TailGate Brewery Expands as Yazoo Brewing Operations Change Hands

Introduction

Nashville’s craft beer scene just got a major shakeup, but longtime Yazoo Brewing fans have a reason to feel optimistic. TailGate Brewery has purchased Yazoo Brewing Company’s production facility and taproom in Madison, Tennessee, giving one of the region’s fastest-growing independent breweries more room to expand while keeping Yazoo beer in production.

Announced October 13, 2026, the deal brings two familiar names in Tennessee craft beer together at a 6.5-acre campus north of downtown Nashville. TailGate plans to make the Madison property its primary production hub, take over the taproom and offer jobs to the existing Yazoo team, including founder Linus Hall. There is a lot happening here, and the most important detail is that this is a facility and operations deal, not the disappearance of Yazoo’s beer brands. Those brands joined the R.S. Lipman Brewing portfolio in 2025 and will continue to be brewed at the Madison facility.

Quick facts: TailGate Brewery and Yazoo Brewing

TailGate takes over Yazoo’s Madison brewery

TailGate Brewery founder Wesley Keegan has been looking for additional brewing capacity, and the Yazoo property gives the Nashville-based company room to grow without abandoning its existing headquarters. The Madison campus includes a 40-barrel brewhouse and will become the center of TailGate’s expanded production operations, while the West Nashville headquarters remains open as both a brewery and taproom.

That distinction matters. TailGate is not shutting down its original location or moving everything out of West Nashville. Instead, the company is adding a substantial production facility at a time when its distribution business has been growing and existing brewing capacity has become a limitation.

More room to brew. That’s the immediate payoff.

The acquisition also expands TailGate’s physical presence in Tennessee. Once the Madison taproom transitions to TailGate operations, it will become the company’s ninth Tennessee taproom, bringing its beer lineup and signature scratch-made pizza program to a location that has served Nashville-area beer drinkers for years.

Yazoo beer will continue to be brewed

For fans of Yazoo Brewing, this is the part worth watching most closely. Yazoo helped shape Nashville’s modern craft beer identity after Linus and Lila Hall founded the brewery in 2003. The company started small, supplying kegs to local bars and restaurants before expanding its brewing operations as demand increased.

Over the years, Yazoo developed a following for beers including Dos Perros, Sly Rye Porter and SUE, its smoked porter. The brewery eventually moved from its earlier Nashville locations to the Madison campus in 2019, creating the larger production operation that TailGate is now acquiring.

The Yazoo name is not simply being erased from the brewing schedule. The brands became part of the R.S. Lipman Brewing portfolio in 2025, and Yazoo beers are expected to continue being produced at the Madison facility for distribution through that portfolio.

Linus Hall will also remain involved, overseeing production and sales for the Yazoo lineup. TailGate has offered employment to the entire Yazoo crew, a move that could help preserve the experience and institutional knowledge behind those beers.

That is a meaningful point in an industry where brewery acquisitions can bring uncertainty for employees and customers alike.

What the deal means for Nashville craft beer

The TailGate and Yazoo arrangement reflects the changing economics of craft brewing. A brewery can have a loyal following and recognizable beers but still face different ownership, distribution and production arrangements as the market evolves. Meanwhile, growing breweries need equipment, floor space and production capacity if they want to reach more retailers without stretching existing operations too far.

TailGate gains a larger brewing home, an established facility and another taproom. Yazoo’s beers retain a production location and a connection to their longtime founder. Customers, meanwhile, will have to see how the taproom transition unfolds and what the new TailGate-operated location offers.

Financial details of the purchase have not been disclosed, and a specific date for the taproom switchover has not been announced. More details about the Madison operation are expected as the transition progresses.

For now, this is a significant Tennessee craft beer story, but not a straightforward brand shutdown.

Conclusion

TailGate Brewery’s purchase of Yazoo Brewing’s Madison facility gives the fast-growing Nashville brewer the production capacity it needs while creating a new chapter for a brewery that helped establish the city’s craft beer identity. The campus will become TailGate’s primary production hub, the taproom will transition to TailGate, and Yazoo beer will continue to be brewed for distribution through R.S. Lipman.

The big question now is how TailGate develops the Madison property while maintaining the character of a location that Yazoo fans already know. With Linus Hall staying involved and the existing workforce offered jobs, there are reasons to watch this transition with interest rather than assume the worst.

Join the discussion

What do you think about TailGate Brewery taking over Yazoo Brewing’s Madison production facility? Is expanding production capacity the right move for TailGate, and will you visit the new Madison taproom when the transition is complete? Share your thoughts and let us know which Yazoo beers you want to see continue.

Frequently asked questions

Did TailGate Brewery buy Yazoo Brewing?

TailGate purchased Yazoo Brewing’s Madison production facility and taproom. The transaction does not mean TailGate acquired the Yazoo beer brands, which are part of the R.S. Lipman Brewing portfolio.

Will Yazoo beer still be available?

Yes. Yazoo beers are expected to continue being produced at the Madison facility for distribution through R.S. Lipman.

What happens to the Yazoo Brewing taproom?

TailGate plans to take over taproom operations and turn the location into its ninth Tennessee taproom, adding its signature pizza program.

Will Linus Hall continue working with Yazoo beer?

Yes. Hall is joining TailGate and will remain involved in overseeing production and sales for the Yazoo lineup.

Where is the former Yazoo brewery located?

The facility is at 900 River Bluff Drive in Madison, Tennessee, north of downtown Nashville.

When will TailGate take over taproom operations?

The purchase has closed and the transition is underway, but a specific date for the taproom switchover has not been announced.

For more Tennessee craft beer news and brewery acquisition coverage, check out these related MyBeerBuzz stories:
Jester King Adding Entombment & A Pale Green Horse Collaboration: https://mybeerbuzz.com/jester-king-adding-entombment-a-pale-green-horse-collaboration/, Jackalope Brewing Company Acquires Black Abbey Brewing Company: https://mybeerbuzz.com/jackalope-brewing-company-acquires-black-abbey-brewing-company/, Wiseacre Brewing To Acquire Tennessee’s Bearded Iris Brewing: https://mybeerbuzz.com/wiseacre-brewing-to-acquire-tenessees-bearded-iris-brewing/ & Hi-Wire Brewing and Appalachian Mountain Brewing Form Partnership: https://mybeerbuzz.com/hi-wire-brewing-and-appalachian-mountain-brewing-form-partnership/

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