Skip to main content

Everything You Need to Know About Pretoria Fields Collective

The southwest Georgia town of Albany is known as “The Good Life City.” Home to legendary vocalist Ray Charles, baseball player Ray Knight, and country comedian Ray Stevens, Albany just might be able to boast the highest concentration of successful “Rays” in the country. To add another feather in the Good Life City’s hat, Albany recently gained its very own brewery: Pretoria Fields Collective.

Lee Heidel/The Manual

Pretoria Fields is a working farm brewery and blends in perfectly with its rural surroundings. It was founded by Dr. Tripp Morgan, a vascular surgery specialist who had a longstanding passion for craft beer and wanted to make a way for the local flavors of Albany (including those grown on his family’s own farm) shine for locals and travelers alike. Former Russian River brewer Eric Kirchner joined the local founders in 2015, and the beers are now hitting wider distribution throughout the state of Georgia. The brewery strives to grow as many of its ingredients as possible, from organic grains to its fruit additions. With a wide-ranging initial lineup, Pretoria Fields is out to prove that it can make solid beers in a variety of styles.

Lee Heidel/The Manual

Here are four of our favorites. All of these beers are available right now in cans and on draft throughout Pretoria Field’s distribution area.

Recommended Videos

Shoalie IPA

Pretoria Fields

In 2019, you’ve got to have a good IPA. Shoalie pours a beautiful golden orange with a thick white head. A sweet, floral, and resinous aroma paves the way for more of the same on the flavor. It’s a nice mix of citrus and pine with a considerable malt base.

Walkers Station Stout

Pretoria Fields

The presence of flaked oat gives Walkers Station its creamy mouthfeel. A bit on the dry side, hints of dark chocolate and toffee add complexity to this solid stout.

Flowing Well Gose

Pretoria Fields

Refreshment is key on hot summer days in the south. With low alcohol by volume percentage and a bright, bouncing carbonation profile, Flowing Well is perfectly suited for thirst quenching. Sea salt and coriander seeds dress up the malted wheat base for a perfect warm weather beer.

Skywater Golden Ale

Pretoria Fields

Crisp and smooth, Skywater is an extremely versatile beer. It’s ideal for a post-workout cooldown, relaxing with friends at baseball games or any time you want a good, easy drinking brew.

Visits to the tasting room promise samples of these beers as well as limited seasonal offerings. While there, you can also get a tour of the brewery, play games, and maybe catch some live music. Learn more at PretoriaFields.com.

Lee Heidel
Lee Heidel is the managing editor of Brew/Drink/Run, a website and podcast that promotes brewing your own beer, consuming the…
Pumpkin spice season is starting earlier than ever, DoorDash data shows
Pumpkin spice kicks off early, but pecan is the fastest-growing fall flavor
pumpkin spice latte

In time for National Coffee Month and the start of "pumpkin spice season", DoorDash just released new data from its Fall Flavor Trends report. The report, which examines fall ordering data, found that the demand for pumpkin spice is shifting earlier and earlier each year. In 2021, pumpkin spice cravings first emerged around the end of August (August 30), compared to August 19th in 2024 -- nearly two weeks earlier.

According to DoorDash, consumers are no longer waiting for the calendar or coffee chains to release their fall-flavored coffee favorites. Instead, they are taking matters into their own hands and ordering ingredients via DoorDash to make their own pumpkin spice lattes at home (think pumpkin purée, maple syrup, and cinnamon).

Read more
The rise of evening coffee: What’s behind the after-hours caffeine trend?
Coffee from morning pick-me-ups to evening wind-down
coffee

Although coffee was once considered a drink for only the mornings, experts are now seeing coffee migrate into the evening. As coffee becomes a 24-hour flavor, moving from morning pick-me-up to evening wind-down, coffee drinkers are looking for coffee as a comfort ritual throughout both day and night. But what's driving the evening coffee trend, and how are brands responding to the change in coffee drinking habits?

I chatted with Tom Baker, founder of Mr. Black coffee liqueur, to learn more about the shifts in when and how people are consuming coffee and what's driving the evening coffee trend.

Read more
7 smart tricks to beat a travel hangover before it starts
How I ditched the headache without ditching the fun
Raul Mercado drinking a cocktail on a boat in Mexico

Drinking just isn’t the free-for-all it used to be. And when you add travel to the equation, you’re dealing with a whole new set of issues — nagging cases of jet lag, dehydration, and an unbalanced diet to add to the headache. And yet, we go abroad to let go, and when in Rome, we must enjoy local libations. My thoughts? The best tips to avoid hangover woes aren’t something you do after the headache hits, but help you to prepare beforehand.

I’ve been full-time traveling for two years, and I must confess, I’m fond of my nightly wines, old fashions and local spirits. And since I often need to hit the road at the crack of dawn, I’ve been pressed to find the best solutions for nausea, headaches, and tiredness. 

Read more