Ghost River Brewing Co.

What Ghost River Brewing Co. does

Ghost River Brewing Co. is a privately held craft brewery founded in 2007 and headquartered at 827 South Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee, where it operates the South Main Taproom and the adjacent Barrel Bar at 805 South Main Street. The company brews and serves a portfolio of 17 beer SKUs — including flagship Ghost River Gold, Lo-Cal Gold, Grindhouse, Riverbank Red, Oktoberfest, Zippin Pippin, Rocket 88, and seasonal/limited releases — with 12 ales on tap plus a rotating house-made seltzer. Production has transitioned from bottling to canning for consistency and freshness. The business serves the local Memphis community and event bookers via on-premise draft beer, keg reservations for off-site events, private event bookings, a full-service kitchen curated by Head Chef Jesse McDonald (formerly of New Wing Order), and a recurring calendar of weekly community events plus the annual Made to Wander Music Festival.

The revenue model is direct-to-consumer and transaction-based: per-pint taproom sales, per-keg and deposit pricing for 5- and 15-gallon keg rentals, food sales, private event bookings, and event cover charges or all-inclusive packages such as the $55 Super Bowl unlimited beer-and-wings deal. Distribution is single-channel and single-geography — essentially one taproom in Memphis — supplemented by direct keg sales to local event hosts. The company markets through its website, an events calendar, live music programming, recurring weekly events (Throwback Thursday, Taco Tuesday, Music Bingo, Cerrito Live Trivia, Monday Movie Nights, crawfish boils), the monthly Books On Tap book club, and a strategic beverage partnership with Old Dominick Distillery.

Operationally the company is small (11–50 employees), independent, and privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, funding rounds, M&A activity, or expansion beyond Memphis. Its competitive positioning rests on the claim of being Memphis' first craft brewery, a local heritage brand, and a community-event-driven on-premise experience rather than on technology, data, or distribution scale.

Name

Ghost River Brewing Co.

Legal name

Ghost River Brewing Co.

Website

https://ghostriverbrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ghost River Brewing Co. is a privately held Memphis craft brewery (founded 2007) operating the South Main Taproom, selling house-brewed beer, seltzer, food, and private events to local consumers and event hosts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Breweries (312120)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAFALAC

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Breweries, Wineries & Distilleries (Taprooms/Tasting Rooms)

SECONDARYTHAFALAA

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service)

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Breweries, Wineries & Distilleries (Taprooms/Tasting Rooms)

SECONDARYCRANACAF

Taprooms & Brewpubs

Consumer Products & Retail/Tobacco, Alcohol & Cannabis Retail/On-Premise Alcohol Retail (Bars, Pubs & Taprooms)

SECONDARYTHAJAGAE

Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Food & Drink Experiences (Culinary Tours, Tastings, Cooking Classes)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Taproom operations
• Craft brewery Memphis
• Brewery event venue
• Keg sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Taproom Beer Sales: On-site draft beer sales at the South Main Taproom with 12 ales on tap and rotating house-made seltzer. Customers pay per drink at the taproom.
2. Keg Sales: Sale of 5-gallon and full-size kegs for private events. Kegs available with hand pump or CO2 tap options. Requires advance ordering and deposit.
3. Food Service: Full service kitchen serving bar snacks, wings, and other food items complementing the craft beer selection
4. Private Event Booking: Revenue from reserving the taproom for private events, bachelorette parties, corporate events, and other celebrations
5. Event Cover Charges: Cover charges for ticketed events such as comedy shows ($10 cover) and Super Bowl watch parties ($55 all-inclusive package)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ghost River Brewing Co. is Memphis' first craft brewery, operating the South Main Taproom at 827 South Main Street. The company brews and sells a portfolio of 17 craft beers (including flagship Ghost River Gold, seasonal offerings like Oktoberfest, and specialty varieties), offers 12 ales on tap plus rotating house-made seltzer, runs a full-service kitchen curated by head chef Jesse McDonald, distributes kegs for private events, and hosts a recurring calendar of community events anchored by the annual Made to Wander Music Festival.

