TailGate Cider Company Takes Distribution Statewide

TailGate Brewery’s cider project grows by leaps and bounds

TailGate Cider Company, the cider program of Nashville-based TailGate Brewery, is expanding distribution statewide. TailGate Cider is now available across Tennessee on draft, and in 16oz cans.

Made with a proprietary blend of 100% Washington apples, TailGate Cider was the first cider produced out of the Music Row taproom and production facility, released in January of 2018. The location, on Demonbreun, opened in 2016 as TailGate’s second taproom. In the corner of the taproom is the production space where TailGate ferments experimental ciders, of which the brewery has up to eight on draft at any given time.

“Our guests have asked for a cider option in our taprooms since day one. And back then there were no local options. So we figured, why not make our own?! It’s all fermentation, right? How hard could it be?” Wesley Keegan, TailGate’s Founder and Brewmaster, said with a laugh.

The brewery began canning TailGate Cider in December of 2019 in 16oz. four-packs. They’ve since expanded distribution across the state of Tennessee in response to consumer demand.

“In the last two years we’ve seen an increase in demand for cider as the number of gluten-free and health-conscious drinkers grows in Tennessee,” said Brand Manager Ryan Bruchey. “After self-distributing our ciders on draft in Davidson County for a year, we had a ton of requests to broaden distribution of draft and canned cider to the whole state, including from large health-focused retailers like Whole Foods.”

The success of TailGate Cider points back to TailGate’s enthusiasm for experimental growth. The brewery’s third taproom in East Nashville continues on in the same vein, housing TailGate’s wild and spontaneous fermentation program, which releases limited batches that can be barrel-aged from 2 months up to 5+ years.

Fans can find TailGate Cider on tap at bars across Tennessee, or in cans and on draft at each taproom: Headquarters, Music Row and East Nashville. 

For more information about TailGate Brewery, please visit www.tailgatebeer.com or follow @tailgatebrewery. Find TailGate Brewery Music Row-specific news and content at @tailgatebeermr.

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About TailGate Brewery

TailGate Brewery started brewing in Nashville in 2014 on a 3-barrel system. Since then, the brewery has grown to install the largest brewhouse in the state with a 50-barrel system and 8-barrel brewhouse. In addition to a craft cidery and spontaneous fermentation program at satellite taprooms. All operations are conducted through a "beer-first" philosophy: no matter how experimental the flavors get, quality is first and foremost. TailGate has three award-winning core beers available in six-packs year-round: Peanut Butter Milk Stout, TailGate Lager and Southeast IPA. In addition to a standard rotating menu of roughly 30 beers and ciders in the TailGate Taprooms; TailGate also releases limited run 16 oz. cans, with seasonal sours released quarterly and hazy IPAs released every six weeks. TailGate’s beers are available in small and large retailers, restaurants, and craft beer locations in Tennessee. In the US, TailGate Brewery exclusively distributes in Tennessee. For more information visit www.tailgatebeer.com or follow @tailgatebrewery.