Submitted photoThreefoot Brewing, Meridian’s first craft beer, will be unveiled this week. 

Craft beer lovers around Meridian have a chance to try a new local brew this week.

Threefoot Brewing, Meridian’s first craft beer, will be unveiled Thursday with the help of beer distributor Mitchell Distributing. Named after the historic building on 22nd Avenue, Threefoot Brewing is owned by John Purdy, a local entrepreneur.

Purdy’s signature beer, The Local Brown Ale, is an American brown ale with Willamette and Columbus hops and contains 5.9% alcohol by volume.

The first event will be at the Brickhaus Brewtique on Thursday, June 8 at 6 p.m. On Friday, June 9, Weidmann’s Restaurant will host a rollout at 4:30. Next week Threefoot and Mitchell Distributing will partner with ESPN Radio for a rollout event at Mugshots on Wednesday, June 14 at 5:30 p.m., and there will be a release party at the Harvest Grill on Thursday, June 15 at 6 p.m.

Purdy, a Meridian architect, said he named his brewery after Meridian’s tallest building because it symbolizes the community’s growth and potential.

“The Dreyfuss brothers who built the Threefoot were community builders and leaders and had big ambitions for their business and Meridian,” Purdy said in a press release. “To me, it is a symbol of solidarity and represents Meridian’s potential greatness.  It was a perfect fit for me to combine my love for architecture and passion for brewing beer.  As a symbol, the Threefoot Building embodies my vision and ambitions for the company.  I wanted the company name to reflect who I am and my path to where I am going.  The Threefoot Building represents my past and present and embodies what I see my future to be.”

Mitchell Distributing is partnering with Threefoot Brewing to release the beer locally, and then eventually, in Mitchell’s distribution territory which covers 36 counties in Mississippi and services out of warehouse locations in Meridian, Leland, Shannon and Gulfport.

Purdy says his choice to work with Mitchell Distributing was an easy decision.

“I grew up with Adam Mitchell and have been friends with him for 30 years,” he said. “All of that is me going with my gut, but objectively Mitchell Distributing is an impressive company and has everything I was looking for in a distributor to help Threefoot Brewing thrive.  There is also a lot of trust between us and I look forward to a bright future with Mitchell Distributing.”

Adam Mitchell, the CEO of Mitchell Distributing, said the company looks forward to continuing its partnership with Purdy.

“As a company with a home base in Meridian, as well as my family’s home, we’re excited to see Meridian have their own brand of beer and we’re proud to partner with John Purdy, who is one of my oldest friends,” Mitchell said.

With the growth of Threefoot Brewing, Purdy plans to build a brewery in downtown Meridian. For now, Lazy Magnolia, a craft brewery based in Kiln, is brewing the beer for Threefoot. Purdy also hopes to add more beer styles over the next year.