Nashville's main industry is music. But where good tunes go, good booze follows, so it's no surprise that the city enjoys a lively local beer scene, as well. The city's brewing history dates back to the 1800s, when German immigrants first settled in the area. The rise and fall of Gerst Brewing Company, one of the first established Nashville breweries, left people thirsting for local beer after the company closed its doors in 1954. In the last decade of the century, a boom of brewpubs brought the drinking class some newer, more exotic styles of beer, and the people of Nashville have been "e;under the influence"e; of creative brewing ever since. Food, beverage and travel writer Chris Chamberlain tells the story of beer from the Music City and introduces us to the breweries and beer lovers that make up a local scene well worth raising a glass to.
