11 minute read
Brewerys & More
Line Creek Brewery in Peachtree City.
Local Breweries Flourish in our Area
Ten years ago, there were no breweries in Coweta and Fayette counties. There were stores that offered equipment and supplies for home brewing and you could purchase “local” Atlanta microbrews at some restaurants, but there were no local breweries. Since then, both Fayette and Coweta counties have plenty of options when it comes to places to enjoy craft beer such as Line Creek Brewery, Abide Brewery, Awkward Brewery, Barleygarden, Gremlin Growlers, and Ace Beer Growlers. Outside of Fayette and Coweta there are additional options, including Cochran Mill Brewing in Fairburn and Towerhouse Farm Brewery in Gay. ■ Why the recent growth? Why the recent growth in breweries and brewpubs? Across the country breweries began to gain popularity in the 2,000’s. Their family friendly, dog friendly atmosphere welcomed young and old alike. Breweries partnered with farmers markets and food trucks and gave people the opportunity to support local businesses. They started to be seen as a community center, not just a place to try a craft beer. In Georgia, the rise of breweries is directly related to changes in Georgia law. In the early 2000’s, the laws in Georgia governing breweries were holdovers from the prohibition era kept breweries from selling their beer directly to customers at their production location. Breweries could produce beer, but any sales to the public had to be done via a distributor. The only way local breweries could sell their beer at their brewery was to offer tours of the facility and then offer samples of their different beers at the end of the tour. In order for the brewery to make money, they would sell souvenir glasses in which the samples would be poured. But there were strict limits on how much beer could be “sampled”. As a result of these laws, the number of breweries in Georgia lagged behind the rest of the country. Finally, in 2015 State Bill 63 was passed which allowed breweries to sell beer directly to the public in “to
Barleygarden, Trilith.
go” containers up to 64 ounces. These containers, known as growlers, could be fi lled on site and then taken elsewhere to drink – elsewhere could mean simply stepping outside of the brewery on the Indigo Buntingpatio and drinking it there. This was the fi rst step. The biggest change that enabled breweries to fl ourish was the passing of State Bill 85 in 2017. This bill fi nally allowed breweries to sell directly to consumers at their brewery. As a result, the number of breweries in Georgia dramatically increased. According to the Brewers Association, there were 32 breweries that opened in Georgia from 2011 to 2016. From 2016 to 2020 there were 77 new breweries that opened. Currently there are about 130 breweries in Georgia. After the state laws changed, local ordinances began to change as well. Open container laws were passed to promote local establishment, events and markets. Both downtown Newnan, downtown Fayetteville, and downtown Senoia passed open container laws to promote “walkable, shoppable” downtown areas. A special sticker is required on containers in Newnan and Fayetteville. The changes in state and local laws opened the door for local breweries, taphouses and brewpubs to thrive. ■ Abide Brewing Company,
Newnan
Abide Brewing Company was the fi rst brewery in Newnan and began in 2013. But it really began long before then. Evan Scanlan , Matthew Kapusta, and Philip Leonard were local residents who all happened to be home brew enthusiasts. Their paths crossed and they began to collaborate and brew beers together. After sharing their passion for crafting great beer with family and friends for many years they decided to create Abide Brewing. The Brewery has intentionally grown slowly. They haven’t accepted investment from outside sources, so they grow as their income allows. They moved into their current 4,000 square foot taproom in October of 2019. They have a strong connection to their community and participate in fund raisers for local charities such as their annual St Pawtrick’s Day event benefi tting Hearts ‘n Homes Rescue, a rescue program for dogs in Coweta County. They also host
Canada Goose Family
Inside the Bus Barn, Line Creek Brewery.
Photo outside of Triumph Station. Courtesy of Line Creek Brewery.
Continued from page 7
an annual fundraiser for the Newnan-Coweta Humane Society and one for the Friends of the Chattahoochee bend State Park. Abide currently has 12 brews on tap, from their popular Coweta Commons Ale to their Three Rivers IPA. They also have seasonal or special brews mixed in with the regular line up. You can fi nd Oktoberfest brews, Sours, and Hefeweizens at different time during the year. Whenever you go, you’ll fi nd plenty of choices to satisfy every beer lover.
■ Ace Beer Growlers, Newnan Ace Beer Growlers was established eight years ago in Newnan and is another spot where folks gather, enjoy craft beer and the company of other beer enthusiasts. If you are wondering what a growler is, it is a 32 or 64 ounce container made for transporting draft beer. They feature 30 beers on tap, including brews from Abide and from Line Creek Brewing. They prefer to support the local community and brewers, so many of their other beers are brewed in Georgia. They also feature wine, meat, grills, and gun safes.
HOW IT STARTED HOW ITS GOING
Photos: bottom left: Andrew and Amanda Poliak, owners; bottom right: Lisa Griffi ths, Harry Stanley, and Amanda Poliak. Photos courtesy of Awkward Brewing.
