Local North Georgia Breweries and Beer

A cold beer tastes especially good when there is time to stay for the next song, compare a tasting flight, or find a table by the river. 🍺 North Georgia breweries offer very different afternoons: a working bike shop in Ellijay, a train car in Talking Rock, a farm setting near Dahlonega, and downtown taprooms with nearby food.

Choose your stop around the people coming with you. Food, dog access, and opening days can matter as much as the beer list, especially for a weekday visit or a mountain weekend with children.

This guide compares local beer, take-home options, food, music, and practical visiting details across the mountain towns, with clearly marked stops over the Tennessee border and along the southern gateways.

 

🍻 Choose the Best Brewery for Your Group

Start with where you want to spend the afternoon, then check food and seating for your group. Most of these stops can fill a relaxed visit on their own; there is no need to string together a long drive between taprooms.

🍂 Fall weekends deserve extra travel time. For foliage outings, apple picking, and festival visits, choose a brewery near your other plans and check parking and food options before arriving. Arrange your driver before tasting.

 

🗺️ Map of Breweries in North Georgia

Use the map to see which stops fit the part of the mountains you are exploring. Check the current street address in each brewery card before setting navigation, particularly for relocated taprooms.

🗺️ Open the Brewery Map

 

🍺 Local Breweries in North Georgia

The listings below are grouped by area so you can choose a stop near your day’s activities. Beer examples show the range, rather than a promise that every named beer is on tap. Untappd links help with beer browsing, but a brewery’s lifetime beer count is not its current tap count.

 

📍 Local Breweries in Blairsville GA

🥾 Blairsville offers a family-owned brewery and a distillery with its own beer range, both with regular hours Monday through Saturday.

 

🍺 Blairsville Brewing Company • Blairsville

A hazy IPA, an Irish red, or a crisp pilsner gives you several starting points at this family-owned Blairsville brewery. 🍺 Birthday Haze, Copper Trail, Hikers Hop, and Two a Day share the lineup with guest beers from other independent breweries. Wine, cider, and flavored hard seltzer give mixed groups more choices.

Plan this stop for Monday through Saturday, whether you are stopping after a hike or meeting friends for an afternoon drink. 🥾 Music and other gatherings add to the visit; use the event calendar to find something that fits your mountain plans.

 

🍺 Grandaddy Mimm’s The Co-op • Blairsville

Beer drinkers have a reason to stop at Grandaddy Mimm’s, too. 🍻 The Border Hop Beer Co. range began with a hazy citrus IPA, pilsner, and summer wheat ale, adding draft beer to a business better known for moonshine and spirits. The beer selection changes, so see what is pouring when you arrive.

The Blairsville location, The Co-op, suits a group choosing between beer and cocktails. 🍹 Add a distillery tasting or tour when available, or plan an evening around Friday trivia and first-Saturday music bingo. Regular visits run Monday through Saturday; special events can extend the evening.

 

📍 Local Breweries in Blue Ridge GA

🐕 Blue Ridge’s breweries welcome dogs, with downtown seating, outdoor tables, and live music adding to the choices.

 

🍺 Angry Hops Brewing • Blue Ridge

Lager drinkers have plenty to consider at Angry Hops, alongside the IPAs its name brings to mind. 🍺 Helles, Vienna lager, Czech pilsner, brown ale, stout, and fruit-punch seltzer widen the choices. Hammer Smashed Hops, a hazy IPA, is also available in cans for taking back to your cabin.

This downtown stop welcomes well-behaved leashed dogs inside and outside, including when the weather sends everyone indoors. 🐕 Bring food from another stop or choose snacks here. Food trucks and occasional music add to the calendar, while Tuesday bingo runs 5–6 pm.

 

🍺 Grumpy Old Men Brewing • Blue Ridge

Order a four-beer flight at Grumpy Old Men and compare your picks before choosing a full pour. 🍺 The taproom welcomes children and leashed dogs, and outdoor tables give groups a place to settle in. House beer and seltzer are the alcoholic choices here.

Stay for Wednesday trivia, Thursday karaoke, or Friday/Saturday live music. 🎤 Outside food is welcome, and Scrappy’s Snackshack has its own operating hours. Before heading back to the cabin, pick up a growler, crowler, or selected six-pack of your favorite beer.

