Atlanta Good Food category interest

You don't have to join a pickleball league or even understand Reddit to know where to find a good beer. Atlanta has a collection of beloved dives and popular bars who serve great brews. And with several new breweries opening every year, our very own city is actually emerging as one of the top beer destinations in the nation. So tap into this list, which has the best of the best, because in the words of Andre 3000, “The South’s got something to say!”

THE SPOTS

CASTLEBERRY HILL

The Grammy Award-winning rap group the Nappy Roots doesn't just own this 6,000-square-foot brewery, you can often find them in brewer boots actually making the solid beer they serve. Besides pulling taps from a broad selection of styles with witty names (like The Bluff American lager, Castleberry Pils, and Honey I Drunk The Beer honey wheat), Atlantucky is also an event space with a stage where Nappy Roots and other artists under their independent label perform. Given that the brewery is steps away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, you’ll often find a steady stream of people pregaming with a couple drinks before heading to the Falcons/Hawks games or a concert. It's also Georgia’s second Black-owned brick-and-mortar brewery.

EAST ATLANTA

In 2020, Hippin’ Hops made history as the first Black-owned brick-and-mortar brewery in Georgia. Located in the former Eastlake Pharmacy in East Atlanta Village, this spot produces solid brews with smile-producing names like the Baby Mama Drama IPA and So Peachy sour, plus frozen beers such as the Coco Crazy strawberry pina colada to make sure every palate gets love. Even if you’re not a beer fan, their New Orleans-themed food staples like po’boys, gator bites, and oysters are legit and another reason to be here. It’s common to see the place jumping with a live DJ and people playing corn hole in the adjacent beer garden.

GRANT PARK

Based in the back of the bustling mixed-use district known as The Beacon, Elsewhere continues to be a popular destination for pet lovers, cycling clubs, live music, and, yes, beer advocates. Their list of European-inspired pilsners, Czech lagers, hefeweizens, and IPAs like their popular West Coast-style Viridity pair well with a full menu of tasty apps, handhelds, empanadas, and salads. If beer isn’t your thing, you can quench your thirst with seltzers or classic craft cocktails.

LITTLE FIVE POINTS

photo credit: Tabia Lisenbee-Parker

Intimate, classy, and a L5P neighborhood gem, Wrecking Bar is a visual standout positioned at the base of the historic Victor H. Kriegshaber House—a prominent Victorian-style mansion on Moreland Avenue. Their renowned beer program delivers a wide range of styles, but the Juice Willis IPA variants and Beta Todd Helles Lager are the mainstays. There’s also an acclaimed locally sourced menu (we like their creamy risotto) and top-notch craft cocktails fit for even the most sophisticated spirit advocate. And if you’re someone who prefers their ABVs in the double digits, look out for their annual Strong Beer Fest every first Saturday of December.

MIDTOWN

photo credit: Scott Belanger

As one of the nation’s largest beer companies, SweetWater is everywhere, but they do a good job making sure their home base in Midtown shows patrons a hell of a time. The location is more like a complex, with a completely redesigned taproom, merch store, full kitchen (try the Big Kahuna fish sandwich), and a turf-lined beer garden, where you’ll find a cornhole field and a live music stage. And besides their assortment of IPAs, stouts, lagers, and legendary 420 Extra Pale Ale, there are award-winning one-and-done collaborations and experimental innovations like their Georgia Aquarium-partnered brew. SweetWater also pours selections from acquired breweries Alpine, Green Flash, and Montauk, plus the Oasis electrolyte-infused seltzer line.

DRUID HILLS

Two middle school science teachers opened Schoolhouse Brewing in Marietta, Ga., more than a decade ago, and their second location called Gymnasium gets an A for their clever take on fusing suds with academics. In a shopping district just a few steps from Atlanta’s prestigious Emory University, tap handles resembling pencils complete with the pink eraser pull 16 different ales and lagers for beer nerds, gamers, sports fans, and even educators who get their own monthly “Teacher Tuesday” night. And we really love Gymnasium for their community activities. Besides hosting everything from European car meetups to run club nights, food pop ups, and trivia, Schoolhouse also takes folks to school with homebrew courses and cooking lessons.

OLD FOURTH WARD

Sporting two brewhouses and an on-site distillery that produces small batch spirits, clear spirits, and barrel-aged offerings, New Realm Atlanta is truly the heart of the small brewery chain’s innovation. Add the gorgeous beer garden, skyline rooftop, full-service restaurant (the New Realm Burger is a crowd favorite), and live music, and we're always willing to end any BeltLine stroll with a visit here.

