Finding Craft Beer During Masters Week (Taps & Pubs)

@The_Masters is here! Find good Beer while you're in AGS.  

I give this town a bit of a ribbing by calling it "Beer Purgatory".  Truth is, there is plenty of beer here.  But not so much when it comes to craft beer and its culture, as can be found in other major cities.  This is Georgia's second largest city, yet we have no breweries, brewpubs, or homebrew stores.  We are just about to get two new growler fill locations (which will triple our current number...do the math), and we do have a some good bottle shops to speak of.  Taps can certainly be hit or miss.  Craft beer is starting to take over tap handles, but in most places Big Beer is more easily found than Craft beer.

So, if you are coming to Augusta to enjoy the 2014 Masters, and you want to enjoy good Craft Beer, where should you go?  Read on...

TAPS / RESTAURANTS: 

Nearest to Augusta National are the restaurants on Washington Ave between the country club and I-20.  To the best of my knowledge, most of what you are going to find here will be the "best" of Big Beer.  Locations like Somewhere in Augusta, Hooters, and Carrabas are going to have exactly what you expect.  Though SIA does do bottles as well, and has some OK selection especially from GA biggies Sweetwater and Terrapin.  Probably the same for TGI Fridays, Olive Garden, and Outback.  Bonefish occasionally will have an interesting tap, the same with Wild Wing Cafe, and I haven't a clue about either Tbonz Steak House or Rhineharts Oyster Bar.  Let's just put it this way....I have never heard the craft beer enthusiasts recommend any of these for good Craft Beer.  Lastly is Edgar's Grille.  I have not been there, but recently heard that they have a good selection, including Aventinus.  In my mind, if a place serves Aventinus, they are worth a visit.

Just to the south of the country club is Surrey Center (Corner of Highland Avenue/Berkmans Road at Wheeler Road), with a few popular restaurants.  Calvert's Steakhouse, Surrey Tavern, French Market Grille, and Oliviana's Grille offer a variety of food.  What they don't offer however is a wide variety of beer.  Again, pretty standard offerings, though the Tavern has a larger selection of bottles (with Sweetwater/Terrapin).  But for Craft Beer, the lone standout is new arrival Finch & Fifth. 

Finch & Fifth

While the selection is small (only 3 taps and 10+ bottles) it is all craft.  A recent survey found 21st Amendment Monk's Blood, Clown Shoes Clementine, and Uinta Hop Nosh on tap, with bottles of Bell's Two Hearted, Chimay Blue, Clown Shoes Gallactica IPA, Founder's Porter, Cigar City Jai Alai, Lagunitas Little Sumpin', Mother Earth Weeping Wit, Victory Pima Pils, and Stella Artois (OK, maybe it wasn't all craft).  To add to the party they also have both a charcuterie and cheese menu.  Good Craft Beer, smoked meats, and cheese pairings.  Finch & Fifth is definitely a place to go!

A little further south, you can find a trio of places on Central Ave that can provide you good beer.  Helga's Pub and Crums on Central both usually have a pretty good variety of Craft, along with good food to boot.  Additionally you can find Sheehan's Irish Pub.

The Bee's Knees

If you go to Downtown Augusta, which I recommend, there are many places to find alcohol.  Some more respectable than others.  However on the Craft Beer front, there are a handful that rise to the top.  First up is The Bee's Knees, a venerable Tapas eatery (don't miss the Smoked Gouda Nachos!) that always has a fresh assortment of good Craft Beer on 6 taps and numerous bottle selections.  Check them out and you won't be disappointed. 

Craft & Vine

Farmhaus Burger

Coming in right behind them are a trio of restaurants founded by the same ownership.  Frog Hollow Tavern, Farmhaus Burger, and the new Craft & Vine. With both Frog Hollow and Craft & Vine, you are going to find upscale (locally sourced) dining and cocktail experiences.  I am not sure of the current selection at the former, but C&V does offer a pretty good Craft Beer selection with 6 taps and 10+ bottles.  No Big Beer here.  Next door at Farmhaus Burger (again locally sourced) you will also find a good selection of Craft Beer with 6 taps and numerous cans.  Not only do these three use locally sourced produce, but they also feature some of the smaller craft breweries in Georgia, like Monday Night, Red Brick, and Wild Heaven.

Other notables downtown are Stillwater Taproom, Boar's Head Public House (including British ale served in imperial pints), the Whiskey Bar, Metro Pub & Coffeehouse, and new arrival O'Donovans Irish Pub.  Metro and O'Donovan's both are doing a solid for Georgia craft beer, with Monday Night Brewing and Red Hare, and Red Hare and Southbound Brewing respectively.  Last but not least are the two big local pizza restaurants, Mellow Mushroom (15 major label taps) and Pizza Joint (30 mostly major label taps, along with Georgia's Eagle Creek and Southbound).  Both also have locations up in Evans, so more on them later.

Near the I-20/520 Interchange is Robert C. Daniel Parkway which is home to numerous restaurants and stores.  If you are in the area, your best bet for Craft Beer can be found at either the Carolina Ale House, or Buffalo Wild Wings.  The Ale House as 40-50 taps with usually a good Craft representation.  The same can be said for BWW and their 30 or so taps.  Both places of course have plenty of TVs and pub food.  Also of note, is the Limelight Cafe, with a good number of Craft taps on hand, but be prepared for a smokey environs.

Further up Washington Ave in the town of Evans, where a lot of Masters patrons will rent houses for the week.  While there are many places to eat, there are not too many places that one will find a good Craft variety.  Probably the best is the second location of the Pizza Joint.  Over 30 taps taps with a good rotation, to include the newest "local" brew, the excellent Eagle Creek Pale Ale and Blonde out of Statesboro, GA.  Further up the road you will find better pizza (IMHO) at the second Mellow Mushroom.  MM-Evans has roughly a dozen taps, and a good selection of bottles.

Aiken Brewing Co.

Like a good number of folks, you might be staying up in Aiken, SC.  While I don't get up there very often, it is the home of the regions one and only brewpub.  The Aiken Brewing Company features a line-up of 5 beers brewed on premises, and full menu.  The tap offerings are constantly rotating from their stable of 19 brews.  If you are up in horse country, visit downtown Aiken and check them out.

About an hour north of Augusta on I-20, you will find the capital of SC, Columbia.  Being a capital city, they have numerous locations for Craft Beer consumption.  In the downtown area, you can find Flying Saucer, World of Beer, Liberty Taproom, Hunter Gatherer, Thirsty Fellow, as well as another Mellow Mushroom.  An embarrassment of riches...

Keg Cowboy

Finally, just south of Columbia is Lexington, SC.  Just off of I-20, you will find two gems in this small hamlet.  First is Keg Cowboy, which is half homebrew store, half pub/growler station.  Constantly rotating taps with high quality Craft.  Also in town is the newly opened Old Mill Brewpub.  Early reports have them serving a few of their own brews, as well as up to 20 more taps and many more bottles.  Sounds like a good place for lunch!

So that was a brief rundown of beer reality in the CSRA.  There are certainly lots of places around here to eat that can get you a beer, but not all that many that can serve you a good Craft Beer.

Next up....Bottle Shops!