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Owen Ogletree's
Monthly Brewtopia Brewsletter
March 31, 2026
Owen is founder/editor of Brewtopia.info, a group beer trip organizer, columnist for Southern Brew News & Beer Connoisseur Magazine, lecturer at Knoxville's Brewing & Distilling Center, founder of the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting, and a BJCP National Beer Judge.
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Follow our craft beer adventures...
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- Women of Beer: Meredith Sutton
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 Meredith Sutton
Service Brewing Company
Savannah, Georgia
By: Kerri Allen
For Meredith Sutton, co-owner and Creative Director of Service Brewing, the journey to craft beer was as much about art as ale. “I was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and attended the Savannah College of Art and Design, where I earned a degree in Metals & Jewelry,” she recalls. After bouncing between residencies and building her own studio in Savannah, it was a chance meeting with Kevin Ryan, now her business partner and husband, that tilted her life toward the world of brewing.
Sutton’s first real introduction to craft beer came thanks to Kevin, whose time stationed in the Army at Fort Carson, Colorado, meant their beer fridge always held something unique. “I was never really introduced to craft beer until I met Kevin in 2011,” she says. “That’s when I was truly able to experience a wide range of craft beer styles from breweries across the country.”
Yet, the decision to start a brewery came from both inspiration and loss. After Kevin’s family lost his father unexpectedly, the couple began searching for a new path. “That year for Valentine’s Day, I thought getting him a starter homebrew kit would inspire some career path ideas," Sutton explains. "It didn’t take long to see how a simple gift of five-gallon buckets and tubes would eventually grow into a full-scale production brewery. Kevin was hooked from the beginning.”
Within a year, Kevin and Meredith’s “crazy idea” had taken shape as Service Brewing, a craft beer facility firmly rooted in Savannah with a community-focused mission. Loyal patrons of the brewery love Service's laid-back atmosphere, exceptional craft beers and welcoming attitude. The brewery is also known for its military theme, which includes a focus on community support through a range of charities.
Meredith Sutton & Kevin Ryan
Brewing for a Cause
Ask Sutton what she loves most about brewing, and the answer loops back to purpose. “From the beginning, our mission was for Service to be a brewery where beer could be a vehicle to help veterans. And this is what I love the most.”
Service Brewing donates a portion of every pint sold in its taproom to veteran-focused charities, fueling each business decision with intention - from the recipes right down to the label design and newsletter copy. “The more intentional and focused we are with what we do, the more funds we can raise to help people,” Sutton notes.
Crafting Community, Inside and Out
It’s not just the beer that brings people to the brewery. Service Brewing’s taproom pulses with events - from live music to Run Club and Beer & Yoga. Sutton sees these positive events as a pathway to help the community and draw in both regulars and newcomers. “We’re fortunate to have the space and freedom to explore new and crazy ideas, and we’re always brainstorming ways to bring our community together,” Sutton says.
The company’s latest expansion, Brewside Artist Studios, includes 16 spaces for local artists housed just next door to the brewery, with plans for a future restaurant to knit the spaces together. Sutton reports, “Currently, we have 14 artists in studios and are busy making plans with a local restaurant group. We'll have more news on this soon.”
“Craft beer has always been about community. So many great ideas, friendships, and collaborations come together over a pint, and we see it every day in our taproom,” Sutton says. "We are driven to create meaningful moments for every visitor, whether it's learning about a cause or simply enjoying a good beer with friends."
Service Brewing's annual brewing event
for International Women's Day
Navigating Challenges and Rewards
Running a craft brewery is not without its challenges. Sutton doesn’t gloss over the tough parts: “There is so much creative energy and hard work involved with managing the Service brand and producing great beer. Our team puts in such a tremendous effort, and rewards come back to us in many ways. It’s all about writing that big check after six months of raising money for charity, hosting successful events, increasing beer sales, earning new accounts, and growing our team.”
