What’s Hoppin’?

The Growler is located at 265 N. Lamar Blvd. on the historic downtown square in Oxford, Miss. They have a selection of over 30 craft brews. Photo by Nancy Hogan.

The Mississippi craft beer culture continues to expand. Beer enthusiasts in Oxford as well as across the state can consume numerous craft beers as they pour into the magnolia state.

The Mississippi Legislature passed the craft beer bill, which legalized craft brews that are 8 percent alcohol by weight or 10 percent by volume. This bill went into effect on July 1, 2012. Now restaurants and bars can provide a wider variety of brews that can be consumed in multiple ways.

“ We see craft beer almost like coffee at Starbucks,” said Anthony Bond, owner of The Growler.

The Growler opened on Sept. 4, 2014 and is located on the historic downtown square in Oxford, Miss. Guests are able to consume beer in glasses onsite or they have the option to purchase a growler to go. A growler is a glass or stainless steel jug that holds half a gallon of beer. Once opened, growlers usually have a shelf life of two to three days, but it sealed a growler can last up to seven days.

A growler is a glass jug that holds half a gallon of beer. Once opened, growlers usually have a shelf life of two to three days. Photo by Nancy Hogan.

For those who are not beer connoisseurs, The Growler offers flights. These flights are four eight-ounce pours incased in a rustic sampler. Instead of committing to a specific pour, guests are encouraged to try more than one beer to see what fits their taste.

The city of Oxford requires The Growler to have both a beer and liquor while closely monitoring the distribution of the beer.

“All beer companies doing business in Mississippi whether they are in-state breweries or out-of-state breweries, send their beer to one of three distributors,” said Krisi Allen, general manager of The Growler.

One of the distributors is located in Senatobia, Miss., which is responsible for distributing to The Growler. The Growler works with each of the three distributes to receive their inventory of beer. All three distributorships have a different set of brewery contracts, none that overlap.

The Growler caters to the Mississippi brewing companies, but also looks outside the magnolia state to serve brews that consumers will enjoy.

“We made a commitment to carry all local brewery beers and beyond that we are looking for one off beers,” said Bond. “We order small barrel special brews … [and] fuse our beer with items such as sour patch kids to make a good beer great.”

Wednesday nights are referred to as infusions nights at The Growler. They do an infusion process where you can add anything to the beer you have and change the flavor. This past Wednesday they fuse their beer with items such as oranges, hops and red peppers.

Wednesday nights are infusion nights at The Growler. A beer from the Rogue brewing company was mixed with oranges, hops and red peppers. Courtesy of The Growler.

“We are constantly trying to give are customers what they are looking for,” said Allen.

In addition to catering the Mississippi brewing companies, The Growler also focuses on ordering small barrel special brews. Since The Growler has opened they have sold 1,059 pints of SweetWater Blue, a brewing company based out of Atlanta, Ga.

“ Our best seller since we opened has been the SweetWater Blue. It is a good transition beer for people who do not care about hoppy or stout beer … it appeals to the main stream beer drinker,” said Allen.

Besides offering 30 craft beers, The Growler caters to a diverse audience. According to Allen, a lot of Ole Miss graduate students and professors visit The Growler as well as the Sunday church crowd.

“We actually have priests, lawyers and Game of Thrones groups that congregate in Oxford since the atmosphere is more like a Starbucks than a bar,” said Bond.

Customers at The Growler play a game of rummy while they enjoy their beer and pretzels. Photo by Nancy Hogan.

“ I enjoy going to The Growler because I feel like it caters towards a different audience that you do not find out at the bars,” said Amanda Gross, a senior at the University of Mississippi.

“If I come to The Growler around five in the afternoon in the middle of the week, I will see people reading or playing cards or even coming in to get their growler filled.”

Storify. 

The Growler

The Story:

“The Growler” (Official Title TBD)

The Pitch:

Mrs. Joyce,

I am interested in writing a story about craft beer in the state of Mississippi with a focus on The Growler on the downtown Square. The Growler opened in on Sept. 5, 2014 however, three years ago this would not be allowed in the state of Mississippi. Mississippi and other states in the South had Prohibition-era laws, which required low alcohol-by-volume (ABV) that prevented many craft brews from entering the state.

Until July 2012, Lazy Magnolia was the only brewery to open since 1907. The new law in Mississippi has raised the ABV to 10.2 percent. This increase has welcomed a new assortment of craft brews in to the state and has changed the way many consumers buy beer.

I would like to do a story on The Growler because if the law did not change it would not be here. The Growler carries 30 craft beers on tap that rotate according to season. The story will focus on the new craft beer laws as wells as how and why The Growler chose Oxford. I will talk about how The Growler coordinates with the state to receive their inventory of craft beers.

A growler is a glass bottle that carries a half-gallon of beer. The growlers are filled straight from the tap and must be refrigerated and consumed between seven and 10 days after purchase. The beer will be good for two to three days after the seal has been broken.

Let me know your thoughts,

Nancy