Any beer lovers in the group? Who wants to get paid to visit breweries? Please 

sign up at apply.secrethopper.com

Hey all! I'm passing though Nashville in a few days and I was wondering if you all could help me find a good place for sour beers? Whether the place is known for them, or just has a few good ones on tap. Much appreciated!

​

If anyone is coming though Ohio any time soon, I'd be happy to return the favor!

I'm looking for reviews of beers brewed in TN. Does such a list exist?

Are there any reputable websites that rank the best beers brewed in TN? I'm overwhelmed at the liquor store with the options (thats a good thing), however I'd like to separate the grain from the chaff.

I've got to make the drive up to the VA border in the next couple of weeks for business. Are there any breweries worth checking out up there besides Yee-Haw?

Hey guys, got a bit of a weird request but this seems like the right place to ask. A buddy of mine and I are pretty big college football fans in addition to being avid craft beer drinkers. For our Saturdays spent watching football all day, we try and get some craft beer that is local to where our team is playing that weekend. Our beloved UCF Knights are playing at Memphis this week so we are trying to get our hands on some beer from Tennessee. We are looking for suggestions on what beer we should try and get our hands on from Tennessee and any ideas on how to get some. Any and all suggestions are appreciated.

Does anybody have the inside scoop if they are doing the City Winery wine barrel aged beer again this year? I messaged the brewery on fb and all I got was this response, "Thanks for messaging us! We try to be as responsive as possible. We'll get back to you as soon as we can! Cheers!", but didn't get an actual answer. Anybody industry people know them or a distributor representative?

What’s the best bottle shop in Knoxville? I’ve been mostly going to McScrooge’s to buy beer as they seem to have a great selection, but I’ve yet to find anything mind blowing there, so I thought I’d check here. Thanks!

Hi Folks - I noticed that most of the links are down that list the Nashville Breweries, so I tried my hand at doing some informative write-ups on each of them!

Bearded Iris Taproom: Yes | Open: 7 days a week | Food: BYO | To Go: Cans, Growlers, Crowlers Bearded Iris is located in the Germantown neighborhood, about 2 miles from lower broad (the honkey tonks, for you out-of-towners). BI began with Habit, a west-coast IPA and Homestyle, a NEIPA which they still brew frequently, and have gained notoriety as Nashville’s premier hazy, juicy IPA brewery. Their taplist typically reads IPA, IPA, DIPA, DIPA, IPA, DIPA, DIPA – or some variation thereof – but they do occasionally branch out with a keller pils, a hop charged kolsch, or, as they did in December 2017, a rich imperial oatmeal stout. There is typically a can release of a new beer each Friday. The taproom has a pool table (free to play), usually has music (often loud), and a great view of the brewhouse. Parking is ample.

Black Abbey Taproom: Yes | Open: 7 days a week | Food: BYO | To Go: Cans, Bottles, Growlers If it weren’t for gigantic stainless steel fermenters, pallets of cans, and smell of beer, you might think The Black Abbey brewery and fellowship hall is a monastery. Faux stainedglass on the tap handles, pew-like benches, large tables, hymnal boards, and heavy wood work aren’t the only things that make Black Abbey unique. This brewery, located down I-65 near One Hundred Oaks, has a focus on Belgian style beers. Sure, there are a few exceptions like the Forty Four (a coffee porter), but beers like The Rose (a belgian blonde) have won over drinkers. Plenty of parking and occasional food trucks – if you are hungry, plan ahead, because there isn’t much by.
 

Blackstone Taproom: Yes | Open: 7 days a week | Food: Dedicated food truck | To Go: Bottles, Growlers Nashville’s OG brewery Blackstone has been brewing award-winning craft beer for the Music City since 1994! Blackstone formerly inhabited a small brew pub on West End Avenue, but has since moved their entire brewing and taproom operation to their space on Clifton Avenue. Blackstone beers can be found all over the city, especially in distribution in most grocery stores, but their Black Belle is their true stand-out. This imperial stout is aged in Belle Meade bourbon barrels, and is the best barrel aged stout in Tennessee. Their recent play on Black Belle with coconut is excellent as well. All of this Black Belle talk is not to take away from their staples like Nut Brown Ale, St. Charles Porter, and their Chaser Pale Ale. The taproom at Clifton is fairly new, and spacious without being overwhelmingly large. Parking is ample.

