Chase Medlin will open a second location of his Chamblee brewery Contrast Artisan Ales in Marietta later this summer.
The tasting room and fermentarium will occupy space four doors down from Brian So’s new Korean restaurant Bōm at a strip of businesses being redeveloped along Church Street in downtown Marietta.
Medlin, the former head brewer of Twain’s Brewpub & Billiards in Decatur, opened Contrast Artisan Ales on Peachtree Road at the end of 2018. At the time, the brewery focused on high-gravity beers where the alcohol-by-volume (ABV) level tends to be higher than 8 percent. Medlin has since shifted to brewing lower ABV lagers, stouts, sours, and hoppier beers.
He says Contrast in Marietta will mainly be a tasting room and another fermenting location for beers brewed in Chamblee. Look for between 10 and 16 beers on tap. Snacks like charcuterie and cheeses sourced from The Local Peach in Norcross will also be available.
The Marietta location will feature a stepped layout spread out over three levels. Medlin tapped local architecture firm Gentle Works, which designed the space for Halfway Crooks Brewing in Summerhill.
The first level will be light and airy with plants, built-in six tops, custom-made furniture, and a mix of wood and metal elements. Stepping down to the next level via a small ramp will bring people into a space with a checkerboard floor, table seating, and a U-shape banquette. A merch area will be off to the side. Stepping down again, the third level will feature a bar with seating and a similar checkerboard tile design, along with dark walnut and painted metal elements. Murals and local art will adorn the walls.
“I really like Bridger’s redevelopment of Church Street, especially having seen what they did in Charlotte at the Optimist Hall food hall and Fonta Flora Brewery,” Medlin says of opening in Marietta. “I like the projects they’ve been involved with and wanted to align with that kind of intentionality.”
Joining Contrast Artisan Ales and Bōm at the Church Street development will be a seventh location of 7 Tequilas Mexican Restaurant and the third location of Atlanta cheesesteak institution Woody’s Cheesesteaks. All four establishments should open by the fall.
Spearheaded by Bridger Properties, the Church Street development project will see several historic buildings renovated and transformed into new retail and restaurant spaces. The existing parking lot will become a communal park, with the current service alleyway transforming into another outdoor space just north of Marietta’s historic town square.
