About
Why the Mockingbird?
We always say: Why the hell not? It’s an official symbol of the great state of Mississippi, a proud defender of home and family, and one fearless son of a gun. Often underestimated, but never outdone, the mockingbird ain’t afraid to tangle with the big boys. And neither are we.
Our Beer
Colsons Original
Is it possible to make a beer without a flaw? Don’t know. But we decided to try. Taking into account aroma, carbonation, taste and finish, we let the recipe lead us. Now when people ask, “What kind of beer is it?”, we say “It’s the perfect beer” because that’s what it is to us.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What kind of beer is Colsons Original?
- When will you make other beers?
- Why are you moving so slow?
- Where is your brewery?
- When will you build a brewery?
- Who distributes Colsons?
- How do I find Colsons in my area?
- How do I contact Colsons Beer Co.?
What kind of beer is Colsons Original?
Is it possible to make a beer without a flaw? Don’t know. But we decided to try, realizing of course that nothing pleases everyone.
We made a list of beer flaws (which required taste testing a lot of beers over a long period of time). Some were so obvious right away. This beer was too flat. Another had too much carbonation. The next one had some sort of wang at the end. Many had no aroma or an unpleasant one. Some just tasted bad. Duh. Poor head retention. Not filtered properly. No head or too much head. Unbalanced, meaning too sweet or too bitter. Too heavy or, the most common one of all, too watery. Your nearest retailer is full of cheap watery beers.
So we started. A grain bill to achieve the best SRM (color) that we thought not too light or too dark. Needed body. Head retention. Carbonation level. Check, check, check. Balance? This one took a little longer. Aroma? Easy to do but had to be correct for our limited panel of testers. The taste and the finish? These took forever to get correct. Ingredients, temperatures, amounts, timing of additions. The combinations were limitless. But we kept at it.
We never chose a style. It came naturally. Colsons is marketed as a Golden Ale. It probably is closest to a Blonde Ale by the official BJCP style guidelines, but we certainly didn’t target a blonde. We let the recipe lead us. When we get asked, “What kind of beer is it?” “It’s a perfect beer,” we say, half joking. But that is really what it is to us. And when you think about, that is really the best you can expect of anyone. We made the best beer we knew how. And if it’s not for you, that’s all cool. Just keep trying local brews until you find your favorite. There are a LOT of quality beers being made in this state.
When will you make other beers?
That will surely happen, but probably not until we open our own brewery. And we are working on that now.
Why are you moving so slow?
To speak bluntly, we wanted to contract brew long enough to learn what production volume might be possible for Colsons. That would help us buy the correct size equipment and the right sized building. We wanted to learn profit margins and how to manage the supply chain through our distributors and what retailers expected from us. We wanted to wait until the legal environment improved so that breweries could sell more beer on-site and possibly survived. Thankfully the law changed in 2021.
So it has been a long and slow 4 years and now the time has come. We are working on being able to brew Colsons in Jackson metro and hopefully it won’t be too much longer.
Where is your brewery?
Since the fall of 2018 we have been brewing Colsons at another Mississippi brewery through a contract arrangement until we are able to establish our own facility in the Jackson metro area. This is a very common arrangement for new breweries.
However, when Mississippi law changed July 1, 2021 to allow more on-site sales of beer by breweries, survival of a new brewery became much more likely. Bottom line: we are diligently looking for a location in the Jackson metro area.
When will you build a brewery?
We should have some news in early 2023 regarding the future production of Colsons. Stay tuned.
Who distributes Colsons?
Capital City Beverages is our distributor for 18 counties in central Mississippi, Magnolia Beverage Co. is our distributor in several counties around Meridian, Stokes Distributing handles another 21 counties in the Pine Belt section of south Mississippi and F.E.B. Distributing handles the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We are eternally grateful to them for all they do for us. If you can’t find Colsons at your favorite retailer in these areas, please encourage that retailer to contact the appropriate distributor.
How do I find Colsons in my area?
Good question! We now have a Beer Finder on our website. Happy hunting!
How do I contact Colsons Beer Co.?
Easy. You can email us at info@colsonsbeer.com or you can visit our Contact page to send us a message via online form. Feeling social? Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.