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Nashville's brewery: the William Gerst Brewing Company
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Born in 1847, William H. Gerst came from a long line of Bavarian brewers. He obtained his Master Brewers Certificate in 1888 and was elected the second president of the United States Brewmaster's Association in 1889. In 1890 he partnered with Christian Moerlein to open the Moerlin-Gerst Brewing Company. Located on Sixth Avenue South, this brewery operated until Gerst bought out Moerlin in 1893, renaming the company the William Gerst Brewing Company.Gerst was a prominent businessman and father of six. All four of his sons worked in the brewery and eventually ran it, after Gerst retired in 1920 due to Prohibition. Sadly, Gerst died in March 1933, barely two months prior to the end of Prohibition. He never saw his brewery reopen.
Gerst was also passionate about horse racing and was the owner of Donau, the winner of the 1910 Kentucky Derby. Finishing in a time of 2 minutes, 6.5 seconds, Donau is the only Nashville horse to ever win the Derby.
After the William Gerst Brewing Company closed in 1954, grandson William J. Gerst wanted to do something to keep the Gerst name alive and well in Nashville, so he opened the Gerst Haus restaurant on Second Avenue North in 1955. The restaurant remained on Second Avenue until it relocated to 228 Woodland Street in 1970. That location was demolished in 1998 in order to make room for LP Field, the home of the Tennessee Titans. After a two-year hiatus, the Gerst Haus opened in its current location at 301 Woodland Street.
Today, the Gerst Haus is owned by Jim and Jerry Chandler and continues to serve fine German food, made from old German and Swiss family recipes. On display in the backroom are the drinking horns displayed at the Tennessee Centennial of 1897 and originally housed in the brewery's tap room. You'll also find a portrait of Donau.
The Gerst Haus is very popular on Titans game days, so you might want to visit in the off-season for a taste of a fine Nashville tradition.
For more information on the Tennessee Titans, check out the Tennessee Titans Examiner, David Jones.
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