Best Craft Breweries in Nashville

Summer is just around the corner! Few things say summer like a cold beer – and Nashville is fortunate to have a number of local breweries with a variety of warm weather-inspired selections on tap (fruit infused and otherwise), as well as “cool” environments in which to enjoy your adult beverage. (We’ll let you decide if you prefer “cool” as in AC or “cool” as in interesting.)

Here are a few of our Walk Eat Nashville tour guides’ favorites, including a great place to kick off your patio season.

The Black Abbey Brewing Company

Founded in 2013 here in Nashville, Black Abbey’s name is an homage to Martin Luther: revered German monk and Protestant reformer who, together with his wife, changed the way we drink beer. In a direct act of rebellion against the Catholic Church and the lax it levied on the gruit (a mixture of botanicals that flavored and preserved beer) essential for beer production at that time, Luther encouraged his followers to forgo the gruit entirely and brew with hops instead. Throughout the Middle Ages, hops were viewed as an aggressive and undesirable weed, but when used in brewing preserved the beer far better than gruit, allowing the product to be transported longer distances and sold internationally. These early hopped brews were more akin to a Belgian-style ale than the darker German lagers we know today, and its from this early formula that Black Abbey takes its cues. Black Abbey’s taproom, aka The Fellowship Hall, is open Sunday-Friday from 2-8 p.m. and Saturdays from 12-8 p.m.

Summer Sipper: The Rose, banana and clove aromas, slightly hazy, subtly spice, and very refreshing

Photo: Outdoor patio at TailGate HQ

TailGate Brewery (Headquarters)

Originally based in San Diego, TailGate Brewery relocated to Nashville in 2014 and now has multiple locations across Middle Tennessee. Known for its funky flavors like Peanut Butter Milk Stout, TailGate has smartly leveraged the additional space at each new location to creatively expand. The flagship off Charlotte Pike is the largest of its locations – a 20,000-square-foot facility situated on seven acres of land with ample outdoor space – and is where TailGate brews its year-round releases. Their Music Row location sits atop the Demonbreun bar peninsula, directly across from the iconic Musica statue, and is the home of TailGate’s cider brewing program. (For years the space was home to Dan McGuinness before short-lived Harp & Fiddle moved in for a year.) They also have locations in East Nashville, Germantown, South Nashville (at Tanger Outlet Mall), Murfreesboro, Hendersonville, and Nashville International Airport (BNA). Open daily, although hours may vary by location.

Summer Sipper: Watermelon Gose, a slightly tart and crisp beer with just the right amount of sweetness from the watermelon, balanced by a hit of sea salt

Bearded Iris Brewing

Germantown’s Bearded Iris has drummed up accolades since opening in early 2016, thanks to honing in and specializing so successfully on pale ales and IPAs. For anyone unfamiliar (or afraid) of IPAs, give Bearded Iris a chance to change your mind about hops. In 2018, Thrillist named Bearded Iris one of the “Best Breweries in America,” and Men’s Journal named Homestyle, its signature IPA, one of the 50 best craft beers in America. Bearded Iris remains extremely focused on small-batch brews to encourage creativity and experimentation, and fans have grown to anticipate their frequent can release announcements. The chill Bearded Iris taproom and outdoor patio is open Monday-Thursday from 12-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday from 12-11 p.m.; and Sunday from 12-8 p.m.

Summer Sipper: Flamingo Road, a fruited Sour with strawberries and raspberries.

Photo: The taproom at The Ranch, Jackalope’s Wedgewood-Houston outpost

Jackalope Brewing Company

Since opening their 8th Avenue location (sadly, now closed) in 2011, Jackalope’s cofounder and CEO Bailey Spaulding has marked many milestones. Upon opening, Jackalope became the first female-owned brewery in Tennessee, and two years later, the first Nashville craft brewer to can their own beer. Since then, Jackalope has continued to expand. In 2018, they opened a second, larger taproom in trendy, up-and-coming Wedgewood-Houston (aka WeHo), nicknamed “The Ranch.” The new production facility enables Jackalope to easily add to their lineup of quirkily named and beautifully designed cans of beer, while also offering patrons a sizeable patio where they can gather for a drink or play a game of shuffleboard. Open Tuesday-Thursday from 4 p.m.-12; Friday-Saturday from 12-12 p.m.; and Sunday from 12-7 p.m.

Summer Sipper: Lovebird, a wheat ale infused with fresh strawberries and raspberries on limited summer release

East Nashville Beer Works

Located on Trinity Lane between Ellington Parkway and Dickerson Pike, East Nashville Beer Works brews balanced beer served in a family – and dog – friendly environment. This neighborhood-centric brewery debuted the motto “Beer is Community” at its 2016 opening and has been producing top-quality brews ever since, taking the silver for “American-Style Wheat Beer” with its brew Cumberland Punch at 2019’s craft beer Super Bowl, the Great American Beer Festival. Open Monday-Thursday from 3-10 p.m.; Friday from 2-11 p.m.; Saturday from 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Summer Sipper: Tropical Daydream, hopped with Citra, Mosaic, and Huell Melon, brings flavors drippin' of orange and pineapple followed with a nice, clean finish

Southern Grist Brewing Co.

Forbes called Southern Grist one of “the American South’s best craft breweries” and rightly so; since its inception in 2016, Southern Grist’s Head Brewer Jared Welch has created a brand known for unique flavors, specializing in small batch seasonal sours. “We are boundary-pushers, constantly evolving what beer is and what it can taste like. Our ingredients aren’t always Reinheitsgebot-approved, but that’s okay. We like it that way,” they say. Southern Grist Brewing boasts two equally wonderful, but unique locations: the original taproom in East Nashville and a newer location in the Nations. (The East location includes restaurant Lauter, and the Nations location offers a patio.) Both locations are open Monday-Thursday from 12-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday from 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m.- 8 p.m.

Summer Sipper: Key Lime Pie Sour Ale, a pastry Sour Ale brewed with lactose, lime puree, graham crackers, marshmallows, vanilla, and a pinch of sea salt

Photo: Multi-level patio at Tennessee Brew Works

Tennessee Brew Works

Since 2013, Tennessee Brew Works has brewed true to the nature of the Volunteer State, placing community at the heart of all operations and goals. Proudly making what they call “finely tuned craft beer,” each of the year-round headliners boasts its own distinct flavor. The sprawling outdoor patio is the perfect spot to kick back on a sunny afternoon, and it’s no secret that Tennessee Brew Works has the best food of any taproom in town, incorporating as many brews as possible into the menu. Don’t sleep on the Springer Mountain Farms chicken wings, served with hot sauce and State Park Blonde ranch. Open Monday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 a.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Pro Tip: Be sure to check out their live music schedule; their shows are always a good time. And Sundays often feature a non-profit partner that benefits from sales of select brews.

Summer Sipper: Walk the Lime, a 100% wheat ale bursting with lime and other tropical notes

Little Harpeth Brewing

Little Harpeth specializes in German-style lagers, setting itself apart in the Nashville craft-brew scene dominated by ales. Lagers were hugely popular in Middle Tennessee before prohibition, as a surge of German immigrants moved to the area in the late 19th century and brought the Old World brewing techniques with them to the New World. Little Harpeth seeks to honor the legacy of early Tennesseans and continue Southeastern brewing traditions while utilizing as many local ingredients as possible. While their Germantown area taproom closed in 2021, Little Harpeth recently opened a new location at BNA (Terminal B). Air travel just got better!

Summer Sipper: Deer Crossing Helles, a crisp, clean, bready light body that hovers on the side of sweet