Who’s Brewing What (and When) in Knoxville

In Cover Stories, Food & Drink by S. Heather Duncanleave a COMMENT

Here are the announced breweries that are coming soon to the Knoxville area:

Alliance Brewing Co.
Aims to open in summer on Sevier Avenue; three-barrel system, mostly for sale at tap room, eventually plans to include gluten-free beer offering.

Balter Beerworks
Aims to open a brew pub at corner of Jackson Avenue and Broadway in a former service station in October. Will sell primarily on-site although may do some limited keg distribution in Knoxville with its seven-barrel system. 

Chisholm Tavern Brewing
A beer festival staple, Chisholm Tavern is still 18 to 24 months from opening, according to brewer Steve Dedman.

Cold Fusion Brewing
Plans to start brewing any day now using a three-barrel system off Merchants Drive on Inskip Road, which could expand to a 20-barrel system. Will distribute kegs to bars, with bottling to follow soon after. Also has several other beer-related ventures including a hop farm and a beer additive to enhance the flavor of domestic light beer.

Crafty Bastard Brewery
Opening in the next month or so in the Fourth and Gill neighborhood on Central Street with a three-barrel system. Beer to be sold in-house at tap room, pairing with food trucks.

Geezers Brewery
Has made an offer on a location in the North Central Street area and hopes to open in 2016 as a 15-barrel, distribution-only operation.

Hexagon Brewing Co.
Fountain City-area brewery (Dutch Valley Road) aiming to open by the end of the year; 20-barrel system for distribution and pouring in its tasting room.

Fanatic Brewing Co.
Microbrewery on North Central Street with 25,000-barrel capacity, has been selling beer for distribution for the last three to four months.

Hindsight Brewing
Twelve to 18 months away from opening, no location chosen yet. Brewpub format with three- to seven-barrel system.

Last Days of Autumn
Opening around next spring, still finalizing a location but shooting for the N. Central Street area. Husband-wife team will be operating a brewery taproom with two-barrel system, with beer for sale primarily on-premises.

Pretentious Beer & Glassware Co.
Glassblowing studio will open in the coming weeks, then plans to be pouring other people’s beers at the taproom by fall and brewing in winter or spring. Specializing in “Americanized Belgian” and funky beers on a three- to five-barrel system on South Central Street.

Scruffy City Brewery
A two-barrel brewing system is intended to start running this summer in the area beneath the stage in the popular Market Square venue.

Schulz Bräu Brewing Co.
Happy Holler-area brewery on Bernard Avenue aims to open its 30-barrel system by October. All German beers brewed according to the German purity law, sold in its beer garden and for distribution.

Existing Breweries

Saw Works Brewing Co.: East Depot Avenue microbrewery sells mostly for distribution, utilizing a 5,000 barrel system.

Bluetick Brewery: An innovative co-op brewery in Maryville.

Blackhorse Pub & Brewery: Bearden brewery that left Knoxville for over a decade before returning to its original location at Western Plaza.

Smoky Mountain Brewery (four East Tennessee locations, including Turkey Creek in Knoxville): One of the oldest brew pubs in town, and the only one with multiple locations.

Woodruff Brewing Co. (Downtown Grill & Brewery) on Gay Street: Knoxville’s original modern-era brew pub.

Also: See our main story on Knoxville’s ever-growing microbrewery scene.

S. Heather Duncan has won numerous awards for her feature writing and coverage of the environment, government, education, business and local history during her 15-year reporting career. Originally from Western North Carolina, Heather has worked for Radio Free Europe, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting in London, and several daily newspapers. Heather spent almost a dozen years at The Telegraph in Macon, Ga., where she spent most of her time covering the environment or writing project-investigations that provoked changes such as new laws related to day care and the protection of environmentally-sensitive lands. You can reach Heather at heather@knoxmercury.com

Share this Post