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Fancy a chilled craft beer on your trip to the Classic City of Georgia? Then you’re in for a treat as we give you a complete guide to the city’s best craft breweries!
Athens is a town of many charms: street festivals, music scene, botanical gardens, and pride in its university (the first in America) are just the beginning. Athens is also known for its thriving beer culture. Indulge yourself in the city’s world-famous beers, from crowd favorites IPAs and Ale to highly recommended fruity Sour and Stout—all served just the way you like.
So, let’s explore and find new craft beer flavors and enjoy a pint of beer- the Athens’s way!
1. Terrapin Beer Co.
Whether you’re looking for a local brew or a tasty weekend getaway, Terrapin Beer Co. offers a perfect combination of great beer, good tunes, and fun people for a memorable evening. Like any other microbrewery, Terrapin started as homebrewers. Its award-winning Rye Pale Ale, widely distributed across the states, made its debut in Athens’s craft beer scene through word of mouth.
Terrapin offers abundant outdoor space, with picnic tables and a good spot for outdoor games. Their relaxing tasting room has an industrial atmosphere, making it an excellent place to stop for a pint of beer and live music or learn about the beer-making process via their brewery tours.
- Crowd Favorite: Hopsecutioner, IPA, 7.3% ABV. An aggressive six-hop American IPA with notes of pine and grapefruit.
- Highly Recommended: Up-Hi, American IPA, 5.9% ABV.
- Hop-py Note: Picnic tables are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Terrapin does not serve food, but food trucks are available, and you are welcome to bring outside food. In addition, they are kid-friendly as well as dog-friendly.
- Fun Fact: The Terrapin Beer Company, in partnership with Middle Tennessee State University, offers a scholarship program to interns who study craft beer brewing in the university’s Fermentation Science Program.
Hours: Open Mon – Fri 3pm-8pm, Sat 12pm-8pm, Sun 12pm-8pm.
Address: 265 Newton Bridge Rd, Athens, GA 30607
Contact: (706) 549-3377 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
2. Creature Comforts Brewing Company
Wondering what the beer Thor was sipping during the Avengers Endgame movie tastes like? Come to Creature Comforts Brewing in Downtown Athens and have a taste yourself. This microbrewery gained fame when its brew was featured in the film.
This brewery offers a welcoming and cozy ambiance with ceiling-to-floor glass windows, wooden bar decors, and wooden tables. With its mission to foster human connection, Creature Comforts Brewing hosts different events such as arts and DIY crafts for local artists in the community.
- Crowd Favorite: Tropicália IPA, 6.6% ABV. A hoppy, soft, and juicy American IPA.
- Highly Recommended: Athena, Sour, 4.5% ABV.
- Hop-py Note: Creature Comforts does not have a kitchen, but they have a food truck and pop-ups by local vendors in their outdoor area.
- Fun Fact: Creature Comforts Brewing receives a preservation award from the Athens Heritage Foundation for preserving the memorabilia of the Show’s Tire Shop.
Hours: Open Mon – Thur 5pm-10pm, Fri 3pm-10pm, Sat 12pm-10pm, Sun 1pm-6pm.
Address: 271 W Hancock Ave, Athens, GA 30601
Contact: (706) 410-1043 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
3. Athentic Brewing
Crafted with love and laughter, Athentic Brewing is situated at the heart of Normaltown Athens, just a stone’s throw from the neighborhood. They offer 24 beers on tap ranging from IPA, Stout, Ale, Wheat beer, and Hard Seltzer.
Athentic Brewing provides a cozy, industrial, and friendly vibe in a warehouse-style building that offers ample indoor and expansive outdoor seating. Athentic Brewing also hosts exciting events like queer Trivia, live music, and other community events to make the experience even more fun.
- Crowd Favorite: Escape Button, American IPA, 6.8% ABV. Your little escape route to a tropical place with its tropical flavors and stone fruit and pine aromas.
- Highly Recommended: Sunshine Wheat Beer, 5.9% ABV.
- Hop-py Note: Athentic Brewing doesn’t serve food, but hungry patrons can chow down on food trucks that are often parked outside. Just check out their website for schedules.
- Fun Fact: Athentic Brewing began as a hobby for a church group and lasted long enough to become a real business.
