Ron Smith (dubbed "the beer guru" after speaking at a local beer tasting) has studied artisanal beer for two decades, and has sampled awide range of local brews across the United States and Europe. Ron has hosted beer and food dinners, beer tastings and beer education sessions. An obsessive researcher, he is particularly interested in the back stories of breweries in the Southeast.Co-host of several beer dinners and a craft beer enthusiast since 2003,Mary Boyle is currently webmaster for AtlantaBeerBook, BeerGuruATL, and two personal business websites. She is a professional resume writer and jewelry designer, and "Atlanta Beer" inspired a line ofbeer-focused jewelry for her handcrafted jewelry business.

"Delve[s] into a colorful past . . . Stories of early taverns and saloons, religious zeal, prohibition and the roots of the current craft beer boom." -Atlanta Journal Constitution

Atlanta is a unique southern city known for its vast diversity and fast-paced lifestyle. Rarely is it associated with a rich beer and brewing culture, but not for a lack of one. From Atlanta's first brewery in the 1850s to the city's Saloon Row and the parched days of local and national Prohibition, the earliest days of Atlanta's beer history are laced with scandal and excitement. Follow the journey of beer through Atlanta's development, starting with colonial Georgia and the budding wilderness settlement of Terminus and eventually evolving into the ever-growing metropolis known as Atlanta. Authors Ron Smith and Mary Boyle celebrate the resurgence of craft beer in a town that once burned to the ground. As Atlanta rose from the ashes of the Civil War, so also has artisanal beer made a comeback in this enigmatic but resilient city.

"The brewery sections draw attention to some long-neglected businesses . . . But the chapter on Prohibition may be the most fascinating part of the book." -American Breweriana Journal

"A fascinating read for any craft beer lover in the Southeast. The book features chapters on frontier taverns of the area, Atlanta's first beer boom, stories of early breweries of the city, the brewpub trend and the rise of current breweries located in Georgia's capital." -Owen Ogletree's Brewtopia Brewsletter