Three Taverns Announces Closure After 13 Years in Decatur, Georgia

Three Taverns Closure Of Flagship Brewery

Three Taverns Brewery is facing a major change after 13 years of brewing beer in Decatur, Georgia, announcing that it will suspend production at its flagship brewery on New Street. It’s a tough development for the Atlanta-area craft beer scene, particularly for a brewery that has spent more than a decade building its reputation around distinctive beers, an established local following and a growing presence throughout Georgia. The Three Taverns Decatur brewery closure is another reminder that even well-known craft breweries with loyal customers are having to make difficult decisions as the economics of producing and distributing beer continue to put pressure on independent operators.

This isn’t an easy goodbye. Three Taverns has been part of the Georgia craft beer community since 2013, and the original Decatur brewing facility is where the company started making the beers that eventually found their way into local bars, restaurants, package stores and refrigerators across the state. There is a lot of history tied up in that building, from the first batches and early taproom customers to the production employees who helped establish the brewery’s reputation. Suspending production at the flagship location is a significant change, and it raises understandable questions about what happens next for the Three Taverns beer lineup and its distribution throughout Georgia.

But there is an important distinction here: Three Taverns is not announcing that it is going out of business. The brewery says its Imaginarium location in Reynoldstown and Ponce Brew Terminal on the Atlanta BeltLine will remain open, with beer and spirits production continuing at its taprooms. The company also plans to work with a brewing partner to maintain availability of its core beers at retailers, restaurants and bars. That’s a different path forward, although it will mean changes to how Three Taverns produces and gets its beer into the hands of customers. The Decatur brewing operation is stopping, but the brand itself intends to continue.

For Georgia craft beer drinkers, the immediate takeaway is that Three Taverns is changing how it operates rather than disappearing from the market, and the coming months should provide a clearer picture of which core beers remain available and how the brewing partnership takes shape. Here is the announcement from Three Taverns, including the brewery’s message to its customers, employees and longtime supporters.

Three Taverns Brewery Closure: What Happens Next?

The Three Taverns closure announcement marks the end of an important chapter for the Decatur, Georgia craft beer community, but the brewery is making it clear that this is not the end of the company. After 13 years at its flagship New Street brewing facility, Three Taverns will suspend production at the location because continuing to operate the facility is no longer financially feasible.

Founded by Brian Purcell, Three Taverns Brewery first opened in 2013 and developed a following for its Belgian-inspired beers, American craft beer interpretations, experimental releases, IPAs, sour ales and barrel-aged stouts. The brewery became an established name in Georgia craft beer, eventually expanding beyond its original Decatur location with The Imaginarium in Reynoldstown and, more recently, Ponce Brew Terminal along the Atlanta BeltLine.

The closure of the original Three Taverns brewery is particularly significant because New Street was responsible for producing the beers distributed to retailers, bars and restaurants. That production operation is now being suspended, although the company says it is working with a brewing partner to keep its core beers available. Customers should still be able to find familiar Three Taverns beers, but the production arrangements will change.

There is some good news for Three Taverns customers. The Imaginarium and Ponce Brew Terminal are both expected to remain open, with brewing and distilling continuing at those locations. Both taprooms will continue serving beer and cocktails, giving the company an opportunity to maintain its Atlanta presence while changing its production model.

For independent craft beer breweries, maintaining production costs while competing for shelf space, tap handles and customer spending has become an increasingly difficult challenge. Three Taverns is making a decision that it believes will allow the business to survive, even if it means walking away from the facility where its story began.

The company’s message is also a personal one. Purcell thanked current and former production employees, recognizing the people responsible for building the brewery’s reputation and making its beers over the past 13 years. That part of the announcement says plenty about what this decision means beyond the financial side of the business.

Three Taverns Brewery is not disappearing from Georgia beer shelves. The Decatur production chapter is ending, but the brewery is looking to preserve its brand, its taprooms and its core beer lineup through a different operating arrangement.

The full announcement from Three Taverns Brewery is Below:

To our Three Taverns friends and family,

This is one of the hardest notes I’ve ever had to write, and I wanted you to hear it from me before you hear it anywhere else.

After 13 amazing years, we’ve made the difficult decision to suspend production at our flagship brewery location on New Street in East Decatur. This is the brewing facility responsible for the beers that make it into market, and barring an angel, it is no longer financially feasible for us to operate this location.

The city of Decatur has been my personal home for over twenty years, and that building in East Decatur is where so much of Three Taverns’ story lives. It’s where we brewed our first batches, where we served our first guests, where we learned (and failed, and learned again), where we filled the kegs that poured on taps and the cans you carried to cookouts, tailgates, and kitchen tables all over Georgia. Suspending our main brewing facility in Decatur is not something we decided lightly. It’s a decision made with a heavy heart, but a decision made so Three Taverns can keep going for many years to come.

To the brewery production team, current and past: you poured yourselves into every batch. Your hands, your heart, your early mornings, your care are in every beer we’ve ever made. You are the reason we’ve received such praise and high regard for the quality of our product since we first launched in 2013. I am eternally grateful for each of you, and I am so sorry our Decatur story has to end. I thank you with all my heart.

