Walk into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport these days and something feels different at Gate E28. Past the usual parade of fast-food chains and overpriced coffee stands sits a handsome new bar and restaurant that smells like pecan wood, brown sugar, and honest-to-God whiskey. It’s called Old Fourth Distillery + Kitchen, and for a lot of travelers—especially the ones who know their way around a good bottle—it might be the best thing to happen to the world’s busiest airport in years.
This isn’t some corporate knock-off pretending to be local. Old Fourth Distillery has been making spirits in Atlanta since 2014, the first legal distillery the city had seen since Prohibition shut the doors on the old ones nearly a hundred years earlier. Last year the outfit was bought by Shortbarrel Bourbon, a younger Atlanta company that’s been turning heads with small-batch rye and bourbon since 2020. Together they’ve planted their flag right in the middle of Terminal E, turning a layover into something that actually feels like a visit to Georgia.
Step inside and the place hits you with warm wood, brick walls, and lighting that makes everybody look a little better than they did after security. There’s a long bar, plenty of high-top tables, and a retail corner stacked with bottles you can carry on or ship home (they’ll send Old Fourth to 48 states if you forget to grab one on the way out).
The menu reads like the kind of food you wish you had time to eat when you’re actually in the South. Breakfast brings Southern Waffles topped with bourbon-maple butter and something called Peaches & Cream—fresh peaches soaked in Old Fourth Bourbon until they give up and become dessert for grown-ups. Lunch and dinner lean harder: a HOT-LANTA Sandwich stacked with smoked brisket and hot peppers, a big Seafood Platter loaded with fried shrimp, oysters, and hushpuppies, and a skillet of Mac & Cheese that could make a grown man tear up. Every dish is built to stand up to the whiskey instead of getting run over by it.
Behind the bar they’re pouring the full Old Fourth and Shortbarrel lineup. Want a perfect Rye Old Fashioned before you board? They’ve got it. Feeling something lighter? The Your New BFF is made with their barrel-aged gin and tastes like summer in Atlanta. Even the Bloody Mary gets the local treatment—spiked with Old Fourth vodka and enough seasoning to wake you up after the red-eye.
“When we acquired Old Fourth, we knew it stood for more than spirits — it represents Atlanta’s culture and craftsmanship,” said Clinton Dugan, Adam Dorfman, and Patrick Lemmond, the three co-owners who run both companies. “This opening is a celebration of the city that built us. We wanted travelers to feel like they’re stepping into Atlanta from the moment they sit down — to enjoy the same warmth, creativity, and authenticity that inspire everything we make. Whether you’re grabbing a cocktail before your flight or taking a bottle home, Old Fourth Distillery + Kitchen is Atlanta in a glass.”
Sal Mendola III, the chef who helped design the menu for Areas (the company that runs most of the better food outlets in airports), kept it simple: “Old Fourth Distillery + Kitchen celebrates the essence of Atlanta. We’ve curated a menu that pairs perfectly with their handcrafted spirits — rooted in Southern comfort but elevated for the traveler’s palate. It’s a true taste of the city, crafted by Atlantans for the world to enjoy.”
For guys who spend half their lives in airports, this place is a small miracle. You’re not stuck choosing between a soggy pretzel and a $19 beer anymore. You can sit down, order a double Old Fourth bourbon neat, get a real plate of food, and—for ten or fifteen minutes—remember why you like the South in the first place.
And if you like what you’re drinking, grab a bottle on your way out. They’ve got the flagship bourbon, the rye, the gin, even limited bottles like the Dominique Wilkins “Nique’s Batch” that the Hawks legend helped create. Miss it at the airport? They’ll ship it straight to your door when you get home.
Next time you’re changing planes in Atlanta, give yourself a little extra time at Gate E28. Have a waffle and a bourbon for breakfast, a brisket sandwich and a rye Old Fashioned for lunch, or just park yourself at the bar with a rocks glass and watch the world rush by. Either way, you’ll leave knowing you actually touched down in Georgia—even if it was only for forty-five minutes.
Old Fourth Distillery + Kitchen is open every day in Terminal E near Gate 28. Tell the bartender we sent you. He’ll know what that means.
