“We’re looking forward to some great spring weather and drinking some beer,” Watts said.
While local breweries such as Creature Comforts and Southern Brewing reopened their tasting room doors to customers last summer, Terrapin hasn’t been open to the public in more than 390 days while it has continued distribution and curbside service.
The brewery officially reopens its tasting room at 3 p.m. Friday for the first time since March 14 of last year when it shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We feel with cases going down and with vaccinations going up, and we do have a large outside area,” said Terrapin co-founder and brewmaster Spike Buckowski. “I think we could safely reopen our doors and welcome everyone back in so that they can enjoy our beer and the sunshine and enjoy a good time.”
As Athens restaurants, bars and eateries adjust to social distancing requirements and changing policies during the coronavirus pandemic, their operations change frequently. Hereâs this weekâs roundup of restaurant news. Donât forget to stay up to date on hours of operations, service options and contact information with our comprehensive restaurant guide.
Classic City Eats has new hours
The new Watkinsville location of a once local favorite opened its doors last week. Classic City Eats is open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m. for both takeout and dine-in. There are some new menu items â like flatbreads and sliders â but there are staples known from the former Baxter Street location, too.
Chris Starrs
Owing to popular demand and a sense of history, Athens-based Terrapin Beer Co. recently announced the limited-release return of its first product, the celebrated Rye Pale Ale.
“For us, this is nostalgia, because this is what put us on the map,” said Spike Buckowski, brew master and co-founder of Terrapin, on Friday afternoon. “For us to bring it back is very special.”
Buckowski, who along with John Cochran established Terrapin in 2002, said Rye Pale Ale began life in his home, and the product turned out to be a hot commodity from the very beginning.
“I had been brewing Rye Pale Ale in my basement before I became a professional brewer, and after brewing school and working at a professional brewery and finally starting Terrapin back in 2002, that’s what we launched with,” he said.
Jan 22, 2021
ATHENS, GEORGIA - Can I Recycle This (CIRT) is teaming up with Terrapin Beer Co. and Marine Debris Tracker (Debris Tracker) to keep valuable recyclables out of landfills and our environment. The partnership will bring CIRT’s technology, GiGi, to millions of Americans, helping to inform their purchasing decisions, and answer the often-asked question, “Can I recycle this?” Through the circular materials management expertise of CIRT, the partnership will develop a sustainable, data-driven, and end-of-life focused design and supply chain for Terrapin’s products and packaging. Debris Tracker offers the longest standing and most respected data collection tool for litter, while empowering companies, groups or individuals to collect data on what they find or clean up from our environment.