Building a Brewery, Building a Community: A Conversation with Parker Loudermilk of Fait La Force

Nestled in the heart of Nashville’s booming craft beer scene, Fait La Force Brewing has carved out a warm and welcoming niche all its own. Helmed by co-founders Parker Loudermilk and Zach Sowada, the brewery’s story is anything but ordinary—delayed openings, pandemic challenges, and an unwavering commitment to inclusivity have shaped it into what it is today. Now celebrating three years of brewing, community-building, and imaginative Belgian-inspired styles, Parker shares candid insights on everything from anniversary festivities to lessons learned about leadership, collaboration, and crafting beers that invite everyone to the table. 

Hitting the Three-Year Milestone

Congratulations on three years! How does it feel to hit this milestone, and what can people expect at the anniversary celebration?

Thanks a ton! It’s been a wild journey to get to this point, and it feels like both the blink of an eye and decades long. We originally planned to open in 2020, but had to postpone due to COVID delays, so for us it really feels like over 5 years+ to get to this point. It’s been more work than we could’ve imagined, but I’m super proud of all our team has accomplished, and the culture we have developed together.

We have a TON in store for our Anniversary celebration weekend and I absolutely can’t wait to share! Because it’s St. Patrick’s Day weekend and it’s our 3 year anniversary, we are leaning into the Shamrock theme. We will have everything from a new beer and merch release, DJs, food and beverage specials, plus a few other fun surprises. We will be announcing all the details on our socials over the next couple of weeks, so be sure to follow along there for all of the announcements!

The Biggest Surprise in Running Fait La Force

Looking back, what’s been the biggest lesson or surprise in running Fait La Force?

I would say the biggest surprise has been the stability and quality of the team we’ve been able to assemble around us. You often hear ‘it takes a village’ and that is so true. But you also often hear in the hospitality industry that staff can be flaky, and have high turnover, and that it’s hard to find good help, but we have been so fortunate to not have any of these issues. I say it all the time, but I genuinely believe we have the best staff around, and have been extremely fortunate to have had the same staff for the most part since our first year. And the staff we have added along the way are all long-time workers in the industry who have super strong reputations, and have been excellent additions to the team. We would not be where we are today without them, so Zach and I are extremely grateful for all of their hard work and support over the last three years.

Why Keep a Saison on Tap?

In a past interview, you mentioned always keeping at least one saison on tap, no matter what. Why is that so important to you?

Saison is a style that Zach and I are both very passionate about and it’s a style that we really bonded over prior to opening the brewery. It’s a style that has a rich history, and is beautiful and complex, with a wide array of interpretations. And it’s also just an extremely drinkable style year round. Unfortunately, it’s also a style that pretty much any restaurant, bar, or brewery will tell you sells very poorly which is really a shame. There are only a handful of breweries who have been able to create one that has any amount of commercial success. Despite that, we believe that if more people were willing to give Saisons a try, that they would come to find the love for the style that Zach and I have. So because of that, we aim to always have one on the board in hopes that our patrons will give it a shot, and hopefully discover a new favorite beer style!

Current Must-Try Beers

What’s your favorite beer on tap right now, and what should visitors absolutely try?

My personal favorite beer on the board right now is ‘Righteous Nap’ our West Coast Pilsner. This one has a bit of a nostalgia factor for me, because it was the seventh beer we ever released at Fait la Force, and it was also my personal introduction to the West Coast Pilsner style. Since that time, Zach has brewed quite a few different WC Pils, but for those unfamiliar, the easiest way to describe the style is you take a Pilsner base, and hop it like you would a WC IPA. So the end result is a lighter, crisper, and cleaner version of a WC IPA. It still has the hop flavor you would expect from a WC IPA, but in a much more quaffable format.

I had always been an IPA fan, but my main issue was that they were often so bold and strong, that after one I was ready to move on to something else. But the WC Pils delivers all the flavors I want from an IPA, but in a beer that I can have a couple of and not be overpowered. And Righteous Nap in particular uses a combination of Simcoe and Citra hops, which is my personal favorite hop combo, so I really dig it.

That said, if you are not a fan of hoppy beer, you should definitely try ‘Saucy Ballerina’ our Belgian Tripel. It has become probably our biggest fan favorite, and one that people are constantly asking about when it’s gone, and excited about when it returns. It’s 9.0% abv but it drinks so easy with notes of dry apple and pear and a clove finish. It’s really a great example of the Belgian beer styles that got Zach and I into the brewing industry, so it’s a must get when we have it on the board.

Inclusivity in the Beer Industry

Inclusivity has been a major value for Fait La Force from the beginning. Have you seen any shifts in the beer industry that suggest others are getting on board? Do you feel hopeful about the future?

Inclusivity has indeed been one of the core pillars we built the brewery on, and we have continually strived to invite everyone to have a seat at the table in the beer world. There definitely is a rising tide in the industry to acknowledge the fact that beer is for everyone.

There was a lot of damage done by the major national beer brands in America from the 70s-2000s by marketing beer as this machismo beverage that only the manliest rugged men drink, which created a self fulfilling narrative around who drinks beer. But especially in the craft beer world, more and more breweries are realizing that a more inclusive staff and customer base leads to more innovation and creativity, to create new and better products.

Ultimately the wide array of new beer styles and flavors we have seen pop up in the last two decades, is a direct result of new voices encouraging exploration into what is possible with beer. In the end, we believe beer is best enjoyed when shared with family, friends, or a new acquaintance sitting down the bar, and we aspire to be a community that welcomes everyone in to share a pint.

Advice for Aspiring Brewery Owners

Running a brewery is no small feat. What advice would you give to someone thinking about opening one?

