Nashville Brewing Company
| Industry | Alcoholic beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1859 |
| Headquarters | 2312 Clifton Avenue Nashville, Tennessee United States |
| Products | European style lager beer |
| Owner | Scott R. Mertie |
| Website | nashvillebrewing |
The Nashville Brewing Company was in operation from 1859 until 1890 in Nashville, Tennessee, after which it was renamed the Gerst Brewing Company and continued until 1954. The brand was revived in 2016 by Scott R. Mertie, a beer historian and entrepreneur who had authored a detailed history of brewing in Nashville ten years prior.
Establishment as Nashville Brewing Company (1859–1892)
Following Nashville's designation as Tennessee’s capital in 1843, the city experienced population growth, notably with German immigrants who increased demand for fresh beer. Among these settlers, Jacob Stifel launched a modest brewery in 1859, marking Nashville’s first production brewery. Originally situated on South High Street (now Sixth Avenue South), the brewery ceased operations during the American Civil War but resumed in 1864 when Louis Pfeiffer joined as a partner, prompting a rebranding to South Nashville Brewery to differentiate it from the North Nashville Brewery.
By 1873, the facility was regarded as a "mammoth establishment" with substantial brewing capacity. After Pfeiffer passed away in 1876, John B. Kuhn acquired the brewery through auction and renamed it South Nashville Ale and Lager Beer Brewery. The ownership changed hands several times afterward: Clement Albert Maus and Brothers took over in 1877, followed by John Burkhardt in 1880, who reinstated the Nashville Brewing Company name.
In 1882, Burkhardt formed a partnership with Scottish siblings William and Archibald Walker from Cincinnati, who assumed full control by 1885. After Archibald’s death in 1889, William Walker transferred ownership again in 1890. The company emphasized quality assurance strategies, including offering a $100 prize in 1880 for producing superior beer quality, demonstrating its competitive stance within the alcoholic beverage sector.
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 its property. They demolished the existing structures and planned an investment ranging from $250,000 to $500,000 to construct what would become the largest brewery in the Southern United States. By 1893, Gerst relocated to Nashville to oversee operations exclusively and rebranded the business as the William Gerst Brewing Company. This brewery remained operational through Prohibition until its closure in 1954.
Reestablishment of Nashville Brewing Co (2016–present)
Scott R. Mertie, a local entrepreneur and historian specializing in beer history, released an extensive book on Nashville’s brewing heritage in 2006. In collaboration with the Metro Nashville Historical Commission in 2011, he helped install a historical marker at the original brewery location.
In 2016, Mertie revived the Nashville Brewing Company by partnering with Kent Taylor to craft traditional European-style lagers via Blackstone Brewing Company—Nashville’s oldest craft brewery founded in 1994. They carefully researched original brewing techniques to authentically reproduce lagers from the late 19th century.
The revived brand rapidly gained industry recognition, earning a silver medal at the 2018 World Beer Cup for its Nashville Lager in the Munich Helles category and securing a bronze medal at the same year’s Great American Beer Festival for its NashZwickel unfiltered lager. These accolades have bolstered its competitive position within the craft beer market.
In April 2019, Sports Illustrated featured Nashville Brewing Co as part of its coverage on Nashville’s craft beer scene during the NFL Draft, enhancing its market visibility. The following month, Mertie joined Vanderbilt University anthropology professor John Janusek on a project utilizing ground-penetrating radar to detect historic tunnels beneath downtown Nashville associated with original brewery operations. This initiative may lead to archaeological digs supporting efforts to preserve and celebrate the brand’s heritage.
At the Great American Beer Festival held in October 2020, Nashville Brewing Co received a silver medal for its Nashville Lager in the Munich Helles category, highlighting ongoing growth and recognition within the industry.
Beers
Nashville Brewing Company crafts its beers in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot, the historic German Beer Purity Law of 1516, utilizing barley malt and hops sourced from Europe. Their portfolio features classic lagers such as:
- Nashville Original Lager (a bright, golden Munich Helles lager)
- Nashville Amber Lager (a pre-prohibition style brewed with Vienna malt)
- NashZwickel (an unfiltered lager classified as Kellerbier-Zwickelbier)
- Nashville Festbier (an Oktoberfest-style Märzen)
- Nashville 1897 Pilsner (a Czech-style Pilsner)
- Nashville Dunkel (a traditional Munich Dunkel)
- Nashville Bock Beer (a classic winter Bock Beer)
- Nashville Holiday Bock (Bock infused with festive spices)
- Nashville Smoked Beer (authentic Rauchbier inspired by Bamberg, Germany)
- Nashville Black Lager (Schwarzbier)
- A selection of specialty and seasonal brews
Awards
Nashville Light (Light Lager)
- Gold - 2023 Great American Beer Festival
Nashville Original Lager (Munich Helles/Bavarian Helles)
- Silver - 2020 Great American Beer Festival
- Silver - 2018 World Beer Cup
- Gold - 2019 & 2018 Can Can Awards
- Bronze - 2017 Can Can Awards
- Silver - 2018 & 2019 All About Beer Magazine's Beer Army Beer Wars
- Gold - 2017 All About Beer Magazine's Beer Army Beer Wars
NashZwickel (Kellerbier-Zwickelbier)
- Bronze - 2018 Great American Beer Festival
Nashville Festbier (Oktoberfest-Märzen)
- Gold - 2018 & 2019 All About Beer Magazine's Beer Army Beer Wars
Nashville Bock Beer (Bock Beer)
- Gold - 2019 All About Beer Magazine's Beer Army Beer Wars