Memphis might not be on the list of best beer towns in the United States, but for Memphians, drinking locally brewed craft beer has become a popular community hobby with a growing market.
The Bluff City houses various taprooms, beer markets and breweries that recognized Memphis’ potential to have a solid craft beer community, like Memphis Made Brewing Co. Owners Drew Barton and Andy Ashby decided to take the plunge in 2013 when Barton presented Ashby with the idea of starting a small production brewery.
“I’ve seen how craft beer has blown up in other cities,†Ashby said. “It’s just a matter of time in Memphis. I just don’t think some people really saw it, but we decided to jump in.â€
The owners opened the brewery in an old pie factory located in the Cooper-Young district, and that decision turned out to be a great one, as Ashby said they started with six customers and now have more than 150.
A Tennessee law went into effect Jan. 1 that allows a 10.1 alcohol by volume level in beer production, which is an increase from the 6.2 level it was before, giving local brewers the opportunity to brew stouter beer.
“You used to have to go to a liquor store to carry anything above 6.2 or have a liquor permit, but now a bar that sells beer can carry up to 10 percent,†Ashby said. “This also makes Memphis more attractive to outside breweries.â€
David Smith and son-in-law Kevin Eble opened Hammer and Ale taproom in 2013 as one of the first beer outlets, and it sells locally and nationally brewed craft beer.
“We’ve seen kind of the beginning of the craft beer scene until now, which is pretty significant seeing as it was 6.2 and now it’s 10.1,†Eble said. “We’re getting a lot of national craft breweries that are coming here for distribution, and all of the local breweries have started brewing more beer.â€
Smith thinks craft beer has done so well because Memphis is supportive of itself, and Memphians like the idea of smaller breweries that give back to the community.
 “Some of the craft breweries are quite large in footprint and brew a lot of beer, but they’re still heavily involved in the community,†Smith said. “We try to give back to the Memphis community as much as we can.â€
 Cat Talbert, the lead beer tender at The Casual Pint on the Highland Strip, said craft beer has become so popular in Memphis because it is a niche product.
“People like niche things that are unique and especially new varieties of beer,†Talbert said. “That’s something that we haven’t had for many years, so it’s been pretty explosive, creative and inventive.â€
The Casual Pint opened at the beginning of 2017 and serves as both a taproom and a beer market.
Mike Clements, a brewer at Ghost River Tap Room and Brewers thinks the trendy beer market will continue to grow in Memphis because of the quality of the beer.
“As people develop a taste for craft beer versus what would be the norm in the past, it usually continues to grow,†Clements said. “We have great quality of water; that’s the best part of beer being made in Memphis – the artesian well water. And we use high-quality grain and hops.â€
Meddlesome Brewing and Crosstown Brewing are set to open in 2017, expanding the growing craft beer scene in Memphis even more.