Cool Springs Brewery Taproom: Yes | Open: 7 days a week | Food: Full Restaurant | To Go: Bottles, Growlers Franklin's first brewery is located in a strip mall, just a few streets from the perpetual hustle and bustle of Cool Springs Mall. Owned by two UK ex-pats, Cool Springs Brewery blends a bit of British pub culture with US brew pub. You can always find Franklin's First, an easy drinking kolsch, and Pecker Wrecker, their flagship IPA, on tap, alongside the best fish and chips in Middle Tennessee. Seriously. Don't sleep on the fish and chips! CSB usually has a few bottles, like their Hoppy Balboa and their Early Riser Coffee Stout. Parking is ample.

Czann’s Taproom: Yes | Open: Wed-Sun | Food: Frozen Pizzas, Snacks | To Go: Growlers Located in a small, nondescript corner building on Lea Avenue, just outside the Gulch, owner/brewer/taproom manager/self-distributor/head of sales Ken Rebman is making beautiful beer. Ken doesn’t do a great deal of experimentation – no hazy IPAs, no 32-adjunct stouts – just well-constructed, complex beers. The lagers are brewed exceptionally well and the dunkelweizen is a must drink. The taproom is small, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as you usually get a chance to bend Ken’s ear and hear quite a bit about the beer. There is usually parking either on the street or directly behind the building.

East Nashville Beer Works Taproom: Yes | Open: 7 days a week | Food: Decently-sized menu| To Go: Cans, Crowlers, Growlers Started by Nashville Councilman Anthony Davis and brewer Sean Jewett (just all around friendly guys), East Nashville Beer Works is located off of Trinity Lane, has an extremely inviting feel, good food, and a terrific outdoor space. ENBW has a focus on their mainstays – Miro Miel Honey Blonde Ale, Young Hickory Porter, and their revolving hopped Woodland Street Session IPA. New and experimental beers are beginning to become more frequent in the taproom, now that they are over a year into the game. There is some parking in the lot, as well as street parking around.

Fat Bottom Taproom: Yes | Open: 7 days a week | Food: Small entrees + bites | To Go: Cans, Bottles, Growlers In light of a growing footprint, Fat Bottom relocated from their space in East Nashville to a new, larger, chic space in the growing Nations neighborhood of Nashville. Their new space came complete with a full kitchen, outdoor seating with patio games like cornhole, and plenty of room for events. Fat Bottom continues to brew their flagship beers like Ruby Red, Knockout IPA, and their relatively new W.A.C. Pale Ale, in addition to bottling up bombers of sour and barrel aged beers under their Tempest line. There is a large parking lot, good food, and a full bar for dragging along non-beer drinkers.

HonkyTonk Taproom: Yes | Open: Wed – Sat | Food: Limited | To Go: Cans, Growlers Hidden in some innocuous industrial/office spaces near MetroCenter, north of Germantown, HonkyTonk is continuing to brew up beer for middle Tennessee. And it must be going somewhere, too, because HonkyTonk has not only increased their canning to include specialty beers like their Badonkadonk Barrel-aged Stout and their Funk Weapon IPA, but they also recently signed with Lipman Brothers for their distribution. The taproom has a very home-y feel, with lots of dedicated locals and fans hanging out, relaxing after work or kicking off the weekend. Plenty of parking.

Jackalope Taproom: Yes | Open: 7 days a week | Food: BYO | To Go: Cans, Growlers Since 2011 the female founders of Jackalope have been growing their brand – so much so that they are working on a second location away from their current home at 8th Ave and Division. While Jackalope’s Bearwalker brown ale has become a staple for many bars and restaurants in the area, you won’t find it in a can. They currently can their year round Thunder Ann pale and Rompo Red, in additional to their seasonal offerings (Is it Lovebird season yet?). A portion of proceeds from the sale of a certain beer for the month are donated to charity – so drop in to see what is new and drink up! The taproom is a hot spot for tourists, pedal taverns, and thirsty beer enthusiasts alike – even more so when DJ Brent is spinning the vinyl. There is limited parking on property, but there is street parking along the adjacent streets.

