Where is Hi-Wire?
Hi-Wire’s Knoxville brewery is in South Knoxville, more specifically the Old Sevier Neighborhood. It is right along Sevier Ave, in between Honeybee Coffee and SouthSide Garage. They are in (short) walking distance from tons of other great beers: Alliance Brewing, Trailhead Beer Market, and Printshop Beer, so this part of town can be dangerous for you beer lovers.
As for parking, they have a small lot and there is street parking in the area. The brewery wasn’t hard to find, but it should be noted that the main entrance seems to be in the back of the building, along the railroad tracks.
When is it open?
Hi-Wire is open Monday through Wednesday 3p – 10p, Thursday and Friday 3p – midnight, Saturday noon – midnight, and Sunday noon – 10p. Keep up with them on Instagram @hiwirebrewing_knx or on their website at hiwirebrewing.com/knoxville. (Note: their website also has a pretty impressive calendar widget, so you can see what is going on in your local taproom).
What Are They Known For?
Hi-Wire is local, but not just in Tennessee: They also have 4 spots in North Carolina, and one in Louisville Kentucky on the way, making them one of the larger local craft brewers around. The Knoxville Taproom brings a lot to the table in terms of weekly calendar:
Monday through Friday, 3p-6p they have Pint & Pocket night. That’s right, a pint of beer and a Hot Pocket for $4. Guys, I was sold right here.
On Wednesdays at 7p, they have Not Rocket Trivia night for a chance to win prizes like a $30 Hi-Wire gift card. Not Rocket also sometimes puts on “singo”, like bingo but with music!
On Thursdays, it’s half price drafts all day long.
Saturdays, they are yet another beer yoga in Knoxville competitor! They have Yoga at 10a and pilates at 11a, both hosted by @pilatesjill. $5 gets you a spot and half off your first draft. On Sundays, they have rooftop yoga on the rooftop patio at 10a – get there early, class is 15 spots!
They also have seasonal events. They have played host to the Brewery Babes Drag Show, they’ve had pint night raising money for local charity The Love Kitchen, Small Breed Rescue of East TN, and they frequenlty have live music on the weekends.
Soccer Pool is not something I thought I would find when coming to get a beer, but they have a league! You and a partner can sign up for a season: in the past, it’s been $30 per team, which gets you 2 Hi-Wire tees and half off drafts on game days!
What's the space like?
It is genuinely hard to convey how MASSIVE this space is! Even socially distanced, you could easily fit 70 inside, and that doesn’t even speak of the rooftop. I don’t know what their capacity is, but I would not be shocked if you told me that could easily accomodate a couple hundred people for a chill afternoon.
In fact, the space is so big here that just from pictures, it feels a little darker and shorter in the ceiling. However, the splashes of color on the walls and old school South Knox industrial aesthetic immediately set you at ease. I took note of the red lamps too – not flashy, but a unique choice in today’s world of either bright fluorescents or trendy Edison bulbs.
This space is the epitome of a down-home brewery: concrete floors and brick walls, nice use of outdoor signage indoors above the bar, plenty of long tables for you to bring the whole crew out and still be able to sit together.
Normally, they have table games and some fun things to do around the perimeter. However, as you can see, many of these pictures were from a COVID-era visit where everything was locked down. They do, however, still have a merch area/wall and to-go beers to take home. In fact, since we’re on the subject, if you find yourself needing beers for home, they have free local delivery Tuesday and Thursdays with a $30 order within 8 miles of the taproom. For those who need landmarks, that will take you up past the Zoo to the Northeast or a little past McKay’s to the west.
But what about food? Not to worry, they host food trucks, including Ale Rae Grill and Lobster Dogs to name a couple.
What about the beer?
First, let me mention the fact that they have a mug club, and you can be in it for just $10/year! That gets you a glass-handled mug, special discounts like 25% off merch and to-go beers, and gets you bigger pours for the same price – non-specialty beers get upgraded to 20oz.
But what should I put in my fancy mug, you ask? When I think of Hi-Wire, I think of the 10W-40 series. In a beer world that seems to be filled with IPA variants, this series of stouts is refreshing in more ways than one. Recently, we’ve seen a horchata version, Mexican hot chocolate, blueberry crumble, and one I am very excited about, 20W-50, which looks especially dark and far more viscous than motor oil at an enticing 13.8%!
However, with the reach that Hi-Wire has, you bet they’ve got loads of beer varieties: many IPAs including Brett IPAs, a Tropical golden Ale that packs a punch at over 11%, a Blackberry Cobbler Sour Smoothie, Dark Berry Jam Wow imperial dark ale, and more recently an Interaction of Color series showing off aesthetic beer.
Other things to do in the area
If you need some pick-me-up, caffeinate at one of Downtown Knoxville’s newest coffee shops, Mahalo Coffee Roasters.
Looking to sample more brews? Head into Old City to sip from custom glassware at Pretentious Beer Co, a brewery that is anything but.
Take in some views and get some sunshine – walk, grab a scooter, or bike across the Gay Street Bridge for great views of the river and downtown beyond.
Questions, Comments, or Concerns?
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