Tennessee’s Yee-Haw Brewing Expanding Influence in the South

From Yee-Haw Brewing:

Founded in late 2014 by Joe Baker, Yee-Haw Brewing Co. (Johnson City, Tennessee), a production brewery and taproom located in a historic railroad depot built in the late 1800s, focuses on brewing approachable beers that celebrate good times and good company. Brewmaster and COO Brandon Greenwood, formerly the Vice-President of Brewing for Lagunitas Brewing Company, is ready to introduce a new breed of craft beer drinkers to his tantalizing line-up of drinkable ales and lagers. With their passion for using only top-quality ingredients, Yee-Haw Brewing Co. is growing quickly by expanding their sales throughout Tennessee, Virginia and beyond.

• Greenwood described the decision to move south and join Yee-Haw with characteristic zeal and, calling it a leap of faith, and an action worthy of a “Yee-Haw!”

o Their core line-up of highly drinkable, quality-driven beers are among the best and most palate pleasing in the South

o Available primarily in East Tennessee, Yee-Haw is rapidly expanding its distribution and solidifying its role as the fastest-growing brewery in the South

o Yee-Haw beers showcase the great flavor synergies that arise when the finest raw materials are utilized in simple, traditional brewing practices

o Their flagship beers are eminently drinkable and balanced — and include styles less often produced by competing craft breweries, demanding a high level of brewing knowledge and attention to detail

▪ Pilsner, a refreshing and golden-colored Bohemian-style lager that is easy to drink and equally at home with food

▪ Pale Ale, a bold-yet-balanced American pale ale with ample hop flavor but no overwhelming bitterness, rounded out by a touch of malt sweetness

▪ Eighty, a Scottish export-style 80 shilling ale that is subtly complex, deep-amber colored and malt forward

▪ Dunkel, a Munich-style dark lager with malt-derived flavors of biscuits, cocoa and caramel

• During their first year of operation, the demand for Yee-Haw has been tremendous; and both Greenwood and Baker view themselves as craft beer ambassadors for the South

o Yee-Haw’s playful name only enhances their more serious mission, balancing their focus on quality with a spirited, distinctly Southern approach to beer and brewing

o The brewery regularly supports the community and neighborhoods surrounding Johnson City, and Yee-Haw is the Official Craft Beer of Bristol Motor Speedway, one of NASCAR’s iconic race tracks

o Baker proudly hails from Tennessee, and his deep roots in the area led him to purchase and restore two of the original railroad depots that had once served as the center of a bustling railroad town

o Baker and Greenwood retrofitted the “Tweetsie” depot with the trappings of a 20,000-barrel capacity brewery, and are thrilled to serve as ambassadors for this great Southern town in the midst of a renaissance

• Greenwood, a Scottish trained brewmaster and proven industry veteran, brings a wealth of experience garnered over a 22-year career that has taken him to world-class breweries in the United States and overseas

o Greenwood is a former organic chemist who brings a rigorously scientific approach and unmatched attention to detail to these famously unforgiving beer styles, relying on all-natural ingredients and expert techniques to brew Yee-Haw’s excellent beers

o He is a recognized authority on the art and science of brewing great craft beer and has been the recipient of multiple medals at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF)

o Greenwood left a prestigious job as Vice-President of Brewing Operations for Lagunitas Brewing Company, a brand he helped grow into that market, to help Baker build Yee-Haw Brewing and embrace the convivial charms of living and working in Tennessee