Hey shipmates, the Beer Skipper says forget all the nonsense about the election, etc., . . . trust the Skipper, it’s smooth sailing ahead! That’s right: Craft beer is once again being brewed in Murfreesboro!
Our friends at Tomato Tomato, led by brewmaster Kelly Kerr, are fine-tuning the ales to be made and poured at 223 W. Main St.
Tentative tap date for Bucket City Brews (named after Murfreesboro’s famous Red Cedar Bucket) is Oct. 2. Kerr’s sly about what’s going to debut, but hints that a nice Porter might be in the mix, along with an original recipe Cream Ale.
Kerr credits Tomato Tomato owner Mitchell Murphree for pushing the homebrew-to-microbrew envelope. Kerr was one of the original employees at Tomato Tomato, and picked up the homebrewing addiction about two years ago. Along the way, Kerr worked with Murphree to bring along Bucket City Brews, which will rotate beer offerings on a seasonal basis, to reflect menu changes. So look for stouter, darker Winter ales coming up for the holidays, and crisper offerings for the hot months.
But, you beg, “Where can we go right now, Beer Skipper, to taste fine craft beer?” Why, pilot your skiff to the Beer Skipper’s latest harbor, Coach’s Grill, at 127 S.E. Broad St. in Murfreesboro. Although probably known best for the biggest chicken wings known to mankind, Coach’s has quite the brew as well?twenty beers on tap and more than 50 bottled varieties keep the good seas a’coming.
GM John Mischke thinks he can swim with the Beer Skipper’s picks, but I’ll give him a pass this time; Mischke recommends Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy with the wings. And Mischke says the palate new to craft beer will appreciate offerings such as Atlanta-brewed Sweetwater Blue, a light, blueberry-infused ale (Mischke says Coach’s female bartenders swear by it!).
Finally, Coach’s can lay claim to having Rutherford County’s best growler deal. For the uninitiated, growlers are half-gallon glass containers full of brew pulled directly from the tap for home enjoyment. For only $10, Coach’s customers can take home growlers of Oregon favorite Widmer’s Hefeweizen, a two-time gold medal winner at the Great American Beer Fest. Get it while you can, shipmates!
The Beer Skipper, a.k.a. John Cummins, is a Murfreesboro resident, a founder of the Middle Tennessee Home Brew club (msbrewcrew.org) and captain of the Nashville Brews Cruise.