 

🍺 Tipping Point Brewing Co. • Blue Ridge

A second-floor balcony overlooking downtown Blue Ridge gives Tipping Point a different perspective on a brewery afternoon. 🍻 The taproom sits in Trackside Station, across from Downtown Blue Ridge City Park, with indoor seating and an outdoor perch for watching the town below.

Explore a rotating lineup that stretches from Trackside Lager and Czech It Out Pilsner to Joy Juice hazy IPA, porter, and milk stout. 🍺 Hard seltzer adds another choice, while root beer, juice, and sodas give nondrinkers something to sip. Bring takeout from a downtown restaurant or choose a small snack here; outside food is welcome. 🥪

Dogs are welcome indoors and outdoors, making this another Blue Ridge option when you have your pup along. 🐕 Friday and Saturday live music gives you a reason to settle in, with Monday trivia at 6:30 pm and Wednesday karaoke adding midweek fun. 🎶 Check the Tipping Point Facebook page for performers and show times.

 

📍 Nearby Breweries in Copperhill TN

🚂 Just over the state line from McCaysville, these Tennessee stops fit a border-town visit or a railway layover.

 

🍺 Buck Bald Brewing • Copperhill, TN

Look for the ESSO sign and former service-station setting at Buck Bald’s original Copperhill location. 🍻 Its patio welcomes leashed dogs, and outside food is allowed. Pick up a nearby meal and settle in with a beer, or catch a visiting food truck.

IPAs, Scottish ales, red ales, stouts, lagers, and seltzers keep the rotating selection varied. Wednesday Singo and music on many weekends give you reasons to stay longer. 🎶 Bring a clean 64-oz growler or buy one here; selected 16-oz cans are another take-home option.

 

🍺 Copperhill Brewery Riverside Taproom • Copperhill, TN

Copperhill Brewery’s Riverside Taproom is at 155 Ocoee Street, following its October 2025 move. 🌊 The riverside setting offers more parking and a food truck by WhattsUp Bar & Grill, while beer and spirits are produced at the separate Ducktown facility. Use the taproom address for a Copperhill outing or railway layover. 🚂

Try a Vienna lager, German-style dark lager, light lager, or hazy IPA, then choose growler fills, six-packs, or house spirits to take home. 🍺 Tuesday cornhole begins at 6 pm. The Ducktown production brewery has limited public hours, so plan to visit it separately from a day at the Riverside Taproom.

 

📍 Local Breweries in Clayton and Hiawassee

🎱 Choose Clayton for a downtown evening or Hiawassee for a meal and music near Lake Chatuge.

 

🍺 Currahee Brewing Company • Clayton

A renovated auto shop, covered front porch, pool tables, and Golden Tee give Currahee’s Clayton location several ways to spend an evening. 🎱 The late closing on Fridays and Saturdays leaves room for a beer after having dinner downtown.

Garand IPA and Mountain Blonde are among the brewery’s European-inspired ales and lagers. 🍺 Plan around Clayton’s music, trivia, and food events, and use its location-specific calendar when choosing a date. Currahee also operates in Franklin and Alpharetta, so choose Clayton when checking your event and directions.

 

🍺 Hiawassee Brew • Hiawassee

A full meal and an evening show are the draw at Hiawassee Brew, across the road from Lake Chatuge. 🌄 Burgers, fish and chips, sandwiches, wings, and more fill the food menu, with lake views from the upstairs deck.

Choose among 20 taps of house and guest brews, wines from Crane Creek and Hightower Creek, craft seltzers, or nonalcoholic beer. 🍷 Live music runs Friday and Saturday, 6–9 pm. The brewery is closed Monday and Thursday, so choose another day for lunch or dinner here. 🎶

 

📍 Local Breweries in Dahlonega and Cleveland

🌱 These stops pair beer with a farm setting near Dahlonega or mountain views on the road toward Helen.

🍺 Planning from Helen? NoFo Cleveland is a nearby brewery choice. Helen’s German restaurants and biergartens are best for a different outing, with imported beer and food; see our Helen Oktoberfest guide for the seasonal celebration.