SUMMERHILL

With a limited, yet appetizing, food menu of wings and different versions of fries, Summerhill's Halfway Crook is the go-to spot for real beer heads who crave remarkable, true-to-style ales and lagers. The co-founders grew up on a sheep farm and studied brewing in Belgium before immigrating to the U.S., so they take pride in their European-inspired pilsners, märzens, radlers, schwarzbiers, and helles. The place looks like a Belgian cafe fused with ’80s tech-themed packaging and decor. And if not for the full bar, the taproom would feel reminiscent of a cozy living room. The second level is airy with a large projector screen (mostly showing wildlife videos) while their beer garden across the street is where you'll often hear DJs spinning vinyl on the weekends.

UPPER WESTSIDE

Undoubtedly one of the poshest breweries in Atlanta, the Upper Westside’s Bold Monk delivers an extraordinary three-level drinking experience. Lead-paned windows, velvet and leather seating, and wood floors give the space a sophisticated flair, and you’ll also find a beer garden with fire pits, a library, a coffee bar, and a barrel room ideal for private dinners. The award-winning Belgian-inspired ales and lagers and the outstanding culinary program (look for Belgian frites, brisket poutine, wood-grilled salmon, and mussels) are collectively the true draw, but the stunning decor is an invaluable complement.

Round Trip wants to take palates on a European journey to experience a draft lineup pouring what they label “untypical” marzens, helles, hefeweizens, berliner weisses, and Munich-style dark lagers. Since opening in 2021, they found a great niche for German beer advocates, but Round Trip makes sure “hop heads” get some love with plenty of IPAs (which also use German-based ingredients). To enhance the experience, Dirty South Trivia, Lego Night, and Speed Puzzle night are a few of the many activities they host.

photo credit: Courtesy of Scofflaw Brewing Co

Scofflaw on MacArthur debuted one of the most activity-driven beer gardens in ATL in ’23. This rejuvenated space includes a turf landscape along with ping pong tables, four square, bocce courts, ample picnic tables, and an updated basketball/pickle ball court, giving brewery-goers numerous ways to enjoy the outdoors with a pint or two. In addition to their renowned IPAs, lagers, sours, and barrel-aged offerings, they boast beer alternatives, including rotating slushies, seltzers, bourbons, and draft cocktails. And not too far away is Dr. Scofflaw’s Laboratory in The Works, where you can find their experimental spirits.

On Ellsworth Industrial and surrounded by a growing beer oasis of brewing destinations, Steady Hand is one of the originals With 24 rotating taps, the Cloudland Hazy IPA, Paradise Waits IPA, Flower Business DIPA, and their lager are the year-rounds while an array of seasonals complete the portfolio. You can also enjoy the laid-back industrial style of the spacious tap room that doubles as an event space for comedy shows, game tournaments like a “beer-in-hand” pickleball tournament, and trivia nights. Their outdoor space features a “Rock The Dock” concert series every Friday night. And we’re often here for lemon pepper wing pizza from the Phew Pies pop-up.

WEST END

photo credit: Amy Sinclair

The Lee + White development on the Westside BeltLine is home to several beer destinations, including Monday Night Garage. The brew company continues to grow with five locations throughout the South, including two venues in Atlanta. This West End location goes all in on barrel-aging and flaunts a coolship (a brewing tool that they call their Crunkship) to produce spontaneous beers. An open kitchen serves Neapolitan-style pizzas when the mood calls for the always-popular pizza-and-beer combo. The Garage’s expansive courtyard and Chandelier Room has become one of the prime locations for Atlanta’s biggest corporate gatherings, weddings, and events.

Wild Heaven is widely respected for building the groundwork for Georgia’s craft beer scene by contract brewing before opening their own brewery and putting Avondale Estates on the map a decade ago. This brewery continues to pour year-rounds like the Emergency Drinking Beer, ATL Easy Ale, Euro-Style Pilsner, and the Sunburst IPA, plus seasonal odes to traditional European styles and Garden Beer collaborations with Atlanta Botanical Garden. Their spacious West End BeltLine location is a special treat since the famed El Tesoro operates an outpost here. Sipping craft beer while chomping on some of the city’s best tacos feels like mastering life.

DOWNTOWN

Downtown’s Max Lager's is recognized as the oldest brewpub in Georgia. The inventive brews like the Hopsplosion IPA, Brother Ivan Imperial Stout, and Wry King Max Rye Lager regularly win awards, and there is also an expert-curated wine menu. And when it comes to their dining side, wood-fired menu items like their tender BBQ ribs and pizzas should be on your table. We like sipping on their city-view patio since al fresco dining is a true rarity in Downtown Atlanta.

photo credit: Courtesy of Wild Leap