Three Taverns Brewery in Decatur celebrated its 10th anniversary last month with a large crowd and a limited-edition barley wine, simply labeled 10, that was aged in bourbon and apple brandy barrels.
Having reached that auspicious milestone, founder Brian Purcell said things at the brewery are “challenging but stable.”
“After 10 years, to see so many people come to celebrate, you realize that we have been a participant in a lot of people’s lives in various ways,” he said.
Beyond the regulars who have supported the brewery for a decade, Purcell is proud of the brewers who have worked with him during that time.
That includes Halfway Crooks Beer co-founder Joran Van Ginderachter, a Belgian brewer who moved to Atlanta and became the first brewmaster at Three Taverns.
“In celebration of our 10th anniversary, and going back to our roots, Joran came over and brewed a beer here,” Purcell said. “So, we had two special beers that we released at the anniversary party.”
Dubbed Tiene Pils, the 10-year anniversary collaboration with Halfway Crooks was brewed in tandem with Three Taverns’ current brewmaster, Neal Engleman, using ingredients from Belgium.
The result is a beautiful, 5% alcohol beer that was fermented under pressure, to create natural carbonation and bring out a balance of crisp malt and bright hop aromas and flavors.
More recently, Three Taverns released Decatur 200 cold pale ale to commemorate Decatur’s 200th birthday.
Credit: Bob Townsend
Credit: Bob Townsend
The city reached out to Three Taverns about brewing a beer to celebrate the bicentennial, Purcell said, “so we said, yes, of course. We used the Decatur logo on the label. It’s been iconic to the city of homes, schools and places of worship, so we thought we’d add a brewery silo.”
Decatur 200 cold pale ale is a hybrid ale, fermented with lager yeast, and is on the lighter side, at just 5% alcohol.
“Of course, one of the hops we used was Centennial for the Decatur bicentennial beer,” Purcell said. “We thought it should be easy to drink and as easy to love as the city of Decatur.”
Purcell is hoping that a lot of the city’s bars and restaurants will have Decatur 200 on tap.
“I love Decatur, I live in Decatur, and so to get a chance during the 200th anniversary to brew a beer to commemorate this place is great,” he said.
“We set out to build a brewery that would be recognized throughout the state, and to be one of the best breweries in our region, for the quality of the beer and the creativity of the beer. So, I’m grateful that we’ve had the people onboard over these 10 years to help me do that. I certainly couldn’t have done it alone.”
Three Taverns Brewery. 121 New St., Decatur. 404-600-3355, threetavernsbrewery.com
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