A new craft brewery has settled into downtown Mobile, giving the city’s growing beer scene another player just in time for the holiday season. Oyster City Brewing Company, based in Apalachicola, Florida, opened a taproom and production facility at 600 Government St. on Friday, Dec. 17, marking the company’s first expansion into the Mobile market.
The building previously housed Serda Brewing Co., which closed its doors in May after several years of operation downtown. Oyster City has since renovated the space, keeping much of its familiar layout while giving it a refreshed look. Since opening, the taproom has drawn steady crowds, with indoor seating filling up and families gathering at outdoor tables.
Inside, the new location offers 16 beers on tap, a mix of brews made in Alabama and others produced elsewhere across the South. Oyster City’s parent company, Made By The Water, recently acquired North Carolina-based Catawba Valley Brewing Co., which allows the Mobile taproom to distribute and even brew beers under the Catawba and Palmetto labels in addition to Oyster City’s own lineup.
Visitors can order flights of five small pours for $10, served on wooden trays. The current tap list leans into coastal flavors, including a pineapple hazy IPA, a Tupelo honey ale, a salt lime lager and a blood orange IPA, alongside options like a raspberry-hibiscus Berliner Weisse and a peanut butter porter.
The taproom does not yet have its own kitchen, but is currently partnering with local food trucks to keep patrons fed. Staff say a full kitchen serving bar food such as sliders is expected to open in the coming weeks. Head brewer Joe Grove is also developing beer recipes specific to the Mobile location, with hopes of releasing some in time for Mardi Gras season.
Company leadership has said Mobile’s similarities to Oyster City’s Apalachicola roots played a role in the decision to expand here. Made By The Water Chief Operating Officer Clayton Mathis has described Mobile as feeling like “a big Apalachicola,” while Director of Sales Ian Berg, a Mobile native, pointed to the relative youth of the local craft beer market as another draw.
“Mobile has such a young craft beer scene,” Berg said. “But look at how quickly it’s starting to grow and the quality of beer out there. Everyone’s starting to recognize that. It’s a super cool thing and it’s just going to continue to develop.”
Oyster City’s arrival adds a sixth brewery to the Mobile and Baldwin county beer community, joining Fairhope Brewing, Big Beach Brewing, Braided River Brewing, Iron Hand Brewing and Old Majestic Brewing. All six breweries collaborated on Fairhope Brewing’s annual “Friends in Low Places” beer, released last month to benefit the Alabama Coastal Foundation, even though Oyster City had not yet opened its doors at the time.
Fairhope Brewing managing partner Brian Kane, who worked with Oyster City on that collaboration, said he saw the Serda building as a strong opportunity for an incoming brewery given its location and existing infrastructure. Fairhope and Oyster City were founded around the same time.
“It shows that people think there’s still growth potential for craft beer in our area,” Kane said. “We local brewers always like to think that, but having somebody who is four hours east of us look at this location as being somewhere that would be a good fit for them is a real blessing. And Oyster City is a brewery, from everything I’ve seen, that makes very good beer.”
Kane, who regularly distributes Fairhope beer along the Florida Panhandle, said he has noticed Oyster City taps popping up widely in that region. The company has been expanding quickly, having also recently opened a location in Tallahassee.
“It says the Gulf Coast area, in general, is still a spot where craft beer can grow,” Kane said. “And if you come in and have a nice place and a good product, I think your chances of success are pretty good.”
Oyster City Brewing’s downtown Mobile taproom joins a beer scene that has expanded rapidly over the past decade, with several breweries opening in renovated historic buildings throughout the city’s core. For hours of operation and upcoming events, the brewery maintains a Facebook page for its Mobile location.