How a Memphis brewery went from a Tiny Bomb to big-time player in craft beer world

It’s been 10 years since Memphians enjoyed their first sips of WISEACRE beer.

Over the past decade, WISEACRE Brewing Co. has grown from a small local craft brewery to a company that has distribution in 21 states, with more in the works.

Brothers Davin and Kellan Bartosch opened the doors to their craft brewery on Aug. 30, 2013. Three days later, they made their first beer delivery on Sept. 2, 2013.

Over the years, the brewery has made hundreds of craft beers. “It’s too many to count,” said Davin, who is the head brewmaster.

“We strive to make a lot of styles," he said. "Pushing boundaries is part of who we are, and seeking new flavors is very exciting for us."

WISEACRE outgrew its original brewery WISEACRE OG (which is still open at 2783 Broad Ave.) within a few years. The Bartosches then opened a state-of-the-art, 40,000-square-foot brewery and taproom — called WISEACRE HQ — at 398 S B.B. King Blvd. in the South Main District in Downtown Memphis in 2020.

Kellan considers WISEACRE a brand ambassador for Memphis. “Every time WISEACRE launches in a new market, the key to our launch is telling the story of Memphis: the people, the music, the water.”

The two beers they launched the business with, Tiny Bomb American Pilsner and Ananda IPA, are still two of their most popular beers — not just in Memphis, but nationwide.

In fact, Tiny Bomb is currently the No. 1-selling Tennessee-made beer and ranks No. 4 in craft pilsners in the country, according to IRI, a consulting company that analyzes sales data for consumer packaged goods, healthcare and retail industries.

Kellan and Davin sat down with us to talk about WISEACRE’s past and future, and their favorite beers.

What’s the story behind the name WISEACRE?

Kellan:  WISEACRE was a term our grandmother on our dad’s side used on us when we were kids. It’s an old-school term for smart aleck. Sometimes she meant it as a compliment because she thought we were cheeky little fellows … but sometimes it meant we were in trouble!

We think we should take beer, production and our business very seriously … but when it leaves our care, we think it should be fun.

Why Memphis for your brewery? Anything to do about our water?

Davin: Our water here is amazing. It really is the best water in the country for producing beer, and especially our primary beer, Tiny Bomb.

But it’s not why we chose to start our brewery here.

We both feel that Memphis and our upbringing here has had a massive impact on our personalities and how we interact with the world. We want to do our part to contribute to the culture of our beloved hometown, and when we’re traveling around talking about our beers, we’re also talking about how much we love Memphis.

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Let’s talk about Tiny Bomb. What was the inspiration behind this pilsner? Why do you think it's so popular?

Davin: The name is a mash-up of Tiny (alcohol, calories) and Bomb (flavor). It sprung from the conversations I had with people about what beers they drank and why. I often got the answer, “Less calories, less filling, I can drink 5 and feel OK.” But never got the answer, “It tastes great!” So, I wanted to find a way to make a lower-calorie, lower alcohol beer, like other “lite” beer, but with a lot of flavor.

A lot of people don’t know Tiny Bomb has 129 calories as we want people to know it is a great beer first, but that’s a point we are going to emphasize moving forward as it matters to a lot of people. Tiny Bomb is the result of many years of labor and careful experimentation.

Your cans are true works of art. Tell us why you decided on this original style of art/design — and the designer.

Kellan: Rachel Briggs has designed all our cans, and the art on the walls of the Downtown taproom and brewery.

We went to high school with Rachel, and her talent is off the charts.

She’s designed for Chuck Berry and Cracker Barrel to name some big ones, but if you spend time reviewing her prolific catalog of work, you can just tell not just the skill involved, but how thoughtful and funny and inspired she is as a person.

Each of our beers is a work of art with hidden stories guiding people towards their spirit animal, to a time of self-reflection following Hurricane Elvis, a mythical monster being wooed by a nun, the barren wanderings of one of our nation’s forefathers, prank calling the devil himself, fake animals on a fake continent, a cross section of Memphis’ aquifer, and so much more.

To close with a fun anecdote, I called Rachel once to discuss our upcoming Oktoberfest beer and she replied, “I was just studying German folk art.” Of course you were, Rachel!

Wiseacre has grown a lot in the past several years. What’s next for your brand?

Kellan: We need to stay the same and keep changing.

As a 10-year old company, we’ve gotten here by being excellent at some specific things, but we need to recognize how consumers are changing and how we can be nimble.

We are making spirit-based drinks these days called “The Set Up” and are one of the first in Tennessee to do. Not everybody likes beer, so these 5% vodka and tequila-based canned drinks are available for a different audience.

With our beer Tiny Bomb as our calling card on a national level being the No. 4 craft pilsner in the country, a lot of our marketing and expansion efforts are around telling that story.

As a company, we are thinking a lot about how people experience WISEACRE and how we can continue to become a better company internally. These are all big challenges, and we are thankful to have the crew and board that we have to keep moving forward and changing with confidence.

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What is your favorite WISEACRE beer?

Both Kellan and Davin: Tiny Bomb!

Davin: Most of the beer I drink is Tiny Bomb. It is very well balanced, and it goes well with any occasion.

Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer. 

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BAM! WISEACRE Beer and Music Festival in Memphis

In celebration of its 10-year anniversary, WISEACRE will host its first BAM! WISEACRE Beer and Music Festival in Memphis on Oct. 21. The festival will focus on Memphis-centric acts who are either local or whose members have a connection to Memphis — and beer, of course. For more information, visit memphopresents.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: WISEACRE in Memphis: Craft brewery owners talk past, future