Atlanta

[STUMPY]

Is there any interest is starting a “what’s to be found in Atlanta” thread?

[chazwicke]

Yes! you should post what you know so that others who may be travelling or passing through can use it as a reference. Also you may drum up others in the area. Nice way to make new beer friends. And sometimes they can be hard to find in this macroswill world.

[STUMPY]

Alright, here’s a start…

There’s a Gordon Biersch just a couple of block off of the I-75/I-85 connector.. http://www.gordonbiersch.com/restaurants/index.html
848 Peachtree Street, NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
Phone: (404) 870-0805
Fax: (404) 870-0806

There’s a local chain that’s called (or, as many believe, misnamed) Taco Mac, http://tacomac.com/ which has locations all around the metro area. Each has its own character ranging from outstanding (Douglasville) to awful (Johnson’s Ferry). They advertise 50 beers on tap….and a crap load in the bottle. They usually have Terrapin Pale Ale on tap, which is excellent.

Package Green’s on Buford Highway.. Huge selection including High Gravity and many Belgian

[threecb]

If I'm not mistaken, less than a dozen blocks from the GB there's Max Lager's. Very nice Black Lager is part of the regular lineup.

[chazwicke]

And what about Sweetwater?

[STUMPY]

Heck, just use this link http://www.thebeercellar.com/brewpubs.shtml

[chazwicke]

Good link. Thanks!

[TOBP_Steve]

Originally posted by chazwicke
And what about Sweetwater?

Sweetwater is actually my favorite local brewery. Atlanta Brewing is OK, similar to Sam Adams in quality (but not variety). Their Laughing Skull Bohemian-style Pilsner is quite good for its style....you don't find many micros that tackle Euro-style lagers outside of the Great Lakes region (and Capital is the only one that I've seen that specifically chases all such styles).

Terrapin is decent, but not much variety yet, which is why I prefer Sweetwater. And Stumpy's right about the Taco Macs, they're hit/miss as far as quality. The only one I've been to lately is Hwy 92 in Woodstock (Cherokee County), and it's decent. More of a suburban weekend crowd, so it's more family-oriented then other locations.

As for retailers, I live in the burbs, along with 3/4 of the rest of the Atlanta metro area, so I shop local (but I do need to hit Greens at some point). I shop at The Beverage Resort in Kennesaw, at the corner of Barrett Pkwy and Old 41. Greens gets visited every day by the distributors, so they often get most of the stock of the unusual choices, but TBR has the best selection that I've seen in Cobb County, followed by Harry's Farmers Market/Whole Foods.

[STUMPY]

This is a question for all knowledgeable of Atlanta…
if you had time to hit only one spot, what would it be?
5 Seasons
Gordon Biersch
Max Lagers
Other??

Thanks

[TOBP_Steve]

Believe it or not, I've been to none of those. None are anywhere near where I live in NW Cobb County, and with two young kids, it's hard to go closer to the city to see them. I have been to the Gordon Biersch location in Chattanooga (which is actually called Big River, but it's part of the GB chain), but not to Atlanta's.

Based on what I've heard alone, if I could only try one, I'd go for Five Seasons, since I've heard a lot more accolades about their product then anyone else's. Then again, I might be listening to idiots.

There was a Hops location on Barrett Pkwy in Kennesaw, it looks like I tried them just months before they closed up shop. I was not really impressed with their beers, so I have to say it wasn't a big loss to the brew pub community.

[threecb]

From what I've heard, 5 Seasons would be the way to go. I haven't been, though.

Second would be Max Lagers for one of their black lagers. Nice.

[bottletree]

5 Seasons Brewing (brewpub), and I recommend the Sledgehammer, and a tour. The owner is almost certain to be there and is very nice. The food is very good.

However, the brewery tour at Sweetwater is pretty good, bring some chairs.

The brewery tour at Atlanta Brewing Company is pretty good as well, as they have a band for you.

Max Lagers Brewpub, is worth visiting as well.

