DRINK UP! THESE 39+ AWESOME ATLANTA BREWERIES ARE LEADING THE CRAFT

Now that breweries and distilleries can sell directly to consumers, people in Atlanta can finally discover a community of like-minded folk with whom to share a frosty mug – or at least a cold can.

We’ve searched high and low within this Georgia capital city and around the metro area to bring you a list of Atlanta’s most essential breweries. From rich heady porters in a modest setting to sours and ales in stunning, repurposed spaces, this is your definitive bucket list of Atlanta breweries.

ATLANTA BREWERIES TO TRY

BOLD MONK BREWING COMPANY (WEST MIDTOWN)

Cindy and Alan LeBlanc’s design of the Bold Monk Brewing Company, Atlanta’s newer and very different gastro/brewery experience, takes the monotony out of the Atlanta beer scene.

Designed to help patrons choose the experience that suits them, it’s seamlessly divided into separate areas with separate purposes.  One could say that the architecture alone differentiates the Bold Monk, but the radical demarcation doesn’t stop here. 

Try the beer. Try all the beers. Master brewer John “JR” Roberts’ artistic vision extends to both architecture and brew concoctions alike. Finally, adding to what was already a rich experience, Chef Jason Hall’s ever-evolving menu will bring your evening to the next level. Locals claim this is the place to try Belgian style beers.

ATLANTA BREWING COMPANY (FORMERLY RED BRICK BREWING)

You’ve probably heard of Red Brick, but did you know they changed their name to Atlanta Brewing Co? Same great beer – just a new (old) name. 

They’ve been brewing beers for 25 years here in Atlanta, started by a former Guiness exec.  Now, Gavin McKenna runs Brewing Operations there and has really made a name for himself in the Atlanta brew world as a community curator who genuinely cares about his customers and Atlanta. Plus, you’ve gotta love the “new” old-school logo and can design.

MONDAY NIGHT BREWING

While Monday Night Brewing is not the only Georgia brewing company to grow from a Bible Study, they are the oldest that we could find. We really like their newest location, The Garage, aka The Lab, where you can sip on a flight outside under the lights, grab a to-go brew pack, and really just enjoy the people you’re with – which is what they’re all about.

Also, unless you live under a bridge, you know about their award-winning Bourbon Barrel Drafty Kilt. If you can find it, buy all of it you see.

SWEETWATER BREWING COMPANY

SweetWater Brewing is Atlanta’s Mothership brewing company. Although the beer is commercially popular,  the brewery itself is really fun and offers a variety of unique brews. There is a heavy hand of IPAs here, probably because it has brought such notoriety.

My personal favorite thing about this brew house is the work they do for Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and Waterkeeper Alliance. Be sure to visit one of their fundraising/awareness events…and don’t miss a live-music opportunity at their location, as well.

JEKYLL BREWING (ALPHARETTA, WOODSTOCK)

The first brewery in the Deep South was founded on Jekyll Island in 1738; today Jekyll Brewing is proud to be the first brewery located in Alpharetta, Georgia. Award-winning Brew Master and Co-owner, Josh Rachel, provides creative direction for a lineup of craft beers that cover the global spectrum of brew styles.

ORPHEUS BREWING

Orpheus overlooks Piedmont Park, with optimal people-watching opportunities. It’s an artisanal brewery offering free tours and tastings, with an incredible patio that welcomes Fido. They are best known for their plum saison, Atalanta. We love the rich flavors that come from their wild ferments.

Don’t overlook the art work on the cans. Every can of beer features the work of a local artist. You may even recognize some of them from their murals around Atlanta.

Read More: PIEDMONT PARK: 17 FREE WAYS YOU CAN HAVE FUN

REFORMATION BREWERY (WOODSTOCK)

Reformation Brewery recently opened a new location.  The 6,000-square-foot space is in the heart of Downtown Woodstock, and close to all the gems that make Woodstock the hotspot north of the perimeter. 

A 5-barrel brewhouse serves up a variety of small-batch beers to visitors.  A new and fresh “split plan” layout will offer various areas to relax and enjoy your brew, with one section set up to feel like a coffeehouse.  The brewery has partnered with Queenie’s Southern Restaurant & Bar for foodservice and space will be available for private events.

GATE CITY BREWING (ROSWELL)

Co-Founders Pat Rains and Brian Borngesser named Gate City Brewing after Atlanta’s historical moniker, “Gate City of the New South,” due to its reputation as a hub for culture, commerce, and transportation.

Roswell’s first craft brewing company has been named one of the fastest-growing small and independent craft breweries by the Brewers Association.

SCOFFLAW BREWERY COMPANY

Scofflaw Brewery is doing well on the award circuit, and their partnership with BrewDog is cooking up plenty of opportunity.

