Atlanta Georgia is roughly 100 miles south of Chattanooga, and the drive through north Georgia is really quite nice. Until you hit Atlanta. Then all hell is liable to break loose! We’ve been known to avoid driving through Atlanta while pulling the camper, and my initial reaction to driving through is always – is there any other way to go? So… let’s say it’s not my favorite place to drive through. But, it is a great spot for craft beer, and has some really fantastic breweries! Recently, Jen had to be there for work, so I tagged along on the last day to visit a few new breweries. And I came away very impressed with what the Atlanta brewery scene has to offer these days!

On Saturday night, we were staying at an Air-BnB in the Hapeville area, and Jen had finished a long day at the “market,” so we decided to stay close to home. We chose Elsewhere Brewing as our destination, and set out after dinner. It is located on the south end of Grant Park, and offers pretty good parking – a major plus on a Saturday night in Atlanta! They have a nice outdoor patio area that is dog-friendly! On this particular occasion (rare) we did not have the dogs with us. Once inside, you know right away that this is a “fancy” brewery! Nothing wrong with that, but this isn’t very typical of the craft beer scene.

We ordered a few IPAs and took in the scenery. We got there a tad late, and the band was packing up their equipment but it felt like we’d probably just missed out on a pretty good show. The beers were excellent, and we noted the really nice beer taps that you don’t see everyday. I think they’re a European version but I’m not sure. I’ll have to look into that soon. We did manage to get a few pics, but it was late and we called it a night after 2 beers.

The next day, Jen had to man her booth at the market, and I decided to venture to a spot where 3+ breweries showed up on the map. While doing a little research, I found out that Wild Heaven West had a fried mushroom sandwich on the menu, so that settled that for me! I pulled in the parking lot of what looked like an old industrial site, and was a bit taken back at the sheer size of the place. Not only was Wild Heaven’s West location here, but the grounds also boast Monday Night’s Garage location, as well as a bottle shop with a bar upstairs, called Boxcar, serving up wine and mixed drinks! 2 Breweries and a full service bar in one location! The bartender made me aware that I could have my beer poured into a plastic cup, and there were permits in place to allow customers to move from place to place with beverage in hand! Great spot for meeting up with everyone – not just the beer folks – to gather in one place!

I ordered a beer and that fried mushroom sandwich, and enjoyed the sounds of the jazz trio that had just started playing as I walked in the door. The sandwich came quickly and did not disappoint! It was delicious! I might be willing to drive back down there just for the food!

Wild Heaven had plenty of space, and has been making good use of it! There is a concert venue in the back called the Garden Room, which on this particular Sunday morning was being used for a Yoga class. It also has a private room for hosting events, as well as a very large outdoor patio area complete with firepits and lots of bike parking. The whole place happens to be connected to the West Belt Line walking/biking trail.

After 2 beers and lunch, I walked around the complex and stopped in at Monday Night’s Garage! Also very impressive! I have been to their other location and love thier beer, but needed to get moving toward the market, so I did not have a beer on this occasion. I can say that the space was very fun and from what I could tell, they offered up delicious pizza cooked in a huge pizza oven – one of those rounded-top 900 degrees units!

Well, I arrived in Atlanta Saturday afternoon, and arrived back in Chattanooga on Sunday afternoon, but the beer and the food in Atlanta made the 2 hour drive each way well worth it! We will be back! Soon!