[STUMPY]

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, I made the trip before the great advice came in.

I too came to the conclusion that 5 Seasons looked like the best bet. At their web page, I saw the “on tap” and beers pages and was *really* impressed with their extensive general beers list.

But, I misunderstood the website. I thought the beers page listed all the beers they kept in stock. This misunderstanding is likely due to my inexperience with brewpubs. Anyway, we went to 5 Seasons and I got a little torqued when I found out they only had 5 beers.

We left.

Later, I figured it all out and felt a little silly. (My bad temper bit me in the backside again.) I’ll have to go back some time.

We went to Gordon Beirsch’s and were quite happy with the brews and food. I really like their Maibock



Yesterday I had a chance to go by Summit Wayside Tavern on Roswell Rd. They had a truly impressive variety of beers, but the food was lacking.

[JavaBen]

If you're interested, you can contact local brewmasters at http://www.brewingbetterbeer.com

Also, one of my favorite brew-pubs is the "5 Seasons" located on Roswell Rd., 1/2 mile south of 285 on the north side of Atlanta (Sandy Springs).

They provide excellant food and brew!

[jwkite]

I can't believe that no one has mentioned The Brick Store (http://www.brickstorepub.com/index.asp) on the Square in Decatur. The Brick Store has the widest variety of quality beers in Atlanta. They have also recently opened a new room dedicated to Belgian beers. The place can be slammed during the weekends, but it's worth the trip.

Melton's App and Tap at 2500 North Decatur Road
At intersection with Scott Boulevard also has an excellent selection of beers, many of which are on tap.

While neither of these establishments are brewpubs (it's currently illegal in GA to both brew your own beer and serve beer distributed by someone else), the food at both pubs is decent, the atmosphere is great, and the beer selection is unmatched. I would put Mel's above any of the other establishments mentioned here and the Brick Store far above that.

[chazwicke]

Welcome to the board.

[jwkite]

Thanks chazwicke. Glad to be here.

I got to searching for beer sites after a Greens run today. They've still got the Unibroue Edition 2004 for a great price, so I picked up near a full case. Can't wait to break it open.

Cheers!

[Buduke]

I was in Atlanta last week and The Brick Store was indeed a great place to visit. A good selection of beer on tap and an unbeleivable selection in the bottle. I will go back.
I was not impressed with Max Lagers. The service was horrible. I had to ask the bar tender if he wanted to serve me a beer. This was after being ignored for 15 minutes at the bar where there were only 4 patrons. I doubt that I will return.

[jwkite]

Glad you enjoyed the Brick Store. I hope the rest of your trip to Atlanta was as good as the beer there.

[STUMPY]

I had a chance to try the Brick Store last week. The place is incredible…IMO, the best in the Atlanta area.

The Belgian Beer room upstairs really adds to the experience.

There’s a MARTA station less than a stone throw away.

[MadDog88]

Birck Store is a great place. Around the corner is Twain's. They don't have as wide of a selection, but it's a good place to watch a game or shoot some pool. Also in Decatur Sq area is a Taco Mac. They have a great selection of beer, but I've just about given up on them. There service is very spotty and it is overrun by kids. I don't understand why people in this state bring small kids to bars. If you wish to watch a soccer match while having a good brew visit Brewhouse in Little Five Points. A bit out of town on the north side is the main Summits Tavern. It is Cumming. I've never been there but they have 137 beers on tap right now. The Snellville Summits has 119 and Sandy Springs has 100. The last two were Taco Mac franchises but the owner split of about four years ago.

[TOBP_Steve]

Originally posted by MadDog88
I don't understand why people in this state bring small kids to bars.

The problem with the Atlanta metro area, and most of Georgia for that matter, is the complete lack of actual "bars." Outside of Buckhead and a couple of places in Marietta and other large towns, most of the establishments that serve alcohol, and make their money off of sporting event traffic, are actually restaurants with bars in them, like Fridays, Taco Mac, etc. Some even have entertainment to encourage bringing the family, like Dave & Busters and to a much smaller extent Beef O'Brady's. . If you live in Kennesaw, options for watching a game at a bar are limited. Hence these places are being overrun with kids.

