Atlanta-based Round Trip Brewing previously hadn’t focused much on distribution, but that’s about to change.
Having opened a second taproom in Marietta in June, the company is looking to rebrand, in order to raise the beer’s visibility in the local market, Director of Marketing William Rudolph said.
“We felt like we needed to relook at our brand identity as a whole, and that kind of morphed into wanting more visual assets and telling the story of Round Trip and what we’re all about,” he said.
That includes rolling out new canned offerings with redesigned labels in the coming months, and ultimately reintroducing the brand.
“I’m excited,” Rudolph said. “This will hopefully position us to where we can be a little bit more recognizable at a bar or in a liquor store, and then have more identity in the taprooms.”
Round Trip originally opened on Atlanta’s Westside in February 2021, with an impressive array of German-inspired beer styles, including dunkel, helles, pilsner and a seasonal Oktoberfest.
The Marietta taproom opened this summer in the Avenue East Cobb, a mixed-use development from North American Properties. “I think it really filled the vibe they were looking for,” Round Trip CEO and head brewer Craig Mycoskie said.
In many ways, Round Trip is the development’s centerpiece, situated next to a covered courtyard with a large stage and jumbotron screen.
“When they have bands on Fridays, or a movie night, or a kids night, it’s really communal out there,” Mycoskie said.
In addition, the new taproom features a private event space, bar and patio, and it offers a food menu from chef Larry Johnson, with snacks, sandwiches, hot dogs, bratwurst, desserts and kids meals.
Johnson is from Philadelphia, Mycoskie said, “so his specialty is the Philly cheese steak. But with the German thing we have going, we wanted to bring in some other stuff. We have a great pork schnitzel sandwich, and the No. 1 seller is pretzel bites, served with beer cheese and mustard. It goes great with our beer, especially the Oktoberfest.”
Credit: Bob Townsend
Credit: Bob Townsend
Mycoskie currently brings in beer from the Westside brewery to put on tap at the Avenue East Cobb location, but he’s installing an electric four-and-a-half-barrel system. “I want to be brewing by the end of the year,” he said. “We’ll do fun stuff like collaborations up here.”
Round Trip is enjoying the rise of pilsners at breweries, too. “It’s interesting, looking at the beer industry at large,” Mycoskie said. Nonalcoholic beers have gotten bigger, “but if you don’t want to go all the way, and you want something flavorful [and] that’s a local craft beer you can drink a few of, pilsner fits it perfectly.
“I think people are gravitating to them, but they need to be well-made. Breweries that focus on lager styles, like us and Halfway Crooks and Tucker Brewing, are really hitting a niche right now. People want a great beer, but they want to be able to function.”
Round Trip Brewing. 4475 Roswell Road, Marietta. 678-909-5712; and 1279 Seaboard Industrial Blvd. NW, Atlanta. 404-963-1252, roundtripbrewing.com
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