When Southern Prohibition Brewing launched its first year-round IPA in 2015, the move was anything but rushed. Head Brewer Ben Green said patience and timing were central to the eventual success of Crowd Control, an 8% double IPA brewed with Mosaic hops.
“I didn’t want to rush out something just because we thought we needed a year-round IPA,” Green said. “A couple of years of seasonal IPAs scratched the itch until it was ready.”
That decision to wait created the foundation for a flagship brand that would not only become the Hattiesburg, Mississippi brewery’s top seller but also redefine its identity in the marketplace.
When Crowd Control debuted, IPA popularity in the Southeast was on the rise. A flagship IPA can transform a brewery’s trajectory, but success often comes down to patient product development, careful timing, and a willingness to balance brand identity with portfolio diversification.
“The state of Mississippi and the Southeast in general wanted big and bold beers,” Green said. “If we could make something good and very aromatic, it had a chance to fly.”
Flagships can drive growth, but pose risks. Crowd Control quickly became Southern Prohibition’s No. 2 seller within a year and then quickly overtook the top spot. Green said the team initially resisted putting too much weight on one beer.
“We didn’t want to rely too heavily on just one product, but we could not ignore the interest in the brand,” he said.
Eventually, the brewery leaned in, expanding formats to 12-packs and 19.2-ounce cans and using Crowd Control to spearhead new market launches. Today, Green said the beer leads the charge in events, festivals, and sales conversations.
SoPro was the first Mississippi brewery to can beer and the first to use a black can. Green believes those packaging decisions, combined with bold artwork, played a critical role in Crowd Control’s staying power.
“All these choices, plus our names and amazing art, are just as important to the brand’s success as the actual beer,” he said.
Crowd Control opened doors for collaborations and taproom experiments. A quadruple dry-hopped version remains one of the brewery’s best sellers.
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“When we get an opportunity to showcase one of our beers, most of the time it is Crowd Control in the spotlight,” Green said.
While national ratings and hype don’t always equal sales, Green said Crowd Control became “Mississippi’s beer” in the eyes of many consumers. That connection translated into repeat purchases, word-of-mouth marketing, and long-term stability for Southern Prohibition. Green said the brewery could have been more aggressive in pushing Crowd Control early on. However, the measured approach enabled Southern Prohibition to grow the brand steadily while also diversifying its portfolio.
“Who knows how it would have changed things today,” he said.
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