The best Southern beer stories pair big flavor with bigger personality—and Southern Prohibition Brewing (SoPro) in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, nails both. Known for assertive, hop-forward beers, creative seasonals, and colorful, irreverent branding, SoPro helped push Mississippi’s craft scene toward bolder recipes and fresher tap lines. This spotlight covers what to drink first, how to build a smart flight, what the taproom feels like, and practical tips for planning your visit.
- Address: 301 Mobile St, Hattiesburg, MS 39401
- Website: https://www.soprobrewing.com/
What You’ll Learn
- How Southern Prohibition shaped the South’s hop-forward identity
- What to expect from SoPro’s IPAs, pale ales, and creative seasonals
- Tasting order, pairings, and freshness tips for maximum aroma
- Taproom atmosphere, food options, and local Hattiesburg flavor
- Practical planning for hours, tours, to-go beer, and events
Why Southern Prohibition Brewing Matters in the South
Southern Prohibition landed at a turning point for Mississippi beer. As laws eased and demand for local craft rose, SoPro leaned hard into modern hop technique—late hopping, aromatic dry-hopping, and drier finishes that keep big flavor brisk. The result was a slate of IPAs and pale ales that made retailers pay attention and gave fans a reason to chase fresh cans.
How that changed the conversation:
- Raised expectations for aroma and freshness: Clear dating, cold storage, and fast-moving lines trained drinkers to expect bright citrus, tropical fruit, pine, and stone-fruit notes rather than dulled bitterness.
- Defined a Southern hop voice: Beers with saturated aroma, clean finishes, and enough backbone to match spicy, salty, and char-heavy regional food.
- Built culture with design: SoPro’s label art—bold lines, neon hits, irreverent characters—signals a brewery that takes beer seriously, not itself. The look stands out on crowded shelves and invites first-timers to explore.
Key takeaway: SoPro didn’t follow trends from afar; it adapted modern IPA technique to Southern palates and plates—big flavor, clean landings, and a sense of fun.
The Beers: Assertive Hops and Creative Seasonals
IPA and Pale Ale Program: Aroma First, Clean Finish
If you came for hops, you’re in the right place. SoPro’s hop-forward lineup shifts through single and double IPAs, pale ales, and rotating hazies. Across the board you’ll notice a house style:
- Dense, fruit-forward aromatics from late whirlpool additions and multi-stage dry hopping
- Lean, pale grists with oats or wheat (when hazy) for texture without flab
- Bitterness that refreshes and steps back, avoiding palate-scraping harshness
- Attenuation that keeps the finish dry enough to pair with food and invite another sip
What to expect in the glass:
- Citrus and tropical waves (grapefruit, orange peel, mango, pineapple)
- Stone-fruit and light pine balance depending on hop bill
- Pillowy mouthfeel for hazies; snappier structure for West Coast-leaning IPAs
Pairing ideas:
- Hot chicken or Nashville-style tenders: hop oil and carbonation tame heat
- Blackened shrimp or catfish tacos: citrus hops mirror lime and char
- Pepperoni or margherita pizza: resin and fruit cut fat and match acidity
- Charcuterie or Italian sub: grapefruit-pine meets salt and cured meat
Freshness tip: Ask what’s “just dropped.” Hop aroma is volatile and best within weeks of packaging. Keep cans cold to protect those compounds.
Creative Seasonals: Bright, Crisp, and Southern-Tuned
SoPro’s seasonal calendar favors drinkability and fun without losing structure. Expect fruited sours with mouthwatering acidity, crushable lagers and blondes for Gulf heat, and occasional darker seasonals when the weather cools.
- Fruited sours: Real fruit character that reads fresh, not candy-sweet; lively carbonation; a dry landing
- Lagers/Kölsch-style: Bright clarity, sturdy foam, and noble-leaning snap—perfect calibrators between hazies
- Dark seasonals: Porters or stouts with cocoa and coffee tones, structured to finish crisp rather than sticky
Pairings that work:
- Fruited sour + ceviche or goat cheese salad
- Lager + oysters, fried shrimp basket, or Caesar salad
- Porter/Stout + smoked brisket, blue cheese burger, or chocolate brownie
Limited Releases and Collabs: Playful but Disciplined
Expect occasional one-offs that showcase new hops, unique fruit, or adjuncts. Even with bold concepts, the through-line is balance—aroma saturation, controlled sweetness, and a clean finish.
How SoPro Brews: Hop Intensity with Discipline
- Yeast and biotransformation: Fruit-forward strains at tight temperatures draw out juicy esters and coax hop oils during active fermentation—without solventy edges.
- Late hop strategy: Whirlpool additions and staggered dry hopping deliver saturated aromatics with smoother bitterness.
- Grist design: Pale malts keep flavor lines clear; oats/wheat provide haze and plush texture in hazy offerings.
- Water chemistry: Chloride-forward profiles for roundness, with enough sulfate to preserve snap.
- Oxygen control + QA: Dissolved oxygen targets, fast cold-crash, and cold-chain logistics protect fragile hop compounds so cans taste like draft.
Result: Beers that smell like freshly cut fruit, feel soft but not heavy, and finish clean enough for another round.
Build a Smart Flight (Clean to Bold)
Approach your tasting like a pro to catch each beer’s details.
1) Pilsner or Kölsch-style (calibrate clarity, foam, and finish)
2) Pale Ale (set the hop-aroma baseline with a dry landing)
3) Hazy IPA (feel texture shifts and aroma density)
4) West Coast-leaning IPA or Double IPA (compare bitterness vs. saturation)
5) Fruited Sour or Dark Seasonal (contrast acidity or cocoa depth)
Flight tips:
- Reset your palate with water and a few sips of a crisp beer between aromatic pours.
