Elsewhere Brewing co-founders Sara and Sam Kazmer and Director of Brewing Operations Josh Watterson recently opened a second venue called the Greenhouse Taproom.
Located in the burgeoning Westside Paper development on Marietta Street, the space mixes a traditional pub atmosphere with TVs and vinyl records behind the bar.
There’s a small corner stage for live music, comedy and drag shows. Out back, a sprawling garage features pickleball courts and beer tents in addition to free parking. Oh, and it’s dog-friendly, too, and you can buy your pooch a tallboy of Dog Brew, a non-alcoholic bacon-flavored seltzer.
How Elsewhere, which opened its original location in Grant Park in 2020, wound up there, with all that, is kind of remarkable, Sara Kazmer said during a tour of the Greenhouse.
“The (Westside Paper) developers, Third & Urban, approached us and said we love your brand, we love your beer, we’d love for you to come in,” she remembered. “It was so flattering. But we were only a year old. We had no money, we were crawling out of the pandemic, and barely surviving in Grant Park.”
Credit: Bob Townsend
Credit: Bob Townsend
Remarkably, the developers helped the Kazmers find local capital partners who were able to structure a deal with flexible repayment terms.
“This process took about six months from idea generation to an actual, executed contract,” Sarah Kazmer said. “In the end, it wasn’t our financial statements that allowed us to grow; it was our attractive brand, our experience-based business model, and our approachable beer menu. What I found out during the course of financing this project is that it’s really about developing relationships in your community.”
In addition to the main bar, there’s a window near the front entrance, where customers can grab beer to go, and take it into the courtyard. A few doors down, you can purchase burgers and fried chicken sandwiches from Boxcar Betty’s, and many more restaurants will be opening in the coming months.
“In many ways, this is our dream bar,” Sara Kazmer said. ”It’s more of a pub than a taproom because it has more of a bar feel and an intimate setting. No food. No frills. You can come watch a game and relax, and we’ll be spinning vinyl all day.”
Another Elsewhere signature is house plants. For the opening, the team asked customers to drop off live greenery in exchange for a beer. And indeed, it looked like a greenhouse.
Credit: Bob Townsend
Credit: Bob Townsend
During my tour, Sam Kazmer was working the bar tent in the garage, where he was excited to be sheltered from the elements.
“Sure enough, the first day we opened, it was raining, and I didn’t have to worry about it,” he said.
Watterson has been busy brewing beer for two taprooms. “We’re just trying to max-out production at the Grant Park facility, selling as much as we can over the bar, because that’s where the margins are,” he said. “We’re hoping that the west Midtown location helps us do that.”
Most of the fermentation at the Greenhouse will revolve around mixed culture fermentation, including lambic-inspired beers, which will be aged from nine to 24 months in wine and bourbon barrels.
“(The new) facility can really help me develop a barrel program, which I haven’t had the space for at Grant Park,” he said. “Now with that extra footprint over there we can add some barrels in production.”
Watterson also has plans for a hazy German-style lager that will be considered the house beer. Low-gravity ciders with a variety of yeast strains and fruit will be on the menu, too.
Westside Paper, 950 West Marietta St NW, Suite A135, Atlanta. elsewherebrewing.com
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