Bluetarp Brewing

I would say its closer to a 3 than a 4 but for me they get the 4^th star because they have the courage to sell crowlers when every other brewery in the state we’ve been to stopped selling them since the law/​statue was passed. So if you’re not a fan of crowlers or don’t think that warrants a star then consider this a 3 star review. If you think that being rebellious, taking a stand and telling the government «come make me quit» is awesome, like I do, consider this a 4 star brewery. The space is a small but there is plenty of room. There is an outdoor area with blue coverings. There is space to play cornhole. There is plenty of parking. They are also dog friendly which is always a plus. I wish they had a larger selection on tap but based on pictures I’ve seen it appears they normally have more than on the night we were there. The staff was very friendly. With a «special tour» of the brewery you are allowed to purchase crowlers which they had 5 or 6 different beers in crowlers and none of the crowler beers were on tap which allowed us to try even more of the Blue Tarp line. I think that given time Blue Tarp will continue to improve to the level of their brewery neighbors, 3 Taverns and Wild Heaven.

Lack of variety in choices kept this rating from a 5. Only 4 beers on Tap but overall great staff very friendly and accommodating. Enjoyed the tour even though had to pay more for special event. Sample sizes are generous.

Cool environment, cool bio and AWESOME beer (coming from someone that’s not that into beer)…

I feel like giving a review for Bluetarp is like a friend slapping his buddy on the shoulder and saying, «Yeah, this can be cool. This will work out.» In reality, the friend is just killing himself.
Bluetarp is not for everyone. I enjoyed their beers, but they are pretty minimal on the setting. While that can be a good feature, the beers don’t make up for the atmosphere. The whole operation brims with a casual indifference that, well, comes with the craft.
I’m glad the craft brewery market in Atlanta can extend thanks to recent legislation. I hope that more brewers with take advantage of the laws and establish joints that are more than a glance and shrug. I don’t begrudeon Bluetarp, it produces fine beers, but the more competition for Decatur brews, the better.
Best of luck to BlueTarp

Minimalist, no-​nonsense spot. Great beer.

By far my favorite of the breweries in Decatur. Very laid back atmosphere and a good mix with lots of different types of customers. The best thing about this place is that it’s the next step up from home brewing. The owner makes some great beers and has essentially opened his operation to the pubic. The only downside (If you’re not a brewer yourself) is that the tour questions get super technical. Also it gets super hot (as most places without AC in GA in the summer). But it’s just a really great place to grab a few beers and relax. Bonus points for adding games (giant jenga anyone?) and awesome art.

I’ve been meaning to check out Blue Tarp for, ohhhh, a year and a half now. I drive by their blue tarped biergarten on College Ave all the time and finally made a visit this weekend.
I’m a fan. The beer was pretty good– they had three IPAs, a roiboos session ale, a grapefruit weiss, and a regular weiss. i wasn’t in love with any of the beers, but it was a fun outing. The session ale was by far my favorite.
These guys have tried to make their brewery a fun place to hang out, too. They have giant Jenga and Connect Four, cornhole (I feel dirty whenever I write that word), and cool «interactive» art that you can stand in front of and take a photo.
Overall, it’s a fun brewery to visit, and close to other good food and beer spots if you want to make a day of it.

Great local brewery with delicious beer. No food or snacks but great games that can be played inside or outside on their patio (where there’s a fire pit and heaters if it’s cold outside). You can choose from different glasses to purchase for you 6 beer samples. My favorite beers were the Hopsided IPA and Last Place Imperial stout but the Fünk Weisse was pretty good for its sour properties.

So I was really excited to try a new brewing company! Gotta support local! I think it was $ 10 and you get 5 tickets for beer, a souvenir glass, and a free t-​shirt. At first they only had 3 beers out of 5 that you could try and they were all under 4% which I’m not really used to when it comes to craft beer. When I went in for my second beer the had the double IPA available but I guess they only had one keg so they ran out pretty quick. I would NOT suggest the funk weiss beer… it tasted a little sour and I wasn’t a fan. I also had their tropic thunder IPA which is very different but not bad! The guys who work here are super awesome though and may have filled up my glass after they closed? They seem to have a good time and if you’re looking for something different in Atlanta I would suggest trying BlueTarp!

