If you’re after a home-grown, high-quality product laced with healthy doses of passion and pride, look no further than Gadsden, Alabama’s Back Forty Beer Company.
Founded in 2009, Back Forty now boasts a reputation for being one of Alabama’s oldest and most successful manufacturing breweries. After transitioning from contract-brewing their two original selections to opening their own facility in a 1940s Gadsden warehouse in 2012, it’s only natural that Back Forty has teamed up with another state original, Alabama Gulf Seafood, to promote the area’s best offerings as a perfectly-matched pair.
Recently I had the opportunity to dine with representatives from both Back Forty and Alabama Gulf Seafood at Kitchen on George in Mobile, AL—a beautiful venue for showcasing both mouth-watering products. If I took one thing away from the conversation over dinner, it was the exuberant passion of Back Forty president and founder, Jason Wilson, and the deep-rooted commitment of representatives promoting the fine products of local fishermen, distributors, and restaurateurs.
Back Forty’s Jason Wilson and David Carn pictured with the kitchen staff of Kitchen on George. Image courtesy of Big Communications.
I was awfully curious to know why Wilson, a 5th generation Alabamian, decided to open a brewery in his home state—one known for its prohibitive alcohol laws—instead of in a region where craft-brewing was already established and booming.
After he explained the meaning behind “back forty,” an agricultural term that refers to the often-neglected 40 acres of land furthest from the barn, the answer was clear: Alabama, thought of by many as America’s wasteland for craft beer, is frequently ignored and overlooked by the booming craft brewing market.
The beauty, however, of the under-utilized “back forty”—and the blossoming craft-brewing industry in Alabama—is in their fertility and the opportunity to produce some of the finest products.
Wilson went on to discuss his desire to stray from the mass-produced “super center” mentality far too many Alabamians have embraced (by choice or necessity) and back to the buy local movement that used to be the obvious choice for all of Alabama, with its agrarian, small-town roots.
“My Grandfather was a hog farmer and my parents were raised in a very rural setting. They bought and traded just about everything locally. I’m not just talking about local produce and meat; they traded cars, property, animals and just about everything else you could think of. My parents instilled those same concepts in me, and that’s how we run our business.”
This buy local movement couldn’t be more important to Alabama’s seafood producers, who suffer a constant threat against their livelihoods, resulting from the influx of cheap, farm-raised seafood imported from overseas. Wilson further explained,
“We actively search out partnerships with other Alabama industries and small businesses. We give all of our spent grain to local cattle farmers, we purchase hundreds of gallons of local honey, and we’ve partnered with Alabama Gulf Seafood to support gulf fishermen and processors.”
Wilson also mentioned that all of the money earned from renting out BFB’s retail space, as well as thousands of dollars worth of their own product, is given to local charities and fundraisers. By giving back to the community and putting a spotlight on local products, Back Forty is slowly but surely leading Alabamians back to their roots.
Wilson and Chris Blankenship, director of the Alabama Marine Resource Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, pictured overlooking Mobile Bay. Image courtesy of Big Communications.
Back Forty’s taproom hours are as follows:
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday: CLOSED
Wednesday, Thursday: 5-7 PM
Friday, Saturday: 3-9 PM
Back Forty Beer can be found at locations throughout Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida; visit Back Forty’s “find our beer” and Alabama Gulf Seafood’s “find it” to find where both products can be enjoyed together.
If you pick up a six-pack, take notice of the Alabama Gulf Seafood logo and food pairing icons included on each package. Wilson recommended this recipe from Chef Leo Maurelli at Central in Montgomery, which is made with their summer seasonal, Paw Paw’s Peach Wheat.
Remember, by supporting local businesses and organizations like Back Forty Beer and Alabama Gulf Seafood, you’re embracing the state’s rich heritage and contributing to its equally rich future.
