Best Brewery Tours in Atlanta

Atlanta is well known for its thriving nightlife, but if there's one thing that sets the city apart, it's its breweries and pubs, and the options are diverse. Come check out the experiences not to be missed!

María Cano

María Cano

9 min read

Best Brewery Tours in Atlanta

Toasting with beer | ©kazuend

Georgia's capital is packed with nightclubs and lounges, from the swanky to the casual. The best experiences in Atlanta couldn't overlook the distilleries and breweries.

In this post you'll find the best brewery experiences and how Atlanta's drinks and beverages highlight its wine tradition, discover the best tours and excursions in this list.

1. Atlanta's Pedal Pub: brewery tours by bike

Atlanta Beer| ©Lindsay Appel
Atlanta Beer| ©Lindsay Appel

Why hold your event in one place when you have the entire capital of Georgia available? This question rattled a group of visionaries and as a result Atlanta Pedal Pubs were born, the ultimate in private tours ideal for birthday parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties and company outings for groups of up to 15 people.

During these tours, a guru of Atlanta's finest beverages takes you on a bike tour of Atlanta, stopping at a couple of local bars along the way to enjoy specialty drinks and have fun with your friends. At each stop, the guide will point out the best spots in the city so you can enjoy all that Atlanta has to offer.

Plus, among the plans in place, you have the chance to make 2 different cocktails while cycling around Atlanta! And if it's all about the equipment, don't worry, the tour includes everything you need to learn how to make your own cocktails.

Interesting details

  • Price: from 400 € for groups of 8 people.
  • Duration: 2 hours.
  • Schedule: evening.
  • What the tour may include: 1 bike for groups of 8 to 15 people. Guru specialist in the best beers and cocktails in Atlanta. Stops at 2 or 3 establishments. Mini bartender course. Surprise souvenir.
  • Means of transport: bicycle.
  • Pros: two hours of pure fun where drinks come and go incessantly.
  • Cons: Only available in English. Usually only offered on weekends.

Atlanta Brewery Tours

2. VIP brewery tour of Atlanta breweries.

Brewery Brewery Tour| ©Mark Healey
Brewery Brewery Tour| ©Mark Healey

If you love beer, you'll love this 5-hour tour with its convenient stops where the past, present, future and variety of the prized barley distillate takes centre stage. This tour route takes you and a small group on an air-conditioned bus that takes you through three of Atlanta's most popular breweries: SweetWater Brewing, Atlanta Brewing (formerly Red Brick) and Monday Night Brewing.

The tour begins at SweetWater Brewing, a distillery that is not only the largest brewery in the South, but also one of the most iconic. Enjoy a private tour, followed by a tasting session and immersive experience at SweetWater.

The second stop is another Southern icon, Georgia's oldest brewery. This is Atlanta Brewing Company, a brewery with a focus on sustainability and good taste.

Finally, Monday Night Brewing, where variety is the order of the day. This brewery distills around 100 flavours of beer every year. With this tour you won't miss a thing. With someone else driving around Atlanta, you'll have a safe way to enjoy the flavours at various breweries.

Details of interest

  • Price: from 68 €.
  • Duration: 5 hours.
  • Time: Afternoon.
  • What the tour may include: Beer tasting at 3 distilleries. Lunch. Light snack. Shuttle service to and from a central Atlanta location.
  • Means of transport: bus
  • Pros: A mid-afternoon tour visiting the major breweries in Atlanta.
  • Cons: Transportation to accommodation is not usually included, often only offered in English.

Atlanta Brewery Tour

3. Hop on the Atlanta brewery tour bus

Beer Toast| ©Tembela Bohle
Beer Toast| ©Tembela Bohle

You can stroll through the Ponce City Market, get up close to the Memorial to Martin Luther King Jr., take pictures at the Atlanta United Football Club or maybe walk around Buckhead Mansion with the Atlanta sightseeing bus tours, what you probably didn't know is that there are also Hop-On, Hop-Off brewery tours in Georgia's capital.

