JACKSON, Miss.–Residents of Jackson have been eagerly awaiting the Grand Opening of Fertile Ground Beer Co., which is set to kick off Friday, May 13th. Those in attendance at the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, May 12th had the opportunity to experience, and taste, what’s been brewing in the Belhaven Town Center prior to officially opening to the public. Employees, city officials, friends, and all those who contributed to bringing to the project gathered in the large, open-spaced taproom of the brewery to commemorate the opening of Fertile Ground Beer Co.
In 2014, a TEDx event took place in the iconic Capri Theater located in Jackson, Mississippi, with a theme surrounding the abundance of opportunities in Mississippi, cultivating a community centered around innovative thinking, and Mississippi’s creative economy. The theme for the TEDx event was Fertile Ground, a call to action and the inspiration for Jackson’s newest brewery and its mission.
“The thinking behind Fertile Ground was clear from the start,” said Matthew McLaughlin, co-founder of Fertile Ground Beer Co. “We wanted to offer Jackson an inclusive and inspiring third space for people to gather, socialize, and enjoy bright, clean, and contemporary craft beer. We wanted to use craft beer’s transcendent nature to connect people and further develop community.”
Fertile Ground is located in the Belhaven Town Center and serves as the anchor tenant of a larger revitalization effort that has been in the works for several years in the historic Belhaven neighborhood. “Mississippi’s capital city needed this brewery,” said Conner Reeves, co-founder of Fertile Ground Beer Co. “The outpouring of support for a brewery in Jackson coupled with the vision for the Belhaven Town Center presented a tremendous opportunity to bring Fertile Ground to life.”
The building, which had been operating as a laundry facility for Baptist Hospital, has been renovated from top to bottom and, once completed, will include indoor and outdoor communal space, a restaurant, offices, and retail space. The brewery itself began brewing its first batch of beer earlier this spring in anticipation of their Grand Opening this weekend and is eager to serve the citizens of Jackson their first taste of what promises to be an impressive selection of locally brewed concoctions spanning the entire beer spectrum.
Fertile Ground will hold its Grand Opening event on Friday, May 13th from 1:00 p.m to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 14th from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 800 Manship Street, Ste. 101 in Jackson. Visit their website at fertilegroundbeer.com and follow them on Facebook and Instagram at @fertilegroundbeer and Twitter at @FertileGroundMS.