SECOND SELF BEER COMPANY

Founded in 2014 by Co-Founders Jason Santamaria and Chris Doyle, Second Self brews beers with fresh, never-dried ingredients or extracts, and each beer is designed to pair with food.

Their team brings diverse brewing experience and includes one of the city’s few female brewers, Zuri Coleman. Second Self has been recognized by Food & Wine, The Wall Street Journal, DRAFT Magazine, Fortune, and more.

WILD HEAVEN BEER (WEST END AND AVONDALE ESTATES)

Owner Nick Purdy and Eric Johnson are Georgia-born and bred, but the reason we love them is their commitment to crafting new delights for beer lovers. In fact, Purdy indicated a few years ago that their “lag” in creating an IPA was simply because they wanted to be sure to  “add to the conversation.”

Wild Heaven is a family-friendly brewery, offering both alcoholic, craft beer beverages – some of the top being Emergency Drinking Beer, Wise Blood, and Bestie Pub – along with non-alcoholic drinks such as Montane soda water and more. As if that wasn’t enough, Wild Heaven is also a pet-friendly brewery that offers an array of games such as corn hole, ladder golf and a variety of board games, yielding a day of fun for the whole family.

THREE TAVERNS CRAFT BREWERY (DECATUR)

The Parlour at Three Taverns is where you want to be when they deliver their “flights of fancy” – small batch tastings they offer to a few, comprised of their latest experimental delicacies.

EVENTIDE BREWING

Visit Eventide‘s tasting room on Tuesdays for great beer…and they’ll give 10% of the proceeds (and any additional donations) back to the community.

ARCHES BREWING (HAPEVILLE)

Arches focus on classic lagers, but also brew many American styles and several Euro-inspired ales. We love that they built out the space themselves…and that “water chemistry” is their secret superpower.

TUCKER BREWING (TUCKER)

Come to Tucker Brewing for German-style beers – pilsners, helles lagers and blonde ales – all with a Southern slant. Their outdoor beer garden is killer.

BLUETARP BREWING (TUCKER)

BlueTarp Brewing Co. is just a guy with a brewery that opened in 2018 showcasing the old standby crafts and homegrown ales.

BURNT HICKORY BREWERY (KENNESAW)

Founded in 2011, Burnt Hickory Brewing has seen amazing growth over the past five years. After getting final approvals from the state of Georgia, they brewed their first beer on April 1, 2012. Operating as a self-financed Nano Brewery, (meaning they are producing under 200 Barrels of beer a year) they have spent their time learning the beer business. 

In late 2014, they upsized to a 20 BBL W. M Sprinkman brewhouse they christened “Clementine”.

RED HARE BREWING COMPANY (MARIETTA)

Red Hare Brewing Company is an independent microbrewery located in the heart of Marietta, GA. In August 2011, Red Hare started selling craft beer throughout the state of Georgia and in 2012 became the first craft brewery in Georgia to can their beer.

Red Hare Brewing Company was named fourth best brewery and accepted five medals in the 2016 U.S. Open Beer Championship, then accepted three medals again in 2018. Red Hare offers six year round beers, in addition to seasonal and craft soda brands.

IRONMONGER BREWING (MARIETTA)

One of Marietta’s newest breweries, Ironmonger started out brewing hard soda and only recently moved to beer. They also have axe throwing.

VARIANT BREWING (ROSWELL)

Variant is creating a lot of buzz around their year-round beers and seasonal brews. With new recipes and limited releases, visitors have become big fans of this Roswell brewery.

Look for Variant collaborations with other breweries like the one with  Gate City Brewing, called Walking Distance, aimed to promote the walkability between the two brewers.

SLOW POUR BREWING COMPANY (LAWRENCEVILLE)

Slow Pour Brewing Co. is a relatively new brewery in Lawrenceville with a diverse range of offerings. Their 3,000 square foot tasting room is warm, welcoming, stylish and relaxed.

PONTOON BREWING (SANDY SPRINGS)

What started as contract brewing among friends turned into their own dream come true, as Pontoon Brewing opened in 2018.

DRY COUNTRY BREWING COMPANY (KENNESAW)

Two Georgia natives and long-time friends followed their passion for making, sharing, and drinking craft beer. Dry County Brewing Company is open to the public for tours and tastings six days a week. No reservations are needed. They are family and pet-friendly.

GLOVER PARK BREWERY (MARIETTA)

The space at Glover Park is gorgeous! (Who doesn’t love industrial chic, old-world brick, gigantic windows, and shiny chandeliers??)

This place is Best In Cobb 2023 Winners of Best Local Brewery and Best Sports Bar. Food trucks are available on certain days, and leashed pups are allowed in their beer garden.

