TailGate Beer
TailGate Beer is an owner-operated Nashville craft brewery operating nine Tennessee taprooms and a 50-barrel production facility, with wholesale distribution to Walmart, Kroger, and Publix via three regional distributors and a 3,500-plus member Mug Club.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What TailGate Beer does
TailGate Beer is an independent, owner-operated craft brewery and taproom platform headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 2014 by Wesley Keegan. The company operates nine taprooms across the state, including seven in the Nashville metro area, one in Chattanooga, and one inside Nashville International Airport (BNA), alongside a 7-acre production campus anchored by a 50-barrel brewhouse and a 15-barrel pilot system. Since founding, TailGate has developed more than 3,000 unique recipes spanning a broad portfolio that includes flagship beers such as TailGate Orange Wheat, Lager Projekt, and Wizards' Order IPA, as well as TailGate Cider and curated series including Slow Bier, LORE, and SHNACK.
The business model combines direct-to-consumer taproom sales with multi-channel wholesale distribution. On the consumer side, the company operates a Mug Club with more than 3,500 paid members and a Mutt Club community program, both designed to drive recurring taproom traffic. On the wholesale side, distribution is handled through three regional partners — Lipman Brothers, Athens, and L&H Distributors — with shelf placement in national grocers including Walmart, Kroger, and Publix. The company has extended beyond beer into adjacent beverage categories via sub-brands such as Nashville Sweet Tea Co., Coolship Coffee Cold Brew, and TailGate Hemp Co. & Soshal (THC-infused beverages).
TailGate is privately held with a single owner and no outside investors, a capital structure that supports reinvestment into capacity and category expansion without dilution but constrains the pace of geographic scaling relative to equity-backed peers. Operational positioning has been validated by external recognition, including a 2025 US Open Beer Championship Gold Medal for TailGate Orange Wheat and Tennessean Best Places to Work honors in 2023 and 2024. The company employs between 51 and 100 people across production, taproom operations, and distribution functions.
TailGate Beer firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TailGate Beer
- Legal name
- Tailgate Beer, LLC
- Website
- https://www.tailgatebeer.com/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- TailGate Beer is an owner-operated Nashville craft brewery operating nine Tennessee taprooms and a 50-barrel production facility, with wholesale distribution to Walmart, Kroger, and Publix via three regional distributors and a 3,500-plus member Mug Club.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
TailGate Beer industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Brewery
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF)
Keywords
Where TailGate Beer is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
TailGate Beer business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Taproom Beer & Food Sales: On-premise sales of house-brewed craft beer, cider, seltzer, wine, liquor, frozen drinks, and scratch-made pizza, sandwiches, salads, and appetizers at nine taproom locations across Tennessee.
- Retail Beer Sales: Canned beer sales through retail partners including Walmart, Kroger, and Publix, as well as draft beer distribution to bars across Tennessee via Lipman Brothers, Athens, and L&H Distributors.
- Nashville Sweet Tea Co. Brewing and packaging their own sweet tea and lemonade, sold online and through retailers and farmer's markets across Tennessee.
- Coolship Coffee Cold Brew: Production and packaging of cold brew coffee under the Coolship Coffee brand, sold through taprooms and potentially retail channels.
- THC Beverages: THC beverages produced under TailGate Hemp Co. & Soshal brands, expanding into the hemp/cannabis beverage category.
- Merchandise & E-commerce: Merchandise sales including mugs, apparel, and other branded items through the Shopify e-commerce storefront and at taproom locations. Mug Club membership also provides recurring annual revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Mug Club Annual Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Mutt Club Annual Membership |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels7 records
TailGate Beer product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TailGate Brewery is an independent Tennessee craft brewery and pizzeria that brews, packages, and serves a diversified portfolio of craft beer, cider, hard seltzer, sweet tea, cold brew coffee, and THC beverages at nine brewery-taprooms across Tennessee. Each taproom pairs house-brewed beverages (30+ on draft) with scratch-made pizza, sandwiches, salads, and appetizers, supported by a 50-barrel production brewery, pilot system, canning line, barrel-aging program, and wild & spontaneous fermentation capabilities.