 

🍺 52 West Brewing • Dahlonega

A hop garden and resident Highland cattle distinguish this Dahlonega stop from a downtown taproom. 🌱 Fergus and Hamish may be in the front pasture or near the hop garden, while some locally sourced fruit and honey find their way into the beer recipes. Enjoy the cattle from outside their enclosure. 🐮

Explore Yahoola Haze, Auraria Red, Belgian-style wheat ale, and fruit-forward seasonal choices. 🍓 Snacks and charcuterie are available, food trucks visit on selected dates, and 32-oz crowlers let you bring a favorite home. Monday afternoon hours add a weekday option alongside visits Thursday through Sunday.

 

🍺 NoFo Brew Co Cleveland • Cleveland

Mountain views and a large lawn give NoFo Cleveland room for an afternoon gathering. 🌄 Its Wednesday-through-Saturday 10 pm closing time also works for an evening out near Helen. This is the former Tantrum property, now operating as NoFo.

Live music, trivia, music bingo, and food trucks give you several reasons to stay. 🎶 Outside food and delivery are welcome, including on days without a truck. Use the Cleveland lineup to choose a food-and-music date that works for your group.

Leashed dogs are welcome inside and outside the Cleveland taproom, so you have a sheltered option when the weather changes. 🐕 This location serves beer rather than cocktails, and the production area is closed to public tours.

 

📍 Local Breweries in Ellijay, Jasper, and Talking Rock

🚲 A bike shop, riverfront deck, downtown taproom, and train car give this stretch four very different beer stops.

 

🍺 Cartecay Bike Shop Brewery • Ellijay

Bike repairs, local trail advice, and beer brewed in the shop share an address at Cartecay Bike Shop Brewery. 🚲 A five-acre Backyard Bike Park sits behind the shop by the Ellijay River, and organized Saturday rides give visiting cyclists a way to meet local riders. Ask about park access and ride requirements before joining.

Local Legend IPA is the shop’s most popular beer, alongside brown ale, black pilsner, other IPAs, cider, and flavored seltzer. 🍺 Sit inside or outside with children and dogs, catch music on selected event nights, or buy a refillable glass growler. For a morning visit, ask when beer service begins.

 

🍺 Cartecay River Brewing Co • East Ellijay

The covered deck beside the Coosawattee River is the setting to plan around at Cartecay River Brewing. 🌊 A full food menu includes burgers, fish and chips, wings, and shareable plates, so you can stay for a meal by the water. 🍽️

The drink selection spans lagers, IPAs, porters, sours, ciders, seltzers, wine, and cocktails. 🍹 Wednesday Singo adds music and a game to the evening, with live performances on selected dates. Dogs are welcome, too; ask which seating area best suits a visit with your pet. 🐕

 

🍺 Pendley Creek Brewing Company • Jasper

Bring a meal from another downtown business and choose from Pendley Creek’s rotating house beers. 🥪 The Jasper taproom sells snacks but has no kitchen, and outside food is welcome. Its focus is beer plus a changing flavored seltzer, with soft drinks and water for nondrinkers.

Dogs can accompany you to order, then join you at the outdoor seating; ordinary pets cannot stay inside. 🐕 Wednesday’s 5 pm opening suits an after-work stop, while Friday and Saturday begin at noon. Follow the brewery’s announcements for special events during your visit.

 

🍺 Talking Rock Brewery • Talking Rock

Beer brewed in a train car is a memorable reason to take the turn into Talking Rock. 🚂 Sit inside the rail car, out on the deck, or beneath the covered pavilion, which is insulated during colder months. Children have board, yard, and arcade games to choose from; supervise them closely around the tracks and train cars.

Explore rail-themed beers such as Caboose Red Ale, Coal Train Dunkel, and Boxcar Willie Kölsch. 🍺 Boxcar Grill next door adds a meal option during its own opening hours. Open mic, trivia, and live music take place on selected dates, so choose a performance that fits your plans. 🎤

 

📍 Southern Gateway Breweries in Ball Ground and Dawsonville

These two additions work as stops on the southern approaches to the mountain towns.

 

🍺 RockSolid Brewing Co • Ball Ground

South of Jasper, RockSolid offers a downtown Ball Ground stop on a mountain weekend. 🍕 Bring your own food or order from Dominic’s Wood Fire across the street using a table QR code for delivery to the brewery. High chairs and a changing table help with family visits.

