Craft Brewed
2502 Franklin Pike
Nashville, Tennessee 37204
(615)873-1992
Written by Ken Carman
When I first saw a picture of the sign out front of Craft Brewed on Facebook: like what’s at the end of this column, I wondered where it was. Once I found out I knew what one of my first questions would be when I interviewed the owner: “Why?”
What I found out made a lot of sense. This portion of Franklin Road has gone through many changes since we moved here in 78, though not as problematic as parts of East Nashville used to be, also going upscale. But, as owner Chip DeVier said, it’s… “becoming a hot area, rapidly gentrifying and, well, it’s close to home!”
While small, Craft Brewed is a comfortable, easy place to down a pint with perfect product placement in visually artistic, locations.
Chip is originally from Lexington, Kentucky.
As we talked I mentioned how Lexington has gone through on and off again changes when it comes to breweries and brewpubs, for a while all there was just Alltech after several brewpubs quickly started, then died. Doing business there for many years I noticed the frequent changes. We did agree it was on the upswing again with West Sixth Brewery and Country Boy being the new kids on the brew-block.
Craft Brewed has a nice size room behind, and to the left of, the bar: a room filled with homebrew supplies. You can see an older picture of this room near the end of the column. Since that picture was taken the room has been packed with hombrew goodies. I was happy to notice they had stocked plenty of kits from Rebel Brewing owned by fellow homebrew club member: Tom Gentry. But it looks like this is shaping into no “extract only” room. The yeast selection looked like it might be pretty good and, as I waited to talk to Chip; they were bringing in big bags of grain. This whole section seems to have really expanded since we visited last in January, and I can only assume it will get better. Craft Brewed is definitely homebrewer friendly.
With 21 taps, and a very happy Chip posing by them for a Tennesseean photo, I had to ask if there were plans for more taps.
“No, the problem with the beer industry is everyone tries to one up everyone else. Too many taps, even with rotating, it’s hard to keep it fresh and also sell enough. My idea is to have a well curated line up of beers. A good selection, a good variety: but don’t overdo it.”
“What inspired this concept?”
“There was nothing like this in Nashville, nothing that catered to craft beer aficionados in this way.”
As you walk in you can see
the serving bar: small but strategically located with 12 taps up front, the rest off to the right side. The day we went in January two ladies graced this pint station. Turn around, look the other way, and you can see a big cooler with plenty of bottles. Beyond that: the newest part of Craft Brewed, which will be a room for wine, small batch whiskey and high gravity beer. Not quite done yet. A foamy, froth-filled, heads up to craft brew lovers: no doubt Chip will be stocking it with a great selection of unique high grav beer.
The concept behind Craft Brewed is not only serving Nashville, but also serving patrons in a more local sense, as in: “the neighbors,” as The Tennessean interview with Chip suggests: a local neighborhood phenomenon.
While that interview with Chip focused on all the local brews available at Craft Brewed, I noticed the store wasn’t lacking in craft beer from across the country and some interesting oddities: they still had Craggie on tap when I visited. If you’re lucky, and get down there fast, you might still be able to quaff a pint or two from two Craggie taps: a very recently extinct brewery that was in Asheville, North Carolina.
Future plans for Craft Brewed include a patio, beer garden out back. While parking up front is limited, there’s parking out back. Across the street there’s a road where you can park off to the side.
Warm, cozy: surrounded by beer, homebrew supplies and other beer loving folks; rather than the blare of TVs with sport’s games, Craft Brewed of Nashville is where brew lovers and homebrewers can go have a pleasing quaff while discussing their real favorite “sport…” their love for all things BEER.
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Brew Biz: Werts and All, is a column dedicated to reviewing, discussing and commenting on all things beer including, but not limited to: marketing, homebrewing and homebrew/beer related events, how society perceives all things beer. Also: reviews of beer related businesses, opinions about trends in the beer business, and all the various homebrew, judging and organizations related to beer. Essentially, all things “beer.”