The calendar is taking on a distinct Kool and the Gang vibe over the next couple of weeks as two of your favorite local breweries have some serious celebrations on the docket. The first is a series of special beer releases by Black Abbey Brewery as part of its eighth annual 8 More Beers of Winter promotion.
Traditionally, Black Abbey has held back kegs of its favorite barrel-aged beers throughout the year to give them a chance to reappear around Groundhog Day — a nod to Bill Murray’s time loop in the only holiday movie about Feb. 2 worth mentioning. These have always been popular (read: crowded) events among Black Abbey fans, and the brewery has decided that maybe having hundreds of people streaming through the brewery over the course of a long day for the chance to sample an octet of barrel-aged treats might not be the most responsible thing to do during the Age of Omicron (not an Avengers sequel, btw.)
Instead, starting on the day that Punxsutawney Phil tries to act like our favorite Twitter account, the brewery will kick off a two-month celebration of 8 More Beers of Winter. Each Wednesday starting on Feb. 2 and continuing for eight weeks, they’ll tap a different barrel-aged beer that will only be available at the Fellowship Hall taproom at 2952 Sidco Drive. You’ll have to follow along on the socials to find out what each week’s surprise will be, as they’ll announce each Monday what will be on the tapwall for Wednesday.
To make sure that the kickoff is special, they’ll also be hosting a screening of Groundhog Day on Feb. 2, with doors opening at 4 p.m. in advance of a 6 p.m. showtime. Seating will be limited, so you’ll want to grab your ticket in advance at the event website. The $10 admission includes your first pint, including the special barrel-aged release of the day.Â
The other big piece of festive news is TailGate Brewery’s seventh anniversary party, an event so momentous that they’re stretching it over an entire weekend from Feb. 4 to 6. Seven years ago, TailGate didn’t have a brewery. When Wesley Keegan moved his already successful business from San Diego to Nashville, he had a couple of fairly successful brews that he had contracted with an out-of-state brewery to produce, as well as a great brand name in TailGate.
Since then, he has expanded his business to three locations, including the original headquarters at 7300 Charlotte Pike, which is one of the largest production breweries in the state. He has added taprooms/breweries in East Nashville and Music Row that produce smaller batches of specialty beers, sours and ciders, and launched a very popular pizza program at each outpost.
To celebrate TailGate’s growth and the support of and by the local community, Keegan has planned a weekend of fun at the Charlotte HQ with releases of limited specialty cans and draft beers, the return of last year’s favorite pizza of the month (the outrageous Cali Burrito Pizza, as voted on by patrons) and a birthday cake ice cream special from TailGate's soft-serve counter Sweet and Three. They’ll also be releasing special commemorative merch at the celebration so you can wear your love of TailGate on your sleeve.
The family-friendly event is free and open to the public, but you can purchase drink package tickets in advance. These tickets entitle you to bottomless half-pint pours for any one of the three days of the event, which will run from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. Single-day tickets cost $60 with two-day passes available for $100 if you’re really dedicated to drinking a whole lot of beer and have access to a dependable designated driver.
Grab your tickets in advance at the special celebration webpage.
