MACON, Ga. — With the Macon Beer Festival back in town this weekend, we wanted to take a closer look at the rise of craft beers and breweries throughout the city.
Raymond Kimsey loves coming downtown for a cold one during his lunch breaks.
"Born and raised in Macon, I guess when we were coming up, the place to go would be Dea or Red Eye, we would go there and have a few drinks -- nothing like it is now."
Kimsey is like a lot of other people who like the rise in popularity of beers in downtown Macon.
Another is Macon native and brewery owner Yash Patel, owner of Macon Beer Company.
"With us being here, the other brewpubs being here, I think that really helped usher in this craft movement in Macon."
Macon Beer Company is one of three breweries that will be in the Macon Beer Festival, but Patel says what makes Macon's beer scene unique is trying to relate to what the people want.
"We try to make beers that people in Macon would really enjoy, as well as people traveling through Macon would enjoy, and we try to tie it to the Macon theme."
Some of the signature beers include the pale ale "Progress" or the cherry ale "Love," but Patel says they're bringing out some new flavors for those who are trying craft beer for the first time.
"We want them to try our newer, smaller crafted small batch beers that are a little on the wilder side, so consumers can expect stuff like that."
With business brewing on Oglethorpe Street, Macon Beer Company is just about ready to open the doors on a new location, closer to the other brewpubs.
"We talk shop, we go to each other's locations, we drink each other's beers, we support each other. I think that really helps with Macon as well."
The new location is right here on Second Street, and is set to have a soft opening in September.
The Macon Beer Festival is this Saturday. You can buy tickets in advance online and you can also purchase them Saturday outside Piedmont Brewery. For more information, visit the website here.