When people think about a fun weekend in Nashville, usually Jack Daniels and hot chicken come to mind, but Nashville boasts a surprisingly good local beer scene that’s more than 20 years in the making.
With dozens of hoppin’ breweries across the city, we struggled to choose just 5 favorites. Our list will take you to some of Nashville’s most popular neighborhoods for a great pint (and sometimes great food as well). Don’t miss these incredible Nashville beer bars during your next Music City adventure.
By the way, if you love these breweries so much they make you contemplate a move to an apartment nearby, let us know. With our stress-free, VIP service, we can help you find your dream apartment. Just reach out to AptAmigo and let us do our magic.
Related: How Much Does It Cost to Live in Nashville?
5 Best Breweries in Nashville
Not a day drinker? If you need some daytime activities to work up a thirst before your beer tour, why not Tour Nashville Like a Local, or check out our guide to downtown? Then, hit the town to sample Nashville’s top 5 brews.
Bearded Iris Brewing
Address: 101 Van Buren St., Nashville, TN 37208
Bearded Iris is an IPA-lover’s dream. Specializing in IPAs, DIPAs and pale ales, this Germantown brewery’s spacious-yet-cozy location sits right beside the Nashville Greenway. It makes a great stop off for cyclists and runners, or a chill afternoon hangout for introverts looking for a couch to sit on with a good book and a cold beer.
What to Order: Bearded Iris’s Homestyle is a city-wide favorite that you can find on many restaurant menus–and for good reason. This smooth, oaty IPA with a bright citrus note goes down easy. Other favorites include a double IPA called Attention Please! and 1230 Flamingo, a fruited sour.
Jackalope Brewing Company
Address: 429B Houston St., Nashville, TN 37203
Jackalope came onto the Nashville beer scene in 2013, and soon became the first Nashville brewery to can their beer. Recently, Jackalope opened The Ranch, a Nashville beer bar in the up-and-coming Wedgewood Houston neighborhood that offers brewery tours, a dog-friendly patio and a casual gathering place for groups.
What to Order: Jackalope operates with four, year-round brews that cover everyone’s favorite beer styles–the Fennaroo IPA, Thunder Ann APA, Bear Walker Maple Brown Ale and Sarka Pilsner. In addition, they offer two seasonal offerings and a special series of “shapeshifter” brews that play off of original Jackalope recipes to create new and interesting flavors. Locals anxiously await “Lovebird” season in the spring, when tap rooms and grocery stores across the city offer Jackalope’s popular strawberry-raspberry wheat brew.
Smith & Lentz Brewing
Address: 903 Main St., Nashville, TN 37206
If you’re looking for a pie and pint situation, Smith & Lentz is the best place to go. This small, independent brewery focuses on lagers, pilsners, and hop-driven IPAs–all of which go perfectly with the wood-fired pizza, fresh salads, and inventive appetizers on the menu.
What to Order: In addition to a rotating menu of craft brews, Smith and Lentz reserves space for “guest drafts and cans” from other popular breweries. The guest spots sometimes feature craft ciders or kombuchas for those who don’t love beer.
Yazoo Brewing Company
Address: 900 River Bluff Dr., Madison, TN 37115
Established in 2003, Yazoo is one of Nashville’s OG breweries. Now located on a huge campus in Madison, just north of Nashville, Yazoo welcomes beer lovers, including families with kids, to a fun and casual atmosphere with room for yard games, food trucks, and a sprawling patio.
What to Order: Yazoo serves up some of the city’s favorite mainstay brews, including the award-winning Hefeweizen, the historic Nashville Gerst amber ale, and the malty Dos Perros brown ale. Sign up for a brewery tour to learn how the city’s most popular beers are made, and then stick around for a pint or two.
Southern Grist Brewing Company
Address: 5012 Centennial Blvd. Nashville, TN 37209
Southern Grist is a true brewing success story. Within two years of opening, the owners had turned enough heads with their portfolio of funky, fun, sour beers to open a 9,900-square-foot production space. The team quickly grew to more than 20 employees, allowing the brewery to keep a huge portfolio of frequently rotating beers on the menu.
What to Order: Every Southern Grist recipe pushes the boundaries of what beer can taste like, and while some beers make the rotation more frequently than others, the brewery doesn’t make any true flagship beers. That’s what makes it the perfect spot for adventurous beer lovers–there’s always something new to try, and it never tastes like anything you’ve tried before.
Need some grub to soak up that beer? You can’t call yourself a local without sampling Nashville’s best hot chicken establishments.
Moving to Nashville?
Bar hop across Nashville’s top breweries any weekend you choose when you move to Nashville. Whether you plan to drink your way across the city after a hard day of apartment tours, or wait until after the official move, AptAmigo can help with your relocation while you get to know the city’s beer scene. Want to live within walking distance of your favorite watering hole? No problem. We know the best apartment buildings near every brewery and will find you the perfect place to call home.
