Atlanta, the capital of Georgia (USA) has a huge beer scene and new breweries are opening all the time. The metro Atlanta beer scene has been growing exponentially over the past few years, even during the pandemic (although it was somewhat limited in what it could offer then!).
There are now a huge number of popular breweries and brewpubs that serve their own craft beers in Atlanta. And the beer industry is just expected to continue growing as there are no signs that the bubble will burst in the short term.
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How Many Breweries Are There In Atlanta?
Georgia has more than 100 breweries, so the state and its capital are the perfect places to sample some brews and eat great Southern food. This is an impressive number and it’s easy to see why Atlanta breweries pull in the crowds with everything they have to offer. From the small scale with small-batch brews to the enormous operations that make thousands and thousands of litres of beer daily, there are breweries to suit every beer lover’s preferences.
What Are The 11 Best Breweries In Atlanta?
The expression spoilt for choice certainly applies to Atlantia breweries. With so many options it can be hard to decide which breweries to visit, especially if you have a limited amount of time.
So, let’s dive right in and showcase 11 Atlanta breweries you must visit this year. From light lagers to Belgians to pale ales, every beer lover can find a brew that speaks to them. The proximity of all the breweries makes for a great brew crawl across the city.
Sweetwater Brewing Company
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Sweetwater is the granddaddy in town, founded in 1997 by two college friends inspired by the beers they’d drank in Colorado. SweetWater is often called one of the first big players in Georgia’s craft beer scene, with its signature 420 Extra Pale Ale. Their ever-expanding taproom is where you can get their favourites as well as ones only found at Sweetwater. They also have events throughout the year such as music festivals and they even organise river clean-ups. Sweetwater is also the biggest craft brewery in Georgia so it tops the list for this reason too.
Orpheus Brewing
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Located in Piedmont Park near the Atlanta BeltLine, Orpheus focuses on beers prepared with new hops, wild fermentations, and barrels, including sours and IPAs. The taproom is open daily and is an easy spot to visit for travellers, especially those staying in Midtown. Try their Transmigration of Souls, Wandering Blues, any of the Stouts, All the Way Down.
Atlanta Brewing Company
Although Sweetwater Brewing Company may be more well-known, the Atlanta Brewing Company or ABC as the locals call it was founded in 1993 by a former Guinness executive in an old brick warehouse. Also known as “Red Brick,” they have a tasting room with dozens of their brews on tap, and events like trivia nights and live music.
Monday Night Brewing
One of the most popular breweries on the Westside, Monday Night Brewing started as a men’s Bible study group that brewed at home on weeknights. In many ways, it’s the beer equivalent of a women’s book club, only they took the drinking beer to a new level and started making it! Today, they have a line-up of brilliant beers available in their taproom and events such as discounted pint nights. Many consider Monday Night Brewing the best brewery in Atlanta. Try their Situational Ethics, Space Lettuce, and anything from the Hop Hut (like Be Easy).
Second Self Beer Company
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Two Georgia Tech graduates started Second Self after a number of home brewing projects. The taproom is the best place to try their three year-round beers as well as seasonal IPAs, sours and porters. And the brewery has trained up a soft-spoken, black, queer woman, Zuri Coleman is one of only a handful of female brewers in the Atlanta area. Coleman started as a bartender at Atlanta’s Second Self Beer Company and worked her way up to brewing without having any prior experience.
Scofflaw Brewing Company
The highly rated 18,000-square-foot brewery in the Bolton area has a taproom that is open daily. Enjoy Scofflaw’s popular Basement IPA at one of their events such as yoga classes and drink your brew in a whole new way. The brewery often features creative events that market its quirky style perfectly. But don’t be put off by the quirks, the beer is really good too – that’s why its’ on our list.
Monday Night Garage
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Monday Night Brewing’s second location, Monday Night Garage opened in Atlanta’s historic West End neighbourhood, home to The Wren’s Nest, with a bigger space and loads more beers. You can have their year-round lineup in addition to the barrel-aged “Garage Series” brews.
Arches Brewing
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The Southside also has its own craft brewery, a space just off the main street near Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and the Porsche Experience Center. Inspired by European beer styles, Arches Brewing has both year-round and seasonal varieties, best enjoyed around one of the backyard fire pits.
