Atlanta scores: Ex Stone brewmaster Mitch Steele announces brewery in southern metro

Mitch Steele (2014 Craft Beer Conference version) accepting the award for his innovation and execution in brewing at the CBC. Photo credit: Brewers Association.

If fantasy brewing existed, our brew crew dream team would include the likes of John Maier, Garrett Oliver, Nick Nock and definitely Mitch Steele. For the last 10 years, Steele has had his hands in all of Stone Brewing Co.’s successful craft beer creations. Back in 2006, Stone wisely hired Steele from Anheuser-Busch; he was assistant brewmaster for Anheuser-Busch’s Merrimack, N.H., facility.

This summer, Steele announced he was leaving Stone to do his own thing, and now we know that thing is opening up a craft brewery and brewpub in Atlanta, located at 820 Ralph McGill Ave. According to an article on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Steele is partnering with industry veterans Carey Falcone and Bob Powers of American Beerworks, a new company “focused on creating world-class craft breweries and brewpubs.”

According to today’s press release, the yet to be named project “will offer Atlanta a distinctive place to enjoy craft beer, great artisanal food, and an inviting atmosphere… in a state of the art facility that will feature a rooftop bar and a beer garden, with brewery tours and brewing classes for the home brewer.”

American Beerworks is a newly formed privately funded acquirer and investor of craft breweries in the Americas. We’ll keep you up to date on details, but this is a big win for the Atlanta craft beer drinker and no doubt an eyebrow-raiser for other Georgia-based breweries.