Now, all over NJ, NY, Illinois, Wisconsin, even in Arkansas (in wet counties) etc, you have a much broader choice of places that are just bars. They may serve food, but alcohol is their thing. You don't bring kids to these places. My favorite bar in NJ was a place in Red Bank called The Globe. GREAT bar, and had good food too. Kids were a common sight during lunch, but never during the evening dinner/game crowd. The Atlanta metro area doesn't seem to have a lot of places like that, so instead you have game-watching at restaurants, where you will see kids.

[Wild Hare One]

Summitt's Wayside Tavern!!!

If you like the idea of Taco Mac, then you 'll love Summitt's alot better. They bought 3 or 4 of the Taco Mac locations that closed. I found that Summitt's has a lot better selection of draft beers than Taco Mac. There's one in Cumming off of Hwy 9 just south the square...they've got other locations closer to the perimeter too....I just can't remember where

I think the food is better too....they're a little proud of it though.

They've got one of those passport clubs where you drink 100 different types and they give you a mug, etc

[panolaranger]

Glad to see the Brick Store was added to the list...its been one of my favorites for years. Does anyone have any good beer retail stores on the east or southeast side of Atlanta? I was surprised to find a small but decent variety in the Costco World Market near Stonecrest mall. Any other locations would be greatly appreciated!

[MadDog88]

For stores there is of course Greens on Ponce or just off I85 right on the ATL city line. Tocco Giant Liquors near the corner of N. Druid Hills and La Vista is also pretty good. Farther out to the east is Smokerise Bottle shop on Hugh Howell at the DeKalb line. I used to live in southern Gwinnett Co. Not many places out there have a very good selection.

[panolaranger]

Toco Giant is nice, but now I've moved out to the Conyers area...and I'd be in beer heaven if I drank Buuudlite, but as they say, "that beer is like love in a canoe....f__king close to water!"

[TOBP_Steve]

Originally posted by panolaranger
I was surprised to find a small but decent variety in the Costco World Market near Stonecrest mall. Any other locations would be greatly appreciated!

I think you mean Cost Plus World Market? They do have a small but unusual, varied selection. Often some decent stuff there. Costco on the other hand has nothing but the biggest mega-brews of all beer-producing countries (Bud, Miller, Becks, Corona, Heineken, etc).

Do you have a Harry's/Whole Foods anywhere near you? If so, try them.

[MadDog88]

You moved TO Conyers? Why? Isn't that like Redneckville. Didn't they flim "Smokey and the Bandit" out that way? I know they filmed "Heat of the Night" just down the road in Covington. Good Luck finding real beer out there.

[panolaranger]

You moved TO Conyers? Why? Isn't that like Redneckville. Didn't they flim "Smokey and the Bandit" out that way? I know they filmed "Heat of the Night" just down the road in Covington. Good Luck finding real beer out there.

I'm kinda between Stockbridge and Conyers and yes they did film In the Heat of the Night, but more importantly they filmed Dukes of Hazard out in Oxford. For any of you Daisy fans, check out the movie's website and view the trailer....the last part dang near made me spill my homebrew!!! There's also a mighty fine video there! As far as rednecks go....some of us enjoy good beer too! Two degrees from Emory and a wife and inlaws from England have helped me culture my love of good beer, but hunting, fishing, and working in nature have honned my redneckabilities soom too.

No matter how redneck or cultured someone is, theres no excuse for drinking BMC!!!

Since moving out here, I decided to make real beer, but I do love having the professional stuff once in a while.

[lagermonkey]

There service is very spotty and it is overrun by kids. I don't understand why people in this state bring small kids to bars.

Taco Mac is treated less as a "bar" and more as a restaurant/sports bar. I take my kid to the local Taco Mac fairly regularly but I do notice he is in the minority of kids his age and actually sits in his seat the whole time and does not run all over the place!