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It’s been an incredible experience trying to visit every brewery in Tennessee in 2023 on the 2023 Beer Makes Three Tennessee Beer Adventure. The year is almost done, and so is the adventure. Unless we find another brewery we haven’t heard of, or one opens in the next few weeks, this list is set. We’ve been to 136 of 144.
FYI, that 136 is the business count. We aimed to hit every brewery and focus on HQ or original locations. Although we did visit a few multiple-location breweries, it wasn’t the plan, and we just happened to be in the neighborhood. You can see the complete list here in chronological and alphabetical order.
We have so many stories to tell, which will come in 2024. Most of our free weekends were spent working down the to-do list, so it didn’t leave much time to process. Don’t worry; we took notes and pictures and will share them. Until then, here are some highlights and things we’ve learned:
- We’ve enjoyed a lot of great beer on the journey. Don’t judge a brewery by its size – there is quality beer being brewed in some very tiny breweries in the middle of nowhere.
- One of the unexpected benefits was the travel. Tennessee is a beautiful state, and many of its breweries are in small country towns. We spent much time on two-lane roads crossing counties we’d never visited. There are many charming little towns to visit.
- We didn’t plan on going to brewpubs but ended up adding them to the list. A big surprise was they’re all making good beer, maybe better than most stand-alone breweries. I have some opinions on why, but later.
- It’s hard to keep up with all the breweries! We thought we could take the Tri-Cities off the list when we visited Appalachian Sun, Watauga, and Flanagan Brothers on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The guys at Flanagan Brothers let us know a new brewery was opening in Kingsport the very next week! It looks like one more trip to Northeast Tennessee.
- I have no idea how much this costs, but I will add it up. It’s been thousands of miles, a dozen hotel nights and many pints. It was worth every penny.
We’ll leave you with our top recommendation of where you should go for a beer. We’ve been asked that question many times, and the answer is based on our total experience there.
If you’re on I-24 between Nashville and Chattanooga, don’t miss Top of the Rock Restaurant and Brewery at Jasper Highlands. The beer is not trendy; it’s early 2000s brewpub styles, but they are well made and delicious. The food is “elevated” brewpub fare and was better than I expected. June had the Mahi, and I had Steak Frites; both were delightful. But the view! Hands down, Top of the Rock has the best view of any Tennessee brewery. It’s a slow and windy 10-minute drive up the mountain, but you’ll enjoy a stunning view of the Tennessee River Valley below when you get up there. They stay busy, so make a reservation for the patio and enjoy!
