For craft beer enthusiasts across the Southeast, late October in Knoxville has become synonymous with one thing: Kill the Lights. Hosted by Xül Beer Company, the 2025 edition of the festival once again turned East Tennessee’s craft beer hub into a playground of flavor, creativity, and community. What started as the brewery’s anniversary celebration has evolved into one of the region’s most ambitious beer gatherings and a pilgrimage for serious beer lovers.
A Festival That’s Grown Up Without Growing Old
Now in its fourth year, Kill the Lights has hit new heights. In past years the event was held at Xül’s 5th Avenue location, but this year it moved to Knoxville’s brand new downtown baseball and soccer stadium, Covenant Health Park.
“We were having some trouble with the city with having it in our lot, so we just wanted to explore other venues,” said Xül cofounder Brad West. “We’re close with the Knoxville Smokies [the local AA baseball team] and it’s a brand new stadium, so it made sense to show it off.”
Reviews were mixed, however. The limited area of a stadium mezzanine created tight spaces that made movement and access challenging. Most attendees, however, had a great time. They navigated the lines well enough and focused on the incredible beer on offer. The VIP area featured the brewery’s own releases, including their famous PB&J Mixtape. A variety of local craft vendors created a street fair vibe.
More than a hundred breweries from across the country and beyond poured more than 200 beers, representing the preferences of the brewery owners. “All breweries are personally selected by me and my business partner, Seth Thacker,” West said. “In order to pour at KTL, we have to have a personal relationship with that brewery on some level. We just don’t send out invites to anyone.”
The range of styles available was impressive and, in some cases, surprising. Purcellville, Virginia’s Adroit Theory, known for in-your-face high-gravity imperial stouts and IPAs, introduced East Tennessee beer lovers to Yamainu, a subtle Japanese rice lager, and Gatekeeper, a well-rounded ESB.
Brewers brought exclusive one-offs, anniversary releases, and festival-only variants. Local favorites like Peaceful Side and Abridged stood shoulder to shoulder with heavy hitters like Trillium, Schilling, and Other Half, making Knoxville feel, for a day, like the epicenter of American craft beer.
Xül’s approach to curation stood out. This wasn’t a one-note festival; it was a celebration of what modern beer can be, from delicate and traditional to wild and inventive.
The Beers Worth Remembering
Everyone who attended probably walked away with their own list of “best pours,” but a few of my highlights included Barrique’s (Nashville) Tmavy 11º and Wet Hop Idaho 7 Wild Ale, Foam’s Grounded in the Stars American IPA, Human Robot’s Märzen, and Peaceful Side’s The Good, The Bad, The Crispy West Coast Lager.
In addition to Adroit Theory, other Mid-Atlantic favorites were there, including Bluejacket, Charles Towne, Cushwa, and RAR.
Xül itself used the festival as a launchpad for a new creation, a 10.1% Imperial Barrel Aged Stout, a blend aged in Buffalo Trace barrels for 14 months and then layered in loads of raw and toasted coconut, Madagascar vanilla, and maple granola. Alas, I have not yet tasted it, but I’m looking forward to it.
Why It Matters
For Knoxville, the festival represents something bigger than a day of beer. It’s a marker of how far the region’s craft scene has come. Thanks to breweries like Xül, Crafty Bastard, Pretentious, and Abridged, as well as nearby award-winners like Maryville’s Peaceful Side and Gatlinburg’s Gatlinburg Brewing Company, the region has become a beer destination, adding to the draw of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Dollywood. (The Knoxville airport is the nation’s fastest growing.)
Kill the Lights is the proof.
