Month: March 2017

For someone who didn’t even drink until I was in my 30’s, friends from my younger years might still be surprised to find me writing about a love for craft beer. 🙂 And although I have a somewhat particular palate for particular types of brews, I nonetheless have developed an appreciation for the cold beverages that are “Created. Not made.”, to borrow The Black Abbey Brewing Company’s motto.

While farmers’ markets, CSAs and some area restaurants offer options to eat local, a growing number of Nashville breweries provide multiple options to drink local. According to ediblenashville.com * (an excellent resource for all things food and drink in Music City!), there were 50 breweries in the U.S. in 1984, and there were 4,000 as of 2016, with new ones opening daily. And Nashville has contributed more than 20 of its own outstanding ones to the statistical increase.

For those who enjoy the world of ales, lagers, pilsners and such, a tour of the Yazoo Brewery is a must. It’s a popular place with a packed taproom, so it’s best to buy the $8 tickets online in advance. The tours are informative, fun, and generous with samples. Most of the taprooms provide a variety of board games, darts, ping-pong, corn hole, etc., so you can linger and leisurely enjoy time with friends. Some also sell food (Tennessee Brew Works has a great Five Beer Burger, and East Nashville Brew Works and Tailgate both sell exceptional pizzas), while others let you brown bag it and bring in your food of choice. Black Abbey also has food trucks parked out front on Friday nights so you can buy dinner on the way in (The Brothers Burger food truck that rotates there some weeks is hands down the best burger I’ve had in Nashville!)

And for those who love music with their brews, Tennessee Brew Works is an official Nashville Live Music Venue, and has live music most nights, including a no-cover charge Bluegrass jam session on Wednesday nights; and Little Harpeth has a string band performing every Friday night. My favorite brewery musical experience so far (and personal recommendation!) was the Beer and Hymn sing at Black Abbey. Their small taproom was filled to capacity with Christmas carolers singing in unison, delightfully lending itself to an Irish pub feel. (beerhymns.com)

So here’s to discovering the beer side of our city, and to drinking locally (and responsibly :-))

*Search “Beer City” for a guide to Nashville breweries

 

The Station Inn—its humble, unassuming appearance in the midst of Nashville’s newer, more modern surrounding structures that make up The Gulch, has often reminded me of one of my favorite stories as a child, The Little House. The award winning children’s book tells of a cozy little home that is almost lost as a city is built up around it; but in spite of the grandeur of the expanding skyline, it is the unpretentious little building that remains the central character and star of the show.

While many venues in Nashville host a variety of music genres, The Station Inn is known by all as the heart and home of Bluegrass. Many a banjo and mandolin have been expertly played on that small stage since 1978 (although it originally opened in 1974, it moved to its current location four years later). The interior could be labeled lackluster by some, but to me, the windowless, knotty pine walls covered up almost entirely by concert posters, the soft glow of the white lights hung on the ceiling, and the down home feel of a dive bar provide a welcoming “y’all come” as soon as you walk in. The performers always seem to be perfectly in their element—in their happy place. Their love for sharing their gift is evident in their laid back interaction with the audience throughout the evening and in their exquisite skill of strumming a Bluegrass rhythm.

It’s best to arrive early to the show—the coziness of the room also means limited seating options. Be prepared with cash for the entrance fee (other than a free Bluegrass jam on Sunday nights, tickets typically range between $12-$20; credit cards are accepted at the bar for beer, drinks or food). The small, ballpark-type menu of nachos, pizza and hotdogs won’t be what draws you back there, but after experiencing the overall joy of this Nashville gem, I’d be highly surprised if you didn’t find yourself eager to go back.