The long-awaited Three Taverns Imaginarium is slated to open this weekend at the Atlanta Dairies development on Memorial Drive in Grant Park.
The Imaginarium, which will open at noon on Oct. 17, is an extension of Decatur’s Three Taverns Brewery and will be “equal parts laboratory, brewery, and tasting room,” according to a news release. “An ancient cabinet of curiosities inspired the unique design and will welcome those with a predilection for the unpredictable.”
The brewery’s 10-barrel pilot brew system will enable Three Taverns brewers to experiment with different flavor profiles while also continuing to make established favorites. There will be six to eight of its core beers on tap, with a rotating list of 16 to 18 experimental beers, including juicy and hazy IPAs, using different styles, ingredients and brewing techniques.
As a nod to its location at Atlanta Dairies, the Imaginarium will use milk sugar in some of its beers including the Dairies Milk Stout, fruit and cream sours and milkshake IPAs. The Imaginarium also plans to offer small food plates from rotating kiosks or pop-up stations.
The brewery will offer indoor and outdoor seating on each of its two levels. Customers can also purchase beers from the brewery’s to-go window and drink on the patio or in the Atlanta Dairies communal yard.
To ensure proper social distancing inside the tasting room, the brewery will limit the number of guests inside by assigning people to tables and requiring masks unless seated and drinking beer.
The Imaginarium’s space, which was concepted by Metaleap Creative and designed by architectural firm Square Feet Studios, “draws inspiration from the scientific world of centuries past: laboratories, apothecaries, and cabinets of curiosities, where collectors would proudly put their experiments and discoveries on display,” according to the press release.
The design “embodies those lush hideaways where every square inch is meant to be a visual escape hatch into the imagination,” Metaleap Creative’s Jose Reyes said in a prepared statement. Look for neon inside and out and custom-designed wallpaper and typograph among the design elements.
Three Taverns owner Brian Purcell said the historical significance of the Atlanta Dairies site, its tenant list and its proximity to the Eastside Beltline trail made the location a good fit for the Imaginarium. He also referenced Dairies' retained industrial feel, along with the fact that the first craft beer brewers constructed brewing systems from used dairy equipment.
“We have a love and reverence for history at Three Taverns, and with so many touchpoints to the past, in Georgia and beyond, continuing the industrial tradition that defined this place for so long is inspiring and provides a deeper sense of place and purpose,” Purcell said in a prepared statement.
Three Taverns, which opened its Decatur location in 2013, initially announced its plans for the Imaginarium in late 2018. It will join other Atlanta Dairies tenants including diner Wonderkid and Dairies Coffeehouse and Cold Brew Bar. The Paces Properties-owned site is also set to welcome a live music venue with a rooftop bar and a barbecue restaurant in the coming months.
The Imaginarium’s hours will be 3-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday and noon-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 1-8 p.m. Sunday.
777 Memorial Drive, Atlanta. threetavernsbrewery.com/theimaginarium
This story has been updated to reflect the Oct. 17 opening date for the Three Taverns Imaginarium.
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