Two childhood friends from Alpharetta who took up homebrewing in college are turning their hobby into a full-time project with a new brewery in Sandy Springs.
Jack Poole and Chris Shapiro are bringing Mutation Brewing Co. to 5825 Roswell Road, Tomorrow’s News Today first reported. The space was previously home to a location of Taqueria Tsunami that closed in 2020.
Poole told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the brewery, projected to open in December or January, has been in the works for nearly four years. “We wanted to make sure we did things correctly,” he said.
That included finding the perfect location, which he said Sandy Springs provided. Poole said they see the city as a growing business hub looking to “liven the place up” with more food and beverage concepts.
Mutation -- a nod to Poole and Shapiro’s changing career paths and lifestyles -- came about after the pair started homebrewing, making “funkier and funkier” beers, Poole said, including dessert brews and beers made with global ingredients.
They decided they were ready to start their own business after both working in corporate jobs for several years. They earned brewery management certificates and started talking to brewmasters and brewery owners in the area to get tips on running their own brewery.
Mutation’s head brewer is a former SweetWater Brewing employee, but Poole is declining to name the person until the brewery is closer to opening.
Mutation’s beers will not focus on one particular style, according to Poole. While a beer list hasn’t been finalized, expect to see at least eight different brews on tap when Mutation opens, with the goal to get up to 12.
One variety likely to make the cut is the pair’s take on a Chicha beer, a Peruvian drink made with purple corn that will serve as an homage to Shapiro’s mother, a native of Peru.
The brewery’s 10-barrel system will accommodate brewing 40 kegs daily, which Poole said will serve guests in the taproom and will allow for 32-ounce to-go growlers. The brewery will also produce hard seltzers.
Mutation’s tasting room “will look different than most breweries,” Poole said, with a “grey, modern, upscale” aesthetic that will seat about 250 guests between indoor and outdoor spaces. The interior will feature a U-shaped bar that will seat about 30 in addition to dining room space. Food will be provided daily by Roswell barbecue restaurant Spiced Right Ribhouse.
Tucked behind a hidden door, a 700-square-foot speakeasy space with its own bar will be available for rent for private events, with the possibility of opening regularly for the late-night crowd. A private meeting space will also be available to rent.
The 2,200 square feet of outdoor space features a ground-level patio, about one-third of which will be covered. A rooftop bar will feature rope lights and sun sails. The space will be dog-friendly and family-friendly, with kids tables and lawn-style versions of games including Connect Four and Jenga.
Though Poole has high hopes for Mutation’s beers, he said the brewery’s atmosphere is what will help it stand out in a wave of other breweries that have opened in metro Atlanta of late.
“We want to invite a collaborative environment where people can have beer with new people, make friends and have a great time.”
Once open, Mutation’s hours will likely be 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 11:30 a.m.-midnight on Saturdays and noon-8 p.m. on Sundays.
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