Breweries

Round Trip Fourth Orbit celebrates 4 years

Round Trip Fourth Orbit, a baltic porter with coffee, debuts on February 15th.

Atlanta-based Round Trip Brewing will debut their fourth-anniversary beer, Fourth Orbit (around the sun), at its anniversary party on February 15th.

The 9% alcohol-by-volume porter is infused Continue Reading →

Best End Brewing closes New Year’s Day

Best End Brewing, located on Atlanta’s West End, announced the brewery’s closure to start 2025.

Best End Brewing announced on Instagram that it will close on January 1, 2025. The brewpub opened in August 2019.

Per Instagram:

It has been Continue Reading →

Posted in Brewery Closures, Don't Miss This, Red Hare Brewing

Red Hare Brewing silently closes last location

Marietta, Georgia-based Red Hare Brewing seems to have quietly closed their last remaining sometime after the start of 2025.

Red Hare Brewing was founded in 2011 on Delk Road in Marietta, Georgia. In 2018, it opened a second location in Shallotte, North Carolina. In 2020, Red Hare announced they would take over the Hemingway’s Bar and Grill building on Marietta Square in the downtown area over the coming months.

The North Carolina facility shuttered in 2022 after four years.

Just about a year ago, in March 2024, founder Bobby Thomas announced the brewery would close the original Delk Road location due to costs and inflation and move production to a smaller location in the future.

The Marietta Square location remained open through at least New Year’s Eve going into 2025.

It seems that the Marietta Square location has also closed without any announcement. Google has marked this location permanently closed. Social media and Reddit discussions mention that the location hasn’t opened in weeks now, and the brewery website has been taken down.

Emails to the owner return as undeliverable.

Since the Delk Road closure, no official announcement has been made about a permanent closure or a new production facility.

Currently, Red Hare Brewing has no open facilities.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Mad River Brewing, New Releases

Mad River Steelhead Pale launches in 12 packs

Mad River Steelhead Extra Pale Ale – first launched in 1989, ships in new packaging this month.

Mad River Steelhead Extra Pale Ale has been around for 35 years, a craft brewing milestone. The brewery announced this week the beer will soon be available in 12-packs for the first time.

While our brand has evolved, Steelhead remains a quintessential part with a huge platform. This new package exemplifies our dedication to quality while expanding our reach, spotlighting tribal self-determination and resilience with a product people have loved for decades,” says CEO Linda Cooley.

Nearly a year ago, Mad River Brewery was acquired by the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians.

Mad River is also upgrading brewery equipment, including the canning line that currently runs around 35 cans per minute. The brewery hopes to triple that capacity by the end of 2025.

Mad River Steelhead Extra Pale Ale is available in 12/6-packs, and 12oz bottle 12-packs, in addition to the new 12oz, 12 pack offerings.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, Founders Brewing

Founders to debut “Devil Spiked” RTD line in March

Founders Brewing has announced they will launch a new line of Ready to Drink hard beverages called Devil Spiked in March 2025.

Founders Devil Spiked, a series of RTD hard drinks in various flavors, is coming in March. According to a 2024 study by International Wine and Spirits Record, the RTD category is up 2% across the largest global markets, including Canada, the US, Mexico, and Brazil.

Devil Spiked launches with four flavors:

Devil Spiked Hard Ginger Beer with Lime – 10%, blend of spicy ginger and fresh lime. 6-packs, March.

Devil Spiked Hard Lemonade—10% ABV. A blend of sweetness and tart lemon. Six packs, 19.2oz Cans, Draft.

Devil Spiked Fruit Punch (Variety Pack Exclusive)—10% ABV. It is a sweet blend of strawberry, pineapple, and orange, plus cherry tartness. Available in the Variety Pack only.

Devil Spiked Blood Orange Soda (Variety Pack Exclusive) – 10% ABV. “Huge dose of vibrant, tangy blood orange. Balanced with a touch of sweetness and a slightly sour finish.” Variety Pack only.

Founders Devil Spiked RTD line ships to all of Founders Brewing’s markets starting March 2025.

