StillFire taps the Village Green for its second location.
By Cory Sekine-Pettite
Casual readers/viewers of the news may have been told of the steady decline of the U.S. beer market over the past few years, but a deeper dive into the numbers tells a different story. According to the Brewers Association, while overall U.S. beer production and imports were down 1 percent in 2024, and craft brewer volume sales dropped by 4 percent, retail dollar sales of craft beer increased 3 percent, to $28.8 billion. And the U.S. beer market as a whole is valued at $117 billion — a 1-percent upturn from 2023. A modest increase is still an increase.
A craft brewer is defined as a small business where less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by a beverage alcohol industry member that is not itself a craft brewer. Among the criteria defined by the Brewers Association, craft brewers demonstrate the following characteristics:
- The hallmark of craft beer and craft brewers is innovation. Craft brewers interpret historic styles with unique twists and develop new styles that have no precedent.
- Craft beer is generally made with traditional ingredients like malted barley; interesting and sometimes non-traditional ingredients are often added for distinctiveness.
- Craft brewers have distinctive, individualistic approaches to connecting with their customers.
- Craft brewers maintain integrity by what they brew and their general independence, free from a substantial interest by a non-craft brewer.
- The majority of Americans live within 10 miles of a craft brewer.
Surprisingly (at least to this writer), Vermont leads the nation in the number of craft breweries per capita (per 100,000 people). However, Georgia still is blessed with a multitude of award-winning craft brewers, one of which currently is building out its first location in Cobb County. Suwanee-based StillFire Brewing’s new brewery on the Village Green in Smyrna is scheduled open by the end of February. If you’ve spent any time in the Jonquil City, then you certainly have noticed the building’s construction in a prominent location along Atlanta Road. With the grand opening approaching, Cobb In Focus spoke with StillFire’s Chief Operating Officer, Aaron Bisges, to get the lowdown.
“We are tentatively planning our Grand Opening for Saturday, February 28th contingent on completion of construction — fingers crossed, but looking good right now! Our Grand Opening will be a huge celebration with live bands all day, food, giveaways, specials, and 97.1 The River broadcasting on location,” Bisges said.
StillFire’s story began in 2011 when Randall and Angela Veugeler turned their love for craft beer into the Suwanee American Craft Beer Fest. This annual festival soon gained national prominence, and this is where the Veugelers met nationally recognized home brewer Phil Farrell. Together, along with former lawyer Bisges, the group soon would turn a former Gwinnett County fire station into their dream craft brewery. In October 2019, StillFire Brewing opened for business.
Since then, the company has churned out multiple, award-winning beers and garnered an international reputation for brewing some of the best beers in the world. Among its winning concoctions are the Orange Diva, a blood orange wheat ale; Kilt Chamberlain, a Scotch ale; Dark Moo’d, an imperial stout; and Glory Haze, a hazy IPA. Beer enthusiasts can look for these — as well as some Smyrna exclusives — when the new location opens.
“While we will obviously have our familiar brews that have a following from Suwanee, we will keep a rotating supply of Smyrna-exclusive beers that will tie into the demand of the community,” Bisges said. “We have a production license to make beer, wine, and spirits on-site, and all three will be produced and sold there,” he continued. “There is also a walk-up window kitchen for permanent food on-site that will be serving authentic street-style tacos and Mexican food.”
According to Bisges, the total space is 25,000 square feet, with half of that dedicated to beer/spirits production. The customer space includes a main level taproom; a large, covered beer garden; a barrel room for private events; a walk-out balcony overlooking the production area; patios; and a 4,000-square-foot rooftop with fire pits, large TVs, and full bar.
The City of Smyrna has never had a space like this to call its own, and Bisges said when StillFire was looking to expand on the opposite side of the Perimeter from its original location, they knew exactly where to look. “I am originally from Cobb County — Kennesaw to be exact — and moved back here to Smyrna (walking distance of the new brewery) in 2021 in anticipation of the new build-out,” Bisges said. “We first approached the city about this location in early 2021, with planning, development, land acquisition, and funding taking us a few years.”
Among the many attributes that drew StillFire to Smyrna, the city’s proximity to The Battery Atlanta and Truist Park was definitely a factor, Bisges added, saying he has been working with the City of Smyrna closely to help bring more traffic to the downtown Smyrna developments. In the near future, StillFire intends to offer a shuttle service between downtown Smyrna and the ballpark during Braves games.
Additionally, Bisges said the new taproom will be more than just a brewery; it will be a place for events, parties, celebrations, gatherings of all kinds. It will dog- and kid-friendly, something that many places do not offer. There will be live music every weekend, and the open-air rooftop is unique to this location.
“StillFire will be an option of hopefully many that will drive traffic to downtown Smyrna area,” Bisges said. “We believe in partnering with our neighbors to help benefit the local economy. So far, we have partnered with Rev Coffee, Atkins Park, Beto’s Tacos, to name a few. We are always open to local collaborations.
“We have a wonderful relationship with the city, and quite frankly none of this would have been possible without them,” he added. “Namely, Mayor Norton, the City Council, Andrea Worthy with Economic Development, and the entire City development team have helped us clear many hurdles to make this dream a reality.”
When asked what sets StillFire apart from the competition — other than a growing collection of medals and trophies — Bisges said: “We focus on community, loyalty, and quality. We have our own foundation (Find Your Fire Foundation) which we founded in 2021 that allows us to raise money and awareness to hyper-local initiatives and give back to the community that supports us.
“…[We] have a rotating calendar of themed events and parties for everyone to enjoy,” he continued. “We will have wine, beer, and batched cocktails, and our Brew Master (Phil Farrell) is a world-renowned craft beer maker, being awarded over 70 medals from all over the world in our six-plus years of operating.”
If you are interested in being more than just a customer, Bisges says StillFire plans to hire 10 full-time and 70 part-time employees. You can learn more on the jobs page of their website at stillfirebrewing.com/jobs. See you at the grand opening!
StillFire By The Numbers
Years in business: Six. Opened in Suwanee in October of 2019.
Number/style of beers available: StillFire has brewed over 200 unique beers and always keep 24+ on tap at any given time, rotating seasonally throughout the year.
Awards won: 70+ awards (and growing), including medals at the Great American Beer Festival, World Beer Cup, the US Open, Brewery of the Year at the New York International Beer Competition three years in a row, and many more. A full list can be viewed on their website.
Total glasses of beer poured: StillFire pours about 20,000 pints per month, or approximately 1.5 million beers total since opening in 2019.
Locations where StillFire beers are sold: The beers are currently in 550+ locations throughout the state, including Truist Park, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Kroger, Publix, Ingles, Total Wine, Taco Mac, and more.
VIP membership available: StillFire offers a VIP membership for regulars, at $2,000 which gets them a free pour every day, along with multiple perks including swag, discounts, private event rentals, and their own special glass and nameplate on the wall.
StillFire Brewing
2725 King St SE Smyrna, GA 30080
stillfirebrewing.com
Hours of operation:
M-Th 12 p.m. – 10 p.m.;
Fri-Sat 12 p.m. – 12 a.m.;
Sun 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.
