If you beer it, they will come.
No, that’s not the unofficial slogan for St. Patrick’s Day around here, although some people like to think so.
There is a good amount of beer consumed in Savannah. St. Patrick’s Day weekend or otherwise, no one will deny you that.
Moon River on Bay Street has been a staple for years.
World of Beer has certainly made its mark on Broughton Street.
The Beer Growler is going to set up shop on the ground floor of Drayton Tower at Liberty and Drayton soon.
That pretty much has you covered one end of the historic district to the other. But what about everywhere else?
The beers formerly known as “microbrews” have now grown up and graduated from college into “craft brews.” According to the Brewers Association, 11.5 million barrels of craft brew beers were sold in 2011, up from around 10 million the year before. So there is a market for the stuff.
People are expanding their beer horizons. This is wonderful news, and it’s about to get better locally.
When I travel and am going to have a beer, I always ask for local — flavors of that city or region.
Contrary to popular belief, PBR is not the official beer of Savannah.
Seriously, though, I love trying new beers. I love seeing how it’s done elsewhere.
Now we are actually going to see how it is done here in Savannah.
Southbound Brewing Co. is just one of the new beer makers coming to the area. They are rounding turn four in the construction of a $2 million-plus, 12,500-square-foot facility on Bay Street just west of the “Soon to no longer be Talmadge” Bridge.
It really is a fascinating story.
Two old friends with a passion for beer actually put their dream on paper and made a go of it.
Smith Mathews and Carly Wiggins are a couple of Statesboro 20-somethings who spent a good bit of time learning the ropes of beer making — she on the marketing end and he in the back making the beer at SweetWater Brewing Co. It was there that they first discussed “having their own brewery” one day.
A move to Charleston, S.C., continued both of their educations of the practical and impractical side of running a brewery. Eventually the time came to make the move, and Savannah was their first and really only choice.
“It’s close to our hometown of Statesboro, which is a huge plus for our families,” Carly says.
Plus, they knew Savannah loves its beer, and only Moon River was making it locally.
That said, the facilities are completely different.
“Moon River is a brew pub,” Carly explains. “A brew pub is a restaurant-brewery that sells 25 percent or more of its beer on site.
“We saw this as an opportunity to bring a production facility into town,” Carly says.
So obviously they feel there is plenty of room for everyone. No potato skins or burgers or TVs at Southbound. It’s not another neighborhood bar. It’s a massive production facility coming to Bay Street. You will see their grain silo from blocks away.
The plan is to have you sipping their suds by summer. Only kegs to start — don’t look for bottles or cans just yet.
But you will be able to find it pretty easily around town once they get up and running. They have several area bars and restaurants awaiting delivery.
“We will start with three year-round beers,” Carly tells me. “Sun King Belgian Wit, Hoplin’ IPA and Revolution Pale Ale. There will be seasonals and all kinds of special-event brews, but that’s down the road as well.”
First things first, right?
Cheers.
To find out more about Southbound brews, how they are made and background on their story, head over to www.eatitandlikeit.com. Can’t wait to try them!
QUICK BITES
• A wine bar beneath a British Pub? Indeed. Winston’s Wine Cellar is coming to Churchill’s. Yes, Churchill’s on Bay Street. Savannah’s newest wine Bar. Find more at www.eatitandlikeit.com.
• Speaking of cocktails: Charlie at Garibaldi tells me he is rolling out a peanut butter and jelly martini the first week of March. Note to self, put first week of March on calendar.
• Construction continues at the new Blowin’ Smoke location on Habersham Street. We are keeping tabs on their progress and will bring you a full update on the new digs and menu when they are closer to completion.
• Finally, had a great dinner not long ago at A.lure on Congress Street. Great service. Great food. Full house told me I was late to that party, but it was wonderful nonetheless.
Jesse Blanco is a local news anchor at WTGS and host of the Emmy-nominated “Eat It and Like It,” Savannah’s only TV show dedicated to its culinary scene. Visit him at www.eatitandlikeit.com or email jesse@eatitandlikeit.com.