The first premise-own brewery in Avondale Estates is opening today.
The Lost Druid Brewery, which previewed some of its beers earlier this month at the May Ham Fest, is set to open today at 11:55 a.m. with a grand opening and summer solstice party.
The 6,800 square-foot venue features the brewery, a cellar/wood-aging facility, kitchen, taproom and upstairs mezzanine with private event space, along with both front and rear pet-friendly patios. Extensive landscaping and bike racks can be found throughout the brewery grounds. The taproom plans to feature more than 20 frequently changing taps, with 12 taps served directly from the tanks that are visible behind a glass wall on the rear of the 43-foot long bar.
"Own premise" breweries make a majority of their revenue from sales at the brewery itself. Prior to recent changes in Georgia's beer laws, breweries were required to sell their product only through highly-regulated distributors.
Lost Druid was founded by Stacia Familo-Hopek and Robert Hopek, who have been married for more than 22 years and bought the space in 2017.
“We are excited to be opening after completing our ground-up construction and believe our regularly changing tap selection and shareable plate menu items, including items expertly paired with our beers, will give our guests a relaxing place to visit and enjoy something new on a regular basis,” Stacia said in a press release. “We are building an awesome team and look forward to continuing our journey here in Avondale Estates.”
Stacia, who has a Ph.D. in industrial organized psychology, and who worked for years in the corporate world, told the AJC in 2017 that Avondale is an ideal location for the brewery because it's opening itself up to more pedestrian traffic.
The brewery will only sell the Lost Druid brand. They won’t do any bottling or canning but after the first nine months will distribute their beer to selected area restaurants that are “beer oriented.” The Lost Druid will also have a kitchen serving items including charcuterie, cheese boards, sandwiches and salads.
Stacia said the name originates from their readings about the ancient Druids.
2866 Washington St., Avondale Estates. 404-998-5679, thelostdruid.com/
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