Yonah Mountain Vineyards & Winery in Cleveland, Georgia. Photo by @l0vlee

Yonah Mountain Vineyards & Winery in Cleveland, Georgia. Photo by @l0vlee

An A to Z of Farms, Vineyards, Markets, and More

From Atlanta-made whiskey to acres of sunflowers and seasonal crops to craft beer at a zoo, here are 26 ways to experience Georgia's bounty.

A

Atlanta's ASW Distillery has earned the industry's highest honors for Duality, its double malt whiskey. Sample it — along with Resurgens Rye, Tire Fire, and other libations — at the brand's three tasting rooms.

B

Beautiful weather means blueberry season at U-pick farms around the state, including Berry Patch Farms in Woodstock. Georgia recently bested Michigan as the country’s top grower of the antioxidant-packed fruit.

C

Creature Comforts Brewing Co. in Athens, Georgia. Photo by @creaturecomfortsbeer
Creature Comforts Brewing Co. in Athens, Georgia. Photo by @creaturecomfortsbeer

Creature Comforts Brewing Co. is responsible for one of Georgia’s best-loved craft beers, citrusy, hoppy Tropicália. Head to the Athens brewery to taste limited-release and seasonal brews, many showcasing local ingredients.

D

Grab a rocking chair and some peach ice cream at Dickey Farms in Musella, and watch the summer harvest roll through Georgia’s oldest continuously operated peach packinghouse.

E

R&A Orchards in Ellijay, Georgia. Photo by @diaryofdualeh
R&A Orchards in Ellijay, Georgia. Photo by @diaryofdualeh

Fill your basket with Jonagolds, Braeburns, and a dozen other apple varieties in Ellijay, home to U-pick orchards, brimming roadside stands, and the famed Georgia Apple Festival in October.

F

When summer gives way to fall, some 900,000 sunflowers burst into bloom at Dawsonville's Fausett Farms. Enjoy wagon rides and barbecue alongside the bright backdrop.

Fausett Farms Sunflowers in Dawsonville, Georgia. Photo by @chamberlainlockett
Fausett Farms Sunflowers in Dawsonville, Georgia. Photo by @chamberlainlockett

G

Guaraná Kuat tastes like berry-tinged ginger ale and packs a natural energy punch. The Brazilian beverage is just one of more than 100 flavors you can sample at Atlanta’s World of Coca-Cola.

H

Whether you prefer a classic varietal aged in Hungarian oak or a wine slushie (no judgment), you’ll find what you’re looking for in the tasting room of Helen’s Habersham Vineyards & Winery, one of Georgia’s oldest and largest wine producers.

I

I scream; you scream; we all scream for ice cream! Stop into Georgia's many local ice cream shops for treats like Butter Pecan at Leopold's in Savannah, made with Georgia-grown pecans; Watermelon Dole Whip at The Ice Cream Stop in Richmond Hill and Pooler; and a Coolie Shake at Cool World Ice Cream Shop in Athens. Find many more sweet stops in our list of 21 of the Best Places to Get Ice Cream in Georgia.

J

A diverse roster of crops (including strawberries in spring and pumpkins in fall) stocks the sprawling market and family-friendly event calendar at North Georgia’s Jaemor Farms.

Peaches at Jaemor Farms in Alto, Georgia. Photo by @jaemorfarms
Peaches at Jaemor Farms in Alto, Georgia. Photo by @jaemorfarms

K

Georgia’s favorite handcrafted popsicle maker, King of Pops, is so committed to sustainability that it launched its own farm, King of Crops, outside Atlanta. Its produce now appears in its pops, such as basil lemonade and raspberry lime.

L

Fort Valley’s Lane Southern Orchards has grown peaches and pecans for more than a century. Tour the peach packing line in summer, tackle a corn maze in fall, and tuck into a slice of cobbler year-round at the cafe.

M

Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge grows a variety of fruit but is known for all things apple, from famous fried pies and the hard cider bottled in-house to the unadulterated goodness you can pick yourself.

N

The term “brewpub” doesn’t do justice to New Realm Brewing Company, a brewery, full-service restaurant, and outdoor drinking haven overlooking the Atlanta BeltLine. Pro tip: Pair the Radegast burger with the Hazy Like a Fox IPA.

O

Only growers or producers within a 100-mile radius of Oconee County may sell products at the Oconee Farmers Market. Load up on fresh fruits and veggies (while shopping for gifts) and get to know the people who grow your food. The market is open Saturdays, April through November, in downtown Watkinsville.

P

The name Pearson Farm is often heard at Atlanta farmers markets and farm-to-table restaurants. The long-running peach and pecan grower harvested the Guinness-verified world’s largest peach in 2018.

Q

Two of the nation’s top quick-serve franchises started in Georgia. Tucked in Atlanta’s Avondale Estates, the first Waffle House is now a museum decked out in 1955 style. Known as the Dwarf House, the original Chick-fil-A in Hapeville offers table service and atypical menu items, including burgers.

R

Richland Rum not only produces America’s only single-estate rum but is also helping to recast the boat-drink staple as a premium spirit meant for sipping. Sample the rum at the company’s home distillery, a seven-building complex in downtown Richland, or at its gleaming second location in Brunswick.

S

Picking strawberries at Southern Belle Farm in McDonough, Georgia. Photo by @justthekings
Southern Belle Farm in McDonough, Georgia. Photo by @justthekings

McDonough’s 330-acre Southern Belle Farm is a beloved kid-friendly destination for berries, peaches, pumpkins, and Christmas trees — plus down-home fun (pig races!) and a country market.

T

Thomasville Tomme is an earthy, semisoft cow’s milk cheese and one of the core offerings of Thomasville’s Sweet Grass Dairy, a leader in handcrafted cheese and humane animal husbandry.

Cheese from Sweet Grass Dairy in Thomasville, Georgia. Photo by @andrewthomaslee
Sweet Grass Dairy in Thomasville, Georgia. Photo by @andrewthomaslee

U

Urban Tree Cidery brought grove-to-glass hard cider to Atlanta and keeps it fresh with seasonal creations (fancy a hoppy cider or one infused with ginger?).

V

April’s Vidalia Onion Festival celebrates Georgia’s official state vegetable with cook-offs, an onion eating contest, and plenty of freshly fried onion rings — plus the requisite fireworks, carnival, and concerts.

W

Georgia’s largest certified-organic farm, White Oak Pastures is a zero-waste operation known for humanely raised pastured meat, including 100 percent Iberian pork. Its general store in downtown Bluffton stocks farm-grown products and other local goods.

X

On Atlanta’s Buford Highway, X marks the spot where the world's cuisines find a crossroads. Fill your belly and baskets at places like Supermercado Chicago and the Buford Highway Farmers Market, which sells everything from sushi and sashimi party trays to fiddlehead ferns and fresh cacao.

Y

At the base of an iconic peak in North Georgia, Yonah Mountain Vineyards grows 20 acres of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Malbec, and other classic grapes. The winery is home to stunning views and the state’s only wine cave.

Z

Taste more than 70 beers and hang with more than 1,000 animals at Zoo Atlanta's after-hours Brew at the Zoo, a Memorial Day weekend tradition. Enjoy live music, keeper talks, and unlimited refills.

Published: June 2023
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