The Smoky Mountain Brewery has four locations in Eastern Tennessee.
Knoxville, TN
Tennessee isn’t the brightest star on the American beer map, but Knoxville, a little over a hundred miles from Asheville (this time to the west), is turning up the fire ’neath the brew kettles. Set at the foot of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it’s best known as the college town home to UT’s Volunteers. It was also the site of a World’s Fair . A central structure of the fair, the Sunsphere—a five-story-tall gold globe—remains a beacon in town.
One primary draw to visit here, if not live here, is that the city includes about 1,000 acres of protected land centered on the Ijams Nature Center (2915 Island Home Ave.) on the Tennessee River. Head out for a day of hiking, mountain biking, birding, kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding on one of the waterways, and you have the great outdoors to yourself.
Coming out of the hills—or quarries—it’s time for drinkable rewards. The Smoky Mountain Brewery has four locations in Eastern Tennessee—all with a 15-barrel brew house on premises—including one in Knoxville’s Turkey Creek mall (11308 Parkside Drive). In operation since 1996, the brewpub puts forward its clean German-style lagers, such as Thunder Road Pilsner, but doesn’t hide its tasty British-style ales, such as Appalachian Pale Ale, quickly becoming its best seller. The food menu is heavy on pizzas, burgers, and other sandwiches, but if you want a place that specializes in barbecue, head next door to Calhoun’s (625 Turkey Cove Lane). Both Calhoun’s and the Smoky Mountain Brewery are part of the Copper Cellar family of restaurants, and all four Knoxville locations serve their beer.
In downtown along the main drag, Gay Street, home to burgeoning nightlife thanks to great bars and venues such as historic icons the Tennessee Theatre and the Bijou Theatre, the Downtown Grill & Brewery (424 S. Gay St.) has kept locals quenched since 2006. Also referred to as the Woodruff Brewing Co. (it’s located in the Woodruff Building), the brewpub is huge. But even considering how packed it is any given night of the week, the pub manages to feel cozy. Its seven core beers have a nice range from the malty German Alt, to the balanced Woodruff IPA using entirely floral British hops. Things veer to the dark side starting with Downtown Brown, then dive deeper with the roasty New World Porter and lush, chocolaty State Street Stout made with creamy oats.
Visitors should not miss popping into The Crown & Goose (23 S. Central St.), a British gastropub also in the Old City. To eat, stick with the British classics like fish ’n’ chips, bangers and mash, or the excellent shepherd’s pie, topped with a pair of delectable lamb chops. Park it inside and enjoy live jazz (Wednesdays) while quaffing a proper pint. Two house cask ales are available: a stout and an IPA, both of which are pitch-perfect, brewed by Smoky Mountain Brewery. Or imbibe alfresco out in the beer garden with 18 taps for a great London-meets-Knoxville experience.
The newest brewery in town, Saw Works (708 E. Depot Ave.) is located in the Warehouse District in an actual defunct saw works building. Knoxville’s newest and only production brewery doesn’t go wildly experimental, as it’s core beers are a solid pale ale, a brown ale and an IPA. Then again, I tried brewmaster Dave Ohmer’s new Double Chocolate Porter and found it entirely satisfying without being too sweet or gooey. Also fun, Saw Works partners with Century Harvest Farms by providing its cattle with spent grain, and members can not only come into the brewery’s tap room, dubbed The Mill, for a $5 growler refill, but also pick up meat ordered directly from the ranchers. There’s even a “Beers and Steers” where members get a growler and burger for just 10 bucks.
There are a few craft-centric beer bars as well including Suttree’s High Gravity Tavern (409 S. Gay St.) specializing in, yes, high-gravity beers. You’re sure to find beers from the region including North Carolina and Georgia on draft. This chill spot provides enough seating at tables or the long bar to choose your drinking experience, and there’s also a small stage for some live tunes.
Head around the corner and you’re in the Market Square District, where you’ll find The Casual Pint (downtown at 421 Union Ave. and in Bearden, 234 Brookview Centre Way, Suite 107) with nearly two dozen taps proffering selections from around the South and beyond. The word casual is a fitting moniker: no stuffiness here. And if you somehow don’t see something on draft you’re craving, there’s a chiller for self-serve bottles tucked behind the shelves of bombers and six-packs for to-go purchases.
If out at the Bearden location on the west side of town, a stop at the Bearden Beer Market (4524 Old Kingston Pike) is compulsory. Part convenience store-style bottle shop, part beer garden replete with drinking-friendly games like cornhole, the Bearden Beer Market isn’t craft beer-centric, it’s pan-beer centric.
To recharge your battery, depleted either from a hard day’s paddling or a long day’s quaffing, hit the new Tupelo Honey Café (1 Market Square), a recent import from Asheville. It’s directly on Market Square, which is good for people-watching. Start with the fried green tomatoes on a bed of goat cheesy grits and/or the Appalachian egg rolls (filled with pulled pork and greens, naturally). Then, good luck deciding between the meatloaf, which includes bacon and comes topped with rosemary tomato shallot gravy (and a side of mac ’n’ cheese), Southern Fried Chicken Saltimbocca with Country Ham, or Brian’s Shrimp and Grits. Not only are there a couple of local beers on draft, but fun soft drinks like Cheerwine, a regional favorite from North Carolina.
New on the scene is The Plaid Apron Café (1210 Kenesaw Ave.) in the middle of the tony residential neighborhood Sequoyah Hills, popular with area joggers for its scenery. Jog in so you can order gluttonously from owner-chef Drew McDonald’s ever-changing menu—if it’s fresh he’ll cook it, bake it or throw it on the griddle. You know the McDonalds are onto something when, in a town rife with amazing biscuits (and gravy and/or Tupelo honey), these ones, proudly proclaiming Ritter Farms lard, are probably the finest.
As for where to stay for comfort and easy access to Knoxville’s hot spots, try the Oliver Hotel (407 Union Ave.) with the excellent Tupelo Honey Café tucked into the corner of the ground level. This boutique hotel, renovated from its 1876 glory, even comes with its own speakeasy, the Peter Kern Library, where, once inside the library walls, you can enjoy a local craft beer by the fireplace or have fun ordering cocktails named for American and British literary figures at the small bar. Don’t feel weird ordering the Lolita: She’s delicious.
