Sweetwater Brewing Company - Sweetwater Exodus Porter

Sweetwater Exodus Porter is brewed with a combination of 2-row pale, crystal, munich, and chocolate malts as well as a touch of malted wheat to add to the beer’s head retention. The lads hop it op with both Centennial and Goldings hops. Despite being dark in color, the Sweetwater Exodus Porter has a medium body and a distinct chocolate character. It is a very drinkable beer that should be consumed at a warmer temperature than normal.

How do three friends with a shared passion for great beer set out to make it on their own? Well, they move halfway across the country from Colorado to Atlanta with a plan to raise over a million dollars to open a new brewery.

Why would three good friends make such a sacrifice? Well, the answer is two-fold. First, Colorado continues to be the top market in the country for microbrewed beers. It leads the country in many brewing categories, including most breweries per capita, most number of individual beers available for sale and most barrels of beer produced annually. For someone looking to open a new brewery, a state with a few less breweries would certainly be a safer investment.

That’s where Georgia comes in to the picture. Georgia is presently ranked 48th in the nation for breweries per capita, which leaves plenty of room for a new guy. When you’ve got a million dollars on the line, sometimes you have to make a few sacrifices!

The Sweetwater Brewery officially opened on February 17th, 1997 and quickly began winning over the taste buds of beer lovers all over Georgia. For anyone in the brewing industry, this came as no surprise.

Fredrick Bensch, Sweetwater’s master brewer, had repeatedly proven himself at the Oasis Brewery, Rockies Brewery, Mile High Brewing Company and at the Marin Brewing Company. If you aren’t familiar with these breweries, they are some of the more respected breweries in the country. Marin holds literally dozens of Gold Medals from the Great American Beer Festival.

Kevin McNerney, Sweetwater’s head brewer, had already turned heads brewing for Rockies Brewery, Avery Brewing Company and Mammoth Brewing Company. And Matt Patterson, the final piece in the puzzle, had helped put Breckenridge Brewery on the map as their Western Regional Sales Manager.

With their combined knowledge of the brewing industry, this was a brewery bound for greatness. Being the second most decorated brewery in the world at the 1998 World Beer Cup certainly proves that they have achieved that goal.

For those who reside in or are planning to visit the Atlanta area, The Sweetwater Brewery opens its doors on Monday afternoons at 4:20PM to the public. Stop by and meet the guys, have a beer, and take a tour of the brewery.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (404) 691-2537 or check out their web site at www.sweetwaterbrew.com.