Style: Hard Beverage
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Varied.
Debut: March, 2025

10% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Round Trip Brewing

Round Trip Fourth Orbit celebrates 4 years

Round Trip Fourth Orbit, a baltic porter with coffee, debuts on February 15th.

Atlanta-based Round Trip Brewing will debut their fourth-anniversary beer, Fourth Orbit (around the sun), at its anniversary party on February 15th.

The 9% alcohol-by-volume porter is infused with coffee from BRASH Coffee Roasters, which is also based in Atlanta.

Behold this dark, obsidian brew, an echo of the night sky, crafted to celebrate four years of brewing artistry. The symphony of roasted malts performs in concert with a coffee nebula, a taste that balances initial sweetness with robust bitterness, a summation of the ruby quasars within. Fourth Orbit, a Baltic Porter, infused with coffee from BRASH, is an achievement that reflects the complexity of the universe. Within this beer, as within the cosmos, there is always more to discover.

Round Trip Forth Orbit Baltic Porter will be available in 16-ounce cans and draft at the brewery.

Style: Baltic Porter (w/ Coffee)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: 2/15/25

9% ABV

Below is a look at Round Trip with founders Craig and Amy Mycoskie shortly after their grand opening in 2021. Pictures: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, SweetWater Brewing

SweetWater launches “Dive Beer” 4% Lager

SweetWater Dive Beer, a 4% alcohol-by-volume lager, has hit shelves to kick off 2025.

Nothing is better than hitting a seat at the local dive bar—with its weird smells and sticky floors—and grabbing a cheap beer. Your expectations are already low, so the situation always over-delivers. SweetWater Brewing Company wants a piece of this action too, with new Dive Beer.

SweetWater Dive Beer follows the emerging trend of the simple, cheap, no-frills lagers hitting shelves. It’s just 4% ABV, making it easy to “Dive into long nights and short tabs,” according to the brewery.

Dive Beer has already made its mark in blind taste tests, outpacing top competitors in drinkability, refreshment, and overall preference. Its affordable price point ensures that premium taste is within reach for everyone, from craft beer enthusiasts to casual drinkers alike.

SweetWater will feature Dive Beer at their upcoming 28th Anniversary Party on February 22nd.

Look for Dive Beer in 12/16/19.2-ounce cans year-round.

Style: Lager
Hops: Crystal, Hallertau
Malts: Pilsner

Availability: 12/16/19.2oz Cans
Debut: Late-Jan 2025

4% ABV

Image: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Best End Brewing, Brewery Closures

Best End Brewing closes New Year’s Day

Best End Brewing, located on Atlanta’s West End, announced the brewery’s closure to start 2025.

Best End Brewing announced on Instagram that it will close on January 1, 2025. The brewpub opened in August 2019.

Per Instagram:

It has been an honor to serve you since Best End Brewing Company opened in August 2019.
We’re proud to have weathered the pandemic and lasted beyond the odds, but we will officially close on January 1, 2025.
We’ll remain open through the end of 2024, and we’d love for you to join us for our final Mingle & Jingle, enjoy our house-brewed beers, and make a few more memories.
A heartfelt thank you to our amazing staff and to everyone who supported us-come raise a glass to the good times!

Best End Brewing, December 2024.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Brewery Closures, Torched Hop Brewing

Torched Hop Brewing closes on New Year’s Eve

Torched Hop Brewing will close on December 31st after 8 years in business.

Torched Hop Brewing opened in the building that was once the Old Spaghetti Factory in downtown Atlanta almost nine years ago. It will close on New Year’s Eve 2024.

Chris and Steven Bivens started Torched Hop in 2016. On Tuesday morning, they took to Instagram to announce the news.

“We are forever grateful to the team members who have put so much effort into making Torched Hop a special place. We are also thankful for the many regulars, friends, and family members who have supported us on this journey. It’s not the fairy tale ending we had hoped for. But we have created memories that will last a lifetime,” the owners wrote.

No reason was given for the brewery’s closure.

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Torched Hop Brewing Co. (@torchedhopbrewing)

by Reid Ramsay