Atlanta Brewing Co
An Atlanta, Georgia brewery founded in 1993 and known for Red Brick Ale, Laughing Skull Amber Ale, Hoplanta IPA, and other craft beer releases.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Atlanta Brewing Company is a craft brewery based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1993 by Greg Kelly, a former Guinness executive, it is described in reference material as Georgia's oldest brewery. The business began in a converted brick warehouse at 1219 Williams Street, where it installed brewing equipment sourced partly from England, including pine-sided vats, cold tanks, and a large red malt mill that was restored for use in preparing grain. The brewery's early identity was closely associated with its flagship Red Brick Ale, a name that later became the basis for the company's public identity. Production began in 1994, when the brewery made approximately 4,000 barrels. Its early range included Peachtree Pale Ale, Spring Brew, Summer Brew, Winter Brew, Golden Lager, and Kelly's Light. The business developed a portfolio spanning pale ales, lagers, seasonal beers, and darker styles rather than relying on a single flagship product. It also pursued collaborative and custom-brewed projects. In 1996, it worked with a Belgian brewery on Malone's, an imported Belgian beer project. In 1997, it produced Old Testy Coffee Stout for the Sandy Springs Taco Mac location. Its longer-running collaboration with Atlanta's Vortex Bar and Grill produced a beer using the Vortex's Laughing Skull branding; the original version was a dry-hopped Bohemian pilsner that was lagered for an extended period before distribution. Management changed during the 2000s. Bob Budd joined the company as a management consultant in 2005 at the request of investors and became president after Greg Kelly departed in 2006. In 2007, the brewery moved from its Williams Street facility to 2323 Defoor Hills Road in Atlanta. The relocation supported the company's continuing production and packaging operations while preserving its local Atlanta positioning. The company adopted the public name Red Brick Brewing Company in 2010. The change drew on the Red Brick Ale brand and on a commonly repeated Atlanta rebuilding narrative involving the city's recovery after the Civil War. During this period, the company continued to use Red Brick branding across core beers and expanded its specialty output. A 15th Anniversary Ale and subsequent barrel-aged releases helped establish the Brick Mason Series, a line of limited, higher-gravity beers that showcased one-off recipes and barrel-aging work. Laughing Skull underwent a major product change in 2009, moving from its original Bohemian pilsner formulation to a balanced amber ale. By early 2012, it had become the brewery's best-selling beer. Around that time, Red Brick Brown, Red Brick Blonde, Red Brick Pale Ale, and Red Brick Porter were among the brewery's standard offerings. In 2013, a new brewing team began experimenting with more assertive ingredients and flavors and introduced packaging intended to signal the change in direction. The resulting portfolio included Hoplanta IPA, Divine Bovine Chai Milk Stout, Hop Circle India Session Ale, A-Town Brown, and Dog Days Ale, replacing several earlier seasonal products. The company returned to the name Atlanta Brewing Company in August 2018, reversing the 2010 public-name change while retaining the historical importance of the Red Brick identity. Its beers were reported as available in Germany by February 2016, although the brewery's principal market remains the United States. In January 2023, Alton Shields acquired the company. The brewery remains an active Atlanta-based producer with a portfolio that combines core ales, lagers, seasonal or rotating beers, collaborations, and limited barrel-aged releases.
History
Atlanta Brewing Company was established in Atlanta in 1993 by Greg Kelly, a former Guinness executive. Its first facility occupied a converted brick warehouse at 1219 Williams Street. The brewery equipped the site with traditional brewing hardware, including vessels and cold tanks obtained from England. A large red malt mill discovered abandoned in an English meadow was restored and put into service for grain preparation, becoming part of the brewery's distinctive early story. The first year of production was 1994, when output reached about 4,000 barrels. Early beers included Peachtree Pale Ale, Spring Brew, Summer Brew, Winter Brew, Golden Lager, and Kelly's Light. The company built its identity around Red Brick Ale, which ultimately supplied the basis for a later corporate-name change. It also experimented with collaborations and contract-style projects. A 1996 partnership with a Belgian brewery produced Malone's, while a 1997 coffee stout was brewed for the Sandy Springs Taco Mac location. The brewery's most enduring named collaboration was with Atlanta's Vortex Bar and Grill. The original Laughing Skull beer was a dry-hopped Bohemian pilsner lagered for approximately sixty days before release. In 2005, investors brought Bob Budd into the business as a management consultant. He became president in 2006 after Kelly left. The company moved from Williams Street to 2323 Defoor Hills Road in 2007. Its product strategy later expanded beyond traditional core beers through anniversary releases, barrel-aged projects, and the Brick Mason Series of limited high-gravity beers. In 2009, Laughing Skull was reformulated as an amber ale rather than a Bohemian pilsner. The revised beer became the brewery's best seller by early 2012. During this period, the standard range included Red Brick Brown, Red Brick Blonde, Red Brick Pale Ale, and Red Brick Porter. In 2010, the public company name changed to Red Brick Brewing Company. The brewery returned to Atlanta Brewing Company in August 2018. A new brewing team took over operations in 2013 and pursued stronger flavors, new ingredients, and refreshed packaging. The resulting range included Hoplanta IPA, Divine Bovine Chai Milk Stout, Hop Circle India Session Ale, A-Town Brown, and Dog Days Ale. By February 2016, the brewery's beers were also reported to be available in Germany. Alton Shields acquired the company in January 2023. The business remains an active Atlanta brewery focused on core beers, collaborations, seasonal or rotating releases, and specialty barrel-aged products.
- 2023
Alton Shields becomes owner
[1]Alton Shields acquires the brewery in January 2023.
- 2018
Return to Atlanta Brewing Company name
[1]The company restores its former public name in August 2018.
