Ghost River Brewing

The beer is pretty good here and I’d recommend anyone trying it, but do not… I repeat… DO NOT visit the brewery and expect a tour and to sit down. Being dumb New Yorkers, we tried this. We almost died from heat stroke because we walked there. Don’t ever try this in Memphis.
The brewery is basically a factory. You can buy growlers and 6 packs, but they’ll make you wait out in the lot. When you walk in, it’s the packaging section and you can basically see the steel tanks from the counter. I mean, walking in this place is the tour.
The beer is good and it is available at a variety of bars around town. If you have a car and drive here for the beer, the 6 packs are super fresh and totally worth it. Just don’t walk!

They do tours on Saturdays, but since we were leaving town on Friday I called them up and asked if it’d be OK if I stopped by. The guy I talked to (I think he was the owner) was super friendly and took the time to answer all of my questions, plus I was able to pick up some beer for the road. definitely check out this great local brewery with awesome staff!

Delicious Beer!
I had been drinking Ghost River around town because I heard they use local Memphis water in their beer & because it tastes awesome.
They were not offering official brewery tours when I went in November, but the guy gave me a quick tour around their facility.
They sell discounted six packs & growlers at the plant. I picked up a growler of their stout, which made my last day in Memphis quite pleasant.

enjoyed the draft ghost river pale ale and the red ale at various downtown Memphis restaurants… as an out of towner, i always like to try local craft brews, and these ghost river offerings were greaz!

Awesome local beer and cool stuff. They use Memphis well water and it gives it great taste.

Memphis has a lot of great locally produced food, but you should also be aware that the city is home to some excellent locally made beverages. Ghost River brewing makes all of their varieties of craft beer in a converted meat packing plant downtown. Before the Tigers game on Saturday, I went to Ghost River Brewery downtown to take their free, weekly public tour.
Ghost River knows how to treat their guests. From the minute the tour begins, the friendly brewery guys pass samples of different beers in 6 oz. cups for you to sample while you learn about the brewing process. While Chuck (the brewery’s founder) talked about the Ghost section of the Wolf River and the delicious Memphis water that makes great beer possible, I sipped some of their tasty Golden ale.
The tour moves from the dock into the main brewing room, where we stood among giant vats of beer-​in-​progress and got a quick lesson on how beer is made from Chuck. He passed around cups of various malts and hops and shared some little-​known beer facts (for example, if you wanted to make beer out of Grape Nuts, you totally could).
By then, another sample tray had been passed around, and I had a cup of Galacial Pale Ale in my hand. I didn’t like it as much as I liked the Golden Ale, but it wasn’t bad at all.
According to Chuck, Ghost River has been open for about 17 months, making three constant beers, the Galacial Pale Ale, the Golden, and the Brown Ale and a rotating seasonal beer (right now, it’s the super potent Wee Heavy). A portion of all of their sales is donated to the Wolf River Conservancy in order to help protect the brewery’s namesake river.
To get your hands on some Memphis-​made beer, belly up to one of more than 50 local bars and restaurants that serve Ghost River on tap. You can also buy full kegs, five gallon kegs, and half-​gallon growlers from the dock. Sadly, Ghost River isn’t available in bottles or at grocery stores yet.
Reservations are required for the tour.

What Phil said.
I’ve always been a bigger fan of Boscos’ beer than of the restaurant itself, and the Ghost River line (it’s brewed at the same brewery that produces Boscos beer) allows me to enjoy the beer on my own terms – both directly from the brewery itself (in the form of half-​gallon «growlers») or at one of the many local establishments that carry Ghost River beers on tap.
And the brewery tour is indeed a must. A group of about 15 of us (who were joined by other groups and individuals) toured the brewery a few Saturdays ago, and we did indeed leave happy – and with several (full) growlers in tow.

It is about time that Memphis got a good brewery going. I only wish I could have spent more time here before leaving the city. Owned and operated by the people that brought you Bosco’s Squared, these guys don’t mess around. You can find their beer all over the city now, and let me tell you, it’s worth a try. There is a list on their website of locations where you can get it. I can only hope the brand continues to grow and I can eventually get it here in Boston. There are two things that really stand out when looking at Ghost River Brewing:
1. The quality of the water. The beer is brewed with Memphis’ famous artisan well water. Memphis is fortunate to have some of the best quality water in the world, and this is reflected in the taste. They have also partnered with the Wolf River Conservancy to help preserve and protect the watershed.
2. The Beer Tours! Head on down to the brewery at 1 PM on Saturday’s and visit with Mike, the brew master. Guaranteed good time here. You may want to email ahead to tell them you are coming because sometimes not too many people show up. I think it is still kind of a well kept secret. He will show you how the beer is made, as well as offer samples of several of their most popular brews. And trust me, you will leave feeling HAPPY. Especially if you buy a glass. Try it and find out!

Ghost River Brewing was established last year by the founders of Bosco’s, a chain of local beer pubs. The brewery’s name is derived from the Ghost River, an unchannelized section of the Wolf River that empties into the Memphis Sands Aquifer. After touring the brewery, we were able to sample four beers which are made on the premises; Ghost River Golden, Glacial Pale Ale, Brown Ale and a Hefewiezen. We learned that Memphis water is low in mineral content and that this accounts for the beer’s unique taste. One of the brewery’s distinctive products is the ‘Growler’, which is a ½ gallon of draft beer sold in a brown jug. This is a great deal! Save your bottles and get them refilled at the brewery for just $ 10! Currently, the brews are not being sold commercially, but are being offered through several local bars and restaurants (list available on website). Best of all, a portion of the proceeds from every barrel will be donated to the Wolf River Conservancy. If you ever have the opportunity, take the brewery tour, you’ll learn something about beer and something about Memphis.