A Memphis brewery tour: Here's every taproom you need to check out for beer, food & fun
Memphis is becoming a beer lover's dream. 12 breweries with accompanying taprooms are now open across the city, from Downtown to East Memphis. It's never been easier to find a brewery that best suits you.
The rise of craft beer in the city has not only provided a plethora of delicious custom beers to taste, but also created a multitude of new gathering places to hang out with friends, play games and meet new people.
Looking for a new brewery to visit? Here are the Memphis taprooms you need to try.
Ghost River Brewing Co.
Two taprooms: 341 Beale St. and 827 S. Main St.; ghostriverbrewing.com
This Beale Street location features a large outdoor patio space just 100 feet from FedExForum. Visitors can listen to regular live music performances while enjoying 16 beers from Ghost River's selection, as well as hot wings from New Wing Order, an award-winning local food truck.
The original South Main location offers a different feel, with rotating food trucks, family- and pet-friendly spaces, community games like cornhole and Connect 4, plus 12 ales on tap. But whether you're prepping for a Grizzlies game or hanging out with family, either Ghost River location offers a fun time.
WISEACRE Brewing Co.
Two locations: 398 S. B.B. King Blvd. and 2783 Broad Ave.; wiseacrebrew.com
WISEACRE has two unique locations in Memphis, each with a distinct style. Its newest and primary location, Wiseacre HQ on South B.B. King, is vibrantly stylized with an aqua blue color scheme and room to seat hundreds both inside and outside in its expansive patio space. Its creative architectural style includes bubble-like windows that grant visitor a glimpse into the actual brewery.
WISEACRE has a plethora of custom IPAs, lagers and pilsners on tap like Puffel, Ananda and, of course, Tiny Bomb. They've also partnered with Little Bettie Pizza and Snacks to serve exactly that, with nine custom pizzas on the menu and snacks such as loaded tater sticks, pretzel nuggets, pork rinds and kimchi hush puppies.
Memphis Made Brewing Co.
768 S. Cooper St.; memphismadebrewing.com
Memphis Made Brewing Co. is located in the Cooper-Young neighborhood just off Central Avenue. Its taproom has the look of a warehouse-turned-communal space, with large garage doors that open up to the outside area, where you might find live music being played.
Memphis Made, which has a second taproom in the works Downtown, offers three beers on tap year-round: Cat Nap, Fireside and GonerBrau, alongside multiple seasonal offerings such as The Judge, a chocolate-vanilla porter. If you're hungry after a few beers, food trucks often set up on the property.
High Cotton Brewing Co.
598 Monroe Ave.; highcottonbrewing.com
High Cotton Brewing Co. is another great place in Downtown Memphis to kick back and watch a Grizzlies game or relax with friends. High Cotton serves up its selection of beers in both its large outdoor space and its bright, naturally lit indoor space, which overlooks its huge brewery.
Grab a bite to eat from food trucks that often stop by, play some darts and, of course, drink beer. High Cotton offers IPAs like River King, which has an "intense tropical fruit aroma," as well as German-style beers like Weizenbock, which has a banana and clove aroma combined with a caramel flavor.
North-Little Rock based company Flyway Brewing Company is expected to take over High Cotton's space soon. The transition is will be gradual, in order to limit disruption to business.
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Meddlesome Brewing Co.
7750 Trinity Road, Cordova; meddlesomebrewing.com
The mischievously named Meddlesome Brewing Co. is one of the few breweries on this list not located in Downtown or Midtown Memphis. The Cordova-based brewery is housed inside the average office building, but don't let the exterior fool you. Meddlesome keeps the brewery experience fresh with the multitude of events it hosts, like movie night, trivia night or its so-called "Beer-lympics" with competitions like a cornhole tournament and stein-holding challenge. There's live music every Sunday as well.
Meddlesome has eight beers on tap, including its flagship drinks, Memphis Style and 201 Hopler. Its food menu consists almost entirely of sandwiches, from a classic Cuban with thousand island dressing, to the "Cluck Yea," which has grilled chicken, mild buffalo sauce, celery and blue cheese crumbles on a ciabatta roll.
Meddlesome's close proximity to Shelby Farms Park is another bonus for park-goers.
