When it comes to Atlanta breweries, sure, ones like Sweetwater are probably the first ones you tend to think of, mostly because of their rather wide distribution. But what about those local breweries that are quickly climbing up the ranks here in the Atlanta beer scene?
One brewery in particular has taken craft brewing to a whole new level, at least in metro Atlanta currently. I’m talking about none other than Wild Heaven Craft Beers, who make their home in the Decatur area but are quickly spreading into several neighboring counties in north Georgia. Perhaps now that gives even more meaning to their mantra, “Serve Your Neighbor;” sure, enjoying a good craft beer by yourself can be satisfying enough, but sharing that experience with your closest friends is even more satisfying.
Currently, Wild Heaven offers two awesome craft beers. Their first, cleverly titled Invocation, is a Belgian-style Golden Ale consisting of Belgian aromatic malts and hints of dried fruit paired with Noble and West Coast hops to give it a smooth but semi-dry finish, similar to that of other more widely distributed Belgian Ales like Shock Top, but a whole lot better. Wild Heaven’s second craft brew, Ode to Mercy, in my humble opinion is their creme’ de la creme’ (no pun intended), the brew that will take them quite far in the world of craft brewery. It is a perfect blend of deeply roasted malts, coffee and oak that gives the beer-lover a smooth and creamy finish that isn’t too overpowering. The Beer Advocate gave both very high regards, with Invocation currently having an A- and Ode to Mercy having a solid B+.
Recently, Wild Heaven has partnered with Georgia Crown to assist in increasing their distribution, and it has worked exponentially. In just four days, Wild Heaven Craft Beers (both Invocation and Ode to Mercy) became available at 93 individual beverage stores as of May 2011, and the numbers are assuredly climbing. Living in the Gwinnett County area, I was more than elated with the fact that several surrounding package stores now carry Wild Heaven.
Local film company Whitestone Motion Pictures recently shot a quick documentary about the founders of Wild Heaven and why they decided to get into the craft-brewing game. You can check it out below:
Wild Heaven Craft Beer: Mini Doc from Whitestone Motion Pictures on Vimeo.
If you haven’t checked out either of the Wild Heaven craft brews, do yourself a favor and grab a pint of one as soon as you can. Oh, and be sure to have one for your neighbor as well….
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