Little Harpeth Taproom: Yes | Open: Thu - Sun | Food: BYO | To Go: Cans, Growlers Located on the ‘other side’ of the river, Little Harpeth is located a Ryan Succup kick from Nissan Stadium. The brewery, housed in a large warehouse, plays host to concerts, cornhole tournaments, and private events. Even when there isn’t something ‘happening’ there is always Chicken Scratch Pilsner and Upstream Amber lager on tap. Chicken Scratch is heavy on corn flavors while also being quite crushable. Keep an eye out for their Stax Black Lager – a seasonal favorite for the winter. Plenty of parking.

Mantra Taproom: Yes | Open: 7 days a week | Food: BYO | To Go: Bottles, Growlers Opened in the space vacated by Turtle Anarchy in Franklin, TN, Mantra is the brainchild of Food Network celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan and brewer Derrick Morse. Derrick is no stranger to Tennessee, having been a brewer at Cool Springs Brewery in the past, prior to moving out to Colorado. Mantra has been a vehicle to grow the brewery empire for Chauhan, et. al., as they have set their sites on breaking ground in Murfreesboro for their other brewery project, Steel Barrel. Mantra constantly has new beers on tap, with mainstays like their Saffron IPA and Jappa Milk Stout being distributed through bars and in bottles. Specialty beers like Cassis, a cherry sour, and Guru Gish, a gu-gu cluster milk stout, are worth seeking out. Parking is ample.

New Heights Taproom: Yes | Open: Wed - Mon | Food: BYO | To Go: Cans, Growlers New Heights is located in an industrial area off of 5th Ave and Nolensville Pike, and is home to pair of California couples who have made Nashville their home – and we are glad to have them. New Heights does a little bit of everything in the realm of ales – their Nothing Fancy Cream Ale is a great introduction for friends who are light beer or macro beer drinkers, while their Gobsmacked Barley Wine (12% abv) isn’t for the faint of heart. The taproom is elevated above the brewing space, which makes for a cool view through the windows behind the bar, and the fenced in space in front of the brewery is an excellent spot to play cornhole on a nice day. There is ample street parking.

Rock Bottom Brewery Taproom: Yes | Open: 7 days a week | Food: Full Restaurant| To Go: Growlers I can already hear it – why are you listing Rock Bottom?! Well, because 1.) each Rock Bottom location has discretion in deciding what they will brew at that location; 2.) it’s the only brewery on Broadway/downtown; and 3.) Nashville’s RB has an extremely talented brewer in Thomas Mercado. In addition to a few light offerings, which kicks the ass of most the macro-swill available on Broadway, Thomas’ Kolsch, Vienna Lager, and Pale Ale all are heads and shoulders above other beers across the state. Don’t miss out on their rotating barrel-aged beers. Parking, like most of downtown, is a nightmare, but they have a full kitchen, and one of the coolest rooftop bars downtown!

Smith & Lentz Taproom: Yes | Open: 7 days a week | Food: BYO | To Go: Cans, Crowlers Smith and Lentz is located right of the main drag (Gallatin Ave) in East Nashville, and owners Kurt Smith and Adler Lentz have been utilizing the flexibility of their brewhouse to produce everything from German Pilsners to Imperial S’mores Stouts. The Mosaic IPA, brewed with loads of mosaic hops, is a continuous crowd pleaser. The taproom hosts movie nights, has a ping pong table and assortment of games, and they have a spacious patio. There is parking next to the brewery, and a few spots directly in front.

