Two Tides Brewing Co.

Two Tides Brewing Co.

"Give us an overview. Funky local favorite Two Tides Brewing Co. is on the second floor of a 100-year-old house, a fact not easily forgotten once you’ve climbed the outdoor stairs and entered the space. Take your pick of rooms; sit out front in the light, cheerful taproom, or enjoy the view of 41st Street from the balcony. Anchored by a few stalwarts, the beer menu changes constantly with seasonal or specialty offerings—depending on the fancy of brewer James Massey, who owns the business with his wife, Liz. Two Tides is a low-key place to just sit and hang around, but those seeking more stimulation may find it in the pinball machines or board games; plus, the bar’s dog-friendly, so there’s often a pup or two around for petting. The walls of the taproom feature rotating pieces by local artists and a bold mural by Savannah College of Art and Design grad Alexandria Hall. How’s the crowd? Open since 2018, Two Tides is south of Forsyth Park in the Starland District, and its distance from the historic downtown means that it’s not nearly as heavily trafficked by tourists. There’s none of the drunken revelry here that you might run into elsewhere: the vibe is less “vacationers doing shots” and more “groups of friends getting together to catch up” or stopping for one of the taproom’s recurring events. Every Tuesday from 5 to 10 PM you can get pizza delivered from nearby Pizzeria Vittoria, and the brewery hosts Vinyl Night every second Wednesday of the month. It’s also a great place to grab a drink on the way to a show at nearby venue Victory North, which, since opening in 2019, has hosted the likes of Big Freedia, Hari Kondabolu, and Mac Powell and the Family Reunion. How are the drinks? Two Tides specializes in “haze and funk,” though its beers run the gamut and the menu changes constantly. Flights and five-ounce pours are available if you’d like to try a few, starting, perhaps, with a Chromatose—a vibrant blackberry sour ale—and moving onto something more substantial, like the Never Ending Daymare, a chocolatey imperial stout. The flagship pour is the 6.3-percent-ABV Sixfoot, a tropical-accented IPA. If you don't like beer, there aren't really other options, but if you do, there's more than enough here to hold your attention for a while. Do they have anything to eat? The only everyday food options are light snacks—chips, pretzels, nuts—but you’re welcome to bring food in from elsewhere. Grab wings from 520 Wings or barbecue from Tricks Barbecue, both just around the corner on Bull Street. Two Tides does, however, have weekly pizza nights as well as regular food truck block parties out front. Did the staff do you right? The menu posted above the bar can be a bit terse and inscrutable—what, for instance, is the difference between this double dry-hopped IPA and that one?—but the bartenders are happy to explain the ins and outs and offer suggestions based on your preferences. There are only a few seats at the actual bar; most folks just line up to order here and sit at a table. Wrap it up: what are we coming here for? For all its reputed nighttime revelry, Savannah comes up comparatively short when it comes to chill neighborhood bars where it’s possible to sit, escape the crush, and grab a drink with friends. Two Tides fills that gap." - Sam Worley