Macon Magazine

MACON BEER COMPANY The oldest brewery in Macon began brewing again in 2013, the first to do so after Prohibition, in a former industrial plant on Oglethorpe Street. "The original building now serves as the distribution center for the new brewery, distillery, restaurant and beer garden, which is located on Second Street," said owner Yash Patel. "I like the communal aspect of coming together with friends in a nice beer garden and enjoying a cold beer. It's these aspects that escalated my current interest in the industry." The Second Street store-front is the former home of Independent Laundry, a commercial coin-operated laundromat. A lifelong resident of Macon, Patel considers Macon Beer Company to be Macon's hometown beer. "Macon Beer helped spark the culture of craft beer in Macon," he said. "Our distinction is that we don't really chase beer trends, but focus on classic styles of beer. We do experiment, but we believe that beer should be beer and not a candy drink." Although they craft their own bourbon, vodka, gin and rum, beer always will be their staple, and Macon Love is their signature brew. OCMULGEE BREWPUB The Ocmulgee Brewpub building on Second Street was originally a goat cart repair shop, then a hardware store, sporting goods store, bike store and finally a barbecue restaurant prior to Nate and Kaitlynn Kressin moving in. Kaitlynn is a native Maconite, and Nate is from Ohio. After the pair met in college, they fell in love with "quirky Macon," and decide to make it home. "Nate opened Just Tap'd in 2014, which pitched him head-first into learning about beer across the country," Kaitlynn said. Shortly thereafter, the idea of a brewpub began to ferment, and in 2016 the taps were flowing. Kaitlynn credits much of the success of Ocmulgee Brewpub to their brew master, Doug Evans, and their culinary staff, who prepares some of Macon's most delicious burgers. "Doug enjoys traditional brewing styles and perfecting age-old recipes," Kaitlynn said. "Ocmulgee's flagship IPA beer, Muscogee Curse, is traditional yet full of hoppy goodness. Our customers love it, and if we can keep them in Macon and coming back, great!" MUSCOGEE CURSE: Balanced IPA with a good citrus and melon taste. Tangerine, blueberry and passionfruit make up the aroma and the subtle nuances of this beer. Not overly bitter with lots of hop flavors. "Macon Love is what I consider to be our signature beer," Patel said. "It is the one that brought recognition to our brewery. It is beautiful in color, and absolutely delicious." MACON LOVE: A cherry wine profile mellows the rye's sharp complexities with a dry fruitiness that isn't too sweet. This blonde rye ale with cheerful pink foam was originally brewed to celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival. DECEMBER/JANUARY 2021 | maconmagazine.com 39

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