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the beer that made goat island famous
Words by: SD Holmes Photos provided by: Mullaney family & CPRST
A lot of us that grew up on a farm have a goat story - I certainly do, as does Cullman. My goat story is one of a mean, loud, car-climbing old goat we couldn’t get rid of quick enough. But Cullman’s goat story is a 100 year-old recipe of small-town friendship, big dreams, and rich German heritage.
The story starts with four friends, each from different walks of life, who shared an appreciation for good-tasting beer. The motley crew (a police officer, a geologist, an insurance agent, and a rocket scientist) had tasted them all - the light, the dark, the stout, the weak. They tried brewing their own,
which they found to be ok, yet falling short of that “just right” taste for which they were searching. They needed someone with experience, someone with the right formula, but where could they find this someone in their small, southern, German- founded town? Their solution would be delivered, indirectly, from a tornado.
Over the years, North Alabama has endured the lion’s share of tornadoes and their destruction. The momentous April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak caused widespread damage and the loss of life across 26 states, with Alabama being one of the hardest hit.
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