Try Beez Knees honey blonde ale or another house beer, with 32-oz crowlers filled to take home. 🍺 Well-behaved leashed dogs are welcome, and the taproom, restrooms, and outdoor area are wheelchair accessible. Stay for Thursday music bingo at 7 pm or Sunday afternoon bingo. Wine and cider give your group more drink choices. 🎵

 

🍺 Grandaddy Mimm’s The Garage • Dawsonville

The Garage in Dawsonville gives beer-and-cocktail groups another option on the way into the mountains. 🍹 Grandaddy Mimm’s pairs spirits with beer, while racing watch parties and music bingo bring people together for an evening out.

Join Friday trivia at 7 pm or music bingo on the first and third Saturdays at 7 pm. 🎵 Sunday hours run 1–7 pm, adding a weekend option in Dawsonville. Ask about food vendors and pet seating when choosing your event. 🐕

Older guides and map pins may still include former businesses. Keep these changes in mind when planning:

• Blue Ridge Brewery and Fannin Brewing Company: Both are closed and are excluded from the active recommendations.
• Tantrum Brewing Company: The Cleveland property became NoFo Brew Co Cleveland in 2023.
• Dahlonega Brewery: The former beer operation is no longer open. Etowah Meadery moved and continues as a separate mead-and-wine stop; see the North Georgia mead guide.

 

🎶 Beer Festivals & Special Events

A festival offers a wider tasting lineup in one location, while individual breweries offer more time to explore a smaller selection. Check what admission covers and arrange transportation before buying tasting tickets.

For brewery-sized celebrations, use the official calendars listed. Oktoberfest parties, charity events, markets, and music nights can affect food options, hours, and parking on a particular day.

 

🍺 What to Expect at a Mountain Brewery

Start by describing a beer you already enjoy. A bartender can point you toward a similar style or suggest a small pour of something different. A flight is useful for comparing styles side by side, when that brewery offers one. Consider ABV and glass size before choosing the next pour.

A taproom may offer only snacks and outside-food permission, while a brewpub serves a full menu. Check kitchen or food-truck hours separately from taproom hours, particularly during the week. Outdoor music also needs its own weather check; a covered patio does not guarantee that a performance moves indoors.

For a patio visit, pack a layer, sun protection, and water. Bring a short leash and cleanup bags for your dog. If accessible parking, a step-free entrance, restrooms, or a sheltered dog area will determine whether the trip works, ask the brewery about those specific facilities before leaving.

 

❓ North Georgia Brewery FAQ

These quick answers cover the details most likely to change your plans. Use the individual brewery cards for location-specific hours and rules.

 

Beer, Flights & Taking Beer Home

• 🍺 Do I need to book a brewery tour to try the beer? Most of these breweries have taprooms where you can order a drink without a tour. Tours are separate and are not available everywhere. NoFo does not offer public brewing tours; Grandaddy Mimm’s asks guests to check distillery-tour availability.
• ⏱️ How long should I allow for a brewery visit? As a planning estimate, allow about an hour for a flight or a drink, and longer for a meal, games, or a show. This is not a timed tasting format or a guaranteed visit length.
• 💵 What do beers and flights cost? Prices vary by beer, pour size, and location. Beer and cider cost $7 at Cartecay Bike Shop, with $6 seltzer; Angry Hops serves $7.50 pours. Ask for the current flight price and any special-event charge.
• 🫙 Can I bring a growler to refill? Some breweries fill reusable glass growlers. Buck Bald accepts your own growler for 64-oz fills; Grumpy Old Men offers 64-oz growlers and 32-oz crowlers. A growler is not automatically one liter. Ask about accepted containers, sizes, cleaning, and refill prices.
• 🥫 What is the difference between a growler and a crowler? A growler is a reusable container for take-home draft beer. A crowler is a sealed can filled for take-home use, commonly 32 oz at the breweries that specify a size here. Canned multipacks are another option where available.
• 🍷 Do breweries serve wine, cider, or cocktails? Some do. Hiawassee Brew and Cartecay River offer drinks beyond beer. Grumpy Old Men focuses on its own beer and seltzer, and NoFo Cleveland does not serve cocktails. Check the location rather than the brand’s general menu.

