Moon River Brewing: Toast with a Ghost in Savannah, GA!

Founded in 1999 by Gene Beeco and John Pinkerton, Savannah’s Moon River Brewing Co has a great atmosphere, great food, amazing beer, and is located in one of the oldest, and most historic buildings. It was built in 1821, and was not only the first hotel in Savannah, but it also housed the first US Post office in Savannah, and a branch of the Bank of the United States.

The building changed hands many times and sat empty for 20 years until it was finally purchased in 1995, remodeled, and reopened in 1999 as the Moon River Brewing Company. The brewery has all the character that you would expect from a building that is nearly 200 years old, with a warm, relaxing, and inviting atmosphere.

Some of Moon River’s year-round brews include:

Captain’s Porter– a rich, slightly sweet porter with notes of caramel and chocolate
Yoga Pants Pale Ale– a light golden color, light malt, not too hoppy session ale.
Wild Wacky Wit– a witbier, Belgian wheat ale, with a cloudy pale golden color and a mildly fruity aroma with a hint of citrus and breadlines in the taste.
Swamp Fox IPA– a cloudy amber orange color, citrusy aroma with a hint of pine. Not as hoppy as you might expect from an IPA, but still very enjoyable.

In addition to some great beer, this brewery also boasts a full restaurant with menu items that range from simple comfort food to eclectic gourmet. Items such as the classic fried green tomatoes, Creole style chicken and sausage, St. Louis style ribs, and a sausage and potatoes platter made with chargrilled kielbasa and andouille sausages, and grilled onions with smoked Gouda escalloped potatoes and southern coleslaw- just to name a few.

But there’s another side to Savannah’s most popular brewery. In 2003 the American Institute of Paranormal Psychology named Savannah the most haunted city in America. This building is widely considered to be one of the most haunted places in Savannah. The brewery has also been featured on tv’s Ghost Hunters and the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventurers.

During its long history many people have been said to have passed away there. The building was used as a makeshift hospital during Savannah’s numerous yellow fever outbreaks, and hundreds of people were reported to have died on the upper floors of the building during these outbreaks.

Numerous guests and employees have reported encounters with the building’s living impaired inhabitants. According to Ghost City Tours one woman claimed she thought her date was squeezing her thigh under the table, at least until she realized both his hands were on top of the table.

If you ever find yourself in Savannah GA, you owe it to yourself to stop by and sample the excellent beers and table fair at Moon River Brewing Co. While you’re there, raise your glass, and offer a silent toast to the unseen patrons who sadly can no longer enjoy the simple pleasures Moon River has to offer.