Mississippi

See which of the state’s breweries was named the best in Mississippi

Published

1 year ago

May 2, 2024

See which of the state’s breweries was named the best in Mississippi

If you’re looking for a good craft beer brewed in Mississippi, you may not have to look far. With roughly 20 brewers in the state, your chances are good.

Finding the best beers in the state is another story, but SB Nation’s Hustle Belt – Belts Beer Garden makes it easier to hop on a crafty destination.

This year’s Top 5 breweries in the state feature some familiar favorites and a couple new ones to sample, if you haven’t yet.

Hattiesburg’s Southern Prohibition Brewing Co., which opened in 2013, tops this year’s list.

It’s the passion of the people working at SoPro that makes the brewery what it is.

“The beer is a piece of the puzzle,” said Ben Green, who has been SoPro’s head brewer since the beginning. “It might be a big piece of the puzzle, but it’s the details that make it go from good to great. We’re always striving to get better at those details.”

Over the years, the brewery has experimented with a lot of beers and beer styles, pushing each to the extreme and trying variations of the brews to make them exciting, fun and appealing to beer aficionados. In addition, SoPro opened a taproom, a large outdoor patio and an event room for special occasions. There is a full-service restaurant and full bar, including a selection of alcohol-free mocktails, making it a family-friendly, something-for-everyone kind of place.

“In 2024, we look a lot different,” Green said. “We’re really focused on the experience.”

But Southern Prohibition is focused on the beers, too. Greens said the brewery is constantly making improvements.

“The landscape is awesome right now,” Green said. “It’s become more competitive, which is better for everybody. We’re constantly trying to be better versions of ourselves and that shows in our beers.”

Other breweries on the list include No. 2 Fly Llama Brewing in Biloxi; Natchez Brewing Co. in Natchez at No. 3; No. 4 Lazy Magnolia Brewing Co. in Kiln; and Jackson’s Fertile Ground Beer Co. rounding out the list at No. 5.

Fertile Ground owner Matthew McLaughlin said his brewery takes a different perspective on making beer.

“We approach our portfolio a little bit differently than other breweries,” he said. “IPAs ruled the world for the last 15-plus years. We make some of those, but we really focus on lagers, which take a considerable amount of time and attention to brew.”

The brewery is in the heart of the Belhaven Town Center development. Weekly events include trivia and adult spelling bees, and monthly weekend events include crawfish boils and cookouts. Oktoberfest, of course, is a main event going into the fall.

“It’s a social magnet,” McLaughlin said. “Being that kind of cohesive community glue is what is most inspiring to me.”

Mississippi’s venture in the craft beer industry was slow getting started, mainly because state law wasn’t conducive to building a thriving beer business.

The first new law that kicked off the movement was one that allowed for beers containing more than 5% alcohol to be sold in the state. Allowing breweries to sell their beer on site also helped.

The changes to state law started in 2012, and since then the growth of beer sales and number of breweries popping up has continued to grow.

The oldest brewery in the state is Lazy Magnolia, which started making and selling packaged beer in 2005. In 2013, Southern Prohibition Brewing and several other breweries opened and the craft beer trend took off.

Although the breweries could make beer, they couldn’t sell it on location, so beer lovers had to buy their favorites in retail stores. Instead of selling beer, breweries offered tours for a fee and gave away samples of their beer with the tours.

In 2017, another new law was enacted to allow breweries to sell a limited amount of their beers, so many opened taprooms to the delight of fans. Craft beer lovers could meet at the breweries and compare notes on the beers in person.

Other new laws in recent years have done even more to help the craft beer business in Mississippi, creating an even more robust industry.

Today, Mississippi’s craft beer industry has an economic impact on the state of roughly $269 million per year, according to 2022 figures, the most recent available from the Brewers Association. The state’s breweries produce more than 20,000 barrels of beer each year.

Raise Your Pints: Small group helped bring big change to Mississippi’s craft beer movement

Do you have a story to share? Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on X  @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.

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Mississippi

What oddsmakers predict will happen when Mississippi State faces Arkansas

Published

14 hours ago

October 28, 2025

Press Room

What oddsmakers predict will happen when Mississippi State faces Arkansas

Mississippi State’s hope of reaching six wins and going to a bowl game this season are on life support.

The Bulldogs have lost their last four games, all SEC games, and in heart-breaking fashion, too. Two of those losses were overtime games and another was lost on last minute interception.

Mississippi State needs a win, not just for its bowl game aspirations, but also to give the fanbase something to cheer about instead of calling for a coaching change.

“One, thank you for the support, the atmosphere and the energy. And Saturday was as good as it gets,” Bulldogs’ coach Jeff Lebby said Monday when asked about what his message to the upset fans. “You’ve all heard me talk about how much I appreciate our community and our connection and the passion, the love that people have for Mississippi State. I love that. That’s one of the greatest things about our university.

