Summer 2012 Beer Festivals in Atlanta

Spring is flying by pretty quickly, and our friends at local breweries around the South are already getting us worked up about summer beer festivals in Atlanta.  As you have most likely caught on, we at The Trot Line love our food and drink.  Over the past few years, we have been able to witness a surge of craft breweries popping up all over the South.  Not only have we seen breweries sprout out of the ground, Atlanta, among a few other cities in the South, has become a hub of awesome beer festivals.  Thanks to the popular demand for cooling ATLiens off from our hot weather, we have brought to you a list of beer festivals in Atlanta this summer.

Summer Beer Festivals

• Hogs & Hops – SweetWater Brewery – May 12, 2012:  Prepare your pallet for BBQ and beer.  Two things that go amazingly well together.  Recently, the SweetWater Brewery has been putting on a few beer fests of their own, nobly answering the call for hops from the South.  $40 includes all of your beer and BBQ samples.  For an extra way to cool off this May, the King of Pops will be there as well (extra cost) with artisan pops.
• Dunwoody Beer Festival – Perimeter Mall – May 12, 2012:  The Dunwoody Beer Festival has a mission: to raise money for Camp Twin Lakes.  For $40, you can help, while enjoying an enormous selection of beers, cocktails, and live music.  The festival is put on by The Dunwoody Restaurant Group, which includes a few of our favorite pubs outside the perimeter (OTP).  This is a great festival driven by a great cause.
• East Atlanta Beer Fest – Brownwood Park – May 19, 2012:  Live music, a way to help the community, great food, and over 150 craft beers; what more could you ask for?  The East Atlanta Beer Fest is located in beautiful Brownwood Park, offering you plenty of shade and spots for hanging out.  General admission is $40 and includes a souvenir pint glass, and the sampling of all 150+ craft beers.  All profits from the East Atlanta Beer Festival are donated to local organizations such as Burgess Peterson Academy, East Atlanta Kids Club, and the East Atlanta Community Association.
• Brookhaven Beer Fest – Brookhaven – June 9, 2012:  Located in the affluent and historic neighborhood of Brookhaven, visitors to the beer festival have access to over 150 beers, and live music.  Go ahead and buy tickets in advance for $35.  Like the other beer festivals, this one sells out fast.  However, ticket prices will go up for those who wait to buy.
• Atlanta Summer Beer Fest – Masquerade Music Park – June 23, 2012:  As far as we know, this festival holds the greatest amount of local brewers from the Metro Atlanta area.  Local brewers such as SweetWater, Terrapin, Red Brick, Wild Heaven, Jailhouse, Red Hare, Monday Night, Monks Mead, and Eventide will be present.  If you haven’t come across all of these breweries yet, we strongly suggest you make your way to this festival.  $35 gets you general admission which includes plenty of tasting of over 150 beers, live music, and even games as well!
• German Bier Fest – Woodruff Park – August 25, 2012:  The German Bier Fest in Atlanta celebrates the art of German brewing standards, and the culture that has produced some of the best beer in the world.  The Bier Fest includes authentic German food, activities for the entire family and of course, beer.  Some of the visitors to the Bier Fest go all out and dress in traditional German lederhosen (optional).  If you’re looking for a fun way to cap off the summer, make your way to the German Bier Fest.  If not, you will have to wait till Oktoberfest activities in the fall around Atlanta to sport your Bavarian style and enjoy quality German food and drink.  (prices are not listed at this time).

As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities this summer to enjoy beer festivals with your friends.  If you can’t wait to sample some of the best beer the South has to offer, you can support your local brewery by visiting or grabbing a pint at your favorite pub.