Lines snaked through the Nations on Friday evening as Knoxville cult favorite Xul Beer Co. rolled its signature PB&J Mixtape into Nashville, turning Southern Grist’s taproom into a peanut butter and jelly circus. Fans waited for hours to snag cans and drafts of the grape, blueberry, and other Mixtape variants while staff hustled behind the bar to keep the taps flowing. The release marks the splashiest moment yet in Xul’s push into Middle Tennessee after it assumed control of Southern Grist’s Nashville operations last year.
The release kicked off at 5 p.m. Central, according to WBIR. Regional manager Karrington Foster told the station she now oversees the customer experience at both Xul’s Knoxville and Nashville taprooms and noted that PB&J release days are notorious for lines wrapping around the building.
How Xul Landed In Nashville
Last year, Xul took over Southern Grist’s two Nashville taprooms along with its production footprint, a local consolidation move that quickly grabbed the attention of beer obsessives. Brewer Magazine reported that Xul kept most of the existing staff and plans to maintain Southern Grist as a legacy label, even as it operates the locations under Xul management. As part of that transition, Southern Grist brewer Jared Welch is expected to help run the Nashville side of the operation.
What Will Change At The Taprooms
Xul’s expansion announcement says the brewery will focus on producing Xul beers in Nashville to supply the two taprooms while still keeping select Southern Grist brands on the board, according to Xul Beer Co. The company’s Nashville expansion page also notes that the interiors and exteriors of the spaces will gradually be updated to reflect Xul’s aesthetic, and that additional beers will be trucked in weekly from Knoxville to keep the tap lists packed. For now, PB&J is already pouring on draft at both the Nations and East Nashville locations.
Why Mixtape Still Draws Crowds
The Mixtape series taps into a mix of playground nostalgia and limited-release hype that turns each drop into a full-on event. Axios reported that a recent PB&J Mixtape release moved roughly 3,500 cases and drew thousands of fans to Xul’s events, a track record that helps explain why Nashville’s debut came with serious lines. That kind of sustained demand appears to be a key reason Xul moved quickly to get its flagship cans and drafts flowing in the city…