“I hate that (the fans are) not getting to enjoy (wins). My hope is that we have the ability to go take care of business and go get a tough, hard win on the road on Saturday. And then come back home to another great crowd.”

Fortunately, Mississippi State’s opponent this week represents the most winnable SEC game left on its schedule, even if Lebby won’t admit that’s what Arkansas is.

“No, not in the least bit,” Lebby said. “We’re playing the best two and six football team in the country this week. They’ve got a quarterback that is elite at everything that he does. They have played really well offensively. Auburn did a really good job defensively the other day, creating some turnovers. Arkansas struggled in the red zone a little bit.

“But their ability to score and play great offensively is very well documented. And then defensively, they’ve played better. They haven’t been great against the run, but they were better this past week.”

But that doesn’t change the fact the odds for the Bulldogs this week are the best they’ll be the rest of the season.

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

Mississippi State: +4.5 (-112)
Arkansas: -4.5 (-108)

Moneyline

Mississippi State: +158
Arkansas: -192

Total

Over: 67.5 (-110)
Under: 67.5 (-110)

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Mississippi

Mississippi High School Football All-Classification Rankings: October 27, 2025

Published

1 day ago

October 27, 2025

Press Room

Another week of the 2025 Mississippi high school football season has come and gone, and High School On SI has all of the latest computer rankings for each classification as of October 27, 2025.

High School On SI’s formula was created using its own linear algebra-based ranking algorithm inspired by the Colley Bias-Free Ranking Method. Colley’s Method was created by Wes Colley, Ph.D., an astrophysicist at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. He devised his algorithm in order to help address the subjectivity and controversy regarding BCS college football selections in the 1990s and early 2000s, using a method that used no subjective variables.

Which teams took the top spot in each division? Here are High School On SI’s latest Mississippi high school football computer rankings, as of October 27, 2025:

