Atlanta’s Monday Night Brewing is about to grow. We aren’t talking about distribution either. The brewery is adding a nearly $2 million dollar sour and wild ale facility on a massive urban redevelopment project known as the BeltLine. Honestly, it took the brewery’s fans a bit by surprise.
Monday Night co-founder Jonathan Baker tells Beer Street Journal that it was an idea that pretty much happened all at once. It’s no secret that sour and wild ales are on fire in the states (it’s about time). The downside for a brewer wanting to brew more of the style is the danger wild beer poses to your clean brewhouse. Plus, you need a lot of extra space for barrels to sit for months and years. Throw in the desire to spontaneously ferment, and you’ve solidified the need for a new facility.
We took a trip out to see where Monday Night is building the largest sour facility in the state. The location lies just four miles from downtown Atlanta right off of I-20, where the new sections of the Beltline are currently being constructed. Baker mentions the hunt for a sour facility yielded the warehouse space faster than they expected. When Monday Night found this place, it was hard to say no.
Below is a gallery of the space, pre-construction. Baker mentions dinosaur murals on the walls, big patio space, and a spot for a small orchard that will farm the wild yeast they need to do spontaneous fermentation in the brewery’s future coolship. The space is directly on the [future] Beltine, and will house a new brewhouse, indoor and outdoor tasting rooms, private event space, foudres, puncheons, and an expanded barrel aging.
Due to the time it takes to make quality sour/wild ales, expect a strong battery of kettle soured beers when the facility comes online. There will be a few “clean” beers on tap to cover all tastes.
Apart from being excited for the big expansion to the beer scene in Atlanta, Georgians have to take some action of their own in the meantime. The state’s laws surrounding breweries and beer sales are extremely restrictive. It’s time to fight for your ability to buy a pint at a brewery in Georgia. Reach out to the Georgia Craft Brewer’s Guild for more information on ways to change these restrictive laws.
The yet to be named facility (Baker is pushing for “The Crunkatorium”) should be pouring beers by summer, 2017.
