Laura N.
Yelp
Have visited Terrapin countless times over the years and always have a great time there!
ATMOSPHERE
Located beyond the outer loop, a little less than ten minutes from downtown and the UGA campus, Terrapin takes a little effort to get to and kind of sits on its own on Newton Bridge Road. However, this allows their outdoor space to be huge, and there's always plenty of parking (either in the front lot or down the road, just past the brewery). When you enter the brewery, you'll walk through their merchandise area up to the counter to choose your tasting option. Beyond this area is the tasting room, which is about the size of most other tasting rooms; a large bar stretches along one wall, there's a small stage for live performances in one corner, and there's seating throughout. Like many other breweries, they list the beers on tap on colorful chalkboards...but theirs are the best I've seen, by far ;)
What really makes Terrapin shine is their outdoor space. Half asphalt/gravel, half grass, there's TONS of room to wander around and relax with friends and/or pets. They have a lot of picnic tables (some are covered, others are not), high tops to stand at, and smaller seating areas out in the grass. On weekends, there's usually a band and one or two food trucks.
BEER
Terrapin recently brought back their ticket option, which I highly recommend! $12 gets you a souvenir pint glass and six 6-oz pours. There is always a wide variety of beers on tap, so having the option to try a couple different brews is essential. You can't go wrong with their classic Rye Pale Ale, Hopsecutioner IPA, and Hi-5 IPA. They usually have a couple seasonal beers on tap as well (wasn't impressed with their T-Time berliner weisse this visit, but you can't win them all). Definitely the largest selection of any brewery in Athens.
SERVICE
I've visited a couple places where the bartenders are a little pretentious, especially if you're not exactly sure what you like. That's not the case here; everyone is friendly, quick to make recommendations, and they all seem like they really enjoy working there.
Bottom Line: The location isn't ideal, but Terrapin is well worth the trip, both for the beer and the environment. Plus, their $12 tasting option is the best deal you'll find anywhere!