ATLANTA, Feb. 6, 2018 – Georgia Tourism, a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, announced today that 15 new breweries, distilleries and vineyards are either opening or expanding across the state in 2018.
In recent years, Georgia has become a hotbed of success for new wineries, craft breweries and distilleries. Wherever you go in Georgia, someone is sure to recommend the best locally made spirits in town. This year, Georgia will welcome even more options for visitors. From the mountains to the coast, 15 breweries, distilleries and vineyards are either opening or expanding in the Peach State.
Located in an old cotton gin, Braselton Brewing Company will serve 8-12 of its own brews on tap at any point in time, with 4-6 mainstays that will always be available. The brewery is set to open in August 2018. braseltonbrewing.com
The very popular Georgia distillery Richland Rum will open its second location in the coastal town of Brunswick. Set to open in February, the new location will feature rum tours, tastings and retail sales on premises. richlandrum.com
A new fully functioning 12,000-square-foot distillery producing silver and amber rum will open in Savannah in March. Savannah Spirits will produce high-end liquor in a historical three-story building that will also house a separate chophouse. The restaurant will feature fine steaks and seafood, a full downstairs bar, event venue spaces and a variety of dining rooms restored from antiquity. savannahspiritsblog.com
Athens-based Creature Comforts Brewery is opening a second location in the historic Southern Mill complex in Athens. Originally built in 1900, the historic mill is being redeveloped into a mixed-use development. The second location will allow Creature Comforts to increase production of favorite brews like Tropicália and Athena. creaturecomfortsbeer.com
Brunswick will welcome a new brew house, biergarten, outdoor seating and event space in historic downtown Brunswick. Silver Bluff Brewing Company’s main tasting area will feature a bar, seating area and purpose-built tap room. Scheduled to open in July 2018.
Etowah Meadery is now open in Dahlonega. Its honey is mostly supplied by Georgia Honey Farm, which has about 2,000 hives around the state and a warehouse in Tiger. The wine is made onsite with tastings and tours available.
Dalton Brewing Company took a building that was abandoned in 2010 after a fire and brought new life to the space. The new brewery will feature a warm inviting atmosphere with large windows, exposed brick and a comfortable taproom for enjoying a beer and the company of friends. The taproom is family and pet-friendly. Be there for the grand opening on Feb. 24 and Feb. 25. daltonbrewing.com
Discover Dalton Distillery’s new brand TazaRay made from malted sunflower seeds. It is the world’s only sunflower spirit, and is naturally gluten free! daltondistillery.com
After extensively researching the land of Blue Ridge, Georgia, the owners of Bear Claw Vineyards discovered that their home was the prime location to grow grapes. At 1,832 feet above sea level, with a cool mountain breeze, and rich and unique soils, the land was the perfect place to produce the highest quality wine. bearclawvineyards.com
Located in Bremen, Trillium Vineyard planted its first grapes in 2013 and is now ready to welcome visitors. Here you’ll find a relaxing but elegant setting for sampling their internationally awarded wines. The event calendar is full of live music, food trucks and special dinners. trilliumvineyard.com
Located in the North Georgia Mountains, Big Door Vineyards should be your next destination for wine tastings. This new Georgia winery offers a warm and intimate environment for wine lovers to share a glass of wine and listen to acoustic music with family and friends. bigdoorvineyards.com
Reformation Brewery is opening its second facility in the heart of Downtown Woodstock in spring 2018. Housing a second brew system dedicated to small batch experimental brews, the new space will serve as a research and development facility as well as a gathering place for community. reformationbrewery.com
Akademia Brewing Company is Athens' newest full-service brewpub, dedicated to the pursuit of higher education and high-gravity brews. Open for lunch and dinner, Akademia aims to become an Athens West destination. Its beers are named for a combination of collegiate themes and Greek mythology, and provide Athenians with styles they know and love, as well as beers that they may not be as familiar with. AkademiaBC.com
For GRAMMY award-winning musician Zac Brown, Z. Brown Distillery is a return to his hometown of Dahlonega. Tucked in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Z. Brown Distillery was founded upon a deep-rooted respect for the long-standing, pre-Prohibition traditions of making spirits in North Georgia and Appalachia. Z. Brown Distillery combines history, tradition and culture to create a truly American-made whiskey. zbrowndistillery.com
Georgia’s only farmhouse brewery just opened in Albany. Pretoria Fields is located in a beautiful historic building downtown and is set to serve its high-quality craft beer. The foundation for Pretoria Fields is to produce slow beer with ingredients sown in the Georgia soil. pretoriafields.com
To experience more of Georgia’s bottled goodness, visit ExploreGeoriga.org. Share your favorite brew or spirit with us via @ExploreGeorgia on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About GDEcD
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state’s sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a destination for arts events and location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. www.georgia.org
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