Heady Brew of History and Beer

Brent, Chris, and Joel St. Vrain took their passion for making small batch beer and turned it into a unique experience that includes friends, music, and a love of beer at their local brew pub, Green Line Brewery.

Green Line occupies the former Green Rail Restaurant space, a tiny sliver of real estate carved out from an alley that once ran between two downtown buildings, and the brew pub is a happening place when open on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.

“We love beer, we love everything about beer; we love the taste, the fragrances, the smells, but most of all we love getting together with people to drink the beer,” Brent says of the venture.

Where better to serve up evenings of drink and song than in this historic building where memories literally speak out from the old walls. How the three men came to buy the space almost seems like fate.

The brothers were in downtown Canton one day in 2015 and stopped to look at the front of the building. The owner, who wanted to sell, saw them and literally dragged them inside. Ten days later the three had completed the sale and the narrow space was theirs, Brent, a Canton area resident, recalls.

“We picked Canton to build our house and we love it here. Being a part of the community is important,” Brent explains. “From the mayor to the council to the community, everyone has been super supportive of us.”

In the five years after they bought the building, Green Line perfected three recipes, and the first, Allenbrook Lager, was publicly launched in 2020. Allenbrook is available in area restaurants and liquor stores across the metro region. Some of the restaurants where it can be found include Branchwater, Riverstone Corner Bistro, Union Hill Grill, and Mellow Mushroom.

Their second beer, Shirtless IPA, is set to launch in April. Brent points out the brothers like to keep their business local and that they hired artist Shanna Colter, a Cherokee High School art teacher who helped paint the mural on Railroad Street, to do the design work for the new beer can.

With a commitment to pairing music with beer, Green Line features local musicians on the beer cans. For Allenbrook, Cody Bolden was the featured artist.

Cody is a singer-songwriter based in Canton, who performs in the area at various locations including Green Line. Those who purchase Allenbrook are able to scan the QR code on the can and listen to his music.

For the new release of Shirtless, the can will feature the music of Scott Puckett and Greg Shaddix. Scott, a Canton native, can often be found performing at Green Line. Greg is a great promoter of Green Line and other local venues, Brent said.

The brothers brew up some small batch beer in the downtown brewery, including their Christmas Beer, Holly Hopper, and their fall flavor, Black Pumpkin Spice. They also make a popular cider, Raspberry/Lime, which is a favorite of patrons in the warm weather months. Production for Allenbrook and Shirtless is done at Big Kettle Brewery in Lawrenceville.

The brew pub features a selection of “Build Your Own Tacos,” as well as quesadillas and a taco salad for those who want some food with their beer. Families are welcome, and Brent says children love drawing on the cement wall where customers are urged to leave their mark.

Building Has Rich History

William R. Green Sr. was the original owner of Green Rail Restaurant. Green was an entrepreneur, businessman, rural mail carrier, and state legislator at various times in his career. In 1923, Green bought the B. Frank Coggins Mercantile Store from Coggins and turned it into a barber shop and emporium with such features as hat blocking and a shoe shop. Branchwater now occupies the building.

In 1930, Green sold the store to Georgia Power but rainted the alley that ran down the side of the store. He turned the alley into a narrow space that later became the Green Rail Restaurant, one of the most popular eateries in downtown Canton history.

After the St. Vrains purchased the space for the Green Line Brewery, they were in the building one night sampling and brewing when they noticed a small spot on the left-hand wall where the concrete was worn off. Underneath they could see brick.

The three brothers love showing off all the history the building offers, as well as plenty of great beer and music. The three also love their city. “We like being involved in the community,” brother Joel says. “We want to be that person to help out when someone needs something.”

At the top of the wall the message, “Answer Promptly, Phone 73,” is spelled out. Some of the items sold at the store — Hats, Furniture, Milner, Groceries, and Feed Stock — are all faintly visible on the brick wall.

That was not their only discovery as they mined the old building for clues of its past. The basement of the building appeared to have a dirt floor, but as they dug down they discovered it has a slab. Today, the basement serves as a fermentation room for their small batch brews, as well as for storage.

The three brothers love showing off all the history the building offers, as well as plenty of great beer and music. The three also love their city. “We like being involved in the community,” brother Joel says. “We want to be that person to help out when someone needs something.”

This article was featured in the Historic Canton magazine. Read more.

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