Three Taverns Craft Brewery
Three Taverns started out brewing exclusively Belgian style beers. Then they revealed Night on Ponce, an IPA, and the rest is history as they say. They constantly rotate their taproom line-up, and every new beer is creative. Try their Lord Fog, Morning Smack, Crave.
Torched Hop Brewing Company
Housed in an old spaghetti factory, Torched Hop has been in operation since 2016. A great brewpub in midtown with plentiful and free parking. The beer is on the very good side as are their other beverages. Even if you’re not eating some of their good food, it’s a good place to hang over your sip. Try their Spoondrift, Green Queen, Anthem of Angels.
Hippin’ Hops Brewery
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Hippin Hops Brewery is a Black-owned brewery in East Atlanta Village. It boasts plenty of uniquely named beers, such as The Cookout (Light Smoked Wheat), Skrawberri (Strawberry Hazy IPA), Hater-aid (Shandy), and Black Don’t Crack (Stout), as well as beermosas and an impressive assortment of seafood. Pair their beer with the Cajun shrimp deviled eggs, gator bites, and oysters.
But Georgia hasn’t always had an easy relationship with liquor. It wasn’t until 2017 that Georgia breweries were even legally allowed to sell their product on site. And at one point, much to the chagrin of high gravity lovers, the legal ABV limit for beer was set at a mere 6%.
Now that the state’s outdated liquor laws changed in 2019, the brewery options in the city of Atlanta are immense. There’s even a bus dedicated to carting brew enthusiasts from brewery to brewery to sample some of the city’s best porters, IPAs, and everything else. This is a great way to meet other hopheads and to ensure you avoid a DUI!
What Is The Most Popular Beer In Georgia?
According to Beer Advocate, it’s Mexican Siberius Maximus The Wrecking Bar Brewpub Stout Russian Imperial (11.00%). That’s a heavy hitter for sure!
Other popular beers include Bud Lite, Michelob Ultra, Miller Lite, Blue Moon Belgian White and Coors Lite.
Georgia and Atlanta also host beer and wine festivals almost all year round. Many beer festivals and events are held in April annually so many have been and gone. We thought we would list them anyway to help punters plan future brewery visits.
What Are The Major Beer Festivals Or Events In Atlanta?
- Georgia Craft Brewers Festival, April 2 2022
- Kennesaw Beer & Wine Festival, April 23 2022
- Seltzerland, April 23 2022
- German Bierfest, August 20 2022
- Annual festival of German beer in Woodruff Park, with German food, beers, music, and other activities
- Oktoberfest Atlanta, 2022 event TBC
- Annual German heritage festival in Historic Fourth Ward Park, with German and craft beers, German food, live music, games and more
- Acworth Beer & Wine Festival, November 12 2022
- Beer festival featuring 100+ beers plus wines and college football, at Logan Farm Park, Acworth.
- Georgians also celebrate Georgia Beer Day on March 5, an annual event organised by the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild.
Which Brewery In Atlanta Has The Best Food?
New Realm Brewing is a large place and it gets very busy but one never feels hemmed in. They have a Beer Garden, a Barrel Room, and a rooftop bar area with “open” indoor and outdoor seating and skyline views. Brews include Brewmaster Mitch Steele’s famous IPAs and Pilsners alongside hand-crafted cocktails. It’s family-friendly and they serve killer Burgers and Atlanta’s best wood-fired pizza. Their opening hours are Monday-Tuesdays 12-9pm, Wednesdays 12-10pm, Thursdays 11am-10pm, Fridays-Saturdays 11 am-11pm, and Sundays 11am-9pm.
Not only is Atlanta bursting with brilliant craft beer breweries but the vibrant city has a number of other top attractions. It’s got a massive and impressive Aquarium, a beautiful botanical garden and is home to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park.
Why not visit Atlanta in 2022? It’s got something for everyone and has the added bonus of being craft beer mad. You’ll find the best breweries in Atlanta ready and waiting to serve you a cold one!
Jake has been a craft beer and homebrew enthusiast since his college days. He loves scouring Europe for unique and unusual hops to add to his beers.
Founder of Jake’s Brew Haven – he currently hosts beer-tasting sessions at select local pubs in Baltimore.