Moon River Brewing Company
- 21 W Bay St, Savannah, Georgia, 31401
- Send Message
- 912-447-0943
Savannah, Georgia, 31401
United States
About
ABOUT MOON RIVER BREWING CO
We founded Moon River Brewing Company based on our obsession with creating the ideal restaurant and brewery experience for you. Striving for this ideal, we are committed to providing with three basic services.
We are dedicated, first and foremost, to providing you with a comfortable and relaxing environment with prompt and cheerful service.
Secondly, we are committed to serving you a delicious variety of freshly prepared foods. Our kitchen is a melting pot of diversity, offering a range of dishes from simple comfort food to eclectic gourmet cuisine.
Finally, we are undeniably passionate about serving great beer.
Whether you are new to Savannah or just passing through, you’ll find a warm atmosphere and a great selection of food and spirits.
Either way, Moon River Brewing Company is a great start to your next great time.
HISTORY
Housed in one of the oldest, most historic and genuinely haunted buildings in Savannah, we invite you to experience the history and our excellent food and hand-crafted beers first hand.
It all started with Elazer Early, a native of Charleston, South Carolina, who constructed our building as the City Hotel in 1821. Not only was it the first hotel in Savannah, but it was also home to the first branch of the United States Post Office in Savannah. It also served as a branch of the Bank of the United States. (It must have been convenient having a hotel, post office, bank, and bar all under one roof!)
During the hotel’s tenure, many notable people stayed at the Hotel. The guests included War of 1812 hero Winfield Scott, the Marquis de Lafayette, the first three Commodores of the United Statues Navy, and naturalist James Audubon. Audubon stayed six months at the hotel while attempting to sell books of his wildlife sketches.
In 1851, Peter Wiltberger bought the City Hotel. He renovated it and put a live lion and lioness on display to draw attention to his business. The City Hotel’s final guest checked out in 1864, just before the arrival of General Tecumseh Sherman during the War of Northern Aggression and the subsequent closing of the hotel.
At the turn of the century, the building was used as a lumber and coal warehouse. As the use of coal slowly died off, the building was used for general storage. In the 1960’s, the space was renovated as an office supply store, complete with a large printing press.
The building sat empty until 1995 when it was renovated into its current configuration as a brew pub. The Moon River Brewing Company debuted in this space on April 10, 1999 and welcomes all who pass by. Come visit and join us in appreciating the past and embracing the future. Sit down, relax and enjoy a delicious craft brew – or three!
BREWERY
We’ve been brewing the finest craft beer in Savannah since 1999, right here on Bay Street. Striving for consistency and quality 15 barrels at a time, we focus on classic brews and innovative flavors. Our brewers are hard at work everyday, whether its brewing up one of Pinkerton’s traditional recipes or writing their own. Spanning a broad variety of styles at all times, our line-up surely has something for you.
Our brews are produced on-site in our 15-barrel copper-clad brewhouse, easily seen from the bar or walking along Bay Street. The mash tun is a single infusion vessel, meaning our brewers must combine science, art, and technique to brew consistent beers from batch to batch. The direct-fired boil kettle has produced multiple GABF and World Beer Cup medal-winning beers, including 3 Gold Medals. The four fermentation vessels are rarely empty as our team toils to keep up with a very thirsty squad of regulars and out of town "irregulars". It may sound complex, but the process here is simple; no fancy computer controls, nothing automated or extraneous. Each and every beer is made through hands-on labor and dedication to the highest quality standards. That is what has made Moon River a Savannah favorite since 1999, and that is what we will sustain as the Hostess City continues to make a name for itself in the Georgia craft beer market.
