Pearl & Pine Brewery in Senoia soon will mark two years in business.
The brewhouse has an Alpha Brewing seven-barrel system that co-founder Matt Berger pushes to eight, filling his fermenters to the tiptop.
“According to Alpha, we have a one-of-a-kind system,” Berger said. “It’s fully automated. No walk-in cooler. I have commercial fridges to keep the yeast and hops.”
Senoia’s Finest, an American lager, is one of the brewery’s staples. It originally was more like a Prohibition-style lager, Berger said, with just corn and pilsner malt, and a good bit of bitterness.
Hop M.E. Up is a modern West Coast India pale ale that Berger called his pride and joy, as well as the beer that he puts the most work into.
“I’m focusing on bringing West Coast IPA to the South,” he said. “Overall, it’s West Coast and traditional lagers here, with some beers sprinkled in between.”
He said he likes to try out different beers. “Maybe I’ll brew a batch of something, and you’ll never see it again. That’s just how it works. … Doing the same exact beers over and over again just kills it for me. Trying to fine-tune them to an award-winning beer is a goal.”
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Berger said his background in brewing “is not extensive to be honest. … I got interested in beer because one of my friends brewed at home. I didn’t realize that was something people did. But I asked him if I could join in the next time he was going to brew. After that first brew day, I was in.”
From there, Berger landed at a small local brewery in Temecula, California, called Aftershock and ended up being the sales representative.
“That was where I cut my teeth, and I eventually ended up being the co-head brewer,” he said. “I did that for a couple of years, then I stepped away and opened a craft cocktail bar and restaurant in Newnan called 714.”
After that, Berger became the beverage director at Curious Kitchen and Bar in Senoia. However, he wanted to get back to the brewing world, so he started working at Line Creek in Peachtree City.
“In the year that I was at Line Creek, this opportunity came about, and I was given complete creative freedom,” he said. “I became the co-founder of Pearl & Pine. The identity of this place is my vision, in the beers, and the vibe, and the staff, and I have one business partner in Jason Pace.”
Berger recently took first place in the hoppy beer category at the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild Festival. And at the Hops & Props Beer Festival in Peachtree City, Pearl & Pine took the Best in Brew trophy.
The brewery includes a front patio, a tasting room, an event space and a beer garden in back.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Berger said he wants to use the craft beer scene in Southern California as a model and bring it “here to the South.”
“I jokingly tell people if you are from the West Coast, this should remind you a lot of home,” he said. “We’re blessed to have the support that we do. We’re not struggling.”
Pearl & Pine Brewery. 22 Main St., Senoia. 770-727-9565, pearlandpinebrewery.com
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