Heading to Nashville

Southern Grist and Bearded Iris.

 

As mentioned above Southern grist and bearded iris for sure, also New heights is doing good stuff as well. If you like sours, Yazoo is a must for the Embrace the Funk beers.

 

Hey guys I’m gonna piggy back of this thread. I’ll be in for the 4th and 5th with kids. I’ll be hitting up southern grist and bearded iris for sure (kid friendly?) Was looking for more specifically what may be out those days I can grab to go or have on tap. Also any non touristy food recommendations (breakfast/lunch/dinner/coffee/sweets).

 

I haven't been in this scene long, but sorry, for NEIPAs I do NOT recommend Southern Grist They seem to be into adding flavor extracts to their beers which isn't my cup of tea. Yes, Bearded Iris for NEIPAs, they literally only do that as far as I can tell and get a lot of love with beer traders. No to Yazoo for NEIPA too. I like Yazoo, but not for NEIPAs. Blackstone and TN Brew Works make better overall IPAs (and beers in general so far in my journey). Just answering in the context of the IPAs request. I think New Heights makes 1 NEIPA, which is solid...but I really think they make good big boyz, even though that wasn't your question. Just my 2 cents.

 

You might want to check out The Flying Saucer in Nashville. Its a bar, not a brewery, but has a large tap list and is worth the visit.

 

Both allow kids though i would say Grist is the more family friendly of the two. Both are, but typically BI is playing rap music which some parents might not want their kids hearing with all the swearing and such. If you look at both of their websites it will tell you what cans are available to go and whats on tap as well, both very accurate . Hopefully the passion fruit guava gose hill cans last till the 4th for you to grab at Grist, they are very good. Same thing with the new mood ring BI released friday. Grist has food at both locations, but the west side is better for food. Food wise alot of places will be closed for the 4th, but it depends on what you want. Coffee places i rec are 8th and Roast, Crema, Sump or Steadfast.

 

Highly recommend Southern Grist for NEIPAs. Hoppy Timbs (cans and draft) and Mixed Greens (draft) are available now. Neither has "flavor extracts" added.

 

Came in town and I have to say this is correct. Went to both Southern Grist and Bearded Iris..my only complaint about bearded iris was taplist was small...grist had 17 beers on tap. I think quality was better at Bearded Iris but The variety was fantastic at southern Grist. Both were excellent

 

Driving down from Philadelphia on Friday 9/28. Want to hit Yazoo and Bearded Iris to get cans and possibly Midtown Wine and Spirits to pick up some local stuff.

WE are staying at the Hilton Garden Inn Nashville Vanderbilt. Any other places I should try to get beer from?

 

Craft brewed on 8th

 

SG location on the west side is super family friendly. They have a hot chicken food truck as well if you’re into that. I personally don’t take my kid to BI. Although they do have a nice outdoor patio that could work for your during the day.
12th South Taproom is family friendly with a semi decent taplist.

 

Midtown Wine & Spirits in Church street is not far from your hotel.

 

Philly fans are about to invade Nashville next weekend. I expect to see many at Bearded Iris and Southern Grist. Go Birds!

 

Driving down and plan on bring a trunk load back with me.

 

Thoroughly enjoyed Nashville when I was there over the Labor day weekend. Yazoo had great sours, Tennessee brewing had a great vibe, music and solid beer (and wine for my wife), but Southern Grist was probably the best brewery we visited. Every beer was solid. We passed on Bearded Iris (had a few of their beers around town) because the tap list was pretty much all IPA's. Hands down the best meal was at Rolf & Daughters. We spent most of the weekend giving my daughter shit about that place and then went and was blown away. Had a great time in Nashville, look forward to going back one day. Best quote of the weekend from an Uber driver "You will see minimum of 30+ bachelorette parties here every weekend", we counted 27. Y'all have fun

 

We were also there the weekend after labor day... Hit up a few spots (Yazoo, Jackalope, Southern Grist, Smith & Lentz, Bearded Iris, Little Harpeth and I think one other one, along with two Distillery's).

Yazoo had the best overall lineup, IMO. Their sour program is legit and are one of those breweries that for the most part, everything is solid. We knew someone here who hooked us up quite a bit and made the experience even better, which always helps, but if I could only visit one brewery back in Nashville it would be Yazoo, believe it or not.

Bearded Iris basically just does NE IPA, but they do them well. Really enjoyed the two visits here.

Southern Grist has a decent mix of NE IPA, Sours and then the milkshake/pastry stouts. I didn’t care for their milkshake/stouts at all, but the NE IPA was quite good and their gose, boil the ocean was phenomenal. Between SG and Bearded Iris? If you are a haze IPA homebody and that’s all you drink, go to Bearded Iris. But SG adds a little more diversity to the lineup and both locations are quite cool to visit. One is super chill, the other more modern and such. I think I’d pick SG over Bearded Iris, if I had to choose.

Smith & Lentz was good for lager options, but I didn’t particularly love anything we tried. Even for being a huge fan of all lager. Some of the beers were not crisp enough or had too much body for the style, IMO at least. The waitress was also pretty cold and seemed bothered she had to work that day, so we left pretty quick.

Jackalope was a cool spot right by Yazoo, but the beer was OK at best.

Little Harpeth was ok… Somewhat like Jackalope compared. They had big bins of rotting spent grain outside the door that smelled lovely, as well. Surprised they didn’t move those, or something. That odor is wicked!

Food wise, don’t pass up Hot Chicken is you like spicy stuff… I was in heaven with it, personally. Hattie B’s and Slow Burn are the ones we went to… The hottest option at Slow Burn was no joke… Amazing, but damn it was like an atomic bomb went off in my stomach for hours afterward… The worst thing I could have done was have an IPA at Bearded Iris afterward… That nearly killed me, lol! I went with Hattie B’s second hottest on a sandwich and it was so damn good. I will be working to do my own hot chicken at home now I loved it so much… Def a unique product Nashville has with that, especially if you are a spice fan like me! Incredible stuff.

Also, being a big BBQ fan, we hit up Martin’s BBQ and Peg Leg Porker… Martin’s being more Memphis style, which Peg Leg was more Carolina if I had to rationalize them. Both awesome, but Martin’s was my pick out of the two. Martin’s is walking distance from Yazoo though, convenient.

If you like Whiskey, I will say at Corsair they have a drink with their triple smoke whiskey served with rosemary and cedar wood that is ignited and extinguished in your glass… Holy hell, that was a highlight for sure. That drink blew me away. The aromatics alone, but the smoked whiskey was dangerously delicious as well… Just a really great drink.

If you have a sweet tooth, don’t pass up Five Daughters for one (or two, or three) of their 100 layer donuts… Literally the best I’ve ever had… They run about $4-5 a pop, but well worth it. We went twice.

We really enjoyed Nashville though for the three days we were there… Nice short trip to use up some Southwest points… We crammed in a lot (even more than listed here)… Plenty of epic food, some solid breweries and an easy weekend trip from Cleveland. Sorry this was lengthy, but perhaps it will help some others planning a trip there!

 

Hate the fact you can't edit after 15min or so...

Peg Leg is the one close to Yazoo, not Martins. Just wanted to correct that.

 

Also Peg leg is memphis style for sure, dry rub ribs and such . Martins and Peg Leg are both walking distance from Yazoo, but Peg leg is literally in the same parking lot/alley.

 

Yep, you are right... I see I flipped the names yet again. Peg Leg is the memphis one for sure, I had a nice dry rub full slab there... Delicious.