Hey! So, I'm going to be embarking on a Road Trip of legend: Starting in Boston and going as far as Vegas then back! Anywho--I'm posting this in the forums of the states I'm passing through. In the case of this forum, I will be hitting up Nashville and Memphis, en route to New Orleans. I'll be passing through Mississippi and hitting Jackson it looks like as well. I haven't really looked up much; do any of you locals have any suggestions for good breweries to visit/brewpubs to refuel at? Any help would be appreciated, thank you so much!
@onemoresatnight I figure I'm biased but I think Birmingham, AL would be a better stop than Nashville or Memphis for beer. Not sure if you are up for changing your route but check these spots out while you plan your trip. Hop City - One of the best bottle shops in the state as well as a bar with 66 taps where you can get samples, pints, or growler fills. They always have 40 Alabama beers on tap too so they are a great stop to sample what the state has to offer. They usually update their draft list several times a week: Draft list Good People Brewing - Their Snakehandler DIPA is very solid and they will begin selling their sours in September. The tap room is pretty cool and they have cans, crowlers, and growlers available. Cahaba Brewing - Very solid line up of beers in an amazing tap room that was a 100 year old textile mill. They also have crowlers and cans available. The J.Clyde - Always at the top of the list for best beer bar in Alabama. Lots of taps and the food is really good too.
Seconding for Hop City in Birmingham, stopped by there yesterday en route to Baton Rouge from Louisville. Snagged a good amount of Westbrook Gose as well as a lot of fruited Crooked Staves. Skip Nashville and Memphis completely.
Here are some recommendations for Nashville. Breweries: Southern Grist is doing terrific work with hazy IPAs and sours. Bearded Iris has a cool space and good variety. Smith & Lentz is solid across the board, and has ping-pong tables. All three breweries sell crowlers to go. Bars: The Hop Stop has 36 taps, including high gravity options. Great bartenders, darts, and good food. Bottle shops: Craft Brewed is the best in town; outstanding selection and knowledgeable staff. It's divided into high and low-gravity sides, due to Tennessee's bizarre liquor laws (which will change 1/1/17). You can drink on the low-grav side, and crowlers are available on both sides. Enjoy your trip!
For NOLA check out this article http://gonola.com/2016/04/07/beer-in-new-orleans.html My favorites: NOLA Brewery Urban South Second Line Bayou Beer Garden Really i suggest hitting up fun places in town like the French Quarter, Freret St, Magazine, etc and just being on the lookout for good local beers. Probably more time efficient, and you'll be able to soak up more local culture instead of just beer.
No Avenue, Steins, or Courtyard? I mean you could hit Urban South, Courtyard, Nola, Steins, and Avenue since they are all 5 mile circle from each other.
Not just one of the top beer bars in AL but in the south. I highly recommend Good People as well. One of the coolest tap rooms I've been too.
passing through Mississippi, you need to stop in Hattiesburg to visit Southern Prohibition (SoPro) Brewery. It's 90 minutes from Jackson, MS. Also a couple of blocks away from the brewery grab a Keg Stand burger (or go for the best fish & chips) at The Keg & Barrel Pub (it is a must). Best beer pub in the state, period. At SoPro Try the Crowd Control D-IPA, Fire Ant red IPA, and you can't go wrong with Jack the Sipper and The Devil's Harvest. After New Orleans (heading West on I-10) I would hit Lafayette, Louisiana at the Parish Brewery. You MUST grab some Ghost in the Machine D-IPA. Limited, but the brewery allows growlers and 4-packs to go. Epic road trip. worth full documentation!
I would agree that Memphis is a beer wasteland. Memphis has a Flying Saucer and Wiseacre Brewing, but Nashville has both of those things also. I would stop in Nashville, specifically Yazoo for sours, Southern Grist for IPA Crowlers, and Craft Brewed for all your bottle needs. I would also include Birmingham on your trip.
How's your itinerary looking after all of these suggestions? I'll wait to comment to see if you updated your current route. That being said, I think Nashville to Birmingham would be a better route than Nashville to Memphis. Birmingham has Hop City for the beer shopping (and drinking) and J. Clyde's for the food (and great tap list). Also, Birmingham has like 4-5 breweries within a mile or two of each other downtown. It'd be really easy to hit them all (if all are open when you get to town).
If you are on 65S from Nashville to B'ham, I would also stop at Blue Pants, in northern AL. They are putting out some great beers now. Have fun!
In Nashville Yazoo, Tennessee Brew Works, Jackalope Brewing (all female owned), Black Abbey, Little Harpeth, and Blackstone and Bosocs are old school places that have been around forever. Check out http://nashvillebreweries.com/ In Birmingham you must check out Good People Brewing - they make killer beers. Cahawba Brewing and Avondale Brewing too. On your way if you are driving past Hunstville in Northern Alabama Blue Pants, Straight to Ale, and Yellow Hammer. In NOLA check out Old Rail Brewing in Mandeville - brewer Matt Horney is great. Worked at Terrapin once upon a time.
Boscos is out of business in Nashville. Blackstone restaurant on West End is also currently closed for remodeling, although the taproom / brewery on Clifton Ave is open.
