When you plan a trip to Tennessee, you probably hope you’ll have the opportunity to sample whiskey and moonshine. You definitely will when you visit Clarksville, a small city north of Nashville.
In 2019, Money rated Clarksville, Tennessee as the best place to live in the U.S. So, natives don’t leave, and many people who come to the area decide to stay, like U.S. Army personnel posted to Fort Campbell.
Fort Campbell has an active military population of almost 30,000 and is home to the 101st Airborne Division and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.
Many soldiers stationed at Fort Campbell settle in and around Clarksville when they finish their tour of duty or retire, and some opened wineries, breweries, and distilleries.
When you visit Clarksvillen TN, bars, wineries, breweries, and distilleries, you’ll meet “old timers” who grew up in and love the area, along with transplants who now call it home. These are some places where you can meet them and sample some top-flight craft beers and local wines.
The 7 Best Clarksville TN Bars
Blackhorse Pub & Brewery
132 Franklin St., Clarksville, TN 37040 // 931-552-3726
When Jeff Robinson returned home from Desert Storm, he and his wife Sherri, a former helicopter pilot for the 101st Airborne Division, decided to open a small pub in downtown Clarksville. But they didn’t stop there.
They built their own brewery and named it the Blackhorse Pub & Brewery in honor of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Jeff never served in that unit but admired its spirit and energy. That was almost 30 years ago. The Blackhorse Pub & Brewery has since become a favorite gathering place for friends and family to enjoy good food and drink.
Our group tasted the Blackhorse Lager, which has a light amber color and warm malt flavor, Side Hustle Sour, which is slightly tart with cranberry, grape, and citrus flavors, Vanilla Cream Ale, a light-bodied ale with a hint of vanilla, and Blackhorse Blonde Ale, a light, crisp ale with refreshing malt flavor.
The menu offers a variety of lunch and dinner items. We enjoyed some chips with beer cheese dip and roasted Brussels sprouts. Locals say their pizzas and flatbreads are also popular.
Blackhorse Pub & Brewery is open Monday through Thursday from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm, Friday from 11:00 am to 12:00 am, Saturday from 10:30 am to 12:00 am, and Sunday from 10:30 am to 10:00 pm. Seating is available at tables in the restaurant and at the bar. Parking is available along the street and in several public lots.
Pro Tip: Parking is free after 5:00 pm and on weekends but costs $1.50 per hour between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm on weekdays. Parking meters are coin only; to pay by credit card, scan the ParkMobile QR code on the front of the meter.
Strawberry Alley Ale Works
103 Strawberry Alley, Clarksville, TN 37040 // (931) 919-4777
Strawberry Alley Ale Works is a locally owned brewery and restaurant in a former tobacco warehouse and garment factory. It offers ten craft beers on tap and also serves lunch and dinner. There are happy hour specials Monday through Friday and brunch on weekends.
They have a taproom upstairs with a full bar and games like darts, wall scrabble, corn hole, Jenga, and shuffleboard. If you’re a game lover, stop by on Wednesday night for Pub Poll (similar to Family Feud) and on Thursday for Trivia Night.
Four craft beers that are constantly available include 1820 Kölsch, Belgian Golden, Class A IPA, and Joe B’s Brown Ale. Seasonal and rotating beers include Bravoho, Irish I Had an Accent, and Belgian Holiday Ale.
Strawberry Alley Ale Works is open Monday through Thursday from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm, Friday from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm, Saturday from 10:30 am to 11:00 pm, and Sunday from 10:30 am to 10:00 pm. Seating is inside at tables and the bar. There’s a parking lot on site, and street parking is usually available.
Trazo Meadery
116 Franklin St., Clarksville, TN 37040 // (931) 255-9421
Trazo Meadery is the first meadery in Tennessee and is owned by David, Becky, and Travis Powell. It all started with a bee-keeping project and a quest to keep yeast alive.
Travis began keeping bees with his grandfather when he was nine. After many false starts and some assistance from the Williamson County Beekeepers Association, he grew five active hives. That number has grown to 30 beehives. Trazo Meadery also uses honey from around the world.
Travis also liked to watch his Grandmother Zola bake bread. When she was diagnosed with cancer, she gave him her bread recipe and entrusted him to keep the yeast alive. It’s still alive, and although most of it is used to produce mead, there’s usually enough left over to bake a loaf of bread.
We had the opportunity to taste Wildflower, Mesquite, Orange Blossom, Wildflower on Bourbon Barrel, and Avocado, some of Trazo’s popular meads. We agreed that we’d like to see how they taste in the various craft cocktails they serve.
Trazo Meadery is open Thursday from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Friday from 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm, Saturday from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm, and Sunday from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Seating is available indoors and outdoors. Parking is available along the street and in several public lots.
Pro Tip: Parking is free after 5:00 pm and on weekends but costs $1.50 per hour between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm weekdays. Parking meters are coin only; to pay by credit card, scan the ParkMobile QR code on the front of the meter.
Beachaven Vineyards & Winery
1100 Dunlop Ln., Clarksville, TN 37040 // 931-645-8867
Beachaven is the oldest family-owned winery in Tennessee. Three generations have been making wine with Tennessee-grown grapes for over five decades.
William O. Beach, the founder, was born and raised in Clarksville and had a successful career as a lawyer and judge. He began winemaking as a hobby, planted his own vineyard, and won a gold medal for his sparkling wine in an amateur winemaking competition. His daughter and son-in-law joined him, and they purchased the land at the current location. Their son Wilson is now the Operations Manager.
