USA, TN: Wiseacre Brewing Company acquires Nashville’s Bearded Iris Brewing

Memphis-based Wiseacre Brewing Company has acquired Nashville’s Bearded Iris Brewing in a deal announced this week, combining two of Tennessee’s largest craft breweries, Beer Street Journal reported on August 4.

Wiseacre Brewing, through its Abel Brewing LLC, has applied for permit changes for Bearded Iris’ locations at 101 Van Buren St. and Sylvan Supply at 4101 Charlotte Ave.

Bearded Iris was founded in 2014 by Paul Vaughn, Matt Miller, and Kavon Togrye in Nashville, Tennessee. Wiseacre Brewing was established a year earlier in Memphis by brothers Kellan and Davin Bartosch. The merger is seen as a strategic alliance across the Volunteer State, aimed at overcoming challenges facing the craft beer industry, including rising costs, pandemic fallout, increasing insurance expenses, and shifting consumer preferences.

In October 2021, Atlanta-based Scofflaw Brewing founded IndieBrew, a brewing collective. Bearded Iris joined IndieBrew in December of that year. The collective provided shared business services, from HR to brewing operations, to enhance the long-term sustainability of member breweries. Bearded Iris co-founder Kavon Togrye was deeply involved in the initiative.

Discussions about IndieBrew have been scarce since late 2022. The acquisition of Bearded Iris, which does not involve Scofflaw Brewing, likely impacts the IndieBrew partnership.

The acquisition brings two of Tennessee’s most popular craft beers—Wiseacre’s Tiny Bomb (a pilsner) and Bearded Iris’ Homestyle (an IPA)—under one brand. No word of any leadership changes or exits by any existing brewery founders.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.