Moon River Brewing Company facts for kids

Moon River Brewing Company is a popular place in Savannah, Georgia. It's a restaurant that also makes its own special drinks, like beer. It's known for its interesting history and for being a bit spooky!

The Moon River Brewing Company building in Savannah, Georgia.

About the Brewery

Moon River Brewing Company first opened its doors in 1999. It was built where another company, Oglethorpe Brewing Co., used to be. The current owners are Gene Beeco and John Pinkerton.

This company has won many awards for its drinks!

• In 2010, it won a Gold Medal for its Rosemary India Pale Ale at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado. This award was in the "Herb and Spice or Chocolate Beer" group.
• In 2003, BeerAdvocate.com said it was one of the "Top 50 American Brewpubs" in the United States, ranking it #28.
• In 2014, it won another Gold Medal for its "Bomb," an Irish-style stout, at the World Beer Cup.
• In 2017, Moon River Brewing Company earned a Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival for their Wild Wacky Wit. This was in the "Belgian-style Witbier" group. They were also named "Best Mid-size Brewpub & Mid-size Brewpub Brewer of the Year" that same year.

History of the Building

The Moon River Brewing Company is located in a very old building that used to be called the City Hotel. A man named Elazer Early built the City Hotel in 1821.

This building was very important because it was:

• The first hotel ever in Savannah.
• Home to the first branch of the U.S. Post Office in Savannah.
• Also had a branch of the Bank of the United States.

Many famous people stayed at the City Hotel. These included:

• War of 1812 hero Winfield Scott.
• The Marquis de Lafayette, a French hero who helped America in the Revolutionary War.
• The first three leaders of the U.S. Navy.
• The famous nature artist James Audubon. He stayed for six months trying to sell his books filled with wildlife drawings.

In 1851, Peter Wiltberger bought the City Hotel. He made it new again and even put a live lion and lioness on display to attract visitors! The last guest checked out of the City Hotel in 1864. This was just before General William Tecumseh Sherman arrived during the Civil War, and the hotel then closed.

Later, the building was used for different things. Around 1900, it was a warehouse for wood and coal. As coal became less popular, it was used for general storage. In the 1960s, it became an office supply store with a large printing press. But in 1979, Hurricane David blew the roof off, and the business had to close. The building was empty until 1995, when it was fixed up and became the brew pub you see today.

Hauntings and Ghost Stories

Many people say the Moon River Brewing Company building is haunted! It's even part of local ghost tours. Staff members also say they have seen strange things happen there, like objects moving by themselves.

Some people who hunt for ghosts believe that spirits from the city's yellow fever outbreak in 1876 might haunt the building. They think this because the building was used as a temporary hospital during that time.

People often talk about a "Lady in White" ghost. There's also a story about the spirit of James Stark. He was a gambler who was killed on the hotel staircase in 1832 during a fight with a doctor. The TV show Ghost Adventures said that workers fixing the upper floors have had spooky experiences with Stark's spirit.

Moon River in the Media

Television Shows

The Moon River Brewing Company has been featured on several TV shows about ghosts and paranormal activity:

• In 2005, it was on the Ghost Hunters Halloween special.
• In 2009, it appeared on the Travel Channel's show Ghost Adventures.
• In 2018, it was featured in an episode of BuzzFeed Unsolved: Supernatural.
• In 2019, Moon River Brewery was also shown as a haunted place on the Travel Channel's series Most Terrifying Places.