8 Downtown Memphis Craft Breweries to Tap Into
Looking for a laid‑back evening or afternoon pint in the heart of Memphis? Here are eight downtown taprooms worth your time. Each one brings something different, whether it’s vibes, views, or variety.
Looking for a laid‑back evening or afternoon pint in the heart of Memphis? Here are eight downtown taprooms worth your time. Each one brings something different, whether it’s vibes, views, or variety.
Wiseacre Brewing Co. (Downtown HQ)
If you want a taproom that’s part art gallery, part pizza joint, part beer lab, this is it. Wiseacre’s downtown HQ is massive, with rotating taps, a full pizza kitchen (Little Bettie), and a constant calendar of events, from trivia nights to brewery tours. In this blogger’s humble opinion, Wiseacre has some of the best beer in the entire state and Little Bettie has the best pizza in the city (you gotta get the Thud Butt pizza that was featured on an episode of Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Don’t let the name of the pizza fool you!) You can’t go wrong coming down to the HQ. I have had more fun times here with friends than I can count.
Hours: Mon–Tue: 1pm-9pm | Wed: 1pm-9pm | Thu: 1pm-10pm | Fri & Sat: 11am-10pm | Sun: 12pm–9pm
398 S. B.B. King Blvd, Memphis, TN
Ghost River Brewing Co. (South Main Street)
Not to be confused with the Ghost River location that’s on Beale, THIS original South Main location at 827 S. Main, is historic in being Memphis’ first ever craft brewery. They’ve renovated the hot spot recently and the new space features a full-service kitchen and bar (with a dozen Ghost River craft beer taps and local liquors). The outdoor space features a massive soundstage that hosts live concerts and other events (like NFL football on Sundays). For Green Bay Packers fans, I don’t know if there’s a better place to be in the city to watch a game, as Ghost River is the de facto Packers bar in the city.
Hours: Mon-Tue: CLOSED | Wed & Thurs. 5pm-10pm | Fri: 4pm-10pm | Sat: 12pm-10pm | Sun: 12pm-8pm
827 S Main St, Memphis, TN 38106
Grind City Brewing
Grind City is your backyard oasis minutes from downtown. There are loads of indoor + outdoor space, food trucks, live music, and a chill community feel. There are always people bringing their dogs and people having a great time. It also overlooks the Mississippi River and the Bass Pro Shop Pyramid, so the sunsets are gorgeous if you’re there later in the day. The beer taps rotate heavily, so there’s always something new to try. My go-to lately from them has been the Poppy’s Pils American pilsner and the Belga witbier.
Hours: Wed–Thu: 5pm–10pm | Fri–Sat: 12pm–10pm | Sun: 12pm–8pm | Closed Mon–Tue
76 Waterworks Ave, Memphis, TN
Soul & Spirits Brewery
Soul & Spirits leans into Memphis’ musical soul in their beer. And they lean into craft beer traditions in their big, classic German beer garden feel. Think of it as a beer hall meets homage to Memphis heritage. Their beer names, style, and vibe all lean into that local flavor, including “Green Onions,” “Smoke Stack,” and “Hound Dog.” My personal favorite of Soul & Spirit’s is the Hoochie Coochie IPA, which I even made sure to have stocked at my own wedding! They have all sorts of cool arcade games and even have a “Quiet Room” if you need to get away from the lively barroom. Come for one of their many fun events they have routinely including the Dog Costume Contest, Stein Holding Competition, Halloween Markets, and more!
Hours: Wed–Thu: 4pm–9pm | Fri–Sat: 1pm–9pm | Sun: 1pm–6pm | Closed Mon–Tue
Flyway Brewing
Little Rock-based Flyway Brewing Company’s acquired the former High Cotton location at 598 Monroe Ave and now blends both breweries’ recipes in the trendy taproom. You can expect a mix of High Cotton staples alongside Flyway’s more experimental offerings. At this point, the High Cotton Mexican Lager is one of the staple flagships of the Memphis’ craft beer scene and is what I get all the time. On a hot day, there’s not much better than one of those with a signature lime slice in it.
Hours: Sun–Thurs: 11am-9pm | Fri & Sat:11am-10pm
MFS Brewing (Memphis Filling Station)
Newest on the scene, Memphis Filling Station aka MFS Brewing, opened its downtown taproom in 2024. The design is open concept, so there’s no separation between brewery and taproom so it’s truly immersive as you sip and look at the machines making beer. They take pride in making small batches of constantly rotating taps in new styles and varieties, which, sadly, is a bit of a dying breed nowadays in the craft beer world. They have some of the nicest staff in the entire city and will be able to get you a craft beer to whatever your heart desires. And they also have free popcorn with tons of flavors you can add on top of your hot popped kernels. Music Bingo and Karaoke Fridays are huge here.
And I am sorry to bury the lede here, but Memphis Filling Station has THE BEST calzone in the United States of America. The Italian calzone with hot honey can cure most ailments, I am pretty sure (I am not a doctor, but seriously it’s incredible and worth the stop alone.)
Hours: Wed–Thu: 3pm–9pm | Fri: 3pm–10pm | Sat: 12pm–10pm | Sun: 12pm–7pm
206 E. G.E. Patterson, Memphis, TN
Memphis Made Brewing Co.
Memphis Made has long been a staple of Midtown but has recently moved downtown to the Edge District. Their new warehouse-like location is right next to the Ravine, which is a huge, lively park-like gathering space, and just a stone’s throw from legendary Memphis attractions like Sun Studio. They always have tons of fun events, including comedy shows and bingo nights, and always have plenty of food trucks around with a variety of tasty samplings.
Hours: Mon–Thu: 4pm–9pm | Fri: 4pm–10pm | Sat: 1pm–10pm | Sun: 1pm–7pm
16 S Lauderdale St, Memphis, TN 38103
Ghost River Brewing (Beale Street)
I had long wanted a brewery on Beale Street for tourists (and locals) to be able to quickly walk to on the historic street and thankfully it finally came in 2021 when Ghost River moved into the old Lew’s Blue Note space. It has all the same great Ghost River beers the original location has in a nice space with a back patio that faces the FedEx Forum. There’s always live music going on in the back there and a really cool walk-up outdoor space that has heaters in the winter and fans in the winter. It’s a great place to watch football games out on the patio or have a few drinks before a Grizzlies game. If you’re a Green Bay Packer’s fan, this is the place to be on a Sunday, as you can see by all the Packers paraphernalia on the walls.
Hours: Mon-Tue: CLOSED | Wed & Thurs 4pm-10pm | Fri & Sat: 12pm-10:30pm | Sun: 11:30 am-10pm
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