Cooper-Young Beerfest is back with more than 100 beers to sample. Here's what's on tap.

Jennifer Chandler, Memphis Commercial Appeal

October 16, 2022 at 10:02 PM·3 min read

If you are a beer enthusiast, grab your mug. The 12th annual Cooper-Young Beerfest is Oct. 22.

With 31 breweries and two local homebrewing clubs participating, there will be more than 100 beers to sample during this 4-hour unlimited tasting event.

Each guest to Cooper-Young Beerfest receives a complimentary mug and can enjoy unlimited tastings.

As in years past, the festival will be held at Midtown Autowerks, 795 S. Cooper.

This one usually sells out in advance, so don’t wait to get your ticket.

Here are three things to know about the festival.

Designing Women:Meet the designers behind some of Memphis' most talked about restaurants

New in Collierville:The Peach Cobbler Factory brings its cobblers and banana puddings to Collierville

Craft beers only

This is a regional festival with all breweries featured located within a day’s drive of Cooper-Young.

“We differentiated ourselves early on by being strictly focused on micro craft breweries in the region. Each brewery is within a day’s drive of Memphis,” said Mark Morrison, board member of the Cooper-Young Community Association and chairman of the Beerfest organizing committee.

Co-founder Andy Ashby calls it “a brewer’s festival.” (Ashby is also co-owner of Memphis Made Brewing Co.)

The mission of the event is to support the hardworking local brewers who devote their time, talent and energy to making beers that are uniquely their own.

The 12th annual Cooper-Young Beerfest is Oct. 22.

“These are all small brewers doing a lot of innovative things with beer that national brands are not doing,” Morrison said. “By inviting them here, we not only introduce their beers to Memphis, but we hope that some of them will start selling their beers here, if they don’t already. It's about continuing to build the beer culture in Memphis.”

In addition to out-of-town breweries, many of the Memphis-based craft breweries will participate in the event.

What's on tap

Each guest to Cooper-Young Beerfest receives a complimentary mug and can enjoy unlimited tastings of more than 100 craft beers.

What makes this event really unique is that most times, it’s the brewmaster pouring your beer.

“It is such a better experience when the person pouring the beers knows about the brewery and its beers,” Morrison said, adding everyone who participates is required to send a representative from the brewery.

Goner Records will be supplying the tunes, and food will be available for purchase from local food trucks.

Event organizers intentionally limit ticket sales to around 1,000 people.

“We don’t want this event to be one where all you do is stand in line,” Morrison said.

Things to do in Memphis:Indie Memphis Film Festival: 25 highlights for this year's 25th fest

Cooper-Young restaurants:The Beauty Shop turns 20: How a salon became one of Memphis' most popular restaurants

Fundraiser for Cooper-Young Community Association

This annual fundraising event benefits the Cooper-Young Community Association (CYCA).

“We were a group of guys — all of us either lived or had lived in Cooper-Young — who each were passionate about our Cooper-Young neighborhood and beer,” Morrison said. “We thought this would be a great fundraiser for the Cooper-Young Community Association.”

Cooper-Young Beerfest is an all-volunteer-run celebration organized by a group of neighbors who love their neighborhood and beer. Since its beginning nine years ago, it has grown from 350 guests to close to about 1,000 guests.

All money raised at this volunteer-run event goes to the CYCA and is used to keep the beloved Midtown Memphis neighborhood clean, friendly, safe and welcoming to all who visit.

To date, the festival has raised more than $150,000 for the CYCA.

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.