Brewery Spotlight: Athentic Brewing Company
We love getting to know the breweries that make up the ever-growing craft brewing industry — which is why we started our “Brewery Spotlight” blog series.
With each post in this series, you'll get to know some of our favorite craft breweries, as well as what led them to become such a staple in the craft beer community.
In this brewery spotlight, we were fortunate to chat with Kimberly Wise, Marketing Manager of Athentic Brewing Companyout of Athens, GA.
Work For Your Beer (WFYB): We are so excited to learn more about our friends at Athentic Brewing Company. When did you open, and what is your most popular beer style?
Kimberly (K): We opened in 2020, and our most popular beers are Tropical IPA (Escape Button), Berliner Weisse (Winter Queen), and an IPA (Street of Gold).
WFYB: That Berliner Weisse is calling my name. What is your favorite beer you've ever brewed?
K: We love doing beers that give back to the community. We participated in Black is Beautiful (Allowing us to donate to the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement) and Things We Don't Say (allowing us to donate to Hope for the Day AND Nuci’s Space) campaigns but we also brew beers that give back to our local animal shelter (Upright Hermit, stout) and to ALS GA (Sonica Moo, milk stout). It's important for us to use our platform for good. We are about to brew a beer in collaboration with Pink Boots to celebrate the creation of the Athens chapter (spearheaded by our taproom manager).
WFYB: That is so awesome to hear! We love collab beers! What would you say is the weirdest beer you've ever made?
K: Our co-owner, Mark, made a blonde ale with kale once and said it was rather unpleasant. Our head brewer says the beer he brewed for the NCAA Football Championship (go dawgs!) was his weirdest. It is a Red Velvet Cake Stout (Batter Daze) that has 2 full cakes in the mash (the brewer had to make a fat-free icing to maintain head retention).
WFYB: A blonde with kale interesting....I can't say I wouldn't try it! Pivoting to one of our staple questions: if you had to make the *perfect* six-pack, what would you include in it?
K:
Russian River - Consecration barreled aged sour
Verboten - Killer Boots caramel porter
New Holland- Dragons Milk barrel aged stout
Wild Heaven - White Blackbird
Bells - Two Hearted IPA
Athentic Brewing Company - Escape Button IPA
WFYB: How do you support and give back to the Athens community — tell us a little bit more about that.
K: We have become a neighborhood hangout place where everyone is welcome. So, we have fly fishing lures being tied in the lobby while knitting circles meet on the patio and RPG gamers are in the main room. We have become the home for many LGTBQ+ groups and have regular drag nights from 2 different houses, work with Athens Pride, and other similar organizations. We are a regular sponsor for Historic Athens and are a primary sponsor for their largest fundraising event. We have regular dog adoptions and craft fairs. We are the regular place to watch away UGA games with the UGA Alumni Association and the regular watch party location for Atlanta United games and their fans called the Terminus Legion. During the height of the pandemic- we rented our space out during the day to a children’s music class so the kids had a place to play and sing outside.
Beer brings people together. The best way to show that is to be available to be a part of their lives.
WFYB:A tight-knit Community is what makes our industry so special. What’s one fact people don’t know about your brewery, beer, taproom, etc.?
K: The taproom/brewery used to be a printing company when the building was first built- that's why the floors are so thick and the building can support the heavy equipment we use- printing presses are HEAVY.
Not only are we very active in social justice platforms, but we are also eco-friendly. Our head brewer personally composts all brewery waste that isn’t given to local pig farmers. Our cleaning products are earth-friendly. You often will find Mark, our co-owner, rummaging through the trash picking our recyclables. We do not use plastic/single-use items in the taproom.
WFYB: We love an Eco-friendly brewery. That's awesome that yall have eliminated single-use plastics! Now, let's talk brewery activities. What are y'all hosting these days?
K: We used to host Pound, Yoga, and Barre classes. We were then notified by our lawyers that we needed special insurance. So, we had to drop those for the time being. So right now, we host bi-weekly running groups co-sponsored by Athens Road Runners.
WFYB: Oh wow that is too bad! What makes your brewery unique? Why should someone stop by your taproom versus the others in Boone?
K: We allow all leashed animals- dogs, cats, possums, and bunnies are all regulars- and staff will remember your pet names probably before they remember yours (We keep treats behind the counter for all animals and many dogs have been reported as bringing their humans here on neighborhood walks because we are free and loose with the treats).
We have 24 taps with a wide range of beers, all made in-house. We are also the first (and quite possibly the only) taproom room in Athens with house-made hard seltzers.
Since we are set up like a neighborhood pub, families are welcome and encouraged. Off-site food can be brought and we often have onsite food trucks. So, grab a beer, bring a picnic lunch, and stay awhile! We have corn hole, ping pong, Jenga, cards, dice, and buckets of chalk for the kids.
WFYB: Yall heard it here first! Bring your possums to Athentic! Lastly, why do you support the #WorkForYourBeer mantra?
K: We are a Body Positive brewery. We want you to be proud of who you are and what you can be. So, work hard and celebrate your gains.
WFYB: Perfectly said!
A Huge thanks to Kimberly for taking the time to tell us more about Athentic with us here on the Work For Your Beer blog.
If you ever find yourself in Athens looking for an inclusive brewery with a chance of seeing a pet possum, we highly recommend checking out their taproom.
Want to be considered for an upcoming feature? Email cheers@workforyourbeer.com to set up an interview!