Here’s what I want our customers to know: Three Taverns is not going anywhere.

The Imaginarium in Reynoldstown and the Ponce Brew Terminal on the Beltline are staying open. We’re still brewing (and distilling) at our taprooms, still pouring the beers (and cocktails) you love, and still the same people behind the bar who are always happy to see you. Beyond what we brew in our taprooms, we’re working to keep our core beers on shelves and on tap through a brewing partner, so you can keep finding us at your favorite bars, restaurants, and stores all around town.

Related news from mybeerbuzz.com:
MyBeerBuzz has previously covered the expansion of Three Taverns and its growing Atlanta brewery presence, including the announcement of its newest location at Ponce City Market. You can read our related coverage in Three Taverns Ponce Brew Terminal to Open at Atlanta’s Ponce City Market on Saturday, April 4.

For additional background on the brewery’s expansion and the changing business of independent craft beer, see our coverage of the Stone Brewing Escondido closure and Terrapin Beer Co. ending Athens brewing operations while keeping its taproom open. These stories offer more perspective on the changes facing established American craft breweries.

About Three Taverns Brewery

Three Taverns Brewery is an independent craft brewery founded in 2013 by Brian Purcell in Decatur, Georgia. Built around Belgian brewing inspiration, American creativity and a passion for producing distinctive beers, Three Taverns developed into one of the Atlanta area’s recognizable craft beer brands over its 13 years of operation at its original New Street location.

The story behind Three Taverns actually began long before the brewery opened. In 1994, Purcell traveled through Europe with two friends, eventually finding himself in Belgium during Brussels’ Ommegang festival. It was there that he experienced the distinctive character of Trappist monastery brewing, an experience that planted the seed for what would eventually become Three Taverns Brewery.

Years later, a visit to Decatur’s Brick Store Pub and a glass of Belgian beer brought that experience back to mind. Purcell also became interested in Portland, Oregon’s growing craft beer culture after experiencing homebrewed beer during a visit there. Eventually, he purchased his first homebrewing equipment, although it took several years before he began seriously pursuing brewing as something more than a hobby.

In 2005, after moving to a Decatur neighborhood within walking distance of Brick Store Pub, Purcell finally began experimenting with homebrewing. What started as a personal interest gradually developed into a business plan, and after years of brewing, planning and searching for the right location, Three Taverns Craft Brewery became a reality.

The brewery officially introduced its first beer to the public on July 19, 2013, establishing its home at 121 New Street in Decatur. The original brewery and tasting parlour became the foundation of the company’s identity, providing a place where customers could experience its beers directly from the source.

Three Taverns built its reputation by exploring a wide range of beer styles rather than limiting itself to one particular category. Belgian-inspired ales, American interpretations of traditional European styles, hop-forward IPAs, experimental sour beers, barrel-aged releases and rich imperial stouts all became part of the brewery’s identity.

That willingness to experiment helped distinguish Three Taverns Brewery from many other Georgia craft breweries. Its brewing approach combined traditional influences with modern American brewing techniques, allowing the company to develop beers that appealed to both experienced craft beer drinkers and customers looking to explore something different.

Among its recognizable releases is A Night On Ponce, an American IPA that became an important part of the brewery’s lineup. Three Taverns also developed a reputation for its creative specialty releases, including complex barrel-aged beers, strong stouts and unconventional sour ales.

As the brewery grew, so did its physical presence around Atlanta.

In 2018, Three Taverns Brewery announced plans for a second brewery location called The Imaginarium, located in Atlanta’s Reynoldstown neighborhood at the Atlanta Dairies development. The concept was designed to give the brewery additional room for experimental brewing, creative beer development and a different taproom experience. The Imaginarium subsequently became an important part of the company’s identity, offering customers access to beers that expanded beyond its traditional core lineup.

The company continued its Atlanta expansion in 2026 with the introduction of Three Taverns Ponce Brew Terminal at Ponce City Market. Located alongside the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail, the location combined brewery operations, a distillery, craft cocktails and food from DAS BBQ. The addition created another destination for Atlanta residents and visitors looking for locally produced beer and spirits.

Three Taverns also received recognition for its brewing and hospitality efforts over the years, earning awards for its beers, taproom designs and contributions to the Georgia craft beer community. Its approach to hospitality helped establish a following that extended beyond customers simply purchasing cans or ordering beers at local bars.

Now, the company is entering a different chapter.

The suspension of production at its original Decatur brewery represents a significant change for a business that began in that very building in 2013. However, Three Taverns has made clear that it intends to continue operating through The Imaginarium and Ponce Brew Terminal, maintaining its taproom presence and continuing brewing and distilling at those locations.

The company is also working with a brewing partner to keep its core beer lineup available in stores, restaurants and bars throughout Georgia.

For a brewery built on experimentation, Belgian inspiration and American craft beer creativity, the next chapter will look different from the first 13 years. But Three Taverns Brewery is making an effort to preserve the beers, people and customer relationships that helped establish its place in Georgia’s independent brewing community.

Official Three Taverns brewery history: Three Taverns – Our Story

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