Dwaine Stevens can't wait for Tallahassee shoppers to walk into the new Publix GreenWise Market on West Gaines Street that's opening Thursday.

Especially if you're a fan of craft beer.

Stevens, the Media and Community Relations Manager for Publix Super Markets, is spearheading the launch of the organic, specialty GreenWise Markets around the Southeast U.S. over the next year — with Tallahassee being the first.

And Publix is trying something all new with this store opening — an exclusive partnership with Tallahassee's local breweries — that it hopes will be a roadmap to success for its four other planned locations in Boca Raton; Lakeland; Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; and Marietta, Georgia.

Four of the five Tallahassee craft breweries — Proof Brewing, GrassLands Brewing, Lake Tribe Brewing and Deep Brewing — have each been contracted by GreenWise to brew a special draft beer for the Tallahassee location.

Proof has brewed "Prooftoberfest" FestBier; GrassLands made "Pineapple IPA;" Deep concocted a double IPA with peppers called "New Hotness;" and Lake Tribe created a citrusy, fruity, hazy IPA it's calling "Wise Choice." 

Each of these exclusive GreenWise beers will be available on draft in the Market, as well as for growler fills to go.

"The local breweries have been tremendous in our collaborative efforts," Stevens said. "We will continue to partner as we learn more about the local beer scene here in Tallahassee."

But it gets better: Greenwise is also taking advantage of packaged local beer. 

Local craft beer fans will be pleased to see canned offerings from Proof Brewing and Deep Brewing on the shelves of the new Publix Greenwise Market that's opening Thursday in Tallahassee. GreenWise also plans to stock Lake Tribe cans as soon as they become available. (Photo: Deep Brewing)

When GreenWise opens Thursday, Deep's "Reef Dweller IPA" and "Spear Pressure Golden Ale" will be available on the shelves right next to Proof's "Eightfive-O Pale Ale," its "Mango Wit" and the "Prooftoberfest." Lake Tribe has only had its recently debuted cans for sale for two weeks, but those should be on the GreenWise shelves soon, said Stevens.

"We will (also) be carrying Proof and Deep in cans on the shelf in our beer section. We plan to carry Lake Tribe and Grasslands in cans when they become available to us," he said. "But we plan to carry all four on draft for our opening."

Proof owner Byron Burroughs likes to hear that. After all, he's confident in the beer that the Craft Capital is producing these days.

"We’re excited to be on tap just around the corner at GreenWise," said Burroughs, whose brewery is currently located in Railroad Square, but will be moving to 1320 South Monroe in January 2019 — still less than a mile from the new Market. "Publix has been a pleasure to work with and they’ve been big supporters of Proof. We can’t wait to add more lines (to their shelves) once we finish our expansion and move to our new location."

Of course, if Tallahassee beer sells well, it might just be afforded additional shelf space.

"Consumers will dictate (what beers we carry) with their purchasing behaviors," Stevens said.  

Stay tuned to the Democrat's bi-weekly "Around The Brew Bend" craft beer column in the Limelight section for future updates on GreenWise's local craft beer initiative.