- 2013
New brewing team refreshes the portfolio
[1]A new team introduces more experimental recipes and packaging, including Hoplanta, Divine Bovine, Hop Circle, A-Town Brown, and Dog Days.
- 2010
Public name changes to Red Brick Brewing Company
[1]The brewery adopts the Red Brick Brewing Company name, derived from its Red Brick Ale identity.
- 2009
Laughing Skull is reformulated
[1]Laughing Skull changes from a Bohemian pilsner to an amber ale and later becomes the company's best-selling beer.
- 2007
Relocation to Defoor Hills Road
[1]The brewery moves from Williams Street to 2323 Defoor Hills Road in Atlanta.
- 2006
Bob Budd becomes president
[1]Bob Budd becomes president after serving as a management consultant and following Greg Kelly's departure.
- 1997
Old Testy Coffee Stout is brewed
[1]Atlanta Brewing Company produces Old Testy Coffee Stout for the Sandy Springs Taco Mac location.
- 1996
Malone's collaboration
[1]The brewery works with a Belgian brewery on the Malone's Belgian beer project.
- 1994
First production year
[1]The brewery produces approximately 4,000 barrels during its first year of production.
Products and positioning
An independent Atlanta craft brewery with a heritage-led identity, combining recognizable core beers with experimental recipes, collaborations, and limited barrel-aged releases.
Flagship ale
Red Brick Ale
Red Brick Ale is the beer most closely associated with the brewery's historical identity. Its name inspired the company's temporary adoption of Red Brick Brewing Company as its public name in 2010. The beer helped establish the brewery's early Atlanta-focused brand and remained central to the Red Brick naming system.
Amber ale
Laughing Skull Amber Ale
Laughing Skull began as a collaboration-linked Bohemian pilsner associated with the Vortex Bar and Grill. In 2009, the brewery changed it into a balanced amber ale. The revised version became Atlanta Brewing Company's best-selling beer by early 2012 and uses the Vortex's recognizable Laughing Skull identity.
India pale ale · 2013
Hoplanta India Pale Ale
Hoplanta is an India pale ale that formed part of the brewery's post-2013 portfolio refresh. Its inclusion reflected the new brewing team's interest in more pronounced hop character and contemporary craft-beer flavor profiles.
Session ale · 2013
Hop Circle India Session Ale
Hop Circle is an India session ale introduced during the brewery's more experimental period. It combines a hop-forward positioning with a lighter session-oriented format and was part of the packaging and portfolio changes associated with the 2013 brewing-team transition.
Milk stout · 2013
Divine Bovine Chai Milk Stout
Divine Bovine is a chai milk stout that was formerly known as Sacred Cow. The beer represents the brewery's use of specialty ingredients and dessert- or spice-oriented flavor concepts, and it was among the beers promoted after the 2013 change in brewing direction.
Brown ale · 2013
A-Town Brown Ale
A-Town Brown is a brown ale in the brewery's Atlanta-oriented core and rotating portfolio. It was introduced or repositioned during the 2013 portfolio refresh, which emphasized distinctive flavors while retaining accessible, recognizable ale styles.
Hefeweizen · 2013
Dog Days Hefeweizen
Dog Days is a hefeweizen associated with the brewery's newer generation of packaged beers. It joined the refreshed range alongside Hoplanta, Divine Bovine, Hop Circle, and A-Town Brown as the brewery moved away from some of its earlier seasonal lineup.
Limited high-gravity and barrel-aged beer
Brick Mason Series
The Brick Mason Series is a specialty program of limited releases, often presented in four-packs. It developed after the success of the brewery's barrel-aged 15th Anniversary Ale and has been used for one-off high-gravity recipes and beers highlighting the brewery's barrel-aging program.
Marketing campaigns
- 2013Portfolio and packaging refresh
United States
Following the arrival of a new brewing team, the brewery introduced packaging and a product lineup intended to communicate a more experimental approach to ingredients and flavor.
Outcome. The revised range included Hoplanta IPA, Divine Bovine, Hop Circle, A-Town Brown, and Dog Days.
Brand decisions
2023
Acquisition by Alton ShieldsM&ABackground
The brewery was operating as an established Atlanta craft-beer business with a portfolio of core and specialty products.
Action taken
Alton Shields bought the company in January 2023.
Aftermath
The brewery continued operating under the Atlanta Brewing Company identity.
2018
Return to the Atlanta Brewing Company nameStrategyBackground
The company had used Red Brick Brewing Company as its public name since 2010.
Action taken
In August 2018, it restored the Atlanta Brewing Company name.
Aftermath
The change reconnected the business with its original Atlanta identity while retaining the historical Red Brick product association.
2013
Shift toward experimental craft beersStrategyBackground
A new brewing team took over operations and sought to develop bolder ingredients, flavors, and packaging.
Action taken
The brewery replaced or supplemented earlier seasonal beers with Hoplanta, Divine Bovine, Hop Circle, A-Town Brown, and Dog Days.
Aftermath
The lineup broadened toward hop-forward, specialty, and flavor-driven craft beer styles.
2010
Adoption of the Red Brick Brewing Company nameStrategyBackground
Red Brick Ale had become a central part of the brewery's identity.
Action taken
The company changed its public name from Atlanta Brewing Company to Red Brick Brewing Company.
Aftermath
The brewery operated under the Red Brick name until returning to Atlanta Brewing Company in 2018.
2009
Reformulation of Laughing SkullGeneration changeBackground
The original Laughing Skull was a Bohemian pilsner connected to the Vortex collaboration and branding.
Action taken
The brewery changed the beer to a balanced amber ale.
Aftermath
By early 2012, the revised Laughing Skull had become the brewery's best-selling beer.
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