This is a part of a continuing series of Q&As with members of the brewing community from across the US. Brewer Magazine will share business and personal insights from Brewmasters, Head Brewers, Brewing Managers, Sales Directors, QCQA Managers and others each weekend to help you get to know each other better in the industry and learn more to better develop your own brand.
Anthony Davis, President, East Nashville Beer Works — Nashville
BREWER: What inspired you to start your brewery, and how has your original vision evolved over time?
DAVIS: We wanted to be something somewhat unique and different in a Nashville brewery. We opened in 2016, during the third wave of Nashville brewery openings. Our goal was to be a “taproom-driven brewery,” and more of a third space. We wanted to have a good solid food menu but not be a full-service restaurant. We wanted to be the rare family friendly brewery, which we evolved even more.
BREWER: What has been your most successful strategy for navigating challenges like rising ingredient costs or economic downturns?
DAVIS: We have had to be creative to draw people in. As a taproom-driven brewery model, while distribution is important, the small amount of suffering there isn’t what we have time to focus on. We just hunker down and focus on our taproom model, and we have to be more creative basically, and find ways to get people through the door. With rising costs, we’ve had to absorb the hit, you can’t raise prices past a certain point at the retail level, we raised twice during COVID, so we just eat it unfortunately. It’s tough out there still!
BREWER: In the face of an evolving craft beer landscape, what significant changes have you noticed, and how has your brewery adapted to remain relevant?
DAVIS: Plenty of headwinds against us, as has been documented by so many at this point, with the alternative drinks, Gen Z drinking a little less, and all that. We have always been a brewery that has a lot to offer everyone. We have been slinging cocktails at both our locations for a couple years now. We have always offered wine and cider, and non-alc, and eventually just did the cocktails too. As far as the beer itself, we have always done a lot of lighter Ales and more recently Lagers. Being in the South we continue to focus on making really good ones, coming up with creative brands and find things that sell.
BREWER: What are you sippin’ on right now from your brewery that you really enjoy?
DAVIS: Our guys are into the fresh-hopped beers, and that has taken us to another level on some IPAs. It’s been delicious and dangerous at the same time, as I am older and prefer low ABV these days. My favorite beers are hoppy dark beers, and really loving our Red IPA as well.
READ MORE: Easier to Hire But Harder to Keep? Craft Beer’s Workforce Dilemma
BREWER: What trends in the craft beer industry do you think are worth investing in over the next few years?
DAVIS: Non-alc is not going away and going to keep going, I think eventually we all need to have our core beers also available in non-alc. I think it’ll become easier to do this. It’s expensive now, but if it becomes a standard that people know they can go to a brewery, and they will have 20 beers, and their top 3-4 also be in non-alc, that will be a cool thing and equal everyone out in the non-alc space. On another note, with consolidation of companies and breweries still happening, I think the breweries that are growing, need to keep growing distribution and with more taprooms.
