I'll be visiting Nashville the last weekend in April and plan to bring some local/regional beers back to Philadelphia that I can't normally get. Yazoo Sue looks like a no-brainer, and I'm looking forward to trying stuff from Wiseacre and Good People. What would you recommend seeking out from those breweries, and what else would be worth bringing home that doesn't normally make it to Philly? It doesn't look like there will be many, if any, special releases out around that time, but maybe I missed something in my research? Two other quick questions: 1) Craft Brewed seems like a near unanimous choice as the best shop, but I'm not sure our schedule will allow me to make it out there. We're staying in East Nashville. What are some of the best shops in that area with a good craft selection? 2) We're looking to visit the Yazoo, Jackalope, TN Brew Works cluster at some point while we're in town. Are the tours worth it? Or is our time better spent just enjoying the tasting rooms? We're also going to Corsair, which looks pretty sweet itself. Thanks.
All great choices. Craft Brewed is right up the street on 8th from Jackalope, so I would definitely stop there if you have time. Corsair is also a must see. Also put Fat Bottom on your list. Right there in East Nashville. BTW, Peg Leg Porker is an unbelievable BBQ joint right by Yazoo/Jackalope--my favorite in the city.
Woodland Wine Merchant in East Nashville would be a good choice. There's also Frugal McDougal which is on the same street as Yazoo and around the way from Peg Leg Porker. I would definitely pick up a bottle of Corsair's gin and triple smoke. Their barrel aged gin is a thing of beauty if you can find it. Whisper Creek Tennessee Sipping Cream is another great choice.
Take the time you would take at Frugal and just go to Craft Brewed. Frugal is vastly overrated, imo. You could opt for the Nashville Brew Bus. Well run tours that makes stops at a number of breweries.
Good stuff. Thanks. Woodland Wine Merchant looks like a good option. The house we rented is supposed to 1.5 blocks from the 5 Points intersection, so I should be able to drop my stuff off back at the house without having to carry it around with me. Any specific bottles/cans from Nashville or elsewhere in the South to be on the lookout for? Peg Leg Porker is definitely on the agenda, by the way. Was looking at Hattie B's for a hot chicken fix. Is there a better spot downtown (assuming we don't want to travel to Prince's)? Re: Craft Brewed ... I know it's only a couple of miles down the road from Yazoo/Jackalope, but the bachelor and the other guys on the trip aren't as in to craft, so I don't want to take too much time out of their weekend, or separate myself from the group if I can avoid it.
I would go to Bolton's rather than Hattie B's. It is old school and on the east side, I believe. The thing with Craft Brewed, all your buddies can go with and you can have a pint there and if whether is nice, sit out on the patio. Woodland Wine is a good choice and you'll have fun in the 5 points area. Check out 3-Crow and Tenn 16. Also couple of growler/pint places as well. Contact Nashville Brew Bus...a bachelor party with them would be fun.
Bolton's is good, but seating for a large party usually isn't optimal. There's another Hattie B's location on Charlotte in west Nashville that would work for a large party. Look into Edley's BBQ on Main in East Nashville if you're wanting to stay on the east side.
Good point about larger parties at Bolton's. Obviously Prince's is the most famous, but Boltons is right behind it.
The Hop Stop is an excellent East Nashville beer bar a couple of miles from 5 points. They now have high-gravity beers on tap. Due to Tennessee's weird beer laws, that means they now longer sell growlers to go, but their selection is really good.
If I may jump in this thread... I have family visiting Nashville this weekend and they offered to bring stuff back to Pittsburgh. Anything limited that wasnt mentioned above around town at all? Thanks!
I would try and find some Wiseacre stuff, which is a Memphis based brewery. Their Gotta Get up to Get Down milk stout is great.... They also just released a Belgian golden called Azazel that uses Buddha's Hand fruit. I have a few bottles, but haven't tried them yet.
Not to invade your thread, but what beers are distributed in Nashville that aren't regularly distributed in the MidAtlantic? I'll be down there for business on a few weeks and wanted to see if there are any shelf whales I could pick up and transport back to Virginia in my checked bag.
That is a great question... Yazoo and Wiseacre are only distro'd in TN, and Straight To Ale is out of Huntsville. If you get any of those I would grab Yazoo Sue, Wiseacre's gotta get up to get down (or any of their bombers that are available), and any Straight to Ale stuff (Monkeynaught IPA or any of their old ale or stout bombers).
Sue is on my list. What's the barrel aged version in original Dickel barrels called? Is that one called Becky Sue?
Barrel aged Sue was never bottled I believe. The only version of Sue bottled (other than the original) was the sour blend called Fortuitous. Depending on when you are in Nashville, I would def. check Yazoo tap room to see if any ETF releases are out. Those are a must.
Awesome, thanks! My family was already gone at that point but I'll keep it in mind. I'll actually be in Nashville this summer
Thanks for the Bolton's recommendation. We're a relatively small group (six), so a smaller place shouldn't be a problem. I've got one more non-beer question for you guys. My flight back to Philly departs at 7:25 a.m. on Monday, so I'll obviously need to be at the airport early. Is it common to see a number of Uber/Lyft drivers working in the early morning hours, should I just arrange beforehand for a cab, or is there a convenient way to get from East Nashville to the airport by, say, 6 a.m. on a weekday? I'm guessing a cab might be best (only?) option, but maybe not.
