MFS Brewing Co. has partnered with Meddlesome Brewing to expand distribution of its most popular beer.
The small Memphis brewery, known as the Memphis Filling Station, recently contracted with Meddlesome in Cordova to brew and can a 10-barrel batch of Tri-5 Pils, a 5.55%-ABV Italian-style pilsner.
The beer, which was packaged in cases of 12-ounce cans, along with some kegs, will begin reaching local retailers, restaurants and bars, such as Memphis Whistle, this week.
The partnership gives MFS access to Meddlesome’s larger brewing system and commercial canning line, allowing the brewery to increase production and package beer more efficiently without adding equipment to its compact downtown space.
“Trying to get a canning line in here is impossible for such a small space,” MFS co-founder Bryan Berretta told Memphis Beer Blog.
Under the arrangement, MFS supplied the recipe while Meddlesome brewed and packaged the beer.
Berretta credited Meddlesome brewer Chris Hamlett with faithfully recreating Tri-5 Pils.
“Chris is an amazing brewer,” Berretta said, “and he did a phenomenal job — I mean, a spot-on recreation of our beer. … It came out perfect.”
Moving beyond hand-canned beer
Since opening in late 2024, MFS has occasionally offered hand-canned beer in limited quantities, but the process is time consuming and presents challenges for beer destined for retail shelves.
“Canning by hand is terrible,” Berretta said. “There’s such a high risk of oxidation that your shelf life is so minimal.”
Because of that, MFS has had to closely monitor beer placed at local accounts and remove older inventory after just six weeks.
Beer packaged on a commercial canning line, however, can remain fresh much longer — up to about six months, Berretta said — “especially with a beer like (Tri-5 Pils), where you’re not looking at excessive hops and a bunch of flavors that will fall out.”
The new cans will also make it easier for MFS to reach bars that may not have room for another draft account.
“It’s a little easier for me to walk in with a couple of cases of beer instead of trying to drag a keg around,” Berretta said.
About MFS Tri-5 Pils
Tri-5 Pils was named after the iconic Chevrolet Bel Airs from 1955-57, known as “Tri-Fives.”
The Bel Air was Berretta’s father’s all-time favorite car.
The colorful label art prominently features the classic car’s distinctive tail fins, tying together the beer’s name and 5.55% ABV.
The Italian-style pilsner is brewed with five malts and five hop additions. It’s hopped with Saphir and Hallertau, giving the beer subtle spicy and fruit notes, with a crisp, refreshing finish.
The beer’s approachable style made it an obvious choice for a large contract release.
“We decided to go with a beer that we knew was going to be popular and that people enjoy,” Berretta said. “It’s a nice, clean pilsner. It really is just a fantastic beer.”
Unlike many of the brewery’s rotating beers, Tri-5 has remained on tap almost continuously since MFS’s opening.
“It is our biggest seller,” Berretta said. “It’s an easier drinking beer for the Memphis market, and Memphis is a light lager town.”
Berretta hopes Tri-5 Pils will serve as an introduction to MFS for people who haven’t yet visited the brewery.
Once inside the taproom, Berretta hopes they’ll branch out into the brewery’s broader lineup of rotating and experimental beers, like the easy-drinking Left Handed Screwdriver, a 4.5%-ABV American Citrus Honey Wheat.
Or even the monster 10%-ABV barrel-aged Chanclas de Abuela.
“If I can dangle the worm in front of them, once I get them on the hook,” Berretta said, with a laugh, “I can bring them in and let them try a Hot Mexican Chocolate Imperial Stout aged in Wild Turkey barrels for 14 months.”
Memphis bars, restaurants and stores interested in carrying Tri-5 Pils can email MFS Brewing at sales@mfsbrewing.com.