■ Line Creek Brewery, Peachtree City Line Creek Brewery opened in 2018 and was the fi rst brewery in Peachtree City. The founders shared a love of craft beer and a love of their community. They decided they would create a brewery that had a family friendly atmosphere so the entire community could gather together. Once the plan was in place they reached out to 40 other members of the community for investment capital and Line Creek Brewery was born. The owners at Line Creek are not only serious about beer, they are serious about helping their community. They give back to the community in a number of ways. They regularly host fundraisers for local charities. In December of 2021 they hosted a concert and helped raise $25,000 for pancreatic cancer research. Line Creek Brewery has also partnered with local charities and service organizations to create special beers for them. They have created 3 special “partner” brews with Southern Conservation Trust, the Rotary Club of Peachtree City, and Royal Animal Refuge. Their most popular beers are First Crush, a slightly hazy IPA, and Maverick, a helles lager. If you want to stray off of the beaten path, LCB has plenty of tempting options: Stouts, dark lagers, pilsners, sours, double IPAs and more. If you can’t fi nd a beer you like at Line Creek you are in the wrong place!
■ Line Creek Bus Barn, Fayetteville The Line Creek Bus Barn opened in Fayetteville at the end of 2021. As it’s name implies, it is a part of Line Creek Brewery, but it is located in Fayetteville, in the new park. The Bus Barn, named after the Fayette County School System facility that used to be there, has a larger taproom than Line Creek Brewery but a smaller brewery. The Bus Barn has a 5 Barrel system, while Line Creek Brewery has a 30 barrel system. Production-wise, Line Creek Brewery is the production powerhouse while the Bus Barn and it’s smaller production enables for more experimentation.
■ Awkward Brewing, Fayetteville Right around the corner from the Line Creek Bus Barn is another small brewery, Awkward Brewing. Amanda Poliak began home brewing in 2008 and opened Awkward Brewing in 2015 in Lake Stevens, Washington. When she and her husband relocated to Georgia she reopened the brewery in Fayetteville. By January 2022 she was brewing small batches of craft beer
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Amici, located in Trilith’s Town Centre, is not only known for pizza and wings, but the popular restaurant brews its own beer on site. Photo by Steve West for Town at Trilith.
Continued from page 9 and opening for special occasions while planning for their grand opening on March 18th. Even though Awkward Brewing isn’t “fully” open, they have already jumped in to be a part of the community. In January they hosted two fundraisers. One for Coco’s Cupboard, a pet rescue and food pantry and one for Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry charity. As they grow, they plan to continue to contribute to those in need in the community.
■ Gremlin Growlers, Fayetteville Gremlin Growlers is right around the corner, directly on Fayetteville Square. Gremlin Growlers started in Peachtree City in 2012 and moved to Fayetteville in a few years later. They have over 20 craft beers on tap, including 9 craft brews from Georgia. They also sell coffee, espresso and lattes.
Between Fayetteville and Peachtree City, in Trilith you can fi nd two establishments for fi ne craft beer.
■ Barleygarden, Trilith Barleygarden, isn’t a brewery, but it boasts over seventy different craft beers from breweries near and far. They change the beer menu regularly, so no matter how often you visit there is always something new to choose from. Barleygarden also offers a full menu if you would like to enjoy a meal along with your beverage.
■ Amici Pizza & Brewery, Trilith Right down the sidewalk from Barleygarden you can fi nd Amici Pizza & Brewery. In addition to great pizza, they brew their own beer as well as offer a wide selection of craft beers. Amici is owned by Scott and Jamie Holman. Scott admits that the biggest challenge to opening their brewpub wasn’t the fact that they were new to the
Abide Brewing Co., Newnan Gremlin Growlers, Fayetteville
industry, but their timing. They closed on the loan in December of 2018 and immediately began construction. In 2019 Covid hit and had an immediate impact on construction. They were quickly over budget and behind schedule. But they persevered and they opened in 2020. The atmosphere in Amici is a vibrant, fun combination of music and motion. They have karaoke nights on Wednesday night and have live entertainment on the weekends. There are cornhole sets on the patio and folks are encouraged to play and have fun.
■ Senoia Beer Company, Senoia
As of February Senoia Beer Company plans on opening in May. They plan on having 8 taps serving traditional brews plus sours, ciders and seltzers brewed on-site in their 5 barrel system.
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The craft beer scene in Coweta and Fayette counties have come a long way in a few short years. If you haven’t been to one of these establishments, consider giving them a try!
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
DOWNLOAD THE BREWERY HOURS APP
Want to explore breweries in our area and around the country? Local Entrepeneur and beer enthusiast Jason Bass created an app to help locate breweries and their hours of operation. Check it out!