The guides will take you to 4 to 6 different craft breweries and cideries on Fridays and Saturdays, giving you plenty of opportunities to sample some of the best beers in the city. This is a free stop tour that you can enjoy over the course of 10 hours.

You will have the opportunity to choose from three routes, namely West Midtown, Decatur and Marietta with highlights including stops at: Second Self Beer Company, Hand Beer Company, Midtown Marta Station, Urban Tree Cidery, Atlanta Brewing and Scofflaw Brewing. As you pass by the city's most iconic landmarks, guides offer information and fun facts about the beverages and how they are brewed.

The bus itself is safe and comfortable, with a vibrant atmosphere inside. On the other hand, the designated drivers are responsible, so your only role is to enjoy the beers at each stop.

The Atlanta Sightseeing Bus operates on weekends between 12:00 and 22:00. Book in advance and enjoy the Atlanta Brewery Hop-On, Hop-Off with your group of friends.

Interesting details

  • Price: from €15.
  • Duration: up to 10 hours.
  • Hours: from 1:00 p.m.
  • What the tour may include: a beer and bottled water at each stop. Transport service for 8 - 10 hours (depending on the day of the tour). Professional guide service.
  • Means of transport: bus.
  • Pros: unique Hop-On, Hop-Off service, available in only a few cities. You ride with brewery specialists who make sure you are comfortable and safe along the route.
  • Cons: The service is offered in English. Available on weekends. Advance booking required.

Atlanta Brewery Tours

4. Atlanta Illuminarium Immersion

Atlanta Illuminarium| ©Jason Rabon
Atlanta Illuminarium| ©Jason Rabon

Ever wanted to escape reality and be transported to a magical, immersive world with one of the city' s best bars included? That's what the Iluminarium Atlanta has to offer.

This adults-only nighttime experience features two themed rooms that offer different immersive experiences. The first room is a rotating room where you can encounter the markets of Tokyo, the beautiful flower gardens of France, a luminous reef under the sea and safaris through Kenya to a mysterious crystal cavern.

The next room offers an out-of-this-world experience. Lunar voyages, multi-coloured nebulae, Saturn's rings and moon walks. Jump into uncharted territory at SPACE. And to liven up these journeys with 4K projections, enjoy good music, often with a live DJ, beers, signature cocktails and snacks.

Interesting details

  • Price: from €19.
  • Duration: Monday and Thursday between 11:00 - 18:00. Wednesday between 11:00 - 15:00. Fridays between 11:00 - 17:00 and 18:30 - 23:00. Saturdays between 10:15 - 17:00 hours and 18:30 - 23:00 hours. Sundays between 10:15 - 17:00 hours and 18:30 - 21:30 hours. Closed on Tuesdays.
  • What the tour may include: access to the Iluminarium After Dark. Access to two bars.
  • Means of transport: not applicable.
  • Pros: it is an immersive experience in two themed rooms where beers, drinks, good food and live music awaits its visitors.
  • Cons: Drinks, transport and food are not included.

5. Atlanta's Drag Pub Crawl: brewery and cocktail tour guided by Drag Queens

Enjoying a Beer| ©RODNAE Productions
Enjoying a Beer| ©RODNAE Productions

Whether it's a bachelorette party, a birthday celebration or just a night out with friends, the Drag Pub Crawl is one of the 70 fun things to do in Atlanta. The drag queen-led cabaret show is the perfect way to spend the evening in the heart of Georgia.

The night promises unforgettable fun with this tour led by one of the city' s drag queens. You'll make the most of Atlanta's vibrant nightlife, visiting the city's most popular taverns and clubs. There you can have a drink or two while you watch your guide perform, dance and sing as a celebrity impersonator. You'll be entertained with dance contests, jokes and karaoke.

Your drag guide will lead you on an energetic tour that takes you past bars and into **Atlanta'**s famous nightclubs, where you'll enjoy live music. Finish the evening with an interactive cabaret show. Make the most of your visit to the capital of Georgia and don't miss out on one of the top 10 things to do in Atlanta at night.