Product overview
TailGate Beer is a fiercely independent Tennessee craft brewery and pizzeria founded in 2014 and headquartered in Nashville. The company operates a single unified offering centered on craft beer, craft pizza, and taproom dining experiences across nine Tennessee locations. Their product portfolio centers on the "Core 3.5" flagship lineup: TailGate Orange Wheat Beer (Gold Medal 2025), Lager Projekt, Wizards' Order IPA, and TailGate Cider. Beyond core products, they offer specialty sub-brands including the Slow Bier Series (dedicated lager program), LORE Series (rotating IPAs), and SHNACK Series (experimental brews). The company has expanded into non-alcoholic beverages through Nashville Sweet Tea Co. and Coolship Coffee Cold Brew, plus THC beverages under TailGate Hemp Co. & Soshal. All nine taproom locations feature full scratch pizza kitchens with rotating craft beer lists of 30+ house-brewed beers on tap, supported by loyalty programs including Mug Club (3,500+ members) and Mutt Club for pet owners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Nashville Sweet Tea Co. Sweet tea and lemonade brand produced by TailGate Brewery.
- Coolship Coffee Cold Brew
- TailGate Hemp Co. & Soshal
- TailGate Cider Co.
Products and services
- TailGate Orange Wheat Beer Flagship American Wheat Ale brewed with orange, light-bodied, creamy and zesty, recognized with a 2025 Gold Medal at the U.S. Open Beer Championship; sold at taprooms and through retail grocery chains.
- Lager Projekt German-style helles lager brewed from heritage summer barley with Vienna and Munich malts, balanced with Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops; one of TailGate's flagship Core 3.5 beers sold at taprooms and retail.
- Wizards' Order IPA Flagship juicy IPA featuring mango nectar and orange zest aroma with balanced tropical fruit flavors; the anchor product of the rotating LORE Series lineup sold at taprooms and retail.
- TailGate Cider Nashville's first craft cidery flagship, a semi-sweet cider made with 100% Washington apples, crisp and effervescent, produced at the Music Row taproom since 2016.
- Slow Bier Series Dedicated lager brewing program featuring world-class German-style lagers including Black Lager, Czech Dark Lager, Altbier, and Maibock varieties, brewed with patience, precision, heritage and summer barley.
- LORE Series IPAs Rotating IPA lineup that expands on the flagship Wizards' Order IPA by showcasing experimental hop combinations and brewing techniques as part of TailGate's experimental LORE Series.
- SHNACK Series Experimental beer series pushing the boundaries of what beer can be, featuring creative fruited, dessert-inspired, and unconventional brews such as TailGate Blast, Nana's Puddin', Cream Soda, and PB&J varieties.
- TailGate Craft Seltzer Craft hard seltzer lineup produced at the Germantown taproom seltzery, including Pickle Seltzer made with fresh pickle brine and various fruit flavors.
- Nashville Sweet Tea Co. Brewed-and-packaged sweet tea and lemonade brand under the TailGate umbrella, available in Sweet Tea, Peach Tea, Sunshine Tea, and Lemonade varieties via online, retail, and farmer's market channels across Tennessee.
- Coolship Coffee Cold Brew Cold brew coffee brand produced and packaged by TailGate, distributed through taprooms and via the Coolship Café program featuring cold brew creations, dirty sodas, matcha, chai, and energy spritzers.
- TailGate Hemp Co. & Soshal THC Beverages THC-infused beverage brand produced under TailGate Hemp Co. & Soshal, expanding the company into the hemp/cannabis beverage category.
- Mug Club Annual Membership Annual $60 subscription membership valid for 365 days across all TailGate taprooms (excluding BNA airport), granting Social Hour pricing, first access to limited releases, $2 off beers/cider/seltzer, $2 off cans and growler fills, $1 Kick the Keg Tuesdays, $0.21 birthday beers, 10% merchandise discount, and larger 20oz pours.
- Mutt Club Annual Membership $30 annual membership for dogs that includes a $10 donation to Nashville Humane Association, a dog bandana, and a spent-grain dog treat on each visit to any TailGate taproom, plus Mutt of the Month recognition.
- Taproom Dining Full scratch pizza kitchen plus sandwiches, salads, and appetizers served at all nine TailGate taprooms across Tennessee, paired with 30+ house-brewed beers/ciders/seltzers on draft; includes the Coolship Café program of cold brew creations and non-alcoholic options.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3,000+ unique beer recipes brewed since 2014
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use TailGate Beer
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
TailGate Beer technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
TailGate Beer partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Lipman BrotherscorePrimary distribution partner handling TailGate Beer products in most counties across Tennessee for both canned and draft beer distribution to retail and bar accounts. Part of the core go-to-market strategy.
