Founded in 1993 under the name The Atlanta Brewing Company, Red Brick Brewery, as it’s known today, is Georgia’s oldest operational craft brewery. With original roots in a small red brick building, they moved to their current location in 2006 where their tradition of providing quality craft beer continues. Your favorite Beer of the Month Club gladly welcomes them to our extended family!
The history of this craft brewing facility is well documented in the book “Atlanta Beer,” and paints an unusual portrayal of how Greg Kelly, a former Guinness executive, breathed new life and brewing usefulness into abandoned treasures he found. An active re-purposer, he brought pine-sided vats and cold tanks from England which he used to produce the old, traditional styles of beer. The large red malt mill was found abandoned in a meadow in England. He shipped it here, had it refurbished, and it is still used to ready the grain for brewing.
Atlanta Brewing produce 4000 barrels of various beer in their first full year of production, that being 1994. Through various collaboration projects, they experimented with such challenges as importing a pasteurized Belgian beer (Malone’s) from Belgium via ship, carbonating, bottling and selling it here.
Both the successes and stumbles allowed the brewery to evolve into the Red Brick Brewing Company in 2010, encompassing many series names. Bob Budd took the helm in 2006. (The name originated from a speech given by Atlanta’s mayor after General Sherman torched the town during the Civil War. The mayor promised his city “would arise from the ashes . . . one red brick at a time.”
Hoplanta IPA, “hoppier than a frog in a buggy summer,” is Red Brick’s flagship American India Pale Ale. Winning the Gold at the 2011 U.S. Open Beer Championship, it’s notable for its citrus aromas with hints of native pine, balanced by a distinctive Vienna malt backbone. Made with 4 hop varieties.
Laughing Skull Amber Ale is full-bodied, smooth flavored and easy drinking. It pours a brilliant amber color. Willamette hops provide an earthy and mild bitterness, balancing the bready malt character. This great session beer, refreshing, crisp, clean and dry at the finish, also won Gold at the 2011 U.S.O.B.C!
Featured Beer from Red Brick Brewery: Hoplanta IPA & Laughing Skull Amber Ale www.redbrickbrewing.com
INDIA PALE ALE — Red Brick Brewery’s Hoplanta IPA: An American-style IPA, the flavor is fresh citrus. According to GABF guidelines, this top fermented style should be “estery and fruity, with medium maltiness.” Serve in the backyard or on the porch with BBQ’d meats, a huge salad with sharp dressing, or strong cheeses.
AMBER ALE — Red Brick Brewery’s Laughing Skull American Amber Ale is an amber-colored,top-fermented ale with perfect balance between earthy, mild bitterness and malt. This Amber can be paired with the best cuts of pork, bacon or ham, but is equally at home with Tuesday night fare of burgers and barbecue dishes!
