Gerst Brewing Company
| Industry | Alcoholic beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1890-1954 |
| Headquarters | South High Street (6th Ave. South) Nashville, Tennessee United States |
| Products | German-American beers |
| Owner | William Gerst |
The William Gerst Brewing Company was a beer manufacturer situated in Nashville, Tennessee. Initially established as the Nashville Brewing Company in 1859, it was purchased in 1890 and renamed after William Gerst. Throughout its history, the company experienced multiple rebrandings, including names such as Nashville Brewery, Stifel & Pfeiffer Brewery, and Moerlein-Gerst Brewing Company. The brewery was reconstructed on its original site in 1893 and remained operational until it ceased production in 1954.
After the brewery shut down, Gerst’s grandson founded the Gerst Haus German restaurant chain, which operated from 1955 through 2018. The Gerst Amber beer label has persisted via contract brewing arrangements since the 1990s.
Establishment as Nashville Brewing Company (1859–1892)
Following Nashville’s designation as Tennessee’s capital in 1843, the city experienced population growth that attracted German immigrants who sought locally brewed beer. Jacob Stifel launched a modest brewery in 1859 that expanded to become the Nashville Brewing Company—the first production brewery in the city—located on South High Street (later known as Sixth Avenue South).
Brewing operations were interrupted during the American Civil War, but resumed in 1864 when Stifel formed a partnership with Louis Pfeiffer, renaming the enterprise South Nashville Brewery to differentiate it from the North Nashville Brewery. By 1873, it had grown into a substantial operation with extensive brewing facilities.
Following Pfeiffer’s death in 1876, ownership shifted multiple times: J.B. Kuhn acquired the brewery at auction and renamed it South Nashville Ale and Lager Beer Brewery; C.A. Maus and Brothers took over in 1878; John Burkhardt assumed control in 1880 and restored the original Nashville Brewing Company name. Burkhardt introduced incentives to enhance beer quality and later collaborated with William and Archibald Walker from Cincinnati. By 1885, the Walkers had full ownership; after Archibald’s passing in 1889, William transferred ownership again in 1890.
Acquisition by Moerlein Brewing (1890–1892)
In 1890, Christian Moerlein of Cincinnati—founder of Christian Moerlein Brewing Co.—alongside his protégé William Gerst purchased the brewery and property. They dismantled the existing structure with plans to invest between $250,000 and $500,000 to build what they envisioned as “the finest and largest brewery in the entire Southern Country” on that location.
Operation under Gerst Brewing (1893–1919)
By 1893, William Gerst had relocated to Nashville and took full ownership, renaming the business William Gerst Brewing Company. The brewery prospered locally and received the Gold Award at the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897. By the turn of the century, it ranked among the largest breweries in the southern United States.
William Gerst emerged as a notable figure in Nashville’s business community and was an avid horse racing enthusiast; his horse Donau won the Kentucky Derby in 1910. In 2022, a historical marker was placed at Vine Hill to honor this victory, sponsored by brewery historian Scott Mertie.
Prohibition Era (1919–1933)
Due to Tennessee's influential Temperance Movement, the brewery adapted by focusing on producing low-alcohol content beers. By 1913, the state had implemented prohibition laws, preceding the national Prohibition by six years. William Gerst retired and moved back to Cincinnati, while his four sons maintained the business by manufacturing non-alcoholic malt drinks and sodas, including Orange Crush, under the Gerst Bottling Works name.
William Gerst died in 1933, shortly before the conclusion of Prohibition.
Post-Prohibition Period (1933–1954)
After the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the William Gerst Brewing Company restarted beer production. To celebrate its 50th anniversary in 1940, it launched a major promotional event featuring a "Gay 90's" parade in Nashville. Despite these marketing efforts, the company was unable to compete with larger breweries' extensive national advertising campaigns and eventually ceased operations in 1954.
The Gerst Haus Restaurants (1955–2018)
In 1955, William J. (Bill) Gerst, grandson of the founder, purchased the M&A Café in downtown Nashville and renamed it the Gerst House. Situated at 315 Second Avenue North near the Courthouse, it became a favored lunch destination for legal professionals and politicians, offering deli-style sandwiches and oyster rolls. Following Bill Gerst's death in 1968, ownership transferred to his daughter Gene Gerst Ritter and her husband Eugene Ritter.
By 1970, the Ritters moved the restaurant to 228 Woodland Street and rebranded it as the Gerst Haus, broadening the menu to feature authentic German dishes. The establishment displayed original lithographs from the William Gerst Brewing Company and gained recognition for serving beer in "fishbowl" glasses accompanied by German oompah and polka music on weekends.
In 1988, brothers Jim and Jerry Chandler purchased the Gerst Haus as part of their Nashville restaurant collection, which also included Sportsman's Grille. They managed the venue until 1999 when stadium construction necessitated relocation; subsequently, they opened Gerst Bavarian Haus in Evansville, Indiana, where they arranged for brewing of Gerst Amber under contract. The Gerst Haus was celebrated for its German specialties such as bratwurst, Bavarian pizza, kielbasa, pumpernickel bread, Reuben sandwiches, oyster rolls, and pig knuckles—combining classic cuisine with a unique beer-serving tradition.
The Gerst Haus reopened in August 2000 at 301 Woodland Street near the Tennessee Titans stadium and continued operations there until permanently closing in March 2018 due to declining patronage. Meanwhile, the Evansville-based Gerst Bavarian Haus remains operational.
Gerst Amber Beer (1992–Present)
In the early 1990s, under Chandler ownership, Gerst Haus Premium Amber—a lager inspired by the original 1950 Gerst Old Amber—was brewed by Evansville Brewing Company exclusively for sale at the restaurant. Growing local popularity led to bottling and wider distribution of Gerst Amber in Nashville and Evansville starting in 1992.
Following Evansville Brewing’s closure and acquisition of its brands by Iron City Brewing Company (Pittsburgh Brewing Co), production of Gerst Amber continued under contract until Pittsburgh Brewing’s bankruptcy caused another interruption.
In 2011, the Chandlers collaborated with Yazoo Brewing Company to reintroduce Gerst Amber Ale to Nashville’s market. This ale variation differs from earlier amber lagers but features label artwork inspired by an original pre-Prohibition Gerst design from the early twentieth century. Available in both bottled and draft forms, this product maintains brand heritage within regional craft beer circles.
Cultural Influence and Investigation
In 2006, entrepreneur and historian Scott R. Mertie, who owns the Nashville Brewing Company, published Nashville Brewing, a detailed account of the city's brewing heritage with particular emphasis on William Gerst and his brewery. By 2011, Mertie partnered with the Metro-Nashville Historical Commission to place a Historical Marker at the initial location of the Nashville Brewing Company, later known as Gerst Brewing Company.
In May 2019, Mertie joined forces with John Janusek, an anthropology professor at Vanderbilt University, to utilize ground-penetrating radar in examining tunnels and cellars beneath 6th Avenue South in downtown Nashville, believed to be connected to the early breweries. The data collected is intended to support future archaeological digs conducted by Vanderbilt’s anthropology department.