Product overview

Ghost River Brewing Co. is Memphis' first craft brewery operating a portfolio of 17 distinct beer offerings including flagship Gold, seasonal variants (Oktoberfest, Lo-Cal Gold), and specialty beers (Zippin Pippin, Orange Ya Sweet, Wayward Wit). The company operates the South Main Taproom as its primary retail location offering 12 ales on tap, rotating house-made seltzer, and a full service bar featuring local liquors from Old Dominick Distillery. Additional offerings include a full service kitchen, keg sales for events, private event bookings, and the annual Made To Wander Music Festival spanning two weekends. The brewery also hosts recurring community events including live music, trivia nights (Cerrito Live Trivia, Music Bingo), Throwback Thursdays, and Taco Tuesdays, plus a monthly Books On Tap book club.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ghost River Gold Flagship craft beer offered at the South Main Taproom as part of the brewery's 12-al lineup.
• Lo-Cal Gold Low-calorie craft beer variant sold on tap.
• Grindhouse Craft beer in the brewery's regular lineup.
• Riverbank Red Red ale sold at the South Main Taproom.
• Lost Hive Craft beer available in the taproom lineup.
• Oktoberfest Seasonal German-style lager released for Oktoberfest.
• Zippin Pippin Named craft beer tied to a Memphis cultural landmark, served at the taproom.
• Rocket 88 Craft beer offering served at the brewery.
• Grind-N-Shine Craft beer in the brewery's regular lineup.
• Orange Ya Sweet Orange-flavored craft beer offering.
• Wayward Wit Witbier from the brewery's lineup.
• Dom's Red Red ale named Dom, available on tap at the South Main Taproom.
• Interstellar MoSH Craft beer in the brewery's regular lineup.
• Brunch, Please! Brunch-themed craft beer offering.
• Tropfen Vom Himmel German-style craft beer served at the taproom.
• Aqua Mane Craft beer in the brewery's regular lineup.
• Heliades' Tears Craft beer in the brewery's regular lineup.
• South Main Taproom Original craft brewery taproom in Memphis featuring 12 ales on tap, rotating house-made seltzer, full bar with local Old Dominick liquors, and full-service kitchen.
• Full Service Kitchen Full-service kitchen at the taproom curated by head chef Jesse McDonald, featuring New Wing Order wings, bar snacks, and a dog menu of housemade spent-grain treats.
• Keg Sales Keg reservations and sales for events, available in 5-gallon and full-size kegs with hand-pump or CO2 tap options and refundable deposits.
• Private Events Private event booking service at the South Main Taproom for parties, bachelorette parties, corporate events, and other celebrations.
• Made To Wander Music Festival Annual free music festival spanning two weekends, featuring live music, local beer, Old Dominick cocktails, and local food vendors, held at the South Main Street Taproom.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Old Dominick DistilleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGhost River Brewing features local liquors from Old Dominick Distillery at their full service bar, complementing their craft beer selection with locally-sourced spirits. Old Dominick cocktails are also featured at Made to Wander Music Festival events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• New Belgium Brewing Company: National craft brewer (now part of Tilray) with taproom and broad portfolio. Comparable in craft product category but vastly larger scale and national distribution footprint.
• Founders Brewing Co. Michigan-based craft brewery with taproom and national distribution. Comparable in craft ales/IPA category and taproom-with-events model, but at significantly larger scale.
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. One of the largest U.S. craft brewers with a flagship taproom and broad distribution. Comparable in product category (craft ales, lagers, specialty) but operates at a far larger scale with national wholesale.
• Lagunitas Brewing Company: Established craft brewer (part of Heineken) with taprooms in Petaluma and Chicago. Comparable in craft beer portfolio and taproom model, but at much greater scale.

Regional players

• SweetWater Brewing Company: Atlanta-based craft brewery with taproom and broader Southeast distribution. Comparable in craft beer portfolio and taproom model, with a similar event-heavy brand voice.
• Karbach Brewing Company: Houston-based craft brewery with taproom, restaurant, and events programming. Comparable in brewpub format and event-driven GTM, serving a different regional market.

Direct peers

• Crosstown Brewing Company: Memphis craft brewery operating from the Crosstown Concourse with a taproom, food offerings, and events. Directly competes in the same Memphis market with similar taproom-plus-events model.
• Memphis Made Brewing Co. Another Memphis craft brewery with a taproom, food service, and recurring events. Directly comparable as a same-city competitor with the same DTC taproom and events-led GTM.
• Wiseacre Brewing Company: Memphis-based craft brewery operating taprooms and producing a similar range of ales, lagers, and seasonal beers. Directly comparable in geography, product mix (flagship + seasonal), and taproom-with-events business model.
• High Cotton Brewing Co. Memphis craft brewery with taproom and packaged beer sales. Closely mirrors Ghost River's brewpub-style format and Memphis-local positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ghostriverbrew

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ghost River Brewing Co.