Home is where the heart is. Linus Hall kept that in mind when he decided to start his own brewery in Nashville, Tennessee.
He opened the Yazoo Brewing Company in October 2003 and his home connection began with the company name.
“Even though we love Nashville and thought it's a great place to start a brewery, we kind of wanted to reflect our Mississippi heritage,” Hall said. “I grew up in Mississippi. That's where me and my wife and most of our family is from and it's where the Yazoo River comes into the Mississippi River in a little town called Vicksburg.”
But, what inspired him to include Yazoo in the name?
“It [Yazoo] just seemed like a fun name for a brewery and a fun way to belly up to the bar and ask for a beer,” he said.
Hall’s understanding of Southern flavor and culture helped develop the beers his company brews and even change his taste along the way.
“I was a big fan of really hoppy beers and really strong beers, but I realized people in the South like to drink their beer with a good meal,” said Hall. “So we try to create beers that are very what you call 'sessionable': something that can have a lot of flavor, but sit down and have three or four of them without having too much alcohol.”
The actual brewing process is fun, according to Hall, but there is so much more that goes into running a successful business, including protecting the company from unexpected events.
“The liability side of things, you just don't realize how many things you need insurance for when you start,” he said. “You need liquor liability. You need workers’ compensation. We had an unexpected breakdown of our boiler about two years ago and luckily we had equipment breakdown insurance and our insurance company covered it for us. That would have been a massive outlay of cash if we didn't have the right insurance.”
While the business side of the brewery keeps Hall hopping, his love for craft beer remains as strong as it did when he left a career at Bridgestone to follow his dream.
“A lot of people talk about what they do for a living and you can kinda see their eyes roll back in their head,” he said. “But, when I talk about craft beer they're like, 'Man, you're really passionate about that, you ought to start your own brewery.’"
Thirteen years later, the Yazoo Brewing Company continues to serve with Southern style and hospitality.
The Yazoo Brewing Company is a policyholder of the Cincinnati Insurance Company.
