By Anna Grace Moore
Photos by Untold Imagery
The sweetest moments in life are often at the tail end of victory–a celebratory cause deemed best shared between friends. In Shelby County, one such brewery fosters a hub for community and a plethora of desirable beverages–Siluria Brewing Company.
Oddly enough, founders and owners Danny and Tammy Sample never foresaw themselves as craft brewers, much less those of one of the most successful breweries in the state.
Hailing from Columbus, Mississippi, Danny attended Mississippi State University (MSU), majoring in business administration and human resources management. In 1985 during his freshman year, he enlisted in the Mississippi Army National Guard, and in 1987, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in Armor through MSU’s ROTC program.
After graduating from MSU, Danny earned his Master’s in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College. He went on to serve in a variety of units, including the 155th Armored Brigade. He also served as a platoon leader, executive officer, company commander and S3 through Mississippi’s Army National Guard.
In the early ‘90s, Danny met Tammy, and he says it was love at first sight. In 1999, the dynamic duo moved to Alabaster, where they have called home ever since. Now approaching 30 years of joyful union, both Danny and Tammy say their journey in opening a craft brewery was anything but conventional.
“I never thought about being an entrepreneur after I got out of college,” Danny says. “I was always just thinking I was going to go work in business and just have a nine to five-type job and go from there. The closer I got to my Army retirement, I thought, ‘What if I went into business for myself?’ We’ve always worked for someone else, and we wanted to be able to jump on our own ideas and take our own role as leaders in business.”
Danny spent the majority of his career serving in the military. One of his most notable accomplishments came from serving overseas in Baghdad, Iraq, where he earned his Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) eligibility for Operation Iraqi Freedom II in 2004-2005. There, he served as a Deputy Commander in the Rear Operations Center and in the 1st Cavalry Division.
Returning home from Iraq, Danny was promoted as the Deputy Director for Military Support through the Mississippi National Guard in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He served in this role until November 2005, and in February 2006, he joined the U.S. Army Reserve.
Danny advanced to serve as a battalion commander and chief of staff of two different army reserve divisions. He also worked with U.S. Forces-Korea in reviewing the Combined Forces Command–a service under joint management of the U.S. Forces, South Korean Forces and United Nations partner forces.
Finally in June 2021, Danny retired after 36 years in uniform. His career boasts an impressive lineup of awards and decorations including the Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal; Meritorious
Service Medal (with four Oak Leaf Clusters); Army Commendation Medal (with one Oak Leaf Cluster); Army Achievement Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal (with two campaign stars); Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Humanitarian Service Medal; Combat Action Badge; and the Mississippi Magnolia Medal.
However, Danny maintains that Tammy is the real hero of his military career–she held down the fort during his deployment, managed her own career and even raised their three outstanding children, never batting an eye. He attributes his success to Tammy’s unwavering love and support.
“It was challenging at times, raising three boys while Danny was deployed,” Tammy says. “We relied on each other and our community to help us through those times, which is why I feel it is so important now to give back to the community through the brewery and the VFW Auxiliary.”
The Samples’ travels for Danny’s military career allowed them to taste test some delicious beverages across the country, sparking their idea to begin homebrewing. For Danny and Tammy, homebrewing was something they could do together. Beer also just simply tasted better when they were with each other; thus, the concept of Siluria Brewing Company was born.
On Nov. 10, 2018, Danny and Tammy opened Siluria Brewing Company in the former post office building on 1st Avenue West in Alabaster. The name, “Siluria,” pays homage to the former town that was incorporated into Shelby County years prior.
“We wanted a place where people in Alabaster could come and enjoy craft beer and enjoy the atmosphere with their families and friends,” Danny says. “[Siluria Brewing Company] gives people in the community a chance to share experiences with one another and even get to know their neighbors.”
Now boasting a menu of 12 different craft beers, four wines, two ciders and even a nonalcoholic root beer option, Siluria Brewing Company has become a staple in Shelby County for its “eclectic authenticity.” Every menu item is made fresh, in-house.
A fan favorite, the Boxcar Blonde is an American-style blonde beer with medium hop bitterness. It sports an autumn-gold hue, pours clear and offers a clean malt profile with notes of crisp apple.
The signature IPA–the Quarry–is a standard West Coast IPA with high hop bitterness, featuring Cascade and Simcoe Hops. Its subtle flavors of pine and grapefruit offer a rich, smooth taste.
“Our Lady Grace, which is a pomegranate wheat beer, is also one of our very popular, in-house beers,” Danny says. “It is a wheat beer that we actually add pomegranate to during the fermentation process. You’re going to get some floral aroma with pomegranate.”
Every flavor profile is unique and is one that Danny and Tammy have invented, themselves. The Esperanza Mexican Lager, which is their rendition of a “South-of-the-border” Mexican Lager, is brewed the traditional, German way and yields a strong scent and taste–the perfect beer for the summer season.
Dubbed a summer shindig beer, the Blueberry Sour, which is a kettle-soured wheat ale with blueberries, is one of the most interesting on the menu. While Siluria Brewing Company is most known for its delicious beer variety, one would be remiss not to try any of the wines or ciders.
The Sauvignon Blanc–a sophisticated choice–is an easy, white wine with a delicate flair of green, herbal flavors, light mint and a decadent fruity aroma. The Pinot Noir, too, is a great choice as its smooth finish and rich undertones of blackberry and currant make this selection perfect for any occasion.
The ciders are always on rotation, but the Raspberry Lime Cider is in season this summer and sports bold flavor profiles that are rich in raspberries with a hint of lime. The Peach Mango Cider, which combines peaches, mangos and crisp apple flavors together, is a sweet thirst quencher that cleverly balances sweet and sour tastes.
Although Siluria Brewing Company’s menu speaks for itself, what is even more impressive about the brewery is that it has become a hub for fellowship. Early on, Danny and Tammy held a logo-design contest, inviting local artists to design what would be the business’s new logo. They eventually decided on a design featuring one of the area’s old water towers, paying homage to the community’s rich history.
“Through that contest we met our future board of directors–a couple who also are now our vintner and management at the brewery and who have also become our lifelong friends. That experience really helped us form the purpose of being community-oriented. Since the beginning, we have really aimed to use our platform to help propel those in our community with services, purpose and talents to offer.”
No matter the day, if Siluria Brewing Company’s doors are open, people from all walks of life usually from all over the state of Alabama and beyond will be indoors, bonding, laughing and trying the “next best drink” on the menu. If nothing else, Danny and Tammy believe what they have created is a testament to the ties of fellowship in Shelby County, and like everything else they do, they pledge to serve their customers wholeheartedly, fostering community between all of their newfound friends.
After all, the sweetest moments in life are often shared between friends over a cold beer.
Siluria Brewing Company is located at 145 1st Avenue West in Alabaster. For more information on beverages or events, visit siluriabrewing.com. Follow the business on Instagram @siluriabrewing.
Thank You for Your Service, Commander Sample
As the Commander of the Department of Alabama, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Danny Sample has spent the majority of his life in the U.S. military, fighting for the ideals of liberty and justice for all Americans. A Legacy Life member of Lance Corporal Thomas Rivers, Jr. Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12185, Danny has committed much of his time in retirement to promoting the health and welfare of other veterans. His number-one priority remains taking care of the selfless men and women in uniform who have served their country well. To learn how you can support local veterans, visit alvfw.org.