Please ignore the haters and give this brewery a try.
I went here last Friday night (they’re now open 6:30 — 8:30pm for tours and tastings), and really enjoyed the Funk Weisse and Hopsided IPA. I loved the picnic tables and plantings out front and the fact that the owners have built much of the operation by hand. Commendable and inspiring.
The only beer I wasn’t a fan of was the Tropic Thunder. It was listed as having notes of passion fruit and mango (I think), but I didn’t pick up any fruity notes at all. Kind of disappointing.
I am, however, excited for the dedicated sours room that they’ll be creating. It’s a unique offering in a land of IPAs!

I wouldn’t exactly say that 3 stars means «A-​OK», but I hate going lower than that when someone makes an effort. Having just come from Wild Heaven, there was no way this place could stand up to the experience we had there.
Blue Tarp is actually a very descriptive name for this place. To me, tarps cover stuff that I don’t want anyone to see because it’s not ready for the world. Very much the case here. The space was industrial at best and small. Not much atmosphere to be had; even the bartenders were a little stale. That might be because it was 90+ degrees inside, even with three doors open. They did have a portable A/​C unit in the corner, surrounded by 3 – 5 people the whole time, plus two ceiling fans set on low. They had two stools at the window (which we occupied the entire time) with a ledge to lean on and an outside area with picnic tables. In a couple years, this area will be covered by an arbor of hanging hop vines… if the sun doesn’t dry them out first. This place desperately needs character.
Oh. You wanted to know about the beer… right. I was too distracted by the other stuff to notice the beer. The sour was, well… sour. Not a fan. The Tropic Thunder IPA was tasty, but at 3.7%, it was more like lemonade. The Session IPA and Pale Ale were both drinkable, but not something I’d go out of my way for. Mother Hoppin IPA was good, as well, and at 10.1%, I only had half a glass.
Probably not going back unless it undergoes some serious changes.

When we went for a tour last weekend we were given a tour by the owner himself. It was great to hear not only about the «how to» of brewing but what he has done to get this placed started up.
This is by far the smallest brewery tour I have ever been on but it was very informative and they had a wide variety of brews to sample. My only complaint is that the beers range from a really high alcoholic % (11%) to a really low alcoholic % (3%) with nothing in the middle. Its either 3 or 11%. I am not sure why anyone would make beer with that low of a percentage so I really hope they up it in the future because although the beer is tasty it just doesn’t seem like beer when the % is that low.
I also think their logo is a little lack luster. I’m sorry it just is. The owner commented on how the name and logo is not for everyone. Hopefully once they get more established they can have some fun with label designs.
Aside from that the staff were super friendly and informative and it looks like they are doing a lot to make the place a good hang out spot. Considering the tours are so cheap and they come with a pint glass, I 100% recommend you check this place out!

Solid brews! Clearly and early startup but the brewmaster/​owner has put in the sweat-​equity and clearly knows what he is doing. I will be asking my brother to pick me up some of this beer every now and again!

Okay this is an operation that you can tell they are building what they can afford as they can afford it. Compared to Three Taverns down the street they are paupers. The surprising thing here is sours! They actually produce some wonderful sour beer. Didn’t do the tour but sat at the picnic tables and drank. Give it a try I think the cost was $ 10, but I think everything cost that amount.

Horrific.
Their funk beer is the worst beer I’ve ever had. Period. Appalling interior. I haven’t had beer in a parking lot since high school. I’ve used nicer bathrooms on a construction site. We shan’t return.

Some friends and I ended up checking out both Three Taverns and then walking over to Bluetarp. That is DEF the way to go.
This is much more of a true startup brewery (ie. not quite as fancy, but still functional)
They have a great grapefruit sour beer — check it out!

