Owner Says Smyrna Growler Store Set for Mid-October Opening
Smyrna Beer Market will set up shop in Market Village in the old gelato shop.
A growler store is coming to Market Village just a few short weeks after Smyrna City Council passed an amendment to the alcohol ordinance that clears the way for these establishments.
Owner Brandon King said Smyrna Beer Market will open in the space formerly home to Italio’s Gelato and Café as early as mid-October. The store will carry about 45 different varieties of draught beer that customers can buy in half-gallon growlers, large glass bottles used for holding craft beer.
“We’re trying to maintain local and regional focus on those,” King said. “All the bottles and beer we’ll carry will be the harder to find stuff for beer connoisseurs.”
He added that Smyrna Beer Market will also partner with local chefs to carry gourmet items like rubs, sauces and pickles.
“What we want to be able to do is supply really is any place that you would take a growler to; a cookout, a barbecue, the pool, the beach we want to try to have those ancillary items,” he said.
King has years of experience in the alcoholic beverage industry. He said he’s been a bartender for the past 20 years and served as bar manager at the Golden Room Nightclub and the St. Regis in Buckhead. He was also the mixologist at Chicken and the Egg in Marietta, but now he’s decided to set up shop in Smyrna.
“I’ve moved out of the city,” he said. “I realized I liked the slowed down pace a little bit. As much as I wanted to own my own restaurant the cost and expense—the risk was way too high. I saw this as a way to focus in on one of my passions and not have a huge overhead and all that stuff. So it will be fun and hopefully still make money and give the community something it doesn’t have yet.”
King said Smyrna is the perfect location for a growler business because of the large number of young professionals who want the unique craft beers that are usually only served in Atlanta bars. Eventually King said he’d like to open more growler shops throughout the northwest metro region.
What beer would you like to see at Smyrna Beer Market? Tell us in the comments.
Smyrna Family
10:40 am on Thursday, September 6, 2012
Terrific news! So glad to see another interesting business take the plunge by renting space in the Market Village. Lets hope that more smaller business owners can follow the lead.
Murrays
11:06 am on Thursday, September 6, 2012
Yes!!! This is awesome news. No more driving into the city for growlers!
Amy
1:39 pm on Thursday, September 6, 2012
Awesome!!! I hope they have some ciders!
Roger N
4:50 pm on Thursday, September 6, 2012
Sweet! I'll be stopping by for sure.
Tim T.
8:49 am on Friday, September 7, 2012
Sweet!
Jen in Smyrna
9:36 am on Friday, September 7, 2012
Woohoo!
Boret G.
11:41 am on Friday, September 7, 2012
That's great. I bet Renee at the Wine Cellars is relieved. She can now clear out her beer coolers of those pesky hard to find brands.
Beer Maven
2:06 pm on Friday, September 7, 2012
As far as inventory goes, I'd like to see local microbrews (core brands of Sweetwater, Terrapin and Red Brick don't count), and rare small batch stuff, e.g. cask aged. Bring in stuff that I can't stroll down to SWOB and buy in a 6 or bomber.
Jay D.
11:39 am on Monday, September 10, 2012
This news made my day - I can't wait for your shop to open!
One idea: Would you consider allowing customers to fill up 5 liter mini kegs? I have a 5L keg dispenser at home, but don't use it as often as I should due to the low availability of craft beer in 5L kegs. Would love to fill up something a little larger than a growler.
Brandon King
11:58 pm on Monday, September 10, 2012
To answer a few quick questions:
yes we will have a few ciders available
we will have 45 taps, about 15 of the taps will be big boy locals (Terrapin, Sweetwater, etc.) but the other 30 or so will be focused on the small batch local stuff from Red Hare, Burnt Hickory (some real interesting stuff on the horizon with them, really excited), Monday Night, etc. and of course anything that is hard to find from the region or even national (if it's uber rare that is). There will be a few nods to my Northern roots with some selections from Ommegang and maybe even some Genny Cream Ale, but that will be a small percentage of what we do. As far as bottles go, 4-packs, 6-packs, and bombers will be available but small quantities of hard to find limited releases and collaborations . We will also carry Abita root beer and be making root beer floats with local made ice creams. We are also trying to carry Frozen Pints, a local beer ice cream company.
As far as filling 5 liter kegs, I can't do that. I can only fill up to a 64 oz approved container. But, if there is something you want that is small batch and comes in 5L kegs (1/6 barrels) or bigger, I will happily special order them for anyone when they are available (as long as I can get one for myself first ;-). Thanks everyone for the great feedback and if anyone has any more specific questions feel free to email me at brandon@thestoutbrothers.com and please follow us on Facebook as The Stout Brothers. Hope to see you all soon!!
jim
8:24 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Why did the City Council approve what is essentially a liquor store underneath a residential unit in the Smyrna Market Village? We already have serious problems with drunken customers. Most days the parking lots of filled with beer bottles, cans, and trash. And all the council is concerned about is making a few more bucks and getting free booze.
Open Your Eyes
10:27 am on Sunday, October 28, 2012
Why did people buy condos over retail that is unrestricted? Hmm...becuase people like to love in the middle of the night "life" and action. Don't like it? Sell and move. Easy peasy.
Roger N
10:38 am on Sunday, October 28, 2012
Seriously? You think a high end craft beer store would attract "drunken customers" tossing their beer bottles all over? So off the mark it's not even funny. Now, the Atkins Park and Vintage Tavern crowds, maybe...but if you bought residential next to a bar you should know what you are getting into.
Sid The Squid
9:21 am on Sunday, October 28, 2012
Need me some Monday Night Eye Patch!!!