Tennessee Brewery, Memphis

The Tennessee Brewery is a building that formerly housed the Memphis Brewing Company, one of the largest breweries of its era. At one time, they produced over 250,000 barrels per year. It was also the first beer production company for the city.

From 1877 to 1954, they produced many famous beers such as, Pilsener, Export, Tennessee Pale, Bavarian and Columbian Extra Pale, Erlanger, and Goldcrest 51. Goldcrest 51 was known as “the finest beer you ever tasted." The brewery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The Tennessee Brewery sits on a bluff where one can enjoy views of the Mississippi River from the north and south and an awe-inspiring view of the city. Prohibition temporarily halted production until 1933 and the brewery permanently ceased production in 1954. From 1955 to 1981, the first floor of the plant was occupied by a scrap metal business. It was also the site of the 1992 movie Trespass.

In 1999, the building was saved from demolition, due to code violations, by Kevin Norman. Mr. Norman provided the money to get the building back up to code. Plans are in the works to convert the building into condominiums. It is currently owned by the Tennessee Brewery, LLC and is available for purchase.