1. Calhoun City (7-1)

2. Simmons (7-0)

3. Biggersville (7-2)

4. Stringer (7-2)

5. Nanih Waiya (6-2)

6. Leflore County (6-3)

7. South Delta (7-2)

8. Taylorsville (5-4)

9. Noxapater (5-4)

10. West Tallahatchie (6-2)

11. Bogue Chitto (6-3)

12. Salem (6-2)

13. Ethel (6-3)

14. West Lowndes (4-3)

15. Leake County (4-5)

16. Lumberton (4-4)

17. Byers (5-3)

18. Richton (4-5)

19. Tupelo Christian Prep (5-4)

20. Sebastopol (3-6)

21. Okolona (3-7)

22. Potts Camp (3-4)

23. Shaw (1-6)

24. Falkner (3-5)

25. Vardaman (2-7)

View full Class 1A rankings

1. Wesson (9-0)

2. Baldwyn (8-1)

3. East Webster (8-1)

4. Charleston (5-2)

5. Heidelberg (5-2)

6. Clarkdale (7-2)

7. Bay Springs (6-2)

8. Water Valley (7-2)

9. Loyd Star (8-1)

10. North Side (7-1)

11. Lake (6-3)

12. Myrtle (7-2)

13. Hamilton (6-3)

14. Eupora (6-3)

15. Amite County (6-2)

16. Hatley (6-2)

17. Kemper County (3-4)

18. Mize (3-6)

19. Bruce (6-3)

20. Velma Jackson (4-5)

21. East Marion (4-4)

22. North Forrest (4-5)

23. Enterprise Clarke (2-7)

24. Philadelphia (1-7)

25. Collins (3-5)

View full Class 2A rankings

1. Union (9-0)

2. Raleigh (8-1)

3. Noxubee County (6-3)

4. Kossuth (6-2)

5. West Marion (6-3)

6. Choctaw County (5-4)

7. Magee (6-2)

8. Hazlehurst (4-3)

9. Presbyterian Christian (6-3)

10. Tylertown (6-3)

11. Quitman (5-4)

12. Aberdeen (5-4)

13. Winona (4-4)

14. Belmont (6-3)

15. Seminary (4-5)

16. Yazoo County (5-3)

17. Humphreys County (5-4)

18. Booneville (4-5)

19. North Panola (4-4)

20. Jefferson Davis County (3-5)

21. O’Bannon (5-3)

22. Coahoma County (3-5)

23. Franklin County (4-5)

24. Independence (4-4)

25. Thomas E. Edwards (4-4)

View full Class 3A rankings

1. Columbia (9-0)

2. Senatobia (8-1)

3. Kosciusko (8-1)

4. Louisville (6-2)

5. Clarksdale (6-1)

6. McComb (7-1)

7. North Pontotoc (7-1)

8. Leake Central (7-2)

9. New Albany (7-2)

10. Rosa Fort (6-1)

11. Pass Christian (8-1)

12. Forest (7-2)

13. Corinth (6-2)

14. Itawamba Agricultural (6-2)

15. Poplarville (5-3)

16. Choctaw Central (6-2)

17. Morton (5-3)

18. Greenwood (6-3)

19. Shannon (6-3)

20. Newton County (5-4)

21. West Lauderdale (4-4)

22. Mendenhall (4-4)

23. Greene County (6-3)

24. Forrest County Agricultural (5-3)

25. Richland (5-4)

View full Class 4A rankings

1. West Point (8-0)

2. Brookhaven (6-2)

3. New Hope (6-2)

4. Lanier (9-0)

5. South Jones (7-2)

6. Sumrall (6-3)

7. Holmes County Central (6-3)

8. Cleveland Central (4-3)

9. Lafayette (4-4)

10. Purvis (5-3)

11. Vicksburg (5-3)

12. Stone (5-3)

13. Pontotoc (4-4)

14. Northeast Jones (4-4)

15. Laurel (2-6)

16. Florence (3-5)

17. Natchez (3-5)

18. Vancleave (3-5)

19. Wayne County (2-6)

20. North Pike (1-7)

21. Provine (2-7)

22. East Central (1-7)

23. Caledonia (1-7)

24. Columbus (1-7)

View full Class 5A rankings

1. Picayune (7-1)

2. Warren Central (6-2)

3. Ridgeland (7-1)

4. South Panola (5-3)

5. Grenada (6-2)

6. West Jones (7-2)

7. Lake Cormorant (6-2)

8. Terry (7-1)

9. Hattiesburg (6-2)

10. Callaway (5-4)

11. Center Hill (4-4)

12. Neshoba Central (4-4)

13. Pearl River Central (4-3)

14. Greenville (4-4)

15. Pascagoula (3-5)

16. Saltillo (3-6)

17. Canton (3-5)

18. Hancock (3-5)

19. George County (3-5)

20. Gautier (3-5)

21. Olive Branch (1-7)

22. Forest Hill (1-8)

23. Long Beach (1-7)

24. Jim Hill (1-8)

View full Class 6A rankings

1. Ocean Springs (7-1)

2. Tupelo (8-1)

3. Oxford (7-1)

4. Starkville (6-2)

5. D’Iberville (7-1)

6. Gulfport (6-2)

7. Petal (6-3)

8. Oak Grove (6-3)

9. Germantown (5-3)

10. West Harrison (6-3)

11. Hernando (6-2)

12. Horn Lake (5-3)

13. Northwest Rankin (5-3)

14. DeSoto Central (6-3)

15. St. Martin (6-3)

16. Clinton (4-4)

17. Madison Central (4-4)

18. Brandon (3-5)

19. Pearl (3-5)

20. Southaven (3-5)

21. Biloxi (2-6)

22. Meridian (2-6)

23. Lewisburg (2-6)

24. Harrison Central (1-7)

25. Murrah (1-8)

View full Class 7A rankings

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Mississippi

Tornadoes rip through Mississippi Coast cities, damaging homes and popular Mexican restaurant

Published

2 days ago

October 26, 2025

Press Room

Tornadoes rip through Mississippi Coast cities, damaging homes and popular Mexican restaurant

Two tornadoes touched down in Mississippi Coast cities Sunday morning as a system of strong thunderstorms moved over the Deep South.

The twisters were confirmed by 10:45 a.m. and caused minor damage in Pascagoula and Gautier, Jackson County Emergency Manager Earl Etheridge told the Sun Herald. The cities are east of Biloxi, both less than an hour from Mobile, Alabama.

No injuries were reported, but at least one home in Pascagoula was damaged and a popular Mexican restaurant in Gautier felt a tornado’s wrath while workers were inside preparing for the Sunday lunch crowd.

Video from resident John Adams, submitted to WLOX-TV, shows the storm touching down at Aztecas on Highway 90 near Gautier-Vancleave Road. Cars stopped on the busy thoroughfare as the twister spun up debris. Many turned around and began driving away from storm, the video shows.

The tornado tore apart some of the concrete patio at Aztecas and pushed cinder blocks from the large building onto cars in the parking lot. Nobody was injured and the workers inside are all safe, the restaurant confirmed.

Aerial footage shows the restaurant’s roof was damaged, and shingles were ripped from their places on awnings.

Rubble and dirt piled up in the outdoor dining areas, with many tables and chairs scattered and pushed over in the wreckage, video from WLOX-TV shows. An apartment complex in Gautier also suffered damage from one of the tornadoes.

The major storms were over by noon, and all weather warnings had expired. The National Weather Service in New Orleans warned that some strong storms and possible watersports east of the Mississippi River were possible through 1:30 p.m.

In New Orleans, the system brought strong thunderstorms earlier Sunday morning. There was a brief power outage in the Mid-City area, but Entergy has not said if it was related to weather.

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