Twenty miles north of Breaux Bridge, La., on a winding highway in the middle of Cajun Country sits the town of Arnaudville. There is a convenience store, a couple of churches and expanses of farmland bordering Bayou Teche.

Not quite the spot one would expect to find a budding new beer brewery.

There is no sign or even a mention of Bayou Teche brewery. And the owners — the Knott family — like it that way.

The original brewery is a converted railroad box car, but it now is used mostly to show off to visitors. The new brewery is a red metal building into which the Knotts plan to move operations shortly. Now the beer is contract brewed through Lazy Magnolia, Mississippi’s only commercial brewery.

On Tuesday evening at 5, the Knotts will bring their French-inspired beers to Martin’s at Midtown at Belmont and Drummond streets. It is not just another trip, though. The Knotts love Vicksburg.

One of the owners, Karlos Knott, said the family visits the city at least once a year. His ancestors, he said, were active in the Civil War campaign in Vicksburg nearly 150 years ago.

And when they began pursuing a commercial brewery, one thing became clear — they wanted to be a presence in the Magnolia State. Their business model called for every beer being legal in Mississippi — which has the lowest alcohol limits in the nation, 5 percent by weight.

But a four-year effort by grassroots organization Raise Your Pints Mississippi has reached new heights as bills in the Mississippi House and Senate raising the alcohol limit from 5 to 8 percent advanced out of committee, the first time an RYP-pushed bill has made it that far. House Bill 1422 on Thursday passed 67-45, while Senate Bill 2878 is expected to soon be debated on the Senate floor.

The 3 percent increase would bring Mississippi in line with all other states in allowable alcohol in beer. Now, only 10 of the top 100 rated beers by beeradvocate.com are permitted in the state, but with the increase, more than 80 would be permitted.

Growth of the craft brewing industry was 11 percent by volume, a 4 percent increase over 2009. As of November 2011, 1,927 breweries were operating in all or some of 2011, the most since the late-1800s, according to statistics provided by the Brewers Association.

It also would allow such brewers as Lazy Magnolia to create a wider selection, and for Yazoo of Nashville, owned by Vicksburg’s Linus Hall, to increase selections in Mississippi.

In the art of brewing, the possibilities of creation are endless. There is so much more than yellow fizz, and Mississippi consumers are catching on.

The Knotts are aware of that. They want to be a presence in Mississippi. It’s not often one gets to pick the brain of a professional brewer — especially in Vicksburg.

Cheers!