USA, GA: Pontoon Brewing breaks ground in Sandy Springs

When Georgia law changes this fall to allow microbreweries to sell beer on their premises, the Perimeter area will finally have its own neighborhood brewery. On Friday, Aug. 18, the founders of Pontoon Brewing broke ground at a site in Northridge Business Park on Dunwoody Place in Sandy Springs, Dunwoody Crier reported on August 22.

The fruition of a dream of four college friends – Eddie Serrine, Eric Lemus, Sean O’Keefe and Marcus Powers – who have been home brewing for years, the deal would not have happened if the city of Sandy Springs had not rewritten its ordinances.

“They first approached us in the fall of 2016,” said Sandy Springs Director of Economic Development Andrea Worthy. “Our ordinances were not clear on whether or not microbreweries were allowed.”

Worthy and her team quickly went to work, rewrote the city code by creating a microbrewery category and presented it to City Council, where it was approved, all in 60 days.

“This is the kind of business we want to attract,” said Worthy. “Any time you can get a growing entrepreneurial business popular with residents and tourists, it’s a win-win for everyone.”

“It’s transformational for this part of our community,” said Mayor Rusty Paul. “It’s a part we want to put more emphasis on.”

Microbreweries, which brew and serve custom-designed beer on the premises, are a popular trend throughout the country. Unlike brew pubs, they serve no food. Passionate craft-beer fans visit microbreweries much like wine connoisseurs visit wineries. The trend is so acceptable that when Sandy Springs held the required public hearings before passing the microbrewery ordinance, there was zero public opposition.

Though microbreweries have been sprouting up all over metro Atlanta, Pontoon Brewing will be the first microbrewery in the Perimeter area.

“We want to be the brewery the neighbors go to,” said Sean O’Keefe, the only partner of the four who will work full-time at the brewery.

In fact, following another national trend, Pontoon Brewing will be a family-friendly brewery.

“On weekends, we want people to come and bring their kids and their dogs,” said O’Keefe, referring to his own dog, a pug, and partner Marcus Powers’ Great Dane. “It’s a misconception that you have to be over 21 to enter a brewery. We’re also going to brew my uncle’s root beer for kids.”

Unlike places serving food, a brewery can allow dogs in the tap (tasting) room. A brewery can also have activities for children, which will also be on the agenda.

“We all have families. So, we’ll do more than brew beer,” said O’Keefe. “We’ll be offering tours and tastings, growler and crowler sales, events and tailgates, trolley rides and much, much more.”

Another thing that will appeal to families is the Pontoon Brewing mascot, an otter, which will appear in a wading pool at the grand opening later in the fall.

“We’re selling the pontoon lifestyle,” said O’Keefe. “No one uses a pontoon boat to go fast. You do it to hang out on the water and relax. Likewise, otters are playful, floating on their back, playing with their food.”

Currently without a physical location, the company has been making its beer using contract brewers since 2014. Its unique craft beers are sold widely at grocery stores, restaurants and pubs throughout Atlanta.

One of its most popular beers is Freedom Bird American Strong Ale, which, according to the company website, “exemplifies what it means to be an American: strong, independent and unapologetically patriotic … bold cocoa, smoky and grassy flavors [that] make for a marriage of sweetness balanced with a touch of Chinook hops.”

The specificity with which the beers are described is but one indication that the owners of Pontoon Brewery take their brew seriously.

Work on the site buildout began officially on Monday, August 21, with a grand opening scheduled for late October-early November.

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