But Sutton's also keenly aware of the complexities surrounding alcohol. “My biggest challenge is knowing that a person’s relationship with alcohol isn’t always a positive one,” she admits. That reality drives Service Brewing’s focus on wellness events like its Run Club and Beer & Yoga, aiming to inspire health in its community.
Women in Brewing: Returning to the Roots
Sutton believes women are vital to every industry, but particularly to brewing - a field with deep, often-overlooked female roots. She declares, “Historically, women were the original brewers. For generations, our ancestors made beer in their homes and communities long before it became a commercial industry. Today’s industry is multifaceted, requiring teamwork across science, creativity, and community engagement."
“A masculine and feminine balance leads to better ideas, broader perspectives, and more thoughtful decision making,” Sutton adds. She sees women as essential to strong, intentional businesses, and notes Service Brewing’s own promotions of women from part-time taproom roles to full-time brewing and sales. In particular, the brewery recently provided company-funded sales and brewing training to two exceptional female employees who are now thriving in their new roles. Sutton's advice echoes industry-wide: hire with a purpose, mentor, and make space, but most importantly, encourage women to step forward and discover exciting new roles and goals.
What’s Next: Craft, Collaboration, Celebration
For Sutton, community is the focus. “We want every visitor to leave feeling like they’ve had a meaningful experience: connecting with friends, discovering something new, learning about a cause, or simply enjoying a pint in a space where they feel comfortable and welcomed by our staff.” For Service Brewing - and for Sutton - running a brewery is about more than just making beer. It’s about building something with heart, hands and a little bit of hope.
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Join Owen Ogletree for an epic group beer experience in the UK...
ENGLAND'S ICONIC CASK ALE BREWERIES & PUBS
October 11-16, 2026
 Travel in comfort on our VIP charter bus for visits to several of central England's most fascinating, historic and iconic breweries. These hard-to-reach breweries and sights will be a breeze on our group charter bus. Also, experience a traditional CAMRA cask ale festival.
Includes tours, group ground transportation, private charter bus and driver, guides, information, hotel rooms, and food and drinks for group meals and group gatherings. Airfare not included.
- Pop across the pond to experience the best of central England up to Yorkshire with Owen Ogletree. Fly from the USA to land in London on or before October 11. Trip activities begin the late afternoon of October 11. Fly home from London on October 17 or later.
- Amazing cask ale breweries and pubs will be visited each day. British pubs are simply wonderful places.
- Brewery visits may include: Hop Back, Castle Rock, Hook Norton, Batemans, Thornbridge, Black Sheep, Theakston, Brampton, Wadsworth and Oakham.
- Possible sights: Nottingham Castle, Stonehenge, Cadbury World, Lincoln Cathedral, and Skipton Castle.
- Experience a traditional CAMRA beer festival.
- Take part in a traditional "Curry Club" group dinner.
- Help keep traditional cask ale alive in the UK!
All this for only $2299 per person, double occupancy (add $499 for a single room).
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- Cask Ale Comes to South Main Brewing
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 Watkinsville Georgia's South Main Brewing recently installed an authentic English cask-ale hand pump in the taproom. Brewer Nic Farley set this up right - complete with a cask CO2 breather system, 50F “caskerator” cooler, and handpump system with a sparkler to provide a creamy head on each pint. Nic adds, "We’re incredibly excited to take a new step in our brewing journey with the introduction of traditional cask ales and the addition of a beer engine in our taproom. This marks a return to a slower, more hands-on way of serving beer—one that celebrates nuance, balance, and character. We couldn’t think of a better way to kick things off than with Smokey Magnolia, our collaboration with Sugar Magnolia BBQ: a well-balanced smoked porter featuring Golden Promise malt that's smoked with local oak. This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to keep exploring what cask beer has to offer with our community."
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- Follow Owen Ogletree and Brewtopia Events on Social Media
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UP NEXT...
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Owen Ogletree and Rob Macardle post on social media from the annual general meeting of the UK's Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) in St. Albans.
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