Visiting craft beer breweries while travelling is what makes life (and this blog) so special. Atlanta, Georgia was a multi-day stop at one of my road trips due to the Prog Power Festival. Perfect time to check out the craft beer scene in Atlanta. And this is what we found: Orpheus Brewing.
It all starts with a great name: Orpheus, a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in Greek myth. He had the ability to charm everyone and everything with his music, from living things to stones.
On a warm Indian Summer (autumn) day in September, we dropped by Orpheus Brewing in Atlanta, Georgia. Orpheus was the one that stood out when we started to check out the craft beer scene in Atlanta.
Later that day (evening) it was time to rock at the Prog Power Festival so a brewery was the perfect way to kill some time… And to treat our taste buds to some hoppiness, funkiness and all flavours we would come across at Orpheus.
All the important info about this craft beer brewery in Atlanta
- Name: Orpheus Brewing
- Address: 1440 Dutch Valley Pl NE, Atlanta, GA 30324, United States
- Closest airport(s): Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport – ATL See all flight deals to this airport so you spent less on the flight to Atlanta and have more money to spend at the Orpheus brewery & taproom. Or hire a car in Atlanta – see all rental car deals – and go for a cheap road trip.
- Beer menu (in their words): “From sours to IPA’s, to massive barrel-aged stouts, we’re always attempting to catch fleeting dreams just out of reach.”
- More info: official website of Orpheus Brewing
- Accommodation nearby: go for a craft beer tasting at this brewery and enjoy the city. Check out accommodation deals in Atlanta, GA. Stay for a few days.
- More reasons to go there: a great selection of beers, tasty sours and amazing barrel-aged stout or barley-wine.
First impression of Orpheus Brewing
Orpheus Brewing in Atlanta is easy to reach by car and by Atlanta Beer Bus. This craft beer brewery in Atlanta has that perfect industrial feel. It’s dark yet cosy with heaps of seating indoors and outdoors. The music style played over the speakers is rock, a great combo: tasty beers and great music.
Craft beer tasting at Orpheus Brewing
We started with a tasting flight from what was on tap at the bar. To be honest, I wasn’t impressed straight away by the on-tap menu. I was looking forward to tasting some bourbon or whisky barrel-aged brews, but there were none on the menu. So this is the selection I went for:
- Never Light On This Earth – sour
- Sykophantes – sour
- Over & Over – sour
- Immortality of Nothingness (Cherry Rye Minotaur) – sour
A great selection of sours, which I rated between 3.25 and 4.50 on Untappd. Not a bad start. A great score. Definitely no disappointment. But then it happened. We were sitting outside to enjoy the sun and these tasty sours. We went inside for one more look at the brewing kettles and maybe order one more for the road.
Then I realised there was another bar in the corner. A smaller bar with only one or two taps. Coming closer I realised that this is where they poured their bourbon barrel-aged brews.
Ye Who Enter Here
As soon as I ordered Ye Who Enter Here (bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout with coffee, chillies, and vanilla beans), a sweet, boozy, vanilla smell filled the room. That is how my partner in travelling crime – who doesn’t like strong beers – and who was standing several meters away, described it.
Ye Who Enter Here was the highest rating I’d given so far on Untappd (4.75) as it was so freaking close to perfection. It also meant I had to downgrade a few previous BBA brews from other brewers as they fell short compared to this amazing brew by Orpheus.
Follow me on Untappd for more info about my ratings at Orpheus or other craft beer breweries in the USA and around the world.
High score: 8.5 out of 10
This craft beer brewery in Atlanta ranks high on my list of all-time favourite breweries worldwide. I definitely want to go back soon to taste more of the amazing brews they have created since my last visit.
The vibe, the music, the friendly staff and of course the amazing beers, from great sours to amazing barrel-aged brews, have made Orpheus one of my all-time favourite craft beer breweries in the USA.
Dreams of a Distant Past
All that remains now, are the memories of visiting this amazing craft beer brewery in Atlanta, GA. But luckily the Orpheus people are super-nice and they were willing to ship a nice selection of their selection to New Zealand. Their brews are so worth the shipping costs from the USA to New Zealand. So now, I can still enjoy – every once in a while – super-tasty brews like Dreams of a Distant Past (also 4.75 out of 5).
Want to know more about the other American craft beer breweries I've visited on my road trips? Check out my other brewery articles and craft beer experiences.
