Beer

The Midway is quintessential East Atlanta: a converted car repair shop that retains its industrial edge, crowded by tattooed regulars who spill from the brick interior onto a tempting patio when the building’s garage doors are open.

Oi, Anglophiles! An English-style brewpub specializing in cask-conditioned ale—also known as “real ale”—just opened in March in Griffin, a forty-minute drive south of Downtown.

Marietta scores the metro area’s most spirited Celtic pub, a smoky, gritty hideout that serves righteous plates of bangers and mash along with fifty beers on tap and 125 more by the bottle.

The Athens original opened in late 2010 and pioneered growler availability in Georgia.

These two 5 Seasons locations have a different brewmaster: co-owner Crawford Moran, who previously ran Atlanta’s defunct Dogwood Brewing Co. He runs with his adventurous streak, successfully experimenting with beers aged in wine and whiskey barrels and regularly offering gluten-free pale ale.

This small store dedicates its meticulously stocked and organized shelves solely to craft beer. The ardent staff members talk with aficionados or newbies without being condescending or overly agog.

The Little Five Points digs may be funky, but husband-and-wife owners Nick Rutherford and Molly Gunn preside over a refined, comprehensive beer program of 500 brews.

The Decatur Square treasure opened in 1997 and built a loyal following, but when Georgia’s alcohol-limit laws changed for beer in 2004 (the owners were vocal advocates), it expanded and became a beacon for the obsessed: Beer Advocate magazine currently ranks Brick Store as the second-best beer bar in the world.

In 2006, after ten years in business, this family-friendly pub and pool hall added a microbrewery to its operations.