Black-owned Atlanta brewery celebrating fall season with sweet potato pie beer

While pumpkin spice lattes and hot apple cider dominate seasonal menus across the city, a brewery in the heart of Castleberry Hill is serving up a distinctly Southern autumn staple: sweet potato pie beer.

Atlantucky Brewing, founded and operated by Fish Scales and Skinny DeVille of the Grammy-nominated hip-hop group Nappy Roots, is one of only a small number of Black-owned breweries in the country. Nestled in Castleberry Hill's vibrant arts district, the brewery has evolved into both a neighborhood gathering spot and an economic incubator focused on pouring back into the community.

For DeVille and Scales, brewing grew out of a shared passion that started long before they opened their taproom.

"We really started this in my garage, brewing all through the pandemic to ending up here in Castleberry Hill," said Scales.

Just days before meeting with CBS Atlanta, the duo was on stage in Minneapolis performing their classic hits. Balancing a touring music career with commercial craft brewing has become second nature.

"We love hip-hop, and we love making beer, and we're happy to be a part of both ecosystems here in Atlanta," DeVille said.

Atlantucky's seasonal lineup features a fresh take on classic autumn styles, including the Nappy Roots Fest, an approachable 5.8% ABV Oktoberfest variation.

"It's the lighter version of Oktoberfest, one of my favorite beers," Scales explained. "You can see the Vienna malt and biscuit malt kind of give it a brown color, and it's an easy-drinking 5.8 fest beer."

Taking center stage, however, is Two Whole Pies, a sweet potato pie-infused craft brew designed to capture the comforting flavors of fall.

"We try to be festive as best we can," DeVille noted. "We try to make seasonal beers based on the season."

While DeVille and Scales laid the groundwork, they credit the creation of Two Whole Pies to production manager Angie Corinne and floor manager Boogie Otero, both of whom the duo personally trained in the craft.

"They're really into brewing and being a part of the process," DeVille said. "For me and Scales, we have the 'each one, teach one' mentality. We believe in letting our team learn the process as much as we do, just in case we're on the road, they know what to do."

The recipe relies on genuine home baking and local sourcing. The sweet potatoes are grown by local Black farmers, and the recipe comes from Corinne's Aunt Beulah.

"People keep asking us, 'Do you actually bake the pies?' We're like, 'Yeah, we do,' said Otero, laughing.

"At the end of the beer, when it's all done, and it's on the cold side, we actually add about 25 pounds of sweet potato purée," Corinne said. "So we have the sweet potatoes, we have brown sugar, we have vanilla, and we even put extra cinnamon and nutmeg into the mash as well. We do it all ourselves. We cook, peel, cut, and then puree the potatoes."

Beyond seasonal taps, Atlantucky remains committed to community reinvestment. A percentage of sales from select beers, including The Bluff, is directed toward community initiatives and youth programs across Atlanta neighborhoods.