SweetWater Brewery in Atlanta, Ga. provides KSU students with the opportunity to tour the brewery and have a beer or two.
Located off the corner of Piedmont Road and Monroe Drive in Midtown, Sweetwater is only a short drive on I-75 South from Kennesaw, Ga. Many KSU students travel to SweetWater to enjoy the beer, atmosphere, bands and overall experience that the SweetWater Brewery has to offer.
Senior business finance major Jordan Gotreaux said, “I go sometimes for enjoyment, but I have also gone with some partners for a management class. It was a brilliant decision. We got an A.”
SweetWater originated in Boulder, Colo. by University of Colorado graduates Freddy Bensch and Kevin McNerney. On the road to success, Bensch and McNerney first had college part-time jobs handling kegs on the loading docks of a local brewery.
The boys were not only rewarded with pay but also with free beer. They revived their knowledge in fermentation science while attending the American Brewers Guild, located in California.
Bensch and McNerney decided to make their passion a reality when they moved to Georgia and started the SweetWater Brewery in Atlanta on Fulton Industrial Boulevard in 1996. Shortly after, the phrase “don’t float the mainstream” became their motto and what they based their brewing on.
After 17 years since moving to Georgia, Bensch and McNerney now have their second location in Midtown and have outgrown their expectations.
SweetWater Brewery opens their doors to the public and allows for tours on Wednesday through Saturday, every week. The tours allow around 20 people to look around the brewery and try many different samples of beers. Tours are free; however, tickets are sold for $10, which includes six sample tickets for brews and a pint glass from the SweetWater gift shop.
Some college students that do not enjoy beer have visited the SweetWater Brewery. Dozie Nkemka, a sophomore business major, explains how he enjoys SweetWater Brewery.“I don’t exactly like beer, but I enjoy the experience of going to SweetWater brewery with my friends,” Nkemka said.
At SweetWater, KSU students can always find year round brews: Inda Pale Ale, Blue, Extra Pale Ale 420, Exodus Porter, Georgia Brown and Lowryeder IPA.
Now students can also taste new releases such as Happy Ending, Road Trips, Motor Boat, Festive Ale, Waterkeeper Hefewelzen and Fifteen. Also available are the current “Dank Tank” series, which includes Dank Tank and Crank Tank brews. With all these variations provided by SweetWater, there is always something to quench the thirst of hard working college students.
The SweetWater Brewery provides more than just beer, tours, concerts and festivals to college students. With lots of different beers to taste and social involvement during tours, SweetWater Brewery is an experience that cannot be missed.
