Tennessee Brew Works Celebrates 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage

What important event took place on August 18, 1920? You can be forgiven if you don’t remember- most people don’t know the exact date of this important legal event. It happens to be the date that the 19^th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, giving women the right to vote. Celebrations abound and, not too surprisingly, America’s craft beer scene is joining the commemoration. One brewery ready to tip its hat to women’s rights is Nashville’s Tennessee Brew Works (“TBW”), which has partnered with the Hermitage Hotel, Tennessee Women’s Suffrage Committee, and other businesses across Tennessee to recognize this important day. 

TBW has a special beer brewed to mark the occasion. It is Persistence Peach Ale and it’s a Bellini cocktail- inspired beer made with real peach and pomegranate. The name of the beer denotes the long struggle to win the right to vote- a struggle that dragged on for several decades before becoming reality in 1920. The state of Tennessee is significant in the passage of the 19^th Amendment because it happened to be the 36^th state to ratify. This was the magic number of states needed to make the 19^th Amendment part of the supreme law of the land. 

Leading the festivities and related efforts at TBW are, appropriately, an all- female team that includes Brewer Stephanie Smith, Sales and Marketing Associate Alyssa Gayle and Event Coordinator Mara Hines. In addition to that, the label for the new beer was created by another talented lady, local illustrator Erica Berhow. 

Smith says the new beer is one small way to remember the difficult road to voting equality. 

“With all the challenges in the world right now, it’s nice to take a moment and acknowledge the country’s advancements. It is also important to recognize that these advancements were born from struggle: decades of protest and activism that have shaped our history and rights as women,” said Smith. “We hope to see people drink this beer in celebration of a historic moment in Tennessee and our national history.” 

TBW has a special celebration, “Cheers to 100 Years” planned for Monday, August 16 in the Tennessee Brew Works’ Taproom, located at 809 Ewing Ave., Nashville, TN. Guests can sample Persistence Peach Ale and listen to live music performed by female artists, starting with local band Hadley Kennary and Friends. At 4:45pm, guests can join in a toast to 100 years of voting rights, followed by a brief history of voting presented by Laura Franklin of the Tennessee Women’s Suffrage Committee. Live entertainment will then resume at 5pm when musical artist Lady Couch takes the stage. 

Persistence Peach will be available at the Hermitage Hotel’s Capital Grille and Bar during the hotel’s suffrage- themed events. It can also be found across the state of Tennessee at select beverage outlets in Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. 

It’s been 100 years since women were given the right to vote. The 19^th Amendment was the culmination of several decades of hard work and it’s great to see Tennessee Brew Works celebrating this important milestone with a new beer and a day of commemoration. Persistence Peach Ale is a limited release beer, so get your hands on it as soon as you can. And join Americans from coast to coast as we mark a full century of voting equality between men and women.