USA, TN: Tennessee Valley Brewing Company successful since July 1 opening

Eric Brannstrom has been brewing beer for over 25 years, and after all that time honing his craft, he finally has his own place — Tennessee Valley Brewing Company, the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle reported on July 19.

He co-owns it with his wife, Wendy, who shares his passion for the craft beer business. Since their opening on July 1, they've been successful, having turned non-beer drinkers on to some of their brews.

After serving time in the Army and attending school in Michigan, Brannstrom decided in 1990 to return home to his father in Tennessee. That Christmas, his father bought him a home brewing kit. Since then, he hasn't stopped.

For years, Brannstrom worked professionally as an assistant brewer in northern Michigan, among other customer service jobs. He learned through experience and continued to build his own recipes from home.

After the couple faced a handful of layoffs, they decided to take their dream to action.

"We needed to take matters into our own hands. We wanted to be more in charge of our lives," said Eric Brannstrom.

And with that, they spent a couple of years developing a business plan and researching how cities supported small breweries. They found that even small towns less than half the size of Clarksville were able to support as many as eight.

"I thought the time was right for Clarksville to start having more breweries," said Brannstrom.

With the response they've received from customers, Brannstrom appears to be on to something.

Tennessee Valley Brewing has a cozy atmosphere, decorated with repurposed wood, hand-crafted tables and bar-tops. On one of their walls hangs a wooden American flag, dressed with patches from people who serve in the community, whether it's the Clarksville Police Department or U.S. Army.

Customer service is highly valued. Eric and Wendy take time to understand a customer's palette, but they also try to introduce them to something they may not have tried before. They take time to educate customers though tasting their beers and understanding the aromatics and flavors.

"Above and beyond all, I think that's what really makes us different. We're very passionate about good customer service, and we always try to make sure people have a good experience when they come in," said Brannstrom.

The beer itself is also an experience, from the smooth balance of their American Wheat IPA to the aroma of roasted coffee and dark chocolate in their Night Stalker Stout, and the light refreshing taste of their Grapefruit Raddler.

Customers have raved in reviews online, but the couple still hopes to attract new customers as they build their presence in Clarksville.

Tennessee Valley Brewing Company is at 2088 Lowes Drive and is open 3-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, noon-midnight Friday-Saturday and noon-9 p.m. Sunday. Customers are welcome to order there or bring in food to eat.

20 July, 2017