Drink Local Georgia Blog

Sharing Our Love for Local Beer

Hi. I’m Justin McDonald, founder of Drink Local Georgia and Drink Local Florida. I've lived my life in both of these states and love craft beer from each.

I created this community and source of information because I love craft beer and I love the Peach State. Bringing the two together to support the growth of the industry, as well as tourism and commerce in the state of Georgia is the primary goal. I’ve toured and attended several breweries, wineries and distilleries in the state. My family and I often like to vacation throughout the state, to see family, the mountains, as well as local wineries and craft breweries. Here's where this inspiration and lifestyle came from:

In 2009 I took a trip through Europe with many stops in Germany. I loved how each location I visited brewed one to several varieties of beer right in town, it was typically 1 Euro per liter, cheaper than beers sold in the United States. In each town I would get the local German bier, and in one stop, Köln (or Cologne), it was the first time I had a fresh, locally fermented Kölsch. This completely changed my perspective and preconceived notion that beer needed to be dark, amber or hoppy to be considered a “good beer.” Früh was the first Kölsch I tried. Here's a picture I took on my visit to the Cölner Hofbräu Früh bierhaus in Köln, Germany:

After learning in Köln that Kölsch style beer didn’t export well, that it needed to be enjoyed locally and soon after brewing, I thought about whether this beer, that was so fitting for the summer in Georgia, would be available back home. Georgia had some craft breweries at the time, but it wasn’t a hyper-local, brewery-per-town culture like I enjoyed for those 10 days in Germany.

There are of course historical and cultural differences that facilitated the variety of breweries in Germany. While I didn’t expect this in the U.S., I was more than a little jealous. But luckily the craft brew industry in Georgia, and nationwide, has enjoyed incredible growth. Craft breweries and brewpubs continue to pop up all over the state.

Now there are several places where you can find a Georgia-brewed Kölsch, as well as some amazing Georgia IPAs, lagers and other styles of beer. Georgia’s beer culture is vastly different than Germany’s, but our beer culture, brewers, variety and selection has grown leaps and bounds since that trip several years ago. The craft beer revolution is a truly great thing, both for our state’s economy and our state residents.

This craft beer revolution, along with an interest in distilleries and wineries that stay true to Georgia’s history and use of our state’s natural resources, is what inspired the creation of Drink Local Georgia℠.
 
That’s what Drink Local Georgia is all about, so Join us and Share Love for Local Beer.

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