location: chamblee, georgia
website: contrastartisianales.com
this is one that’s caught my eye for quite some time. not sure why it took us so long to get here, but we chose this spot because it was in range of a jeep ride from our weekend hike, + riding in the jeep is always a fam-favorite. contrast is one of the first i’ve seen that made beer brewed with coffee + since those are my two most preferred drinks of choice–craft beer + small-batch coffee– it’s been high on my list to get a taste. obviously with this trip happening in the summer, the dark beers were not in-season, but it was all the more intriguing to see what they were doing + offering with seasonal flavors. this is one of the many things i admire about small breweries; it keeps me curious to come back again.
the location captured my interest as well, as this neatly packaged micro-brewery can be found in the newly revitalized downtown chamblee, tucked behind a bagel shop that is our favorite, maybe in the whole of atlanta–shout out to the bronx bagel buggy! we like “the veggie” on rosemary salt bagel, but their menu is full of delicious freshly-made options–don’t skip the bialy bomb if you’re really hungry.
the first impression at contrast was fantastic + neither the building design nor the beer disappointed. the space is a small to-go counter, behind garage doors akin to a walk up window at an urban eatery, with a few tables + chairs inside + out in the parking lot as well as a bunch of picnic tables under the trees adjacent to the brewery. the set up of the operation includes their brew tanks within view, kegs + cans in coolers + offers ample space for imbibing at the bar or nearby tables, yet it’s compact + efficiently arranged in such a way that underscores the polished brand + beers served here.
the vibe was giving a laid back parking-lot-party type of experience that seamlessly fit with the brand we had seen prior to visiting: a no frills, no nonsense place to grab a really well crafted beer. on this trip we settled on tasting two of their seasonal brews:
both were perfectly refreshing summer beverages that provided just what the humid father’s day afternoon called for. this is a spot we’ll surely add to our rotation as the new-age urban watering hole it is, for a laid back stop by after a long day. we’re already planning a trip back as soon as the coffee-infused brews return to the lineup, if not before!
do you ever find yourself enjoying food/drink at a place + think “i love these glasses”? this is something mc + i do a lot of, because we acknowledge that details that may seem minor or are otherwise overlooked have the power to elevate even the most mundane experiences + this is the sort of thing that stands out to us wherever we go + keeps us on the hunt for what inspires. hopefully we’ve been able to share a peek inside our designer brains here… check back for more again soon!
as a final design note: we love to share a good logo/branding + we found this one equally clean as it is interesting + meaningful. we enjoyed reading more about the brewmaster’s concept behind contrast artisan ales + look forward to our next post-hike cool down here in the near future. we hope you might join us!
cheers!
pencil + ink creative 