Nashville Craft Brewery Acquires Yazoo's Production Facility TailGate Brewery, an independently owned Nashville craft brewery, has expanded operations into Yazoo Brewing Company's 6.5-acre Madison campus, establishing it as the brewery's primary production facility. The move comes as TailGate projects 40% year-over-year distribution growth in 2026. The Madison facility will serve as TailGate's main brewing hub while the company maintains operations at its West Nashville headquarters. Yazoo beer production will continue at the Madison location under the R.S. Lipman Brewing portfolio, along with existing contract-brewing business. The facility's taproom and patio will become TailGate's ninth Tennessee location, expanding its food and beverage offerings to include scratch-made pizza.
Yazoo Founder Joins TailGate Linus Hall, Yazoo's co-founder, will join TailGate's team as the company transitions operations. TailGate has offered employment to all existing Yazoo staff members, extending the brewery's standard benefits package—100% company-paid health insurance and competitive wages. "Linus and Yazoo are legends in both the national and Tennessee craft beer communities," said Wesley Keegan, TailGate's sole owner and founder. "We're proud not only to expand TailGate Brewery, but also to continue making Yazoo beer here, and for my friend Linus to join our team!" Hall, who founded Yazoo with co-founder Lila Hall in 2003, cited readiness for a new chapter: "We're both happy Yazoo will continue to be brewed by the same people we've worked with for years, and that they will all have opportunities to grow with TailGate. TailGate has built something special of its own, and I'm looking forward to working together to make this brewery an even better place to work, and a place where Nashvillians gather for a great beer."
Growth Momentum Driving Expansion TailGate's expansion follows strong performance in 2026.
The brewery reported that approximately 70% of its distribution volume moved through on-premise accounts, while off-premise packaged beer sales increased 25% in the second quarter compared with the first quarter. The company attributed growth to portfolio changes including Wizards' Order IPA and Lager Projekt, a Munich-style helles lager, both of which doubled in volume. The brewery has expanded chain retail placement across Tennessee and invested in statewide distribution and sales infrastructure. TailGate operates 250+ employees across its operations.
Why It Matters
For regional brewery operators, the TailGate-Yazoo combination signals the consolidation pressures facing smaller independent breweries while demonstrating a path for legacy brands to maintain production continuity under new ownership. The deal preserves Yazoo's heritage—Nashville's first production brewery since Prohibition (founded 2003)—while providing TailGate with critical capacity to support its wholesale and on-premise momentum in a competitive state market.
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Written by FBM Publications Editors
