Bearded Iris to close Germantown taproom in December
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo: Nate Rau/Axios
Another week, another Nashville craft beer closure. Bearded Iris announced on Thursday its tasting room will pour its final pint on Dec. 5, though its beers will continue to be available in stores.
Why it matters: As is the case across the country, Nashville's craft beer scene is in the midst of closures, contractions and acquisitions.
The big picture: Perhaps no brewery embodies the changing landscape quite like Bearded Iris.
- Fueled by its staple beer Homestyle, Bearded Iris was ahead of the wave when it came to the industry's hazy IPA craze.
- Its tasting room was known for friendly service, while its brewers riffed on variations of Homestyle and fruited sours. Eventually, Bearded Iris opened a second taproom on Charlotte Avenue. Homestyle could be found in every liquor store and grocery store.
- In 2022, Bearded Iris joined a brewery collective called IndieBrew, in which multiple breweries sought to collaborate and pool resources in order to address costs.
Friction point: As the craft beer industry took a dive, Bearded Iris was impacted like everyone else. They sold to Memphis brewery Wiseacre last year.
Driving the news: In an Instagram post, Bearded Iris lamented the rising costs of running a bar in Nashville. Its Charlotte Avenue taproom closed after the sale, and now, Bearded Iris beers will be brewed by Wiseacre and only available in stores.
- "Recent changes in rent rates and property taxes have made it untenable for us to continue operating a taproom here," the brewery said.
The bottom line: Bearded Iris joins breweries like Yazoo, Southern Grist and Barrique that have either closed, merged or been acquired by other breweries.