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New joint venture bets on cannabis drinks at old Hutton & Smith brewery

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / On Sept. 12, 2025, David Powers with Hemp Rolls talks during a tour of Riverside Brewing Co.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / On Sept. 12, 2025, David Powers with Hemp Rolls talks during a tour of Riverside Brewing Co. Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / On Sept. 12, 2025, David Powers with Hemp Rolls talks during a tour of Riverside Brewing Co.

A Chattanooga brewing and canning facility is taking a big bet on a fast-growing trend in the beverage business.

Local brewer Hutton & Smith used the Riverside Drive facility as a production brewery for its most popular canned beers since 2017, chief executive Melanie Krautstrunk said.

This summer, the brewery’s owners sold the building, and everything inside it, for around $2.85 million.

The buyer was Riverside Beverage Co., a new joint venture between of two of Chattanooga’s biggest hemp brands.

The company will retain all the existing brewing staff, the facility’s new owners said.