My Favorite Atlanta Craft Brewery For Out-Of-The-Box Beers

Finding good beer in Atlanta isn't a particularly onerous task. Throw a rock down any side street off the Beltline and you're sure to hit a perfectly delightful brewery with great tunes or a brewpub with a great food menu. That said, I'm always on the hunt for breweries that can offer me something different (I suffered through too many hangouts in my early 20s hanging off a blistering, weather-worn bench at one of Atlanta's hot, new breweries, sipping a bitter, hoppy IPA). Guess what? I found a brewery that isn't afraid to go beyond the pale (ale) and really experiment.

Located just off the Beltline within Atlanta Dairies is a magical place called Three Taverns Imaginarium, a spinoff of the original Three Taverns Brewing (now known as Three Taverns Parlour) in Decatur, Georgia. Like the Parlour, the beers are fantastic and plentiful at the Imaginarium, but it isn't simply a sister location to the chain's original brewery. It's more of a playground to explore experimental brews, which is why I love it. Every time I come here I try something new, and find something new to love. Here, you find stouts, sours, and pilsners aplenty, plus some truly unexpected combinations that are sure to make you a regular at this Atlanta mainstay.

What makes Three Taverns Imaginarium so great is its variety. You can come here 10 times and be met with 10 different beer menus. This is a definite plus, especially if, like me, you get bored with the same old, same old. However, this does make it tricky to give recommendations for potential visitors — today's suggestion might not be available in a day, a week, a month, or a year. That said, I'd like to highlight a few brews I've enjoyed to give you an idea of what the brewery offers.

I'm biased towards sours and goses, two similar, but distinct, beer varieties, so the Lord Grey was a particular standout for me. This beer is an Earl Grey tea sour, a slightly floral, aromatic, and tart brew that satisfied my inner tea aficionado. I also adored the Ukiyo, a Japanese lager made with rice and jasmine tea that's a total departure from the typical brewery beer. The beautiful, delicate taste was totally unexpected, but somehow just made sense. This is what Three Taverns Imaginarium is best at: transforming seemingly disparate, incompatible parts to make a drink that comes together in absolute harmony.

While I enjoy sours and tea-infused brews, these aren't the bread and butter of the Imaginarium — milk is. Many of the beers at this location are inspired by milk and dairies because of the building's history as a dairy, and the history of the building complex (Atlanta Dairies) in which the Imaginarium is located. To pay tribute to this history, the brewery uses lactose to make a selection of its sumptuous milk stouts, milkshake IPAs, and some truly delicious fruit and cream sours.

The brewery's founder, Brian Purcell, also acknowledged the intermingled history of breweries and dairies. He remarked on this special relationship in a press release, noting that "The earliest craft beer pioneers were left to construct their own brewing systems from used dairy equipment, which are still in use in some breweries today."

While you won't find any hodgepodge beer-making at this hip brewery, you should feel the impact of history within its grounds. The brewery features a rich, color-drenched interior with Art Deco touches and industrial elements that come together to form a drinking experience that feels more elevated than other breweries in the area. So, come to the Imaginarium, and feel like you've been transported to a better, tastier world.

Visit Three Taverns Imaginarium at 777 Memorial Dr SE, Suite B103, Atlanta, Georgia, 30316.