Terrapin Beer Company
Address: 196 Alps Rd. Suite 2-237, Athens
Phone: 888-557-BEER
Year-round brews: Terrapin Rye P.A., Terrapin Golden Ale
Seasonals: Rye Squared (spring), All-American Imperial Pilsner (summer), Big Hoppy Monster (fall), Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout
Web site: http://www.terrapinbeer.com
Terrapin will change from contract beer marketer to brewery with the completion of their brewing facility in Athens in the summer of 2007.
Terrapin Rye P.A. is the newest of Georgia's beers, the first pint having been poured on April 5, 2002, in Athens just the day before the Classic City Brewfest. Terrapin has managed to make a name for itself in Athens and sells about 30 barrels a month there. The Rye P.A. won a gold medal in the 2002 Great American Beer Festival in the American-style Pale Ale category.
Buoyed by that honor and with good sales in the Athens area, Terrapin expanded into the Atlanta market on February 3, 2002. Until that point, they had been contract brewed by Dogwood Brewing Co., in Atlanta. Since the expansion put Terrapin into, as Brewmaster Brian Buckowski puts it, "friendly competition" with Dogwood, a search began for a new place to brew their beers. Frederick Brewing Co. in Maryland won the contract and now brews Terrapin Rye P.A. and other Terrapin Beers under Buckowski's direction.
Those familiar with Atlanta-area brewpubs may recognize Buckowski and his beer. That's because he's also Assistant Brewer for 5 Seasons and has put the Rye P.A. on tap there in the past.
Dogwood Brewing Co.
(Closed)
Address: 1222 Logan Circle NW, Atlanta
Phone: 404-367-0500
Year-round brews: Pale Ale, Breakdown I.P.A., Stout, Pilsner
Seasonals: Summer Brew (Belgian White), Winter Ale, Octoberfest, Bock
Web site: http://www.dogwoodbrewing.com
While their names may not be creative, Dogwood is perhaps the most creative of the breweries in Georgia when it comes to the styles they brew. While a few brewpubs in the area have experimented with Belgian ales and other less common styles, They are the only local brewery to sell these styles outside of a brewpub environment. Dogwood makes many of the hardcore beer lovers in Atlanta look forward to the end of the year when they release their Winter Ale, which is a different recipe every year. Past years have been a Belgian trippel (2001-2002) and a weizenbock (2002-2003).
The brewery has won awards in the World Beer Championships and the US Beer Tasting Championships for all of their beers except the Bock.
Started in June of 1996, Dogwood brewed 4,250 barrels in 2002. They are currently distributed in Georgia, Chattanooga, TN and South Carolina. They also expanded their distribution into the North Carolina market in the beginning of February, 2003.
Sweetwater Brewing Co.
Address: 195 Ottley Dr, Atlanta, GA
Phone: 404-691-2537
Year-round brews: 420 Extra Pale Ale, Georgia Brown, Blue (Blueberry beer), Hummer, IPA
Seasonals: Festive Ale (Winter, a dark spiced beer), Road Trip (summer), Happy Ending Imperial Stout (winter)
Web site: http://www.sweetwaterbrew.com
Sweetwater opened in 1997 and is currently the largest microbrewery in Georgia. Partners Fredrick Bensch and Kevin McNerney came to Georgia from the West Coast after working for several breweries in Northern California and Colorado. The left-coast background shows through in their beers, especially the citricly hoppy IPA.
Sweetwater made a splash at the Great American Beer Festival in 2002 when they brought home four awards. Their Exodus Porter was awarded the gold in the brown porter category and a the 420 received a silver in the Golden or Blonde ale category. Kevin McNerney was awarded Small Brewing Company Brew Master of the year, but the biggest award was perhaps being named Small Brewing Company of the year.
Atlanta Brewing Co.
Address: 2323 Defoor Hills Rd. NW
Phone: 404-881-0300
Year-round brews: Red Brick Ale, Peachtree Pale Ale, Red Brick Blonde
Seasonals: Red Brick Summer Hefe-Weizen, Red Brick Winter Double Chocolate Oatmeal Porter
Web site: http://www.atlantabrewing.com
Atlanta Brewing Co. is the oldest operating micro in Georgia, having set up shop in Atlanta back in 1993. The brewery seems to be a training ground for local brewers as both Spike Buckowski of 5 Seasons and Terrapin Beer and John Roberts of Max Lager's worked at the red-brick brewery earlier in their careers. ABC is known for its entertaining brewery tours held every Friday afternoon. For $5 you get a disposable cup and an unlimited supply of the brewery's beers - at least until the taps run dry. There's also usually live music to keep you entertained while sipping on your Red Brick or Laughing Skull. Toward the end of this party, the actual tour is held. It seems that most of the crowd stays outside with the beer, however, so the tours are actually fairly small and intimate. We advise getting there early because lines form quickly as this is a popular event.
In 2007, ABC had to leave their iconic red brick brewery to make way for progress as all of the buildings on that section of Williams St. were demolished to make improvements to the infrastructure in the area.
As for the beers, Kelly's Light is perhaps their most interesting year-round brew. The beer is brewed with the addition of super-heated rocks that caramelize some of the malts and provide a surprising amount of taste for a light beer. Very few breweries attempt this traditional German brewing technique.
The brewery may soon be adding a stout to their lineup. Founder Greg Kelly will be traveling to Dublin, Ireland, to spend a week working with the brewer at the Porterhouse pub. There he will work on finalizing the recipe and process for the stout. He also expects to use the time to familiarize himself with the use of a nitrogenator.