Urban Consequence Brewing Company
239 Cooper St.; urbanconsequencebrewing.com
The newest brewery in Memphis as of March 2024, Urban Consequence fulfills its mission as an "oasis of flavor and refreshment." Though it's one of the smallest breweries in the city, Urban Consequence's selection of 8-10 beers makes it hard to tell that. There's great variety: from their traditional Irish red ale to the sweet-sounding peanut butter chocolate mike stout, there's something for everyone. And because Urban Consequence brews in small batches, there are new recipes on tap often. Consider trying a Radler too (beer mixed with sparkling lemonade).
Urban Consequence is pet friendly and child friendly, supplying coloring books and games for kids. Anyone not looking for alcohol can still have a great time at Urban Consequence: Craft sodas and house-made lemonade are available as well.
Hampline Brewing Co.
584 Tillman St.; hampline.com
Found in the heart of Binghampton, Hampline Brewing is a great place to have a drink outdoors. Visitors can grab a seat at a picnic table on the greenspace and enjoy board games while they enjoy a selection of 13 beers.
Hampline's branding is creative: Every can produced by the brewery is adorned with the image of Natch the bear, the first resident of the Memphis Zoo.
Crosstown Brewing Co.
1264 Concourse Ave.; crosstownbeer.com
There's no brewery quite like Crosstown Brewing Co., and it mostly comes down to location. The brewery opened in February 2018, shortly after Crosstown Concourse's opening in August 2017, and complements the site perfectly. Crosstown Brewing has 14 beers on draft to try while you play your friends at foosball, watch sports or gaze through a window that gives a glimpse of the expansive brewery.
There's also plethora of events to attend like live music, trivia and beer release parties, as well food trucks to try regularly. Details can be found on Crosstown's website.
Soul & Spirits Brewery
845 N. Main St.; soulandspiritsbrew.com
Located off the northernmost point of Main Street in the Pinch District, Soul & Spirits isn't your average brewery. It's not been named Tennessee Brewery of the Year by the Tennessee Championship of Beers twice in a row for fun. Soul & Spirits has dozens of beers on rotation, one of the largest selections in the city. A wide variety of food trucks also set up shop most days the brewery is open, and bar snacks like popcorn from locally owned Wolf River Popcorn Co. are offered as well.
Besides food and drink, Soul & Spirits has plenty of entertainment options. A section of its European-style beer hall is designated for a plethora of games like darts, shuffleboard, cornhole, basketball, giant chess, giant checkers and table hockey. There's a little something for everyone at Soul & Spirits.
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Grind City Brewing Co.
76 Waterworks Ave.; grindcitybew.com
Just a bit farther north of Soul & Spirits is Grind City Brewing Co. This brewery has not only an expansive deck space, but a large lawn as well, complete with a view of Wolf River Harbor. There are six year-round beers to choose from, like The Godhopper, an IPA with "copious" amounts of fruit forward hops.
Grind City also hosts live music, including its upcoming Grind City Music Fest April 5-6.
The Ready Room by Hook Point Brewing Co.
715 W. Brookhaven Circle; hookpointbrewing.com
Just a short walk away from the Malco Paradiso in East Memphis, The Ready Room is the perfect place to visit after movie night. Five core beers and seasonal options complement the brewery's extensive and everchanging menu.
Visitors can grab pretzel bombs, chicken bites and parmesan fries for the table. But Hook Point serves full meals too. Currently, dishes like their gyro Philly, Ready Room burger, or blackened chicken breast can be found on the menu.
The Ready Room is Hook Point's newest location, and one of the newest breweries in Memphis. Its original location in Collierville remains open.
Cooper House Project
906 Cooper St.; cooperhouseproject.com
For any beer lovers looking for something a little more cozy, Cooper House Project has you covered. As the name implies, it's located in an inconspicuous, average looking home on Cooper Street. The Project states that they "abandon the flagship brewing model," instead opting to bring a variety of beers rotating in and out in small batches regularly.
Uniquely, The Project also offers up its taproom walls and gallery space for local artists to display their work.
Jacob Wilt is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal. You can reach him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What are the best breweries in Memphis? Here are 12 must-try taprooms
