The Nashville community, with its collective thirst for brews that are more pleasing to their palates, is but a microcosm in this surging universe of bubbly artisan beverages. A closer examination of the Nashville craft beer scene will show you it’s strongest at its roots. And those roots go almost a decade deep, when the homebrew club Music City Brewers held its first meeting.

At the heart of this club was a group of people passionate about the beer they drink, all wanting to brew something they themselves would enjoy and share it with their community. Of the ten breweries featured in this guide, five owners/founders were early members of the Music City Brewers.

Most of the brewers covered in this book—though they all have different styles, ambitions, and philosophies—all live to give beer drinkers something enlightened, something different.

For these craftsmen and women, every handle, bottle, or can that graces a bar, convenience store, or grocery store is a win for craft beer in Nashville. They are all in it together—from borrowing ingredients to lobbying for the city’s official endorsement of the Brewery District—for the betterment of craft beer and for making sure the beer you get here is drinkin’ good.

To evoke famed nineteenth-century author, journalist, politician, and craft beer fanatic Horace Greeley, the call “Go South, craft beer! Go South!” has been answered. And of the southern cities that have stepped up their craft brewery game, Nashville stands tall. Enjoy!