaps a telling sign of the variety of clientele they serve was a large tub full of macro beer singles on ice sat in the front of the store.  I chatted with the crew there a bit and they offered some recommendations and I left with more beer than I needed, as usual.

One place I wanted to check out but missed was The Bulldog, time just wasn’t on my side.  They offer 62 “mainly local and craft” beers on tap and 75+ in bottles.  The Bulldog’s website shares some info on the care they take with both equipment and staff to make sure they’re serving great beer.  Like the macros on ice at LD’s Beer Run, another telling sign of the mixed clientele in Jackson is The Bulldog’s availability of frozen pint glasses for your beer, although they do recommend a room temperature glass for the best flavor.

There’s also the trendy Fondren District with coffee shops, restaurants, bars, art galleries, tattoo parlors, and urban living.  You can get your craft beer fix at a few locations there including Fondren Public, Babalu Tapas and Tacos, Sneaky Beans, and Sal & Mookie’s.  Pig & Pint is just a short hop from this area.

There’s plenty of room for craft beer growth in Mississippi

Mississippi definitely has people passionate about craft beer, but there is a lot of room for growth.  Establishments that are craft beer-focused show solid signs that they still have to cater to macro drinkers as well.  Statistics from the Brewers Association put Mississippi 51st (behind Washington DC) in number of breweries, breweries per capita, and impact per capita as well as 47th in barrels produced and 50th in gallons per 21+ adult.  Mississippi raised their ABW (they go by weight as opposed to volume) cap from 5% to 8% in 2012 and the number of breweries in the state tripled to nine.  Still a small number but hey, growth is growth.  A pamphlet on the state’s craft breweries showed several in the planning stages.

With the changing laws Mississippi should see more growth and new breweries.  Established breweries like Lucky Town, Lazy Magnolia, Chandaleur, and Southern Prohibition will benefit from being able to keep more of their money at the brewery.  Southern Prohibition plans the grand opening of their tasting room on July 1st when the new law goes into effect.

If you want some good beer, good food, and great conversation with other craft beer nerds you can definitely find it in Jackson, MS.  It may not be as prevalent as other areas, but it is there.  With changing laws and attitudes the state is in a great place for future growth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://beerguysradio.com/2017/05/28/craft-beer-jackson-mississippi/https://beerguysradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Lucky-Town-Hot-Coffee-800x533.jpghttps://beerguysradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Lucky-Town-Hot-Coffee-150x150.jpg2017-05-28T09:00:39-04:00Tim DennisBeer BarsBeer TravelBrewery ProfilesCraft Beer,Jackson,Lucky Town,mississippi,Pig and PintLucky Town Brewing Co.'s co-founder and Brewmaster Lucas Simmons is fully aware of the challenges of being a craft brewer in Mississippi.  When I visited the brewery and chatted with Lucas he laughed and showed me the label of his Old No. 49, a nod to the fact they...Tim DennisTim Dennistgdennis@gmail.comAdministratorCo-Host of the Beer Guys Radio Show. Georgia beer advocate, all around craft beer fan, homebrewer, and troublemaker.Beer Guys Radio Craft Beer Podcast