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 and discover the experiences you shouldn't miss!

María Cano

María Cano

9 min read

Best Brewery Tours in Atlanta

Toasting with beer | ©kazuend

Georgia's capital is full of nightclubs and lounges, from the most elegant to the most casual. The best experiences in Atlanta could not overlook the distilleries and breweries.

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

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

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 this type of tour, 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 biking 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 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 between 8 and 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 transportation: 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| ©Mark Healey
Brewery Brewery| ©Mark Healey

If you love beer, you'll love this 5-hour tour thanks to its convenient stops where the past, present, future and variety of the prized barley distillate takes center stage. This tour is routed by air-conditioned bus, which takes you and a small group 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, the oldest brewery in Georgia. This is Atlanta Brewing Company, a brewery committed to sustainability and good taste.

Finally, we visit Monday Night Brewing, where variety is the order of the day. This brewery distills around 100 flavors of beer every year. With this tour, you won't miss a thing. With another person driving around Atlanta, you'll have a sure way to enjoy the flavors at several breweries.

Details of interest

  • Price: from 68 ¤.
  • Duration: 5 hours.
  • Schedule: afternoon.
  • What the tour may include: beer tasting in 3 distilleries. Lunch. Light snack. Shuttle service to and from a central Atlanta location.
  • Means of transportation: bus
  • Pros: mid-afternoon tour visiting the major breweries in Atlanta.
  • Cons: Transportation to lodging is not usually included, often this tour is only offered in English.

Atlanta Brewery Tour

3. Ride the brewery tour bus in Atlanta

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, get your picture taken at the Atlanta United Football Club or maybe walk around Buckhead Mansion with the Atlanta tour bus tours, what you probably didn't know is that there are also Hop-On, Hop-Off brewery tours in Georgia's capital city.

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 where highlights include 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 locations, 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.

Details of interest

  • 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. Shuttle service for 8 - 10 hours (depending on the day of the tour). Professional guide service.
  • Means of transportation: bus.
  • Pros: it is a unique Hop-On, Hop-Off service, available in 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 reservations are required.

Atlanta Brewery Tours

4. Atlanta Illuminarium Immersion

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

Ever wanted to escape reality and transport yourself to a magical, immersive world with one of the city 's best bars included? That's what the Iluminarium Atlanta offers.

This adults-only nighttime experience features two themed rooms that offer different immersive experiences. The first room is rotating, 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, multicolored nebulae, Saturn's rings and moon walks. Jump into uncharted territory at SPACE. And to liven up these journeys with 4K projections, enjoy great music, often with a live DJ, beers, signature cocktails and hors d'oeuvres.

Details of interest

  • Price: from 19 €.
  • Duration: Monday and Thursday between 11:00 - 18:00. Wednesday between 11:00 - 15:00 hours. Fridays between 11:00 - 17:00 hours and 18:30 - 23:00 hours. 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.
  • Transportation: 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, transportation 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, birthday celebration or just a night out with friends, the Drag Pub Crawl is one of 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 watching 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 **Atlanta'**s famous nightclubs and bars, 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 one of the top 10 things to do in Atlanta at night.

Details of interest

  • Price: from $38.
  • Duration: 2 hours.
  • Schedule: nighttime.
  • What the tour may include: the show and guide of a drag queen. A couple of hours of fun and entertainment. A walk around Atlanta.
  • Means of transportation: on foot.
  • Pros: party, drag queen, cabaret, taverns and bars.
  • Cons: service is offered in English. Transportation not included.

Atlanta Brewery Tours

What excursions should I not miss besides Atlanta brewery tours?

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 setting while you're at it, the Red Phone Forbidden Experience in Atlanta or Red Phone Booth has your name written all over it. But what makes this tour so special?

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 booth that has been restored and once again its red color 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 flavors. 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 humidor cigars awaits you, 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 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 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 lodging, so you'll get the most out of visiting Atlanta in 1 day. From there, around the town of Helen, the group goes straight to the first winery to then taste the wines while a representative guides you through their history, pairing and general information.

At the end of the tour, at each winery you'll have time to browse the gift store or return to the patio for more wine tasting. At Helen they specialize in artisanal crafts. You'll find 200 stores with handcrafted wines, candles, cuckoo clocks, blown glass decorations, breweries and more. And if you have the opportunity to take the tour during Oktoberfest, all the better. The intention is that you remember Germany in a single village.

Between stores and wines, it will be time for lunch. In Helen you will be able to taste its combination of traditional southern gastronomy with German cuisine. And for dessert, try the ice cream with grits, the typical dessert of Georgia that is made in a traditional mill since 1876, the Nora Mill Granary. In the afternoon the tastings and tours of the town continue. 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 the tour.
  • Alcoholic persons are not allowed on the tours. Yes, you will have a few beers or cocktails during this type of tour, 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, even in places like the one at the red phone, formal attire is required.