- Side-by-side hop test: If two beers share a base but swap hop varieties, taste back-to-back to feel each variety’s fingerprint—grapefruit-pine vs. mango-stone fruit.
- Keep high-ABV pours small; you’ll preserve sensory acuity for the finish.
Food: Pairing-Ready Plates with Southern Attitude
SoPro’s hop-first beer loves salt, char, herbs, citrus, and a touch of heat—the core vocabulary of Southern fare. Depending on the day, you’ll find in-house eats, food trucks, or guidance to nearby spots.
- Lager/Kölsch-style + oysters, fried catfish, or chicken sandwich: carbonation and hop snap tidy up brine and fry oil
- Pale/IPA + hot chicken, pepperoni pizza, or blackened seafood: bitterness and citrus balance fat and spice
- Hazy IPA + jerk wings or lemony salads: pillowy texture calms heat; fruit notes echo dressing and herbs
- Fruited Sour + shrimp cocktail or goat cheese salad: acidity refreshes and ties to citrus
- Dark Seasonal + smoked ribs or chocolate dessert: roast and cocoa link sweet and savory
Pro tip: Salt amplifies bitterness. If your plate leans salty (Cajun fries, cured meats), start with a lager, wheat, or fruited sour before your firmest-bitter IPA.
Taproom Atmosphere: Colorful, Irreverent, and Welcoming
At 301 Mobile Street, the SoPro taproom channels the brand’s bold art and easygoing attitude. Stainless gleams behind the bar, murals pop with neon and character, and the playlist matches the energy without drowning conversation.
What it feels like:
- Vibe: Lively but approachable—students, road-trippers, and hop-chasers share tables with regulars
- Service: Fast and informed; staff can translate “juicy but not sweet,” “citrusy and dry,” or “piney and bitter” into the right pour quickly
- Seating: Bar rails for solo tasters, communal tables for groups, and seasonal patio space when the weather cooperates
- Events: Can drops, live music, markets, and collab parties turn the calendar into a draw—check SoPro’s channels for dates
Family and dog notes: Policies can vary by season and area. Check the website for current guidance on minors and pets.
Local Flavor: Make It a Hattiesburg Day
Hattiesburg offers a compact loop of arts, eats, and outdoor options that pair well with a brewery visit.
Ideas to round out your trip:
- University energy: Time your stop with campus events; expect a festive taproom before or after games and performances
- Arts and murals: Explore local galleries and street art, then return for a flight and a snack
- Food crawl: Build a hop-and-heat tour with hot chicken, tacos, or BBQ nearby; use SoPro’s lagers and IPAs to cut through char and spice
- Outdoor reset: Walk or bike a local trail, then cool down with a crisp lager before diving into hazies
Travel tips:
- Weekends and release days fill up—arrive early for prime seats and fresh cans
- Bring an insulated bag for to-go beer; cold storage protects hop aroma and carbonation
- Designate a driver if you’re planning multiple stops
Practical Planning
- Address: 301 Mobile St, Hattiesburg, MS 39401
- Website: https://www.soprobrewing.com/
- Best times: Weekday afternoons for relaxed flights and staff chats; early evenings and weekends for full energy; release days for the full buzz
- Tours: Availability varies—check the website or call ahead for current offerings
- To-go beer: Expect core IPAs and seasonals with posted purchase limits during special drops
- Freshness check: Look for canning dates on hop-forward beers; store cold and drink fresh
- Merch: Irreverent, art-forward apparel and glassware that match the label vibe—easy gift material for hop fans
How SoPro Shaped Southern Craft Beer
- Bold beer as a Southern staple: SoPro proved that assertive, aroma-first IPAs belong alongside fried seafood, BBQ, and spicy plates—now a regional default.
- Freshness culture: Clear dating, cold-chain focus, and release cadence taught fans to value hop peak flavor, improving retail practices across the region.
- Brand with a wink: Distinct, colorful art helped turn shelf space into storytelling—inviting newcomers without alienating beer nerds.
- Quality and scale: As SoPro grew, it showed that lab-backed process, oxygen control, and disciplined brewing could protect vibrant hop flavor beyond the taproom.
Signals you can see:
- Rapid sell-through on fresh can drops
- Steady draft presence at venues that care about beer turnover and glass quality
- A local fan base that talks in tasting notes—grapefruit vs. mango, pine vs. stone fruit—because the beers make those differences obvious
Sample Sessions
One-Hour “Crisp-to-Hops” Sprint
- Start: Pilsner or Kölsch-style (10–12 oz)
- Middle: Pale Ale (aroma baseline, dry finish)
- Close: Hazy or West Coast IPA
- To-go: Mixed 4-pack—one crisp, pale, flagship IPA, and one rotating seasonal
Easy Evening (90–120 Minutes)
- Begin: Lager + oysters or fried chicken sandwich
- Move: Pale Ale + blackened shrimp tacos
- Add: Hazy IPA + pepperoni pizza or jerk wings
- Finish: Fruited Sour or Dark Seasonal + goat cheese salad or chocolate brownie
Conclusion: Plan Your Visit to Southern Prohibition Brewing
Set your route to 301 Mobile Street and check soprobrewing.com for hours, events, tours, and current taps. Start with something crisp to calibrate, then use a pale ale to set the hop baseline before stepping into a hazy or West Coast-leaning IPA. Pair your pours with salty, citrusy, or spicy plates, bring a cooler for to-go cans, and watch canning dates if you want peak aroma. If you’re chasing the Southern version of hop-forward craft—assertive flavor, clean finishes, and a brand that winks while it delivers—Southern Prohibition Brewing should be your next stop.
