On any given day a 10 Lb. bag of Jolly Ranchers may sound unappetizing but throw in a few hops, pour it in a glass and call it a day! Or call it a Jolly Green Rancher. This ingenious sour beer is concocted in the backyard of Gulfport’s family-owned gem, Peg’s Cantina. Tucked away beneath trees and strands of dangling lights you will find locals sipping on a few of their favorite home brews from Peg’s like the Jolly Green Rancher and other playfully-titled beers like the Dancing Cody and the Dude Porter.
Dubbed a Mexican cantina, Peg's is a cozy bungalow set off on Gulfport's Beach Drive. Owners Tony, Peg (its namesake) and their son Doug make sure to help anyone who wanders in feel welcome.
In 2004, Peg’s began as a pizza place but soon blended into the strand of small and monotonous strip mall stores. The lack of customers led the staff to play endless amounts of cribbage until one positive story in Creative Loafing turned things around.
Suddenly their pizza became a big deal and it was time to expand the space and their ideas. In 2009, they became a part of the Beach Blvd. community. Doug went off to “find himself” and found a love and talent for brewing beers. After working with Cigar City Brewing, the guy who was once doing the pizza at Peg's Cantina was now crafting the beers, and quite well at that. He enlisted the help of Kristina Kirk and together they have since formulated medal-winning beers including the Rare D.O.S. (Doug’s Original Stout) a smooth and full-bodied, barrel-aged stout.
Like many home brewers, the process started on the kitchen stove but now takes place in the backyard. Sundays are the usual brew days where Doug and Kristina cook up one to two batches for the upcoming week. Each batch, which takes about six to eight hours to brew produces at least 250 glasses of delicious beer. It is in the same backyard that they will soon construct their Batch 100, Peg’s 100th home brew batch, set to be released sometime in October or November.
With a resurgence in sour beer popularity, Doug was led to create the Rainbow Jelly Donut, a mash-up of aged limes and raspberries and a a perfect treat for surviving a humid summer. Aged over a year, the the tart golden honey Berliner Weiss is another sour beer and the secret recipe is not for the timid tongue. For those with a more robust palette, the Dude Porter will be a fit for your taste buds as well as your Jeff Bridges obsession.
With Peg’s Oktoberfest party approaching on Sept. 22, the next brew on the list is their rightfully named Pump-Queen beer, a royal and scrumptious “pumpkin pie in a glass.” This pumpkin beer will make an appearance alongside other seasonal German beers and brats for those awaiting a taste of fall.
Stay tuned here at 727area.com for more information on Oktoberfest and other great, future happenings at Peg's Cantina in Gulfport.
