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Nick Bumgardner
Two Ten Jack
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Christen Clemins
Vinyl Tap
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Nick Bumgardner
Two Ten Jack
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Nathan Zucker
Von Elrod's Beer Garden & Sausage House
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Christen Clemins
Husk
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Christen Clemins
Husk
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Nick Bumgardner
The Picnic Tap
Some offer niche lists, while others have selections so wide it would take months to try them all, but you’re sure to find a sour or stout to suit your tastes. We’ve rounded up some of the best non-brewing spots in town to grab a beer.
Butchertown Hall
Nestled on the edge of Germantown, this eatery is known for its Texas Hill Country-inspired cuisine—think barbecue and tacos—with Mexican and Eastern European accents, but its beer selection is just as distinct. From the various craft brews created especially for the restaurant to a slew of exclusive European options, guests can enjoy brews like Czann’s Dunkel Weizen or an original Hefeweizen by G. Schneider & Sohn in the dining area or out in the beer garden.
1416 4th Ave N, 615-454-3634; butchertownhall.com
M.L.Rose Craft Beer & Burgers
Formerly the Melrose Pub, this unfussy neighborhood spot, with three different locations, boasts some of the best burgers in town, and what better to pair them with than a great craft beer? The selections vary by location, and they rotate the taps frequently, featuring several local and regional options. From the Blueberry Lemonade by Honky Tonk Brewing Co. to Wicked Weed Brewing’s Pernicious IPA, they’ve got a cold one for everyone.
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Melrose, 2535 8th Ave S, Ste 107, 615-712-8160 | Sylvan Park, 4408 Charlotte Ave, 615-750-2920 | Capitol View, 431 11th Ave N, 615-729-4445; mlrose.com
Craft Brewed
Whether you’re looking to stock your fridge or sample some local brews, this spot on 8thAvenue South has you covered. Part bottle shop, part taproom, they’ve got packaged craft beer and bottled wines and spirits, or you can have a seat and try more than 30 rotating draft beers—like Uinta Brewing Company’s Mango Lime Pilsner or Yazoo Brewing Company’s CitraLuxe—and the shop has the biggest selection of high-gravity beers in Tennessee.
2502 8th Ave S, 615-873-1992; craftbrewednashville.com
12 South Taproom & Grill
While much of 12 South has changed over the past few years, this laidback local institution has remained largely the same, a testament to its breezy atmosphere and classic combination of good, simple food and quality beers. From draft options like a Tart Cherry Berliner Weisse by Fat Bottom Brewing Co. or a can of Dogfish Head’s Namaste white ale, Taproom has an extensive selection, and is still among the best of what Nashville alehouses have to offer.
2318 12th Ave S, 615-463-7552; 12southtaproom.com
Von Elrod’s Beer Garden & Sausage House
Located just across the street from First Tennessee State Park, Von Elrod’s features plenty of regional selections, but also offers plenty of German and Belgian options to complement their sausages, which incorporate local and international flavors. Have a seat at one of the long communal tables and fill your stein with brews like the Southern Wit Belgian-style white by Tennessee Brew Works or Paulaner’s Oktoberfest Märzen, or even one of their gluten-free beers.
1004 4th Ave N, 615-866-1620; vonelrods.com
The Picnic Tap
Inside the Nashville Farmers’ Market, this compact taproom places a big emphasis on local and regional beer, its taps like a shrine to the best brews in the greater Nashville area. The selections change often, and they serve options like TailGate Brewery’s Peach Sour ale and a Kölsh with Lime Basil from Garr’s Beer Co. on flight boards, so patrons can order a sampling. They also have a small food menu.
900 Rosa L Parks Blvd, 615-823-2545; thepicnictap.com
Hurry Back
As the name suggests, this Elliston Place bar keeps guests visiting again and again in part to see what’s new, as they regularly change up their expansive selection of craft brews from all over the world—from Black Abbey Brewing Company’s Saaz Smash Pils to a St. Bernardus Witbier—and uncomplicated, locally sourced fare.