CURRAHEE BREWING COMPANY (ALPHARETTA)

Hop on over to Downtown Alpharetta and enjoy their newest brewery! The two Currahee Brewing Company founders built a brewery with beer aficionados in mind focusing on German and Belgium-styled ales. Currahee’s favorite brews include Frankenstark, Grand IPA and Wayah Lager with seasonal and limited releases also offered.

DOWN HOME BREWING

The first African-American brewers in Georgia began canning in the Spring of 2018 under the name Down Home. The can design? An image of Herschel Thompson, a Walton County sharecropper, and church deacon, and co-owner Chris Reeves’ late grandfather. They don’t have a brick-n-mortar yet, but we had to include them!

FIRE MAKER BREWING COMPANY

Located in close proximity to Grant Park, this Atlanta brewery offers beers on tap and was recently ranked #2 Best New Brewery in America by USA Today! Their selection of beers includes pale ales, IPAs, sours, lagers, and hard seltzers! Create a spark at Fire Maker.

STEADY HAND BEER CO.

Pull up a seat at their outdoors-brought-indoors woodland taproom, share a beer or two, and catch the latest live music at their urban getaway, where there is always something going on like games night, live music, and good company. Steady Hand is known for their Imperial Stouts, try one, if that’s your thing!

SIT AND STAY A WHILE AT THESE ATLANTA BREWING PUBS

There are untold brew pubs and gastropubs in Atlanta, but these special places are brewing their own beers. So grab a drink, order some grub, and stay a while!

WRECKING BAR BREWPUB

Wrecking Bar carries 10-15 styles on tap everyday and they are all brewed in house. They also round out our list by pouring a few local beers as well. And the food is always – always – amazing.

GOOD WORD BREWING AND PUBLIC HOUSE (DULUTH)

Good Word Brewing opened in late 2017 and is a great place to meet new friends, reconnect with old ones, to share stories, to celebrate, to propose, to commiserate, to communicate.

FROM THE EARTH (ROSWELL)

It all started out as a vision for owner Tim Stevens. Local food and well-balanced beers was the dream and is what patrons find at From the Earth Brewing Company. Stop by on Thursdays and get treated to live music.

NEW REALM BREWING

Go for the beer; stay for the killer rooftop patio. The New Realm servers are all beer-certified (Cicerone) so shoot them with questions, especially about how to pair their pours with your entree.

Read More: ROOFTOP BARS ATLANTA: MUST VISIT FOR COOL DRINKS AND AWESOME VIEWS  

TORCHED HOP BREWING COMPANY

Traditional pub fare, bocce ball, and 20 rotating taps make Torched Hop feel like home.

MAX LAGER’S WOOD-FIRED GRILL AND BREWERY

Max Lager’s is Atlanta’s oldest brewpub, and super views from the patio.

PORTER PIZZA & BREWERY (SANDY SPRINGS)

No- this isn’t Porter Beer Bar – it’s Porter Pizza. Beer and pizza; it’s like peanut butter and jelly. And before you get on to them about the name, Porter is the last name of the owner. And no, as of yet, there is no Porter brew available.

CHERRY STREET BREWING (CUMMING, ALPHARETTA)

Cherry Street started out as a little garage operation in the foothills of the Rockies and quickly spread while building great community support. Cherry Street has recently celebrated 5 years and is honored to have been awarded the 2017 US Beer Open Grand National Champions

VISIT THESE BREWERIES OUTSIDE ATLANTA METRO

You’ll find dozens and dozens of additional breweries as you head outside the Metro. Here are a few of our favorites.

  • SOUTH MAIN BREWING (Watkinsville). A new local brewery, South Main Brewery, offers beverages brewed by locals and sourced from area farms. This brewery is open in the new Wire Park mixed use development in Oconee County.
  • MOON RIVER BREWING COMPANY (Savannah). Moon River Brewing Company in Savannah is famously haunted, as the building is the former City Hotel where at least one murder took place!
  • SERVICE BREWING COMPANY (Savannah). Service Brewing is owned by an Army vet, regularly giving back to other military vets and first responders. Their entire brand pays homage to those who served.
  • COPPERHILL BREWING (Copperhill, TN). Get off the Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad in Georgia, walk across the “Blue Line” and you’re at Copperhill Brewery. The state line goes right up the corner wall of the brewery.
  • BUCK BALD BREWING (Copperhill, TN). Just another 5 minute walk past Copperhill Brewery, so save room for another glass!

ATLANTA BREWERIES FAQ

How many breweries are in Atlanta?

There are more than 50 breweries and brewpubs in Atlanta that serve their own craft beers, with more coming all the time.

What is the oldest brewery in Atlanta?

The oldest brewery in Atlanta is that Atlanta Brewing Company, which was established in 1993.

What are some of the largest breweries in Georgia?

Some of the largest breweries in Georgia are SweetWater Brewing Co., Creature Comforts Brewing Co., and Scofflaw Brewing Co.

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