{"id":10938,"date":"2017-08-31T10:00:18","date_gmt":"2017-08-31T14:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplybuckhead.com\/?p=10938"},"modified":"2017-09-01T09:20:04","modified_gmt":"2017-09-01T13:20:04","slug":"ale-sharptons-draft-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplybuckhead.com\/ale-sharptons-draft-picks\/","title":{"rendered":"ALE SHARPTON\u2019S DRAFT PICKS"},"content":{"rendered":"
Atlanta\u2019s beer expert shares his favorite spots to indulge in craft brews.<\/p>\n As a beer journalist and dedicated authority on what I consider the world\u2019s most interesting beverage, I spend grueling hours unselfishly unearthing the best places for fellow advocates to imbibe. Okay, I am being a bit facetious here, but it really does take some work to ferret out the venues that not only serve the best craft beer available, but also the lip-smackin\u2019 fare and wondrous experience to accompany them.<\/p>\n Since 2004, when House Bill 645 boosted Georgia\u2019s legal alcohol limit of beer from 6 to 14 percent by volume, Atlanta has become a booming epicenter for the production of a plethora of lagers and ales. Here are my top five picks in Buckhead, Brookhaven and Sandy Springs for the ultimate pub crawl.<\/p>\n FAD\u00d3 IRISH PUB<\/strong><\/p>\n Fad\u00f3 Irish Pub THERE BAR<\/strong><\/p>\n Bill Brown, the proprietor of this cozy, neighborly pub nestled in the Town Brookhaven shopping center, makes it a point to keep the center\u2019s residents and the rest of Atlanta refreshed and well fed. His menu boasts everything from housemade sausages and fresh-caught seafood to non-GMO vegetables and a burger blended from three cuts of beef. The food is equaled by There\u2019s impressive beer list; Brown makes it a point to patronize the small, local breweries who are \u201cindependents like us,\u201d he says. \u201cWe often partner with several independent Georgia breweries, such as Abbey of the Holy Goats, Arches, Creature Comforts, Left Nut, Jekyll, Omaha, Pontoon, Monday Night, Red Brick, Three Taverns, Reformation, Red Hare, Oconee and Wild Heaven, just to name a few, to help our businesses grow. I know when I order their products, I am helping their business and making a difference.\u201d This relationship translates to beer lovers having access to the newest releases, along with a tasty meal and conversation with a personable staff that reflects the generous personality of the owner. And who wouldn\u2019t want to go There? Side note: This is the one spot with a name that may make you sound like a smart aleck when you\u2019re asked where you\u2019re headed, so be prepared to explain what you mean.<\/p>\n There Bar THE GEORGIA CHAPTER ROOM<\/strong><\/p>\n The Georgia Chapter Room HOLEMAN AND FINCH<\/strong><\/p>\n Renowned for its mouthwatering hamburgers, Holeman and Finch deserves a lot more recognition for what else it delivers. Although you can also enjoy their juicy double stacks at the sister location in Ponce City Market, the original Buckhead location is where you experience this hip gastropub\u2019s true essence: a lively atmosphere embellished with industrial-chic decor, inventive craft cocktails, a delectable food menu using only the finest ingredients and a selective craft beer menu showcasing the best Atlanta, the U.S. and importers from around the world have to offer. There are only six taps, but each is thoughtfully curated with a rotation pouring everything from beloved locals (Wild Heaven, Scofflaw, Creature Comforts) to California\u2019s Ballast Point. The bar boasts an extensive bottle menu as well, so ultimately, Holeman and Finch is a no-brainer for a memorable sipping experience.<\/p>\n Holeman and Finch<\/a>
<\/a>
<\/a>Save yourself a four-digit plane ticket overseas and just hit up Fad\u00f3 Irish Pub. Dedicated to bringing Atlanta a true bar experience straight from their homeland, a group of business partners from Ireland shipped the pub\u2019s fixtures direct from the Emerald Isle to Buckhead back in 1996. This was unprecedented, and Atlantans flocked to the original location on the corner of Peachtree Road and Buckhead Avenue to get a taste of Irish culture. In 2008, Fad\u00f3 relocated to a three-story venue a few blocks away (complete with the imported interiors), and it continues to maintain its rep as a place to enjoy award-winning fish and chips, warm up by its \u201cGrand House\u201d fireplace and take in Atlanta\u2019s bustling city life from the rooftop patio. And there\u2019s more than creamy Guinness Stouts being poured from the taps. Fad\u00f3 takes pride in showing love to craft breweries both local and throughout the country by providing numerous taps exclusively for them. Add its pampering of die-hard soccer fans, who get to see live games being played in Europe via satellite, and virtually every facet of \u201ckicking it\u201d is covered here.<\/p>\n
\n273 Buckhead Avenue
\nAtlanta 30305
\n404.841.0066
\nfadoirishpub.com\/atlanta<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>
\n305 Brookhaven Avenue
\nAtlanta 30319
\n404.949.9677
\ntherebrookhaven.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>If the name \u201cChapter Room\u201d doesn\u2019t express exclusivity at first mention, pressing the red doorbell to enter this sublevel hangout will. (Look for the bell by the door with the monkey on it near the loading dock.) Its leather seating, carpeted floors, paneled walls and intimate lighting make for the ultimate speakeasy. An extension of the Taco Mac franchise, and located downstairs beneath the Taco Mac in The Prado shopping center, the GA Chapter Room honors ATL\u2019s elite craft beer advocates with some of the hardest-to-find beers from around the world. Be it aromatic IPAs or the latest imperial stouts, there is a great chance this spot will have it on one of the 20 taps or in one of the 65 bottled variations. There\u2019s even a Brewniversity loyalty program in which frequent imbibers earn various \u201cdegrees.\u201d Beverage Director Adam Anacker and his staff go out of their way to provide events that support the craft beer industry, including the annual Secret Stash Bash and various food-and-beer-pairing dinners. To go along with the revolving taps of ales and lagers that beer geeks are constantly on the hunt for, the GA Chapter Room boasts a menu with daily specials, four highdef TVs showing the games (usually on mute to encourage conversation) and a personable staff at your service. We\u2019ll toast to that.<\/p>\n
\n5600 Roswell Road
\nSandy Springs 30342
\n404.941.1503
\ngachapterroom.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>
\n2277 Peachtree Road
\nAtlanta 30309
\n404.948.1175
\nholeman-finch.com<\/a><\/p>\n