MADISON, Alabama When BluePants Brewery first opened in a 400-square-foot space off Slaughter Road morethan three years ago, founder and brewmaster Michael Spratley tagged his fledgling family business "Alabama'ssmallest brewery."
Spratley, who moved Blue Pantsto a 10,000-square-foot converted cotton warehouse on Lanier Road in Madison in March 2012, can'tdescribe his brewery that way anymore.
Blue Pants, whichpreviously distributed beer in Alabama and east of Nashville, has recently doubledits distribution footprint by moving full force into Mississippi, all the wayfrom Gulfport to Olive Branch.
The local brewing company is alsogrowing in the Memphis area, and plans to hit Jackson and Hattiesburg, Miss.,in a few weeks.
"Wetook some major steps last year to posture ourselves to capitalize on growth,"Spratley said. "We have added double or maybe even triple the fermentation thatwe had previously to be able to put these pieces in place."
The three Blues Pants brewsthat will be sent to the new markets are Workman, Amber Waders of Grain andSpare Pair Pale Ale, Spratley said. Wholesalers in Mississippi and Memphis will distribute the beer to local retailers.
By taking on parts ofMississippi and the Memphis area, Blue Pants is looking at increased productionand more exposure in the regional beer market. Blue Pants, which hopes to addanother employee in a couple of months, currently has eight workers, threeof which are dedicated to beer production.
"We'vealways wanted to be a Southeast brewery we're not exactly trying to take overthe country," Spratley said. "It's neat for us to be able to spread what we'redoing out a little more to hopefully keep growing that beer culture that isgrowing so fast here in the Southeast but is also far behind."
Industry analysis and research firm IBISWorld projects total U.S. craftbeer production revenue will grow at a 7.2 percent annualized rate to .6billion through 2018. Last February, the Alabama Brewers Guildreported triple-digit production growth statewide.
In May 2012, Blue Pants expanded with the addition of a new taproom, which launched with about 1,200 feet of indoor space and now boasts a 4,000-square-foot patio and outdoor stage.
Spratleysaid the brewery's recent expansion gets the message out to fans in Birminghamand Huntsville that Blue Pants is relevant on a regional level.
"It'snot just good beer to you, but it's good beer to three states," he said. "Alabama'sbeer culture is really leaps and bounds above where it should be in terms ofhow new it is."
Send Lucy Berry an email at lberry@al.com.