Southern Grist Taproom: Yes. Second location coming soon | Open: Tue-Sun | Food: Pizza, Pretzels | To Go: Crowlers Since 2015, Southern Grist has been brewing experimental beers in East Nashville that have been capturing the hearts and pallets of beer drinkers both in Nashville and afar. There is lots of demand for their releases, whether it is crowlers of their upside down cake IPAs or their melted snowcones, or their bottle releases of adjunct stouts. Southern Grist does multiple styles of beer exceedingly well, as evidenced by their expansion to a larger brewing space and taproom sometime in 2018. Whether you like sours, NEIPAs, adjunct stouts, or brown ales, Southern Grist is a must visit in Nashville. The taproom is cozy, has televisions and games, and street parking around the brewery abounds.

Tailgate Taproom: Yes (2 Taprooms) | Open: 7 days a week | Food: Limited; Good Pizzas | To Go: Cans, Growlers Tailgate came to Nashville via way of a contract brewing operation, but has since established itself a local brand by winning over customers in its West Nashville location and opening up a second taproom on Music Row. Their Peanut Butter Milk Stout won over fans, and drew people into their taproom for a seemingly endless array of new and experimental beers. Tailgate has recently announced further expansion to a 50bbl brewhouse, making them one of the largest brands in the state. The West Nashville location has movies, trivia, video games, shuffleboard, and is very family friendly – and the pizzas are prepared in house. Tons of parking, unless it is the 4th of July.

Tennessee Brew Works Taproom: Yes | Open: 7 days a week | Food: Apps + a few entrees; good food! | To Go: Bottles, Growlers In an area of the city marked on Google Maps as Pie Town, Tennessee Brew Works is pushing out beer in an awesome setting. Their brewhouse, one of very few like it in the US, pounds their grains into dust to mash-in, and wort is passed through a large plate filter – it really is a sight to see! And you can see it, as the taproom looks directly into the brewery – make sure to give yourself a walking tour (staying outside the brew space!) as you make your way to the restroom. TNBW has been doing interesting takes on standard styles for quite some time, with beers like Basil Ryeman (a farmhouse style ale with sweet & thai basils – named after the home of the Grand Ole Opry) and their Country Roots (a sweet potato stout). TNBW recently dipped their toe into the barrel aging game, with two beers aged in George Dickel barrels. The taproom has two floors, games, and a great patio space. TNBW is in walking distance to Jackalope and Yazoo (this may change, as Yazoo has plans to leave the Gulch).

Turtle Anarchy Taproom: In Production | Open: N/A | Food: N/A | To Go: Cans (distro) A former mainstay of Franklin since 2012, Turtle Anarchy outgrew their production capacity and moved to the Nations neighborhood of Nashville in July of 2015. After being out of the game for a short time while their new brewery space was being finished, Turtle Anarchy began producing their mainstays – Portly Stout (Stout) and Another Way to Rye (Rye IPA) – and canning them for the masses. Their beers can be found in quite a few bars around town, as well as their Catfish Kolsch, produced in honor of the Nashville Predators. Turtle Anarchy is currently working on the construction of their taproom.

Yazoo Taproom: Yes | Open: Wed-Sun | Food: BYO; Food trucks | To Go: Bottles, Growlers Although it is not quite the oldest brewery in Nashville, Yazoo Brewing, currently in the Gulch, is widely regarded as part of the backbone of Nashville’s beer scene. Yazoo has been brewing beer since 2003, and its presence amongst the taps around town – and in the airport – has become ubiquitous. Embrace the Funk, a series of experimental sours from brewer Brandon Jones, are continuously held in high esteem across the country. Yazoo’s pale, pseudo vienna style lager (technically a brown ale - Dos Perros), and Gerst are the most common offerings in the wild. The taproom has ample seating and there is always a few small batch or experimental beers on tap. Yazoo is crawling distance to Jackalope, and not a far walk from Tennessee Brew Works (watch out for the train).

Edited 1/16/2018 to add Cool Springs Brewery & Mantra Edit 2 - 1/16/18 - Updated ENBW to have crowlers; removed joke about EAST NASHVILLE Beer Works being in West Nashville...

Looking to stock up on some good Tennessee beer on the way back to Atlanta from Nashville tomorrow. While I’m at it, I also want to find some Gansett Lager, heard it might be distributed here. Anyone know who might sell it?