- Athens DistributorscoreDistribution partner handling TailGate Beer products in specific Tennessee counties (outlined in green on TailGate's brand calendar).
- L&H DistributorscoreDistribution partner handling TailGate Beer products in specific Tennessee counties (outlined in blue on TailGate's brand calendar).
- Nashville Humane AssociationminorNonprofit partner for the Mutt Club program, receiving a $10 donation from each $30 annual membership. Spent-grain dog treats are also made from brewery byproducts and distributed through the program.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
TailGate Beer competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- SweetWater Brewing Company: Southeast US craft brewery (Atlanta-based) with taproom and regional distribution. Comparable as a multi-taproom regional craft competitor operating in a similar geographic and demographic footprint.
Emerging players
- Trillium Brewing Company: Northeast craft brewery operating multiple taprooms with strong innovation and experimental series. Comparable as a similarly innovation-led multi-taproom craft operator pushing wild and barrel-aged programs.
- Athletic Brewing Company: Leading non-alcoholic craft brewer with broad retail distribution. Comparable as an emerging craft brand competing for the same Walmart/Kroger/Publix shelf placements and consumer occasions.
Broad incumbents
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. National craft brewery pioneer with multiple taproom locations. Comparable as a larger craft incumbent with similar portfolio breadth (flagship IPAs, lagers, specialty series) and taproom-led go-to-market.
- New Belgium Brewing Company: National craft brewery with taprooms and broad distribution. Comparable as a larger craft incumbent with similar product line diversification (flagship, lagers, sours, seltzers via partnerships).
- Boston Beer Company: Public craft brewer (Samuel Adams, Twisted Tea, Truly, Dogfish Head). Comparable as a diversified craft-adjacent beverage company with seltzer, cider, and tea extensions, providing a public-market reference point.
Direct peers
- Tennessee Brew Works: Tennessee craft brewery with taproom in Nashville. Directly comparable as a state-focused craft producer competing for the same on-premise draft handles and retail placement.
- Jackalope Brewing Company: Nashville craft brewery with taproom and restaurant model. Comparable on the brewpub + food + neighborhood taproom dimension and overlapping customer base in the greater Nashville market.
- Yazoo Brewing Company: Nashville-based craft brewery operating a large taproom and distributing across Tennessee. Directly comparable as a same-city craft peer with on-premise and wholesale presence in the same regional footprint.
- Blackstone Brewing Company: Nashville craft brewery and taproom. Comparable regional craft peer sharing the same Tennessee taproom and wholesale dynamic.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
TailGate Beer social profiles
Digital presenceTailGate Beer financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TailGate Beer leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
TailGate Beer funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TailGate Beer M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about TailGate Beer
What does TailGate Beer do?
TailGate Brewery is an independent Tennessee craft brewery and pizzeria that brews, packages, and serves a diversified portfolio of craft beer, cider, hard seltzer, sweet tea, cold brew coffee, and THC beverages at nine brewery-taprooms across Tennessee. Each taproom pairs house-brewed beverages (30+ on draft) with scratch-made pizza, sandwiches, salads, and appetizers, supported by a 50-barrel production brewery, pilot system, canning line, barrel-aging program, and wild & spontaneous fermentation capabilities.
Is TailGate Beer a public or private company?
TailGate Beer is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was TailGate Beer founded?
TailGate Beer was founded in 2007. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is TailGate Beer based?
TailGate Beer is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does TailGate Beer make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Taproom Beer & Food Sales are the primary driver. The others are retail Beer Sales, nashville Sweet Tea Co, coolship Coffee Cold Brew, THC Beverages and merchandise & E-commerce.
Who are TailGate Beer's main competitors?
SweetWater Brewing Company is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Trillium Brewing Company and Athletic Brewing Company. Broad incumbents are Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., New Belgium Brewing Company and Boston Beer Company. Direct peers are Tennessee Brew Works, Jackalope Brewing Company, Yazoo Brewing Company and Blackstone Brewing Company.
Does TailGate Beer have an API?
No public API is recorded for TailGate Beer.
What industry is TailGate Beer in?
TailGate Beer's product category is Craft Brewery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFALAA, Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service), with a secondary code of THAFALAB, Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service). Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2082.