Just in time for the kickoff (well, puck-drop) of the Nashville Predators’ new season, Jackalope Brewing has partnered with the team to create a new beer that will be sold in Bridgestone Arena during games. Simply named Preds Beer, the brew is a Kölsch-style ale, a German variety that lives on the border between ales and lagers and is known for being crisp and crushable with subtle notes of fruitiness.
The idea for the collaboration arose from an event at the brewery last summer that benefited the Preds Foundation. There Jackalope’s Bailey Spaulding and Steve Wright reminisced about how much they have enjoyed attending hockey games and wondered how they could help commemorate the team’s 25th season in Smashville.
“When we were developing the brew, we thought about all the time we’ve spent in the seats a Bridgestone cheering on the Preds, and what the perfect beer would be in that moment,” says Spaulding in the beer’s announcement. "We wanted to brew something that Preds fans of all kinds could enjoy together.”
“We have always been in awe of the Predators’ commitment to putting a quality team on the ice while also being true partners in the community," Wright adds, "so getting to be a part of celebrating their 25th anniversary is incredibly exciting. We also have always been a proud supporter of the Predators Foundation.”
For now, you’ll have to go to the arena or Jackalope’s taproom to try this new beer, but the brewery hopes to expand into other retail outlets as the season goes along.
If you’re looking for a volunteer opportunity to help out a great local cause, mark Friday, Oct. 20, on your calendar. That's when Love, Tito’s, the philanthropic arm of Tito’s Handmade Vodka, joins with The Nashville Food Project to revitalize their Growing Together Farm as part of Tito’s Block-to-Block program. The program works with volunteers to create green spaces, including community gardens and farms, that nurture neighborhoods and make fresh food more accessible, one block at a time.
Growing Together Farm is a project of TNFP at 299 Haywood Lane, where a community of Nepalese and Burmese farmers grow nearly 30,000 pounds of produce annually. TNFP then sells and distributes that produce to Nashville residents, restaurants and other market outlets, with approximately 40 percent shared with individuals who lack regular access to fresh produce.
The Growing Together Farm has almost maxed out its production capacity due to limitations in the site’s agricultural infrastructure. TNFP has identified several priorities this year that would help improve production and operating capacity, including improved water catchment infrastructure, installing a 20-by-48-foot greenhouse to extend the growing season, expanding pollinator habitats and fruit trees, and expanding existing wash-pack stations to accommodate new Growing Together farmer apprentices.
At the upcoming event, the two groups will prepare the site for TNFP’s new greenhouse, which is supported by Love, Tito’s program. The greenhouse will be built and installed in January, ahead of the growing season. If you’d like to help out from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., sign up at the event’s volunteer site.
Speaking of gardens, Nashville Public Television will be bringing back the Volunteer Gardener’s Homegrown Luncheon on Sunday, Nov. 12, where the hosts of the popular Volunteer Gardener show will join avid viewers for a luncheon at Southall Farm and Inn. Executive chef Andrew Klamar will prepare a seasonal feast along with wine, beer and an autumn mocktail.
In addition to the luncheon, attendees can also choose from a list of tour/activity options to make a day of it, including:
Yoga on the covered bridge (weather permitting, otherwise in the movement studio)
Apiary tour
Orchard tour
Farm tour led by Southall team
Guided hike through the forest and grounds
Tickets for the event, which runs from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., are $250 per person and available at the event website.
Finally, WNPT-TV invites Nashville SC fans to a tailgate before the club’s final home game of the regular season on Saturday, Oct. 21. In conjunction with Rhizome Productions, WNPT will host a day of live music and entertainment, with dining options from a variety of food trucks from noon until 5 p.m. in their parking lot at 161 Rains Ave., where you can leave your vehicle in a secured spot just a short walk from Geodis Park. Your $40 admission includes access to all the fun plus your parking for the day, and you’ll be helping out a local treasure while you root on the Boys in Gold!
