Creature Comforts Brewing Co.

Creature Comforts Brewing Co. is an American craft brewery founded in April 2014 by David Stein, Adam Beauchamp, Derek Imes, and Chris Herron in Athens, Georgia. They have become popular for their core beer brands—most notably their Tropicália IPA—as well as a variety of seasonal and specialty releases.[1]

Creature Comforts Brewing Co.
Location271 W Hancock Avenue, Athens, Georgia, United States
Coordinates33°57′32″N 83°22′52″W
OpenedApril 2014 (2014-04)
Websitewww.creaturecomfortsbeer.com

History

The brewery has a taproom located in a former Chevrolet dealership turned tire shop. The 13,000-foot warehouse is located in the city's downtown and is a central location for pedestrians. When the brewery moved in, an open floor plan was created and renovations were needed to the building. Memorabilia, including the large outdoor signage and another sign advertising Michelin tires, still remain. Keeping the integrity of the building's character while renovating it into a brewery earned the founders a preservation award from the Athens Heritage Foundation in 2014.[2]

In 2018, Creature Comforts expanded their production into a second building in the Southern Mill historic complex. The additional location was an investment of $11 million. This 40,000-square-foot building is just north of downtown Athens and added 50,000 barrels to meet growing demand for their beer.[3] The new facility and equipment is estimated to have doubled the brewery's ability to produce its popular Tropicalia IPA.[3] In 2020, it was announced that Creature Comforts would expand into California by opening a taproom and production facility in Downtown Los Angeles. This was expected to open by summer of 2021.[4]

The brewery has made several expansions throughout the southeast, including Tennessee and South Carolina. In 2021, they entered South Carolina Charleston, South Carolina and Hilton Head, South Carolina markets. The following year, the company announced its intentions to expand its distribution to Columbia, South Carolina. The brewery also announced plans to expand distribution to Greenville, South Carolina in the fall of 2022.[5] In July 2022, the brewery expanded to Tennessee via Nashville.[6]

Culture

Beyond beer, Creature Comforts is involved in community outreach, most notably through its Get Comfortable program. Founded in 2014, the program provides grants to local organizations assisting those experiencing poverty or homelessness.[7][8] In 2020, the initiative won the Champion Award from goBeyondProfit, a Georgia business leader alliance focused on community engagement, due to raising $351,841 for nine agencies located in the Athens community.[9][10]

In June 2018, Creature Comforts launched their second community outreach program, Get Artistic. The program supports and invests in the professional development of artists in the Athens, Georgia, area.[11]

In August 2021, Creature Comforts announced they had achieved a B Corporation certification, making them the 16th brewery in the United States to achieve the certification.[12]

In 2023, employees at Creature Comforts announced the Brewing Union of Georgia and their intention to unionize. [13]

Beers
Year Round Beers[14]
Brand Style ABV%
Tropicália IPA 6.6
Classic City Lager Lager 4.2
Athena Berliner Weisse 4.5
Bibo Pilsner 4.9
Automatic Pale Ale 5.5
Cosmik Debris DIPA 8.0
Tritonia Gose 4.5
Seasonal Beers[15]
Brand Style ABV% Available
Koko Buni Milk Porter 6.5 November - January
Imperial Trop Haze DIPA 8.0 September - October
Duende DIPA 8.0 January - February
Crescendo IPA 7.2 July - August
Galactic Space Circus IPA 6.6 March - April
Loopulus DIPA 8.0 May - June
Stellar Drift DIPA 8.0 November - December
Athena Paradiso (Cherry, Raspberry, & Cranberry) Berliner Weisse 4.5 February - April
Athena Paradiso (Passion Fruit & Guava) Berliner Weisse 4.5 May - July
Athena Paradiso (Pineapple & Lemon) Berliner Weisse 4.5 August - September
Athena Paradiso (Blackberries & Black Currant) Berliner Weisse 4.5 October - November

Two of the brewery's beers, Athena and Tropicália, appear in the 2019 film, Avengers: Endgame.[16][17] Joe Russo, one of the directors of that film, will be a partner in the Los Angeles location.[4]

References
  1. Endolyn, Osayi (December 1, 2015). "Atlanta Craft Brewery Guide: Creature Comforts Brewing Co". Atlanta Magazine. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  2. Branch, Chloe (November 10, 2015). "Through the dawg years: Creature Comforts Brewing Co". The Red & Black. Archived from the original on 2015-11-13.
  3. Townsend, Bob. "Beer Town: Creature Comforts new brewery is fully operational". ajc. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  4. Japhe, Brad (August 11, 2020). "Creature Comforts, Craft Beer All-Star, Expands New Operation To Los Angeles". Forbes. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  5. Knauss, Christina (September 1, 2022). "Georgia-based beer to begin distribution in Columbia". Columbia Business Report. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  6. Ndjongo, Sherah (August 1, 2022). "Craft brewery Creature Comforts expands distribution to Nashville". The Tennessean. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  7. Townsend, Bob (March 26, 2018). "Beer Pick: Get Comfortable with Creature Comforts and Allagash Belgian-Style IPA". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  8. "Creature Comforts' 'Get Comfortable' Campaign Uses Beer to Support Its Community". Brewbound. 2020-01-02. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  9. "Creature Comforts Brewing Co". goBeyondProfit. 2020-02-11. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  10. Capelouto, J.D. (February 14, 2020). "Creature Comforts Brewing awarded for outreach efforts, $350K donation". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  11. "Get Artistic". Get Curious | Creature Comforts. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
  12. "Creature Comforts Achieves B Corporation Certification". Creature Comforts. 2021-08-04. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
  13. Pulver, Matthew (January 17, 2023). "Creature Comforts Employees Organize Independent Union". Flagpole. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  14. "Year-Round Archives". Creature Comforts. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
  15. "Seasonal Archives". Creature Comforts. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
  16. Shearer, Andrew (April 28, 2020). "As 'Avengers: Endgame' celebrates one year, filmmakers shout out 'amazing' Creature Comforts". Athens Banner-Herald. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  17. Snider, Mike (May 8, 2019). "'Avengers: Endgame' gives this Georgia-made craft beer its own superhero moments". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-06-10.


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