DRAFT 150 Best Bars: Mississippi

DRAFT 150 Best Bars: Mississippi

The Keg and Barrel in Hattiesburg is the only bar listed and I wholeheartedly agree. I've only been there once, but it is one of my favorite beer bars in the world. The cozy, old house charm of the bar is great, especially on a cold winter evening.

I sat at the S-shaped bar in a room that seems like it once was a dining room or living room in this old house. A fireplace is in the corner, and across the hallway is an open room filled with tables. A couple of TVs are discreetly mounted.

The winner here, though, is the beer. Mississippi's own Lazy Magnolia Brewing from nearby Kiln is plentiful here. There are also plenty of other choices, including other regional selections, including some brews I had never heard of from Covington, La. 

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New Beer Fests in Memphis

Just wanted to pass along a great story written by Eric Smith, senior reporter at The Daily News in Memphis (where I'm an editor). Two cool beer festivals are coming to the market in the spring, both of which will support important charities.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/editorial/Article.aspx?id=47479

Sweet Sweetwater

It could be called a meat market; a gathering of Atlanta’s who’s who; a neighborhood bar – the one where everyone knows your name; a place to pregame; a perfect place for a blind date, first date or any date; guys’ night out; girls’ night out; an educational experience; somewhere to drown out your latest sorrows or wash away a tough week at work; laugh; cry; or just have a damn good time with friends.

Atlanta’s Sweetwater Brewing Co., www.sweetwaterbrew.com, is all those things and more on Friday evenings when the working brewery opens its doors to the public from 5:30 to 7:30 and, for a measly 8 bucks, patrons can sample six half pints, all in a keepsake pint glass, while listening to live music in a crowd of a couple hundred of your closest friends and strangers.

Sweetwater is located in an industrial neighborhood on the north side of Downtown off Interstate 85. It’s a good spot for the 9 to 5 crowd heading home or preparing for a night out on the town. Want to learn how the place brews its 49,000 barrels a year? Tours are offered throughout the week and during happy hour. About the only downside to the location is it’s not near a MARTA line so if you plan to get tipsy you better call a cab. Otherwise, it’s a quick drive to anywhere in Downtown, Midtown and even Buckhead.

I love the idea of tasting fresh, local beer among a local crowd. I love the idea of hearing a local band playing outside where I can choose to hang out on the patio. The patio, by the way, is very dog-friendly with water bowls scattered around to help man’s best friend out during the hot Atlanta evenings.

Speaking of the heat, if you visit during the summer months – or winter for that matter – and want to head inside, there is a large room with an L-shaped bar and spacious – and clean – restrooms. There’s also an outdoor bar.

The negatives to this place? Well, I can only think of one, and that’s if you’re bothered by crowds. When I went on a pleasant fall evening it took about 20 minutes to move through the line to enter. The lines can build at the bars, but it never takes more than a minute or two to get a refill.

If you find yourself in Atlanta on a Friday evening, I can think of nothing better to do than support a local brewery.