Photo Courtesy Atlanta Beer Master

Sweetwater Brewery is expanding!  The award-winning craft brewery moved into our neighborhood in 2004, recently celebrated their 11th anniversary and now have launched a construction project that will enlarge their 26,000 square feet of space on Ottley Drive to 110,000 square feet.   

In the  planning stages, Sweetwater purchased the former DHL facility next to them.  They will add a new event space, new lab and an expanded outdoor area as they build a new structure that will connect the two primary buildings.  Construction should be complete by November of 2011 and allow Sweetwater to quadruple their current barrel capacity. 

Sweetwater is an environmentally friendly organization who hosts events such as the 420 Fest (SweetWater 420 Earth Day Celebration,)  donates money and campaigns for the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, Earth Share of Georgia, Georgia ForestWatch and others.  They are keeping a strong focus on their principals during the construction process.  They had to remove a small building in order to build between the two primary facilities, and report that nearly 98 percent of the demolitioned building will be recycled.

We congratulate Sweetwater on their success!

The Atlanta Underground Market held their most recent feast at Planters.  This gathering of individuals with a common interest – eating –  gives vendors the opportunity to share their dishes and serves as an incubator for culinary start-ups.  The event provides a multitude of sensory dishes, gives the participants’ valuable feedback, and at the popular booths, creates profits for the cooks.  We visited Julie on her Doctor Princess blogsite and got great photos and commentary of the event.

The Atlanta Underground Market gathered at Planters at a recent feast.

The cost to get into the event is $3, and the vendors set their own prices for their food, typically from $1 - $5.

To find out information about the next delicious gathering, visit www.atlantaundergroundmarket.com .

Photos courtesy of Julie, Doctor Princess .