 

Opening Days, Food & Entertainment

• 📆 Are North Georgia breweries open on weekdays? Several open daily, while others have limited midweek hours. Pendley Creek opens at 5 pm Wednesday; Talking Rock’s regular week starts Thursday. Choose your visiting day before planning lunch or an afternoon beer.
• 🎶 Does every brewery have live music each weekend? No. Hiawassee Brew has Fri–Sat music 6–9 pm, and Grumpy Old Men has Friday and Saturday music. Other breweries schedule selected dates. Confirm the show, performance area, and weather arrangements.
• 🥪 Can I bring food to a brewery? Angry Hops, Grumpy Old Men, Buck Bald, Pendley Creek, RockSolid, and NoFo explicitly permit outside food. A restaurant or visiting food truck may have different rules. Outside-food permission does not include outside alcohol.
• 🌧️ Can I visit a brewery when it rains? Indoor taprooms offer shelter, but seating, dog access, and live music arrangements vary. Talking Rock has a covered pavilion insulated in colder months. Call ahead if your group needs a guaranteed seat in a shelter.
• 🚻 Are restrooms and wheelchair access available? RockSolid has a wheelchair-accessible taproom, restrooms, and outdoor area. At other breweries, ask about the entrance, seating, and restroom route that your visit will require.
• 🎟️ Can I leave and return during an event? Do not assume a ticketed festival or special brewery event permits re-entry. Check that event’s terms. Ordinary taproom visits and ticketed admission may have different rules.

 

Children, Dogs & Sunday Beer Sales

• 🧒 Are North Georgia breweries family-friendly? Many welcome children. RockSolid has high chairs and a changing table; Hiawassee Brew has a children’s menu. Supervise children around brewing equipment, roads, rivers, and train tracks, and check event-specific age restrictions.
• 🐕 Which North Georgia breweries are dog-friendly? Angry Hops, Grumpy Old Men, and NoFo Cleveland explicitly permit dogs indoors. Buck Bald and Talking Rock specify outdoor pet areas; Pendley Creek allows dogs inside briefly to order, then requires outdoor seating. Keep dogs leashed and confirm any event restrictions.
• 📅 Can I buy beer at a Blairsville brewery on Sunday? Plan your Blairsville beer visits for Monday through Saturday. Sunday beer sales are restricted under local alcohol rules, and both Blairsville Brewing and Grandaddy Mimm’s Co-op are closed that day.
• 🍷 Can a Union County winery sell beer on Sunday? No. The farm-winery Sunday exception is for qualifying wine sales, not beer. A winery may sell its own wine under that exception, but it cannot use its winery permission to sell beer on Sunday as it may on other operating days. Georgia farm-winery law also covers wine from other Georgia farm-winery licensees, subject to its conditions.
• ⚖️ Why do farm wineries and breweries have different Sunday rules? Qualifying farm wineries have a specific Sunday wine-sales exception, generally beginning at 12:30 pm. Brewery beer sales follow the days and hours permitted for retail beer sales in the local jurisdiction. The wine exception does not extend to beer.

 

🎁 Beer Accessories & Gifts

• 🍻 What do I need for an at-home beer tasting? Start with clean glasses, small pours, and a few contrasting beer styles. Beer Tasting Kits help organize side-by-side samples, while Frosty Mugs make a fun gift for someone who enjoys a chilled mug. Use an unfrozen glass when comparing aromas.
  
• 🧊 What are practical beer gifts for a mountain weekend? Beer Coozies keep cans and bottles insulated on the patio, and Bottle Openers are useful additions to a cabin or picnic kit. Both are small enough to tuck into a gift bag with a favorite local beer.
• 🫙 Is a growler a good gift for a craft beer lover? Growlers suit someone who regularly buys draft beer to take home. Before choosing one, check the recipient’s favorite brewery for accepted containers, fill sizes, and refill options.
• 📚 What can I give someone who enjoys learning about beer? Beer Books explore brewing styles, ingredients, and history, while Beer Tasting Journals give them a place to record brewery visits and favorite pours. 📝 Note the beer’s name, style, ABV, and what made it worth ordering again.
  

Pair your brewery plans with another local flavor, or choose a guide for the drink your group enjoys most:

• 🍎 North Georgia Craft Cider
• 🍸 North Georgia Distilleries and Spirits
• 🍯 North Georgia Mead
• 🍷 North Georgia Vineyards and Wineries

Which brewery would you choose for your next mountain afternoon, and what beer would you order again? 🍺 Share your favorite stop or a recent change in the comments. Cheers!