This is the truth, ha. Unfortunately, the days of fast paced and unrestricted growth in the craft beer world are in the past, so the challenges seen in the rest of the hospitality industry have come to roost in the craft beer scene as well. Running a brewery is an unbelievable amount of work, with razor thin margins, and is now more than ever in a very competitive space. There are more breweries now than ever before in America and the rise of seltzers, THC beverages, and canned cocktails have created a very tough environment.

I would encourage anyone wanting to get into opening a brewery to really ask themselves why they want to do it, and what they feel they are bringing to their community that is unique to them. And also be sure to understand the state of the current market and where they would be positioned within it. It’s an industry that can be an absolute blast to work in and has an incredibly strong community, but unfortunately we are seeing more and more breweries closing due to the challenges the industry is facing. So while running a brewery is an exciting dream and can be a lot of fun, it’s also important to be realistic and understand the challenges it brings with it.

Building a Positive Culture

It’s wonderful that you have such a reliable, eager team at Fait. I think this speaks to leadership—y’all must be doing something right! What choices or actions do you think contribute to this positive culture?

It definitely doesn’t happen without intention. Having worked in the hospitality industry before, we had seen how easy it is for a work culture to become toxic, and we wanted to do everything in our power to create a welcoming and empowering environment. For us, that starts with setting expectations upfront during interviews and onboarding, and then regular check-ins and reminders. We are a very small company that doesn’t have the same resources that larger companies do, but we do our best to take care of our staff as much as we possibly can to make sure they know they are appreciated and valued.

Navigating a Co-Founder Relationship

Business partnerships can be complicated, but it looks like you and Zach have figured it out! Any advice for others on how to build and maintain a strong co-founder relationship?

Similar to building a healthy work culture with staff, it’s all about expectation setting on the front end, and good communication throughout. It’s impossible to predict every scenario that will arise, but you have to do your best to set up a framework of how situations will be handled, and who has decision making authority for each branch of the business, and then check in regularly to discuss any frustrations or problems as they arise. We are fairly like minded which certainly helps, but we are also both very passionate about Fait la Force, strong willed, and do have disagreements from time to time, so being able to have clear, open, and direct communication while remaining respectful of one another is vital.

The Fait La Force Vibe

When you talk about the significance of community, I can’t help but think about the events and atmosphere that Fait La Force offers. Your space is so unique (and beautiful!), and I’d love to hear more about the inspiration behind the design and aesthetic. What kind of “vibe” do you hope people associate with Fait La Force?

Well thank you for saying so! That was definitely a key focus for us in launching Fait la Force. At the time we were business planning, so many taprooms were fairly sterile and cookie cutter, and we knew we wanted to be very intentional about curating a warm and welcoming space. Going back to the inclusivity question, so many taprooms were set up in a way that appealed primarily to men i.e. very industrial, concrete, metal, reclaimed wood, sports on tvs, more of a garage/warehouse feel. In contrast, we wanted to create an environment that anyone could walk into and immediately feel comfortable, welcome, and at home. When you walked into a lot of taprooms it felt first like a brewery, and then secondarily a place to hang out and drink, and our goal was to flip that. Many people when they walk in don’t even realize our entire production facility is just on the other side of the wall!

The design itself is meant to invoke the core of what our name, Fait la Force, means, which is ‘Strength in Unity.’ Just like our beers, we are blending styles of old world and modern, rustic and urban. The concept was meant to look and feel like a European Victorian castle was left abandoned and then a modern urban core was built up around it and somewhat invaded. Hence the primarily Victorian fixtures and furniture, with pops of neon, NBA Jam, and other more modern references. It’s meant to feel beautiful and warm while still feeling laid back and not stuffy. And lastly, the portrait wall is again a nod to Victorian design, but with an intentional modern update that showcases people of various backgrounds to further tie in the message that all are welcome and we are better together.

So in general the goal is for when someone walks in for the first time, for their first to be the wow factor of the beauty and uniqueness of the design, and some creative inspiration to get the mind flowing. But hopefully for that to quickly fade to the background, where you are comfortable and without distractions, so that you can enjoy the beer in hand and the conversation with those around you.

Photo Courtesy of Fait La Force

Where Else To Visit In Nashville

Is there another brewery in Nashville that you love to recommend?

There are so many I almost hate to single out any one. The beer scene in Nashville has exploded and the quality of the beer being produced is the best it has ever been. The entire beer community has welcomed us with open arms and supported us all along the way, so we are indebted to so many other breweries. In fact I started to list out all the breweries I’d want to shout out and realized I was basically just creating a list of every brewery in the city which isn’t very helpful ha.

But that said, one place I like to recommend to people to check out is Barrique Brewing and Blending, because unless you are already deep into the craft beer scene already, it’s one you may not have heard of. They, like us, have an affinity for old world beer styles, and are making them at a world class level. Many of the styles you will find there are not ones you will see anywhere else in the city, so if you are looking to explore more in the world of beer and learn about historical styles, it’s a great place to visit. And in fact, we have a collab beer we brewed with them releasing on March 7th at their taproom, and they will have a few of our beers as guest taps alongside their usual lineup, so it’s a great time to venture over to experience a little beer from both breweries!

Don't Miss the Three Year Anniversary Party! 

Fait La Force’s journey to its third anniversary hasn’t been simple, but the passion, commitment to quality, and dedication to inclusivity truly shine in everything they do—from maintaining a core staff to championing often-overlooked beer styles. Celebrate three years at their Anniversary Party Weekend!

📍 Where: Fait La Force Taproom (1414 3rd Ave S, Nashville, TN)
📅 When: Friday, March 14 – Sunday, March 16
🎶 What to Expect:

• Live music & entertainment 🎵
• Exclusive beer releases 🍺
• Food vendors serving up local favorites 🍽️
• Fun games & prizes throughout the weekend 🎉