Three Maryville spots are building belonging through beer
What’ s Brewing in Blount County
MATHAUS SCHWARZEN | BCQ
The Tri-Hop Brewery building sits in the shadow of the Blount County Courthouse in downtown Maryville.
Three Maryville spots are building belonging through beer
BY MATHAUS SCHWARZEN
Jeff Hooper got into craft brewing when he lived in Colorado. He was teaching snowboarding and working at a liquor store, which he said helped him get to know the local craft names.
“ I’ d start paying attention to what was coming in,” he said in an interview with The Daily Times.“ I started really getting to know all those varieties and all the breweries out there. So I really took a lot away from that.”
His first stab at making beer himself happened in 2018 – ironically, the same year downtown staple Tri-Hop Brewery was founded. A lifelong passion had begun. Then, in early 2025, that passion culminated in the brewery’ s purchase. Now, he’ s part of the team that pours brews day in and day out from the business’ 205 Court Street address in the shadow of the Blount County Courthouse.
8 | BLOUNT COUNTY QUARTERLY • WINTER 2025-26
It’ s all about range.
Running a brewery, Hooper said, is often less about what you like and more about offering what the customer might want. Every palate is different, which means offering a range of brews, and even a cider or two.
“ You do, from an ownership standpoint, not brew the beer you like, but brew all types of beer,” Hooper said.“ I like to take whatever beer it is and then tweak it.”
That means upgrades. Better ingredients, Hooper believes, lead to better beer. He’ s a traditionalist in many ways. Tri- Hop’ s brews source malts from Belgium, Germany, and sometimes England, depending on the brew – all designed to make a difference in how the final product tastes.
Sure, they cost a bit more, but Hooper feels the product is worth the price.
The time of year, he said, can affect what’ s on tap – not particularly due to supply chains, but mostly thanks to customer tastes. Although typically a winter brew, a rich stout stays on tap at Tri-Hop year-round, but the demand for flavors