Hours: Open Sun 1pm–7pm, Mon 5pm–9pm, Tues Closed, Wed 5pm–9pm, Thur 5pm–10pm, Fri 2pm–11pm, Sat 12pm–11pm.
Address: 108 Park Ave, Athens, GA 30601
Contact: (706) 206-2074 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
4. Akademia Brewing Company
If you’re looking for a place to enjoy a beer and eat some delicious food, it’s time to visit Akademia Brewing. They have both a brewery and a full-service restaurant. In addition to making their own ales, they also make cocktails and offer the best selection of wines. It’s a beer-drinking paradise.
Akademia Brewing offers indoor and outdoor seating, private spaces for events, catering and cocktails, and live music. They serve various craft beers, along with delicious food to pair them with. They also host trivia nights, live music, and other events that make your night out worth remembering.
- Crowd Favorite: Hoprodisiac Imperial IPA, 8.2% ABV. A hazy double-hopped IPA with a perfect blend of citrus and melon flavor.
- Highly Recommended: IQ American IPA, 6.6% ABV.
- Hop-py Note: Akademia also offers a full-brewery rental for your private events, including catering, events crew, band, and everything you can ask for!
- Fun Fact: The name Akademia Brewing is inspired by the lively college atmosphere of Athens, where the first educational system in America started–and their beers are similarly educational!
Hours: Open Mon – Fri 11am – 10pm, Sat 10am – 11:30pm, Sun 10am – 10pm.
Address: 150 Crane Dr, Athens, GA 30606
Contact: (678) 726-2288 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
5. Southern Brewing Company
Athens born, Southern made. Southern Brewing Company embraces the city’s vibrant personality and the South’s hospitality—and brews authentic beer using fresh local ingredients. Southern Brewing has something to tickle the fancy of everyone, with 20 conventional and creative craft beers on tap and a wide selection of cocktails.
Southern Brewing also features a family-friendly spacious taproom and huge outdoor porch, which is a perfect spot for live music and private events. In addition to tasty beer, they also have fun games, brewery tours, and a fun-filled beer experience.
- Crowd Favorite: Red and Black Sour, 4.5% ABV. A fruity Sour bursting with raspberries and blackberries flavor!
- Highly Recommended: Hobnail American IPA, 6.5% ABV.
- Hop-py Note: Southern Brewing doesn’t serve food, but customers are always welcome to bring food from nearby establishments or drive-throughs. Plus, brewery tours are free of charge!
- Fun Fact: Southern Brewing Company is a 15-acre brewery and the first custom-built brewery in Georgia, which makes it the largest of its kind in the state.
Hours: Open Tue – Fri 5pm – 10pm, Sat 2pm – 10pm, Sun 2pm – 7pm, Mon Closed.
Address: 231 Collins Ind Blvd, Athens, GA 30601
Contact: (706) 548-7183 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
6. Normaltown Brewing Company
A small but mighty brewery—this is how Normaltown Brewing Company is described by beer lovers. As a new addition to Athens’s rising craft beer scene, Normaltown strives to produce artisan and quality craft beers from crowd favorite Summon the Fog Imperial IPA to its tasty milkshakes. As the sixth microbrewery in Athens, this brewery serves small batches of beer on its six taps. You’ll find a different beer for everyone to enjoy.
Don’t judge Normaltown by its cover — the neighborhood looks like an ordinary warehouse from the outside. Still, inside, it has a clean, well-decorated interior that offers a relaxing and laid-back neighborhood vibe.
- Crowd Favorite: Summon the Fog, IPA, 7.9% ABV. A hoppy double Imperial IPA with notes of resins and fruits.
- Highly Recommended: Tourists Covered In Oil, Imperial IPA, 7.5% ABV.
- Hop-py Note: Normaltown does not serve food, but customers are welcome to bring outside food.
- Fun Fact: Normaltown Brewing is the first microbrewery to open its doors in Normaltown.
Hours: Open Thur 3pm – 9pm, Fri & Sat 1pm– 9pm，Sun 1pm – 5pm，Mon – Wed Closed.
Address: 149 Oneta St #6B2, Athens, GA 30601
Contact: (706) 850-8996 | Facebook | Instagram | Website
