Coming Soon: Memphis Made Craft Beers

Coming Soon: Memphis Made Craft Beers

2013 is going to be a good year for those of you who insist on drinking locally.

Memphis native Drew Barton has moved back from Asheville, NC (where he was running French Broad Brewery) to open a new local craft brewery named with a heavy dose of city pride this year.

All of Memphis Made's beers will be made in Cooper-Young in the gigantic white building right next to the red I Love Memphis mural.

Memphis Made Brewing Co., Memphis, Tenn.

 

 

Since Memphis already has a beloved local craft bewery (Ghost River) and another on the way (High Cotton), I asked Barton how he's planning to differentiate his brewery from the others:

"I learned if you planned your business around what everyone else was doing, you'd quickly find yourself running around in circles. So, I found it best to simply follow my instinct and focus on the task at hand: making the best possible beer I could. All I can do is put everything I have into every beer, every batch, every new product launch and hope that Memphis can't get enough of it."

Since Barton is currently Memphis Made's only employee, he's planning to start small. He's planning to make two year-round beers and a handful of seasonal offerings annually. Currently, he's got the capacity to produce about 2,000 kegs per year, but as business grows, he's planning to expand into growlers, dock sales and eventually, bottles.

There are also plans to open the brewery for public tours and eventually open a tap room.

As for when Memphis Made is officially going to open, Barton says that officially, he has no idea. It takes a long time to get the building up to code and get all of the necessary permits. He says if everything continues to progress as it has been, the brewery will be open mid-2013.

Memphis Made's website is still in progress, but when it's done, you can find it here: http://www.memphismadebrewing.com/

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Red Bardes
Good Luck! I applaud your effort and look forward to it. If you think of franchising once you get going, Ill consider opening one in Collierville! Always wanted a local place to sip some good stuff. Budweiser got old on me in my 20s. Craft it up, I wish you all the best.
January 7, 2013 5:01pm
critter42
Is he an AshEville, NC transplant or a Nashville, TN transplant?
January 9, 2013 3:07am
Nickel
Nashville is 15 years ahead of Memphis w craft brewing.................................................I thank you for starting a new brewery..............The beer selection here is a terrible joke......Jackson ,Tn (has way better selection)..........good luck to you.....make great fresh beer and a new customer types here!
January 9, 2013 12:01pm
Drew Barton
Red Bardes - Thanks for the support! Critter42 - I'm actually a native Memphian. My wife and I lived in Asheville, NC for 5 years, where I got my start in the brewing industry. But I am Memphis made, and we move back here to bring want we learned in Asheville to Memphis. Nickel - Nashville does have a bit of a head start on us, but I think you'll be pleasantly suprised at the progress that will be made in 2013. Amazing new out of town beers will come into the Memphis market this year and lots of even better and fresher beers will be brewed right here in Memphis.    
January 9, 2013 1:11pm
Nickel
 nice update....Drew...........
January 10, 2013 11:46am