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HAPPY
LOCAL. FRESH BEER CONTINUES COMING
Before prohibition took effect, many cit
ies and towns—even in the South—had their
own small, local breweries. In Georgia, Atlanta
always had at least one, and Savannah,
Augusta, Macon, Columbus, Brunswick and
maybe even Athens had their own local plants
circa 1900.
After repeal in 1933 (Georgia took a while
longer than many states: we instituted legal
control in 1937, although some areas sold 3.2
percent beer beforehand... Athens included),
the only city in Georgia whose pre-prohibition
brewery reopened was Atlanta, where the old
Factory run by the Steiner family morphed into
Atlantic Brewing. Other Atlantic plants existed
in Charlotte and Orlando, with yet more
at various times that opened and
closed rather confusingly.
Atlantic made Atlantic Beer—
"The Beer of the South"—and
Atlantic Ale—"The Ale of
the South"—packaged
in brake-fluid-style
cone-topped cans, in
longneck bottles and
on draught. (These folks
also had another product
named Steinerbrau.) I
know of one remaining
old Atlantic sign that
is nailed up on the wall
of a garage in Dalton,
well under its eaves and
out of the weather. It's
remarkably well-preserved
(or was when I last saw
it), and I hope to get a
photo of it eventually.
But my point is: this
was local beer. It might
not have been the best
obtainable, but it was
fresh and cheap.
Atlantic closed down
in 1954, and its old
Courtland Street plant is
long gone, as are its two
earlier ones on Means Street
and Baker Street. But old-timers still
remember it, with varying fondness. "I only
drank it when I was broke," a friend's grandfa
ther told me. "It wasn't much of a treat, but it
sure went down nice on a blistering hot day."
This octogenarian is now very pleased to have
SweetWater and Red Brick as his locals.
"Son, I never drank that stuff," my aad
told me. "It... ahem... wasn't the best. I think
it had a plethora of corn grit in it and not
much barley."
My stepfather put it more bluntly: "Atlantic
Beer? That was swill" he recalled, a pained
look crossing his face. "But you could find it
in downtown Atlanta for 20 cents a glass when
everything else was a quarter or 30 cents. You
got what you paid for."
Fortunately, things have run full cycle.
There still is second-rate, get-you-drunker-
than-a-skunk stuff out there (and plenty of it,
often in humongous cans), but we are evolv
ing a new local beer network of quality stuff.
I foresaw this evolution coming 35 or so years
ago, but nobody believed me. They began to
in the late 1970s when the first microbrewer
ies came (and went, but they made an impact
on the market!) in locales like Sonoma, CA;
Portland, OR; Albany, NY; Chelsea, MI; and
(believe it or not) Little Rock, AR! (I'll write
more on these pioneer breweries on another
occasion. There is much to tell.)
I lead to something. Not only has a brew
ery (Jailhouse) opened in Hampton, GA,
selling its products mostly in South Metro
Atlanta, but I just caught wind of two new
brewpubs, one in Rome and the other in
Flowery Branch! For those of you who are lost
on the whereabouts of the latter town, it's
off 1-985 between Gainesville and the Mall of
Georgia, in the westernmost reaches of Hall
County.
The Rome brewpub is Paul's Oyster Bar
at 2901 Shorter Ave., west of town a ways
on GA-20 and out by Garden Lakes. It's in
an existing seafood restaurant. Their brew
ery apparently opened on or just after April
first—no foolin'! I have friends from
Rome who will be gladdened to learn
about this oasis. The restaurant has
been open only from Wednesday
through Saturday, but longer
hours are in the offing. Their
website (www. paul-
soysterbar.com) isn't
really up-to-date, but
take a look anyhow.
Flowery Branch's
contribution to Georgia
beer culture is Toasted &
Tapped at 5603 Main St.,
just off Buford Highway
downtown. The place is
open seven days a week
and has a full food menu.
(It doesn't have a web
site but is on Facebook.)
The brewery is a one-
barrel Brew Magic system.
Folks, this is necessary
roadwork. I'll try to get at
least to Flowery Branch
before next column to fill
y'all in.
I hear rumblings of a
new brewery opening in
Georgia, not in Atlanta,
but the rumor mill hasn't
ground enough for me
to be able to say more. And
Dahlonega Brewing Co., which is cur
rently in Caruso's Italian Restaurant, is soon
to obtain its own premises so it can expand.
Brewer Bob Carlton (we're very distantly
related) is hunting a new space as I write,
so I gotta get up there before they close to
move and review the place in its current digs.
At least there I can take a room in The Smith
House down the street, and barring overzeal-
ous law enforcement, will be able to walk
to my sleeping quarters—a none-too-often
found blessing in brewpubbing. (A brewpub
in Hickory, NC is next door to a mom-and-pop
motel which offers a copious discount to brew-
pub-referred customers: an ideal situation.
And in Aiken, SC, an old hotel is right up on
the next corner from Aiken Brewing Co.)
I've heard good things about Mother Earth
Brewing in Kinston, NC. Their brews (eight of
which are mentioned on their website) aren't
sold in Georgia, but you can traipse up to
Franklin or Highlands or Gastonia or Faison
to find them. I'll let you investigate this for
yourselves: www.motherearthbrewing.com will
do the trick.
And I've said what I wanted to say in a
thousand words or so. More Beer Notes when
they sound (LA!). And thanks for /all's input.
(30.)
William Often Carlton = ORT.
8 FLAGPOLE.COM -MAY 11,2011
