SweetWater Brewing moves into Mississippi in September

SweetWater Brewing Co. continues to make moves westward with the announcement it will open up distribution to the Magnolia State later this summer. Shortly after the brewery’s $19 million expansion, SweetWater — ranked as one of the nation’s top 20 craft breweries according to the Brewer’s Association — will be bringing its craft brew lineup to Mississippi starting in early September.

Through diligent planning and wholesaler assignments, SweetWater partnered with A&B Distributing, covering Oxford; Mitchell Distributing, covering Starkville; F.E.B. Distributing, covering Gulfport and Biloxi; and Capital City Beverage, covering Jackson and surrounding Central Mississippi. With a newly expanded production capacity, the brewery’s current footprint covers the Southeastern United States, including Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Louisiana, Virginia and D.C.

“I can’t tell you how excited we are to finally begin flowing in Mississippi,” said SweetWater founder and big kahuna Freddy Bensch. “This one took a little while for us, but with our new fermentation tanks online and the expanded brewhouse rocking and rolling, our tasty beers will hit Mississippi shelves and taps just in time for college football to kick off.”

SweetWater will bring their notoriously hoppy ales to the area, including:

• 420 Extra Pale Ale — SweetWater’s 420 is a West Coast style pale ale with big hops and a crisp finish. First brewed on April 20, 1997, 420 is extremely well balanced, which makes it a perfect introduction to a new town.
• SweetWater IPA — This mammoth India Pale Ale (IPA) is dry-hopped to the gills delivering a kick-you-in-the-teeth hop chop. The brew is unfiltered to leave all the natural flavors intact. SweetWater IPA won first place in a blind tasting against 15 of the best IPA’s in the country held by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Rolling out in 6-pack bottles, 12-pack cans and draft.
• SweetWater Blue — SweetWater Blue is a lighter-bodied wheat ale enhanced with blueberries. This ain’t no fruit beer, but it is a breakfast beer, and perfect for hanging on a warm Mississippi day. Rolling out in six-pack bottles and on draft.
• Take Two Pils — A golden blonde German pilsner brewed with spicy floral hops and a head-first trip down the rabbit hole of lagers. Rolling out in 6-pack bottles and draft.
• SweetWater Tackle Box — The SweetWater Tackle Box variety pack is a hefty 12-pack collection featuring three of SweetWater’s favorite year-round brews, along with a fourth catch and release seasonal specialty in each box.

A crew from SweetWater will taste its way around the area with sampling celebrations and sponsored events, kicking off the week of Sept. 8 in the Jackson, Gulfport and Biloxi areas, and the week of Sept. 22 for Northern Mississippi. For the full schedule and participating locations, visit SweetWater’s Facebook Page. Online fans can wet their whistles too by following the brewery’s Mississippi Facebook page for details on how to enter SweetWater’s “Catch a Trout Tap” contest rewarding the first locals to spot their tap handles with free SweetWater Schwag.