2212 Elliston Pl, 615-915-0764; hurry-back.com
Husk
This Charleston, South Carolina, transplant has become a staple of Nashville’s food scene, and, as with the cuisine, so it goes for the beer in that the selections are strictly Southern. Pair the Saison from Blackberry Farm Brewery or Jackalope Brewery’s Thunder Ann APA with their distinguished, yet downhome, dishes, which are always original, as the menu changes twice daily.
37 Rutledge St, 615-256-6565; husknashville.com
Bavarian Bierhaus
Started by two former soldiers who fell in love with the German state of Bavaria, this huge space looks like a Munich beer hall. From the food—Schweinshaxe and Saurbraten are on the menu—to the beer, they aim to offer a German experience, just steps from Opry Mills. Grab a seat at one of the large wooden tables and enjoy a Hofbräu Dunkel lager or a Köstritzer Schwarzbier.
121 Opry Mills Dr., 615-238-0687; bierhausnashville.com
Two Ten Jack
This Japanese-inspired pub, orizakaya, as they’re called in Japan, in East Nashville serves up Japanese dishes like ramen, yakitori, and sushi, using a number of Southern ingredients, and they offer a slew of imported and stateside selections to go with them. Both Kirin Ichiban lager and the Tiny Bomb pilsner by Wiseacre Brewing Co. are on tap, as are house sake and shochu, a Japanese distilled liquor.
1900 Eastland Ave, Ste 105, 615-454-2731; twotenjack.com/nashville
Vinyl Tap
On the corner of Porter and Greenwood Roads in East Nashville, this combination draft house and record store makes multitasking easy. Customers can sample international and domestic brews—from New Heights Brewing Company’s S’wheat Tea to an Icelandic White Ale by Einstök Ölgerð—and sip while they peruse the vinyl selection, or have a seat in the lounge area. They also serve sandwiches and salads.
2038 Greenwood Ave, 615-454-3995; vinyltapnashville.com
The Filling Station
If you want to grab some beer to go, this 12 South spot, with a second location in East Nashville, is the perfect place to fuel up. Stop in and fill a growler with any of the 24 rotating craft and small-batch brews on tap—or 40 at the eastside store—from a Rucksack Hefeweizen by Monday Night Brewing to Smith & Lentz’s Sphere’s and Spots IPA. They also offer plenty of bottles and cans.
12 South, 1118 Halcyon Ave, 615-818-0012 | East Nashville, 904B Main St, 615-457-3535; brewstogo.com
51st North Taproom & Grill
From the folks who brought you 12 South Taproom and Grill, this space in The Nations is airy and bright, with a great patio, where guests can enjoy one of 30 taps, along with bottled and canned options and signature cocktails, with lots of local and regional selections, like Calfkiller Brewing Company’s J. Henry Original Mild ale or Cali Creamin’ from Mother Earth Brew Co., and a refined, but unpretentious, food menu to boot.
704 51st Ave N, 629-800-2454; 51northtaproom.com
Flying Saucer
Just inside the former baggage building of Union Station, this is part of a regional chain of taprooms, but it’s still a local institution that predates Nashville’s “It City” status. When it comes to beer, they mean business, boasting one of the largest selections in the city, with 75 imports and domestic brews on draft alone, from Asgard Brewing Company’s Heimdallr to Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, along with classic pub fare.
111 10th Ave S, Ste 310, 615-259-3039; beerknurd.com
Hops & Crafts
In the bustling center of the Gulch, this intimate taproom was designed with beer lovers in mind, offering 36 rotating taps, including Blackstone Brewing Company’s Tropjack IPA and the 1500 Pale Ale by Drake’s Brewing Company, as well as growler fills and pint sales. If you’re hungry, you can also order some food to go with your beer from their delicious selection of shareable plates.
319 12th Ave S, 615-678-8631; hopscrafts.com