It has been a couple of years since I posted about one of my favorite past times, which is going to breweries for a good hang. I wrote a lengthy post about some great Atlanta breweries and as I have subtly promised in that blog, here is the second part of my family friendly breweries in Atlanta blog review. To refresh, I really love going to breweries. In addition to actually liking beer, I think brewery-ing is such a fun way to support local (typically a small business) and really feel part of the community. Even if you are from out of town, you can stop by a popular brewery wherever you are and feel that you are with the local folk; just search “craft brewery near me” to see what gems are nearby. Whether the brewery is relatively new or has been around for decades, it doesn’t matter because the point is you are being part of a village that proudly brings people together. Breweries, especially family friendly breweries, are so much more than just selling you beer, most breweries try really hard to give you a community. For instance, by offering delicious food, sponsoring weekly events like bingo, yoga, stand up comedy and great musics to name a few. Anything that brings people back over and over again. My kids have grown up going to breweries because everyone feels so welcomed and relax, thanks to games and thoughtful outdoor spaces, the kids and parents really do feel at home. Sometime, the kids even ask to go to breweries to meet up with other families … talk about having a proud mom moment. You don’t even have to drink that much at a brewery because most have jumped on the N/A or Low Alcohol bandwagon which is obviously great for health reasons and this trend catches the new generation of people that don’t drink that much or people who don’t like beer. Often times, breweries have other offerings by partnering with other local vendors that sell wine, kombucha, teas, etc. There has been some controversy lately about having kids at breweries which I get, the reasons are valid, but I think it’s up to each individual brewery to make their own decisions based on what works for them. Regardless, whether with or sans kids, brewery culture is amazing and it’s always so impressive how they are constantly adapting, pivoting and listening to their community and, oftentimes, they can only do that with the benefit of being an agile small business.
Last year, I wrote a blog post talking a bit about small businesses and how much heart these owners put into their businesses and why it’s so important to support them when you can. We had a lot of craft breweries in Atlanta that closed a year or two ago, some wanted to move on to new endeavors and some were due to the tough small business/ brewery obstacles ( too much competition, the aforementioned trend of not drinking as much, etc.). I do want to pour one out for some Atlanta Breweries that closed in the last couple of years: Best End Brewery, Elsewhere Brewery (both locations), Orpheus, Eventide, Steady Hand and Biggerstaff Brewery. It’s hard to see some of these incredibly popular breweries shut down and to the public eye, it doesn’t make sense; this is the gamble of the hospitality industry. But you can't argue that there was not heart and passion for beer and community, that's the truth.
Below are some breweries around Atlanta that I didn’t cover in my last brewery blog post. Enjoy and make time to visit your local brewery soon! P.S. I think fall is the best brewery season … gorgeous weather for those outdoor breweries, a lot of celebrations such as Oktoberfest and football watching, etc.
Wild Heaven - Avondale Estates :
I didn’t know I was such a big fan of Wild Heaven until recently; a bit like when you hear a hit song from the 80s and you realize that band actually plays tons of songs that you also know and love. That’s how I feel about Wild Heaven. It first started with the Emergency Drinking Beer, classic in a serious and to the point yellow can, then they seemed to have gone quiet for a little bit and now they have all these beers with the most clever names and WH has been on an expansion kick. Although I am obsessed with all three locations, one being right off of the Atlanta Beltline and one right by my house, I have a soft spot for the OG Avondale Estates location. It has such a chill environment. Like many of the breweries out there now, they have jumped on the latest trends in beer drinking, two of the most popular ones being kölsch service and N/A beers. Also, this location is celebrating their 15th anniversary this year Oktoberfest style!
Wild Heaven - Avondale Estate
Sweetwater Brewery : Shout out to one of the first craft breweries in Atlanta. It may not have been the absolute first, but it is definitely the biggest brewery in the Southeast and even has its own music festival to boot (that’s impressive). We are thrilled that this craft brewery calls Atlanta home. It started up in 1997, which was my second year in college, and I remember going to Sweetwater “back in the day” and boy has this small, now big, brewery come a long way. I feel we have a kinship because we grew up together! Because it’s one of the more well known breweries, it does have a more commercial / corporate vibe and with it’s location being tucked away yet still very central in Atlanta, you will find a lot of happy hour and after work people there. Despite all that, we were always very comfortable with taking our kids there and they have plenty of fun playing corn hole and swinging in the hammock. Plus, the food there is pretty darn good. Boiled peanuts for life!
Monday Night Brewery - The Grove: Here lies the newest Monday Night Brewery location and one of the newest breweries in Atlanta. The location is actually an upgrade/ revamp of their original West Midtown location and it is spectacular. You can’t believe you are in the middle of Atlanta, it’s such a beautiful set up, surrounded by a canopy of trees and then you have this massive outdoor television that is perfect for watching all of the special events and games under the stars. If you are looking for a great biergarten experience, here you go. It’s probably one of my favorite outdoor brewery gathering places in Atlanta. And the beer selection is great, they are also very creative with their beers and have many selections that pay homage to Atlanta (shout out to the 404 lager, one of my go to picks). To top it off, they have an in-house pizza kitchen, which is delicious, and they have food trucks on rotation as well.
Monday Night Brewing: The Grove
Creature Comfort : Not in Atlanta, but close enough, I love the beer here (seriously, Bibo and Classic City Lager are our house beers). This brewery is in the popular historic downtown Athens, which in itself is very appealing. The brewery is set in an old warehouse, a classic brewery setting, with ample outdoor space under the covered patio. The location is so central with walkable access to a lot of restaurants close by. Since the brewery does not have a kitchen, they are totally welcoming of outside food coming in and if you want to be fancy, one of my favorite Athens restaurants ( The National ) is right across the street; so stop by after dinner for a hang or take out some of their yummy appetizers to enjoy at the brewery.
Creature Comfort Brewering Co. (during Covid times)