Southern Grist Brewing Company: Pushing the boundaries of craft beer
Home brew hobby turns into pair of neighborhood taprooms
By Pam Windsor
NASHVILLE – Locals and visitors alike are fans of the Southern Grist Brewing Company, with locations in East Nashville and the Nations. Both have a neighborhood bar-type feel, each with a full restaurant and 20 to 25 beers on tap daily.
The company has come a long way since opening its first small taproom more than seven years ago. With a motto of “pushing the boundaries of craft beer,” the business that started off as a side project for three men who worked together and shared a passion for home brewing, has grown more quickly than any of them ever imagined.
Jessica Gonzales worked for Southern Grist as a bartender and now serves as its marketing director.
“When Kevin Antoon, Jamie Lee, and Jared Welch started in East Nashville in 2016, they anticipated keeping their full-time jobs, but business increased so quickly,” she said.
Things moved so fast, they outgrew their small production space, and had to open a new production facility in the Nations. That facility is right by the Southern Grist tavern that now serves that community. They closed the original East Nashville taproom at Porter and Greenwood, opening a new location in a bigger building on Douglas Avenue.
“I think things really took off for us because East Nashville was such a welcoming community and it was like that neighborhood bar where everyone would run into friends and have a great time,” Gonzales said. “But it was coupled with what we do with our beer. We’re committed to using quality ingredients. We use real fruit purees in our beer, so anything with raspberries is going to be that bright color. We’re not afraid to go for it.”
The Southern Grist team is definitely “not afraid to go for it.” In just seven years, they’ve created more than 1,100 different beers. Loyal customers look forward to coming in and trying something new.
“Yes, these are 1,100 unique recipes,” Gonzales said. “We love experimenting and trying something new. We’re always rotating and turning things over and it’s a lot of fun. And people have come to trust us with that. If they see we’re doing something ‘off the wall,’ they’re going to be like, OK, I know they’re going to nail it. And they enjoy going with us on that journey.”
On any given day, visitors can sample some 30 to 35 beers from nearly two-dozen on tap, and others available in cans. In addition to rotating beers, there are some that are seasonal and come back year after year.
“There are some like Southern Fest that come around every September or October. And every March we do one for St. Patrick’s Day. That one’s called Marbitz and it’s a Hazy IPA that has Lucky Charms marshmallows in it. So, we have beers that have a following and people look forward to them every year.”
In the early years, Southern Grist simply rotated their beers without having any that served to represent the company as a brand. But that changed in 2020.
“A lot of breweries have beers that stay on the menu throughout the year, but we didn’t have any flagship beers,” Gonzales explains. “But then Covid hit, and we wanted to give people what they wanted. We realized very quickly that in order for us to grow the way we wanted to grow and have our beer in grocery stores and in bars and restaurants, we had to offer something more stable. So, we started our flagship program.”
As part of that program, they now produce three beers available all year: Teal, a New England IPA; Southern Grist, which is their Pilsner; and 'Mosa, a fruited sour inspired by mimosas.
Adding bites
Given their reputation for unique style beers, when Southern Grist added a kitchen, the owners wanted the food to stand out, as well.
“We partnered with Andrew Coins, who is our executive chef, and he brought along Kenji Nakagawa, who is our chef de cuisine. They are an amazing pair and it’s been exciting to see their creativity.”
There’s a focus on seasonal and fresh ingredients, working with local vendors, and creating menu items that aren’t necessarily what one might consider typical bar food.
“We wanted something that would stand up to the flavors we get from our beer,” Gonzales said. “So, the menu is rotating just as often as our beers.”
And yet, she said, restaurants at both locations do offer items like burgers and potatoes, as well.
“The burgers are different, but both great. Both use Bear Creek Farm beef. The one at the East Nashville location is more of a traditional burger with pickles and burger sauce. The one at the Nations is modeled around a BLT. So, it’s got ground bacon in the patties, and served with lettuce, tomato, and mozzarella.”
As the craft beer scene continues to evolve in Nashville, it’s proven there is room for a variety of different breweries, with each carving out its own place in the market. For Southern Grist, the goal is to continue creating small batch, experimental beers that entice customers and keep it fun. It’s the reason the three founding members got into the business in the first place.
“We are constantly pushing the envelope and coming up with something new and innovative,” Gonzales said. “But it’s awesome to see the beer scene growing here because more breweries are good for everyone. It raises the bar and challenges all of us.”
The East Nashville Taproom is located at 754 Douglas Ave., while The Nations Taproom can be found at 5012 Centennial Blvd. Both locations are open noon to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.