GO IF: You love Sours or Strong Stouts
Launched in 2012, BlueTarp is a little, start-​up brewery in Decatur that got its name from literally a blue tarp! A basic warehouse set-​up and generous outdoor space, make-​up the brewery grounds. There is nothing wrong with a little brewery «that could» and I look forward to the day that we remanese about the humble, yet great beginnings of a big Atlanta brewery. it also helps that the Brewmaster went to Georgia. Go Dawgs!
As for the beer, I have to say my two favorites were the Last Place Stout and the Grape Fruit Funk Weiss. Last Place Stout was right up my alley with coffee nose, malty, smooth start and bitter finish. It was big and bold with 11% ABV. Now, I didn’t think I would like this but my other favorite was Grape Fruit Funk Weiss. I’m not a big fan of Grape Fruit but it was the citrus notes it gave to the Funk Weiss that made it better. Also, I was skeptical of this one because it is «brewed with 55% wheat and sour fermented with Lactobacillus (Has nothing to do with Lactose, more like Yogurt).» I know it sounds gross, but I learned something new at BlueTarp: I like Sours! They are like eating a Sour Patch Kid without the sugar. Yum.
Cost is $ 10 per person with valid ID.

We had a great time here. $ 10 gets you a nice tasting glass and 5 tastes. We all liked the beers, and they gave us lots to talk about and compare. Staff was friendly, enthusiastic, and knew their brews !
I’m not sure the space was heated. It was quite chilly. So if you’re going in the colder months, bundle up!
Good place to go before heading over to Decatur proper for dinner.

We went on the 2^nd Saturday they were opened. Can’t wait for the selection to expand. All were very friendly and we got to sample a double IPA that was still in the brew process.

Bluetarp is a great spot for a brew…
Don’t go for the environment (cause there isn’t much there, yet), go for the beer and conversation! Delicious selection of beers when we went… Mother Hoppin’ IPA, funkweisse, & Bantam Weight are all very tasty… the IPA is 10% so be careful :)
We got a brief tour and just got an opportunity to chat with the staff about how they do things. They were extremely helpful and very down to earth. They must love their jobs… who wouldn’t want to brew beer for a living?
Great location with plenty of parking, although it may be hard to find at first. Their building is nice, just very bare bones right now. This was just after they had opened to the public so maybe that had something to do with it. They do have a few TV’s though.
Can’t wait to hit this place up again!

The best craft brewery in Atlanta! The beers are amazing and the staff is very friendly. They have tastings and tours every Saturday — honestly one of the most informative brewery tours I’ve been on. (and I’ve been to a bunch) So even if you usually skip the tour at breweries, I recommend giving this one a shot.
The location is a little off the beaten path if you aren’t familiar with Decatur, but it’s just a few minutes away from the Decatur square on College Ave.
Here is my run-​down of the beers:
Funk Weisse — This is my personal favorite and the most unique local beer I’ve tried. It’s a sour wheat ale, so it is light but very tart. If you haven’t had any sour/​tart beers before, you may want to try a taste before ordering a full glass. I could drink this all day.
Last Place Stout — Just released… this is a big 10.6% stout. Hoppy bitterness, roasty and chocalatey — a little sweet. Very good stout. a sipper.
Hopsided IPA — their straight-​up IPA. This is a solid, balanced IPA. I like.
Mother Hoppin’ — a strong double IPA with plenty of hops. If you are a big hop-​head or like strong IPAs, try this one.
BantamWeight — Their session ale, based on an Irish Red. Lighter beer, easier to drink. Good crowd pleaser.
They’re still building out the tasting space but it’s already big and has a nice patio with picnic tables. I know Tom, the brewmaster/​owner, is planning on continuing to create great, unique beers. Can’t wait for some more sours!
You can’t buy BlueTarp in bottles/​cans yet (coming next year I think?) but you can find it at JoyStick, Ale Yeah, The Growler Store, Taco Mac, and other bars around town.
I definitely recommend checking out the brewery for a Saturday tasting/​tour. (they take cash or credit card)

Really love all of the new craft breweries in town — this one is actually one of my favorites. The tasting room is still a work in progress, but the staff is super friendly and helpful. They also have a great patio with tables to hang out with friends. The tour was much more informative than others I’ve been on. I consider myself a beer snob and know a good deal about beer, yet I was still able to learn a couple of new things on the tour!