Interesting details

  • Price: from £38.
  • Duration: 2 hours.
  • Time: Nighttime.
  • What the tour may include: drag queen show and guide. A couple of hours of fun and entertainment. A stroll around Atlanta.
  • Means of transport: on foot.
  • Pros: Party, drag queen, cabaret, taverns and bars.
  • Cons: Service is in English. Transportation not included.

Atlanta Brewery Tours

What excursions should I not miss besides the brewery tours in Atlanta?

Beers| ©Susanne Nilsson
Beers| ©Susanne Nilsson

Beers and variety shows have been the headliners so far, now I recommend a couple of additional experiences following stylish speakeasy spaces and wine tradition, these are:

The Forbidden Red Phone Experience in Atlanta

If you're looking for a place to hang out, enjoy delicious drinks and food, and get a little drunk in an exclusive atmosphere while you're at it, the Red Phone Booth experience has your name written all over it. But what makes this tour so special?

The entrance to the venue is reserved for patrons who get their secret phone number. They must then make their way to an old London phone box that has been restored and once again its red colour stands out in the city.

Located in the heart of the city, Red Phone Booth offers classic 1920s-inspired craft cocktails such as the Sazerac, Old Fashioned and Boulevardier in the iconic Dailey's building in downtown Atlanta.

Red Phone Booth makes the experience even more authentic with double reverse osmosis ice hand-chopped for the purest, cleanest ice. Adding to the menu is a selection of cocktails smoked with hickory or mesquite chips that intensify the chosen flavours. If, in addition to the cocktails, you want to enjoy a good beer, they are also available. And to complete the forbidden experience, a room with more than 100 cigars in a humidor awaits you, a paradise for cigar lovers.

How to access this speakeasy? You must get the secret number, among the best hotels and restaurants in Atlanta.

Atlanta Brewery Tours

Wine tasting at Georgia's best vineyards from Atlanta

If you're looking for a way to get out of the city and explore the beauty of North Georgia's wine country, this day trip from Atlanta is a great option. During the tour you will have a tasting of approximately 13 wines. The private bus takes you through the rolling hills of the area and stops at 3 local vineyards, including Habersham Winery, where you'll sample the wide variety of wine, food and shopping in a Bavarian-inspired village.

The tour begins with an early morning pick-up from your accommodation, so you'll get the most out of your 1-day tour of Atlanta. From there, around the town of Helen, the group goes straight to the first winery and then tastes the wines while a representative guides you through their history, pairing and general information.

At the end of the tour, at each winery you will have time to browse in the gift shop or return to the courtyard for more wine tasting. At Helen they specialise in artisanal crafts. You'll find 200 shops with handcrafted wines, candles, cuckoo clocks, blown glass decorations, breweries and more. And if you have the opportunity to do the tour during the Oktoberfest, all the better. The intention is to remind you of Germany in one village.

Between shops and wines, it's time for lunch. At Helen you can try a combination of traditional Southern and German cuisine. And for dessert, try ice cream with grits, the typical Georgian dessert made by a traditional miller since 1876, the Nora Mill Granary. The afternoon continues with tastings and walks through the village. After 9-10 hours you will be driven back to your point of origin.

North Georgia wine tour from Atlanta

Tips and considerations for brewery tours in Atlanta

Pouring Beer| ©Gonzalo Remy
Pouring Beer| ©Gonzalo Remy
  • Age. While tours such as drag tours or those offering seasonal parties allow adults 18 and older, beer tasting at distilleries and wineries often require a minimum age of 21. Check with your tour operator before booking.
  • Alcohol is not permitted on tours. Yes, you will have a few beers or cocktails during these tours, but out of respect and for the enjoyment of all attendees, people should be of sound mind prior to the beer tour.
  • Dress code. Most venues recommend wearing closed-toe shoes, and even places like the Red Phone require formal attire.