While life was pretty much shut down in 2020, Ryan Jensen and Chris and Julie Morris decided it was time to launch their dream of having a brewery. They are now the owners of Ashland City’s first destination brewery, Marrowbone Creek Brewing Company, that sits on Main Street in the old King Automotive building.
Marrowbone Creek will be celebrating their second birthday in February of 2023, and they plan on continuing to offer their unique blend of experimental brews, great food, live entertainment and a mix of public and private events.
Chris Moore spent part of the pandemic looking for space for a possible taproom after moving to Ashland City from East Nashville, stumbling onto their current location while driving around to explore the city. Then the partners did a lot of the build-out and repair themselves. This included everything from plumbing and electric to redoing ceilings and floors.
Moore had looked into opening a taproom once before with some friends, after being a long-time home brewer, but the idea went back to his college days. The downtime during the pandemic provided the final impetus to go for it.
Ryan Jensen lost his job as event manager at The Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville when the tourist mainstay was forced to shut down with other bars and restaurants during the worst of the pandemic. Jensen has learned the craft brew business, but he has used his food and beverage knowledge from staging events to become the managing partner of Marrowbone Creek.
Starting with the front tap room, the trio then worked on the back part of the building, which now houses event space available for rental. Recently, they opened The Lunch Spot.
The menu for the brewery is pretty simple, with an assortment of pizzas, “sharables,” and a few kiddie offerings. Best-selling “sharables” include beer cheese and pretzels and French fries with house-made Nashville Hot Chicken sauce. The Lunch Spot has a larger but equally simple menu including fancy hot dogs; sandwiches; soup; chili; macaroni and cheese; and salads. A favorite here is the Mac Dog, which is a half-pound all-beef hot dog smothered in mac and cheese drizzled with tangy barbecue sauce.
For beer lovers, they have a Mug Club. Beginning on January 1, 2023, for $80, members receive a custom Mug Club t-shirt, a free pint on their birthday, $2 off growler refills, $20 off lights, $1 off House Pint Nights every Wednesday, a 20-ounce pour for the price of a 16-ounce pour, a punch card for every tenth beer free, a standing invitation to pre-release beer tastings and admission to their annual members-only party at the end of the year.
“We had the pretzels and a flatbread [pizza] that were both delicious,” said one reviewer. “We also had a Cidermosa and a flight of beers. Everything was yummy!! Ryan was so helpful and friendly. He took plenty of time to talk us through the food and drink menus and filled us in on the history of the building.”
Said another reviewer, “We had fun checking out the new place. [They have a] good selection of beer and hard cider. Genuinely nice staff [who] are actually engaged with the customer. [They are] happy to answer questions, make recommendations, etc.”
There is music on the weekends and trivia every Thursday night. They also like to be a part of community events, like their recent Christmas Parade watch party. In the summer they have an outdoor alfresco dining space.
Marrowbone Creek Brewing Company
240 South Main Street
Ashland City, Tennessee
(615) 953-0303
https://marrowbonebrewing.com/
Hours: Wednesday and Thursday, 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Friday, 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m.
Sunday, noon until 9:00 p.m.
The Lunch Spot is open Wednesday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
