Omnivore - Georgia Brewery Watch: Second Self launches at Leon's, Service Brewing Co. debuts in Savannah, and more

• Scott Chester
• Chris Doyle (left) and Jason Santamaria's Second Self Beer Company will officially launch at Leon's Sept. 30, 6 p.m.

With new breweries opening at an unheard-of pace in the Peach State, it seemed necessary to create a place for tracking their progress. Enter Brewery Watch, a semi-regular blog series we'll publish as often as Georgia's beer market dictates. Got a new brewery tip? Send it to beer@creativeloafing.com.

Service Brewing Co.: This Savannah-based "veteran owned and operated brewery" recently opened its tasting room, serving up its Ground Pounder Pale Ale and Compass Rose IPA.

Second Self Beer Company: Following its Twain's Brewpub and Billiards Summer Saison collaboration, recent First Drafters Second Self will officially launch at Leon's tonight, Sept. 30, at 6 p.m. They'll be pouring their Red Hop Rye, Thai Wheat, Light India Pale Ale, and Saison. On Oct. 6, they'll start rolling out to bars, bottle shops and various other places throughout Atlanta.

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Pontoon Brewing Company: Eric Lemus and Eddie Sarrine, both originally from Florida, met while working in finance in Atlanta. They started "homebrewing seriously" about five years ago, and at a Kenny Chesney show — they're both big country music fans — last August, the pair drunkenly decided to get serious about their burgeoning beer passion. The pair has started contract brewing out of Greenville, S.C.'s Thomas Creek Brewery, and will launch in the Atlanta market in mid-October. Expect a launch party some time in November. Pontoon will also be pouring at the Georgia Craft Beer Festival in Candler Park on Oct. 25. Eventually, they'll set up their own place (current possibilities: Brookhaven and Chamblee), but for now, they're content getting their Southern Skipper White IPA and No Pants Pilsner into any bars, bottle shops, and growlers that'll have them.

Gate City Brewing Company: Gate City has partnered with Woodstock's Reformation Brewery in an alternating proprietorship while they figure out their own, permanent space — a first for Georgia. (Basically, multiple breweries trading off using the same equipment under one roof.) Gate City will release kegs of its Copperhead Ale (an American Amber) and its 1864 India Pale Ale to the North Fulton area the second week of November. Brian Borngesser hopes the beers "will be respected by the more advanced beer drinker but more importantly seen as approachable by the more novice consumer. We have much bigger and interesting beers ready to go, but initially, these two will be it."

Monkey Wrench Brewing Co.: This team of Snellville natives is currently shopping for a 30 BBL brewhouse and securing financing for a location in the Sugar Hill/Suwanee area. Their goal is to be distributing beer — which will include Hop Monkey IPA, Honey Ginger Belgian Ale, Monkey Mama Milk Stout, and Very Merry Monkey Ale — in early 2015.

Southern Brewing Company: In early August, Athens' newest craft brewery broke ground in Athena Industrial Park off US Highway 29 near Athens Tech. Co-owner Brian Roth tells CL that Southern hopes to begin contract brewing with Glenn Golden at Hampton's JailHouse Brewing Company this fall and to open the Athens space in March.

MAZURT Brewing Company: While MAZURT co-owners Dan Rosen and Hamp Covington haven't settled on an Atlanta location yet, they plan to spend the next year or so brewing their beers on commercial brewing systems in three Southern states — Georgia, and two they're not yet ready to disclose. "In those other two states, we will be able to sell MAZURT directly to the public," Rosen says of the "number of different versions of our Barrel Aged Imperial Stout as well as a few hop-forward beers" they'll be making. He also promises "a collaboration beer with a Belgian brewer in the works for Spring 2015."

Left Nut Brewing Co.: AccessNorthGa.com reports that a group of seventh grade boys someone is planning to open a brewery in Gainesville, Ga., called, wait for it, Left Nut. No word yet on what kind of beers they plan to make, though they will no doubt describe them as "ballsy."

Previous Brewery Watches:
2/6/14 Brewery Watch
9/4/13 Brewery Watch