Photograph by Stephen Savage

Kiln, Mississippi, located just miles northwest of Bay St. Louis, has long been home to those that love and make beer. Known as the moonshine capital of the world, according to legend, during the bootlegging years of prohibition, moonshine was made there secretly for many years.

Today, beer is still manufactured in Kiln, referred to as “The Kill” by locals, in large quantities but in a very legal way, at the Lazy Magnolia Brewery. Lazy Magnolia is the first and only manufacturing and packaging brewery in Mississippi since prohibition and is focused on bringing a true Southern quality to all of its brews.

“Beer should fit the region where it’s being produced and consumed,” said Leslie Henderson, co-founder and co-owner of Lazy Magnolia. “It’s all about the climate, the culture, and the food.”

As Mississippi natives, she and her husband Mark, who she co-owns and founded the brewery with, know the regional factors that needed to be considered when creating different brews. Because of the warm, muggy weather in the area and the flavorful, greasy foods, Lazy Magnolia brews tend to be lighter and more able to cut through and cleanse the palette than beer in other areas.

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