This GA Brewery Is Among 30 Best In U.S., Beer Pros Say

GEORGIA — A brewery in Georgia is among the 30 best breweries in the country, according to a new survey of beer writers and others who know a good beer when they drink it and the value having a craft brewery brings to a community.

VinePair, an online media company covering wine, spirits and beer culture, asked 30 beer pros — writers, educators, historians, community leaders, authors and a cartoonist — to name the best breweries in the country.

The panel’s choices, released Tuesday, range from long-time favorites to hot new arrivals, and from high-volume producers and neighborhood taprooms, VinePair said.

Here's what the judging panel wrote about the Peach State brewery honored:

Good Word Brewing in Duluth, GA: "Good Word Brewing is a shining example of how a brewery can transcend beer to build community. From almost day one, owner Todd DiMatteo has worn many hats — brewing beer, running social media, and managing the space — all while fostering an atmosphere that’s warm, inviting, and brimming with connection. Good Word excels at creating unique experiences, and its festivals are a testament to Todd’s creativity and passion. Little Beer celebrates low-ABV beers, drawing top-tier producers nationwide, while Les Bon highlights the beauty of saisons paired with oysters. Next year, Todd plans to debut a festival celebrating clear IPAs, women’s arm wrestling, and heavy metal — because why not? The beer and food at Good Word are crafted with care and intention. Their beer dinners, which often sell out, are about more than just indulgence; they’re an opportunity to bring people together.” — Written by Stephanie Grant, content creator and founder of The Share, a community for women and non-binary POCs, Atlanta, Ga.

“These picks echo some of the big changes that are currently ripping through the beer world,” VinePair’s Evan Rail wrote, explaining the beer world moves in cycles and trends, much like booms in seen in hard seltzer, glitter beer and brut IPA. “Some of what used to be celebrated no longer holds the same cachet, while once famous names might not have the same status they did a few years ago.”

Currently, there are 9,736 small and independent breweries in operation nationwide, according to the Brewers Association’s 2024 Year In Beer report. About 400 closed this year as the craft beer industry hits “a plateau at best,” Rail wrote, adding, “The days of comparing craft brewers to rock stars and constant double-digit craft brewery growth are clearly behind us.”

The craft beer industry is tightening, Bart Watson, vice president of strategy and membership for the Brewers Association, said in the group’s Dec. 10 report.

“Craft has been going through a painful period of rationalization as demand growth has slowed and retailers and distributors look to simplify their offerings or add options for flavor and variety outside of the craft category,” he said, adding:

“That said, breweries have reacted to these changes by focusing on distribution, continuing to innovate in their taprooms and brewpubs, creating groups and partnerships, and offering a wider range of beverages in their portfolios.”

It’s not “all gloom and doom,” Rail wrote, adding the list shows “there are inspired — and inspiring — beer makers all around the country, in all sizes, serving their communities with one great beer after another.”