Where to Drink Beer in Atlanta

Der Biergarten
300 Marietta Street NW
404-521-2728

German transplant Wolfgang Hartert opened this restaurant right before Oktoberfest 2010 and has kept the beer garden busy ever since. The decor, food, and beer all come directly from the motherland. Der Biergarten is the only restaurant in the United States to serve Krombacher beers on draft. You can also get beer mixed with soda or cider, and if the half-liter isn’t big enough for you, try the one-liter glass.

Tap
1180 Peachtree Street, Downtown
404-347-2220

A gastropub with 35 beers on tap and plenty more in bottles, Tap is worth getting dolled up for. You’ll find popular American beers in addition to craft brands like New Belgium, Sweetwater, Abita, and Brooklyn. If you need something to soak up all that booze, the burgers are greasy perfection.

Cypress Street Pint and Plate
817 West Peachtree Street, Suite E125, Midtown
404-815-9243

A neighborhood bar that brings in young professionals, tattooed rocker types, and the over-30 after work crowd. The patio is the ideal place for a Sunday session. Check out the variety of local brews, like Hampton’s JailHouse and Marietta’s Red Hare. The burgers and sandwiches are tasty, and there’s an extensive wine selection.

Ormsby’s
1170 Howell Mill Road, Midtown
404-968-2033

The bocce ball court, pool tables, shuffleboard courts, and reasonably priced drinks keep the post-college yuppie crowd coming back. On draft are popular local beers Sweetwater and Monday Night Brewing, as well as brews from Duvel, Rogue, Victory, Allagash, and Bell’s.

The Square Pub
115 Sycamore Street, Decatur
404-844-4010

Voted as one of Garden and Gun Magazine’s top 50 Southern bars for its selection of American craft and European beers. Three floors, 19 taps, 35 bottles, flat screen televisions, and a late-night menu.

The Porter Beer Bar
1156 Euclid Avenue NE, Little Five Points
404-223-0393

Nominated for a James Beard award and named one of Men’s Fitness Top 25 Bars in America, The Porter Beer Bar has a draft beer list that only the geekiest of beer geeks can say they’ve tried. You won’t even find the more popular craft selections, but instead obscure beers from brands like Terrapin, Avery, Allagash, and Dogfish Head. You can purchase beer flights if you want samples of many different styles.

Brick Store Pub
125 E. Court Square, Decatur
404-687-0990

Brick Store Pub oozes Old South, with barrels for tables, a large bourbon and whisky selection, and leather clad menus, in a building dating back to the 1800s. Brick Store has a Belgian beer bar offering Blanche de Bruxelles and Boon Kriek from vintage taps, along with the main bar, which offers international and American craft beer.

Breweries

Sweetwater Brewing Company

195 Ottley Drive, Brookwood Hills
404-691-2537

This 15-year-old company now sells their beer throughout the Southeast, including the popular 420, Blue, IPA, Exodus Porter, and Georgia Brown. Free brewery tours run every Wednesday through Saturday, with a $10 charge for a Sweetwater pint glass and six sample tickets. On sunny days they offer live music out on the patio.

Red Brick Brewing
2323 Defoor Hills Road Northwest, Westside
404-355-5558

A smaller operation than Sweetwater, but with four tasty brands including a porter, pale ale, blonde, and brown, as well as the Laughing Skull Amber Ale created specifically for a local burger joint. Red Brick runs tours on Wednesdays through Saturdays. Each night they offer something different, like trivia, games, and live music.

Red Hare Brewing
1998 Delk Industrial Boulevard, Marietta
678-401-0600

Red Hare opened in Marietta a few years ago and its beer has made its way into taps all over town. You can take tours on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and play bocce or cornhole on the patio. Eight dollars will buy you a tour and a souvenir pint glass to fill up with Watership Brown, one of the more popular selections.

Stores

Hop City
1000 Marietta Street, Suite 302, Westside
404-350-9998

Hop City has wall-to-wall shelves of a large selection of wine and beer. Six packs, corked bottles, and vintage brews are all available. In Growler Town, the side of the store made for true beer enthusiasts, you can buy a standard 64 oz. growler for around $5 and fill it for about $10, with over 50 beers on draft. Home brewers can pick up all the necessary ingredients here too.

Moondog Growlers
688 Whitlock Ave, Suite 3B, Marietta
678-354-6268

A brand-new Marietta store that sells growlers of craft beer in 32 and 64 oz. sizes for $5, plus the beer you fill them with. It’s a family-run establishment — well worth supporting.