Friends and family who are fans of the craft beer craze are going out of their way to visit the small, home-town breweries scattered about Atlanta’s suburbs and the restaurants and taverns that carry the tasty local brews they’ve sampled.
One friend has covered bookshelves and a refrigerator with the unusual labels found on the craft beers of her travels, while my millennial family members come home with the logo-laden glasses purchased in the tasting rooms during craft brewery tours.
Due to current legislative restrictions, craft beers can’t be directly purchased at these breweries, but a tour and a glass can be, then the brewers offer “on-the-house” fill-ups so you can sample their varieties or enjoy favorites.
Despite limitations, tours have become social event outings, combining unique and unusual craft beers with games such as corn hole and bocce ball, food truck catering and often live music.
When I learned longtime Roswell Autocare garage was the new home to Gate City Brewery, Roswell’s first craft brewery, it seemed high time to take a tour myself.
Co-founders Garrett Nail and Pat Rains showed me Rains’ home brew system, the original equipment used before they went commercial, set up not far from their new, larger, commercial equipment, just delivered in January.
During the brewery’s first public tour last month, Rains told us the inspiration behind the Gate City name. Their IPA, or flagship style craft beer, “is steeped in local history,” he said. In 1864, General Sherman began burning his path through Georgia, but Atlanta rebuilt as the Gate City to the new South.
Well-attended and family friendly, about half a dozen little girls, corralled in the corner of a makeshift keg play pen and played with dolls.
Before going off to play Jenga, 20-something couple Matt Scrudato and Kara-Sha Jones, who’ve lived up the street since August, told me 1864 is their favorite “high gravity,” higher alcohol content, craft beer.
Roswell residents and ciderists at Treehorn Cidery in Marietta, Davina Marraccini and Mallory Law, said they were there to support other local brewers.
Law told me she began experimenting, brewing her first batches in her college dorm room. Now, using a blend of five varieties of locally grown and freshly pressed apples, Treehorn is Georgia’s first craft cidery. Although nowhere near tasting room ready yet, their delicious flagship Dry is available on tap at restaurants and taverns across the state, including Whole Foods in East Cobb and Avalon.
The Roswell Beer Festival, scheduled for April 30, will feature a wide sampling of local craft beers. Proceeds will benefit STAR House Foundation. Contact starhousefoundation.org and www.roswellbeerfestival.com for information, or to volunteer.
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