I travel a decent amount for my job, and one of the things I always try to do when visiting a city is check out some of the craft beer. If I can, I try to go straight to the source, visiting breweries and taprooms.
My recent work travels took me to Atlanta a few times over the course of a month or so, and I got a decent outsider’s perspective of the craft beer scene there.
The Big Two
From what I can tell, the craft beer scene in Atlanta is really a tale of two breweries: SweetWater and Terrapin. Together, these two seem to have over a 50% market share in the city. SweetWater brews in the heart of Atlanta, while Terrapin is actually located about an hour away in the college town of Athens. One interesting note is that neither brewery is 100% independently owned. SweetWater sold a minority stake to TSG Consumer partners (they also own Vitaminwater, PBR, and BrewDog) in 2014, while Terrapin was gobbled up by MillerCoors in 2016.
SweetWater started off small in 1996, eventually becoming a cult favorite around Georgia and always struggling to keep up with demand. Their 420 Extra Pale Ale is super popular, as is their Hop Hash Imperial IPA. Currently, they’re the 15th-largest craft brewery in the U.S.
Founded in 2002, Terrapin was also a longtime cult favorite, and they expanded rapidly before being bought out. Now that they are owned by MillerCoors, they technically no longer meet the official standards as a craft brewery. They’re known for hoppy beers, including Hopsecutioner IPA and Hi-5 IPA. They also distribute their beer in cans rather than bottles.
SunTrust Park
Terrapin also has a brand new taproom at SunTrust Park, the new home of the Braves that opened in the Cumberland neighborhood in 2017. Their beer is all over the park and I had a Hopsecutioner and their RecreationAle session IPA when I went to a game. I also tried their Sound Czech Pils which is just OK.
Other beer options in and around SunTrust Park include Yard House (bleh) and the Coors Light ChopHouse inside the park (also bleh). So basically, hopefully you like Terrapin if you head to a Braves game.
The Taprooms
One other interesting note is that due to weird laws in Georgia, craft breweries that weren’t connected to a restaurant weren’t allowed to sell beer directly to consumers at their brewery or taproom. Instead, they were forced to offer paid tours with free samples of their beers. Thankfully, this law changed in September allowing direct sales of beer to consumers from taprooms.
I was able to visit SweetWater and Monday Night Brewing (after the law changed).
SweetWater has a huge production facility, as well as a nice sized tasting room. They still offer their tours, but with the changes obviously the atmosphere has changed at the brewery. I tried a flight with a couple of their IPAs that I hadn’t had before – Triple Tail and Goin’ Coastal. Neither of them blew me away. I also had their Georgia Brown, which was a decent darker beer. One of the unique parts of their brewery is the Hatchery Series, which is small test batches. I had their Milk Stout from this series which was surprisingly good. Also, I tried their Rainy Day Acid Trip sour, which is one of the most acidic beers I’ve ever had. This one didn’t agree with me too much.
After SweetWater, I wanted to try a smaller but popular Atlanta brewery, so I headed to Monday Night. They’ve got some unique marketing, and their beer is available in bottles all over the city. Of my flight here, I really liked the Han Brolo, their new core pale ale, as well as the Drafty Kilt, a nice dark Scotch Ale. They have a huge wall of ties which adds a unique touch to their taproom. They also have a nice patio which is perfect for the many nice days a year that Atlanta gets. They’re a little off the beaten path down an industrial street in West Midtown, but this place is definitely worth checking out.
One of the first local beers that I tried outside of the big two was Red Brick’s Hoplanta IPA. It’s a solid hoppy brew, with a little bit of citrus thrown in. Classic IPA stuff. They’ve been around since 1993 and are Atlanta’s oldest brewery. I also tried some other brews at restaurants around the city before visiting the taprooms, Some other notable breweries, including Monday Night and Wild Heaven Brewing. I tried Monday Night’s popular Eye Patch Ale, a very drinkable beer that is sweet up front with a nice citrus flavor on the back end. I also tried their Slap Fight IPA, which wasn’t as good as Eye Patch, but still decent.
If you’re looking for more info on craft beer in Atlanta, here’s a handy guide from Atlanta Magazine.