Beachaven has sparkling, dry, and sweet white wines and red wines. We tasted Sunbelt 2021, one of their most popular sparkling wines, and Chambourcin Rosé 2021, a light and fruity rosé.
Then we were offered Reserve Seyval Blanc 2021, an estate-grown and barrel-fermented dry white wine, and Golden Rose, Beachaven’s signature sweet white wine.
Beachaven has a picnic area that is often filled with food trucks and live music on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons and evenings during warmer weather, and it hosts Jazz on the Lawn on the last Saturday of each month from May through October.
Beachhaven Vineyard and Winery is open from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Saturday and 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Sunday. Outdoor seating is available in a picnic area. There’s no indoor seating, but standing tables are in the Glass and Bottling Rooms. There’s a parking lot onsite.
The Vine on Franklin
128 Franklin St., Clarksville, TN 37040 // 931-338-5904
Emily and Jake Trageser learned about wine while posted all over the world with the U.S. Army. When they decided to call Clarksville home, they noticed there weren’t any wine bars in town. So, they opened The Vine on Franklin and chose their favorite wines from countries they were stationed in or visited.
During our visit, we had the opportunity to taste Tokaji 5 Puttonyos Aszú from Hungary, Kozlović 2020 Malvasia from Croatia, Kopke Colheite Port 1985 from Portugal, and Ohzelt 2020 Grüner from Austria.
In addition to the restaurant and bar areas, the Vine on Franklin has a private dining room for hosting up to 40 people and a wine cellar for smaller groups of around 10 to 12 people.
The Vine on Franklin is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm, Friday from 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm, Saturday from 11:30 am to 11:00 pm, and Sunday from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Seating is available inside at tables and the bar. Parking is available along the street and in several public lots.
Pro Tip: Parking is free after 5:00 pm and on weekends but costs $1.50 per hour between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm weekdays. Parking meters are coin only; to pay by credit card, scan the ParkMobile QR code on the front of the meter.
Old Glory Distilling
451 Alfred Thun Rd., Clarksville, TN 37040 // 931-919-2522
Matt and Wes Cunningham were born and raised in Clarksville and founded Old Glory Distilling while in college to produce bourbon whiskey, gin, vodka, rum, and various types of moonshine.
They’re small-batch distillers, which means they take a sample from each barrel in a blend and analyze it for aroma, taste, mouthfeel, and finish. Then they blend the samples that made the cut to achieve the perfect character balance between small (25-gallon) and standard (53-gallon) white American oak barrels.
They source all grains locally and use the Lincoln County Process required of Tennessee distilleries. Then they age their products in 100% American oak barrels. We tasted bourbon whiskey, gin, and vodka samples and agreed they got it right.
Old Glory Distilling is open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Saturday and 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Sunday. The bar is always open for tasting and cocktails, and seating is available inside. Tours should be booked online because they fill up fast.
Tennessee Valley Brewing
125 Franklin St., Clarksville, TN 37040 // (931) 320-9192
Tennessee Valley Brewing is a recent addition to downtown Clarksville, having moved from a storefront at a local shopping center.
The name comes from the Tennessee Valley Authority, which was started during the Depression to bring electric power to the region. Eric and Wendy Brannstrom, the owners, wanted to pay tribute to that legacy by producing top-quality craft beers while making a difference in the community.
They are active in the Chamber of Commerce, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Montgomery County Veterans Coalition, and raise money for Bikers Who Care, St Baldricks Foundation, and United Way.
They also support the military since Eric is a veteran who was stationed at nearby Fort Campbell. Many of their beers are named after U.S. Army units, such as Bastogne Brown, 101st Strike Pale Ale, and Snake Eater.
Many customers are intrigued by the beer prices, which are run like the stock market. If there are a lot of sales of a particular beer, the price increases, just like the price per share of a stock.
Many patrons become members of the Mug Club, which gets them ten free 20-oz. beers (one per visit). If they’re deployed, the owners place a U.S. flag in their mug until they return.
Tennessee Valley Brewing Company is open Monday through Thursday and Sunday from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm and Friday and Saturday from 11:00 am to 12:00 am. Seating is inside only at tables and the bar. Parking is available along the street and in several public lots.
Pro Tip: Parking is free after 5:00 pm and on weekends but costs $1.50 per hour between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm on weekdays. Parking meters are coin only; to pay by credit card, scan the ParkMobile QR code on the front of the meter.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for distilleries, breweries, and wineries where you can sample spirits, enjoy craft cocktails, and taste local wines and brews, you’ll find them in Clarksville.
You’ll also find lovely scenery, a charming, walkable downtown, friendly people, and avoid the crowds you’d have to fight in places like Nashville and Memphis.
The distilleries, breweries, and wineries in Clarksville on this list will get you started when you arrive in the area. Be sure to try them and discover others while you’re there. Cheers!
Visiting other destinations in Tennessee? Check out our other delicious guides:
Marni Patterson is a travel writer, photographer and videographer in Phoenix, AZ. She has lived and traveled extensively in the U.S. and Europe and is gradually making it to all the destinations on her “bucket list” in Asia/Pacific, Africa and South America. After years of writing web content and marketing materials in the high-tech industry, she’s applying her experience writing about software, cloud computing and cybersecurity services to promote destinations and provide travel tips.