‘Just left at the pig.’ How new brewery going up in downtown Perry got its start

A family friendly brewery targeted to open in late 2026 in historic downtown Perry got its start in a Christmas gift seven years ago.

Julie and Dave Forrester, of Marshallville, are the owners of Left at the Pig Brewing, now under construction at 911 Jernigan St. Julie Forrester shared their story in a written summary and a Telegraph interview.

The eldest of four sons, Drew Forrester, and his wife, Tyler, gifted his dad a homebrew starter kit in 2019. The son at one time had worked for Just Tap'd in Macon.

The gift ignited a passion for craft beer among the large Forrester family that also includes sons and daughter-in-laws, Wade and Jacki Forrester, and Ty and Bailey Forrester, and youngest son, Cam Forrester.

The family enjoyed brew days and beer tastings, with Dave Forrester even growing a couple of hops trellis on their property to see how they would fare in Georgia soil, Julie Forrester said.

Their first beer they named Amberdextrious — described as “a smooth copper-colored, easy-drinkin’, laid-back American Amber Ale with just enough citrus pop to keep either hand reaching for another.”

The Forresters aim to create a community gathering place where everyone feels welcome and great craft beer is served.

“It’s just a place where you can meet up with friends,” she said.

Owners credit family, friends for making Left at the Pig Brewing a reality

Joining their brewing adventure was Mark King, a close family friend. Dave Forrester and King spent hours in the Forrester basement experimenting and tweaking recipes and processes.

“Mark stepped in with David, and they started brewing together,” Julie Forrester said. “They both, you know, were kind of nerdy.

“They started off with fish cookers in the garage, and now in the basement, we’ve got a little brewery that they brew from.”

With an encouraging nudge from King and his life partner, Jodi Daley, owner of Bodega Brew in downtown Perry, Julie and Dave Forrester began to dream about having their own brewery.

In their first homebrew competition at the 2022 Brewfest in Perry, the Forresters won the People’s Choice award .

“At the competition, people were saying you should open (a brewery),” Forrester said. “The kids had kind of thrown it around a little bit, and we just started going to breweries.

“We like ‘em, so every time we travel, we go to a brewery, and Mark and Jodi and David and I used to go out of town and hit nine breweries while we were out of town and just check them out and just enjoy the time together.”

The Forresters next enlisted the aid of brewmaster Doug Evans, calling him out of retirement to serve as the brewmaster for Left at the Pig Brewing. Evans previously served as brewmaster at Fall Line Brewing and Ocmulgee Brewpub, both in Macon.

“David reached out to him to see if he would be interested in consulting to help us find a brewmaster because David can’t do that full-time, and when we reached out to him and told him the concept, he said he wanted to come onboard and be the brewmaster, which is a ‘Thank you, God,’“ Forrester said.

Julie Forrester, an emergency room nurse by vocation, will run the brewery full-time, while her husband will continue in his full-time job at Utility Service in Perry.

What’s behind the name of the brewery?

The name Left at the Pig Brewing can be traced back to a concrete pig placed on the long driveway that stretches three quarters of a mile to the Forrester’s Macon County home .

Julie Forrester’s father, Mike “Big Pop” Hillmeyer, is credited with the idea to place the pig in the driveway when their house was under construction in late 2007 to direct workers and later guests. Just take a left at the pig.

With a heart for people and known for their hospitality, the phrase “left at the pig” also became synonymous with the welcoming and inclusive environment found at the Forrester home.

When their kids were growing up, the Forresters hosted monthly gatherings in which all were welcome, sometimes drawing hundreds of people to their home. They provided the main food and guests provided a side dish.

At Left at the Pig Brewing, the Forresters desire to create that same welcoming, inclusive environment.

What will the physical building be like?

The brewery will be housed in a two-story, metal-clad building with brick ends and garage doors across the front with two that can be opened half-way, Forrester said.

The industrial interior will include second-floor mezzanines with railings that overlook the taproom and brewing area on the first-floor. The main mezzanine will be rentable for private events, along with the smaller “living room” mezzanine.

Downstairs, there will also be a curved bar, a cold room, and a kitchen.

“We’re a brewery that sells food — not a restaurant that brews beer,” Forrester noted.

They expect to open the brewery with about a dozen craft beers. Wine also will be served but no liquor.

The back of the building will open to a large deck, a covered porch and expansive patio that steps down to astroturf where the lawn game cornhole will be set up. The astroturf was sourced from Valdosta State College’s football field, she said.

The outdoor area will have a fire pit and an informal amphitheater-style band space. A small playground area will be visible from the bar.

The old metal barn on the property is being retained for aesthetics. The Forresters had hoped to restore the barn at a later date for an event space, but the proposed project became cost prohibitive, she said.

Perry has always needed a place like what the Forresters envision and the couple themselves have longed for something like it, Julie Forrester said.

“We just didn’t really realize we were going to be the ones to do it,” Forrester said. “We kind of knew what we’d like to see in Perry.

“And the Lord just kept leading us hand to hand, and another door would open, and another door would open, and we’re like, ‘Well, you know, maybe we’ll think about this,’ and another door would open. It was like, ‘OK, God, if this what you want us to do, you gotta make it clear,’ and he did,” she said.

A journey others have taken

The Forresters’ journey from homebrew kit to brewery is a shared story among many in the world of craft breweries, according to the staff economist for the Brewers Association, a not-for-profit trade association representing more than 9,000 breweries in the U.S.

“Many, many taproom/brewpub owners began with a passion for homebrewing,” Matt Gacioch, Brewers Association staff economist, said in an email. “That’s where they honed their craft, got great feedback, and worked up the courage to leave their day job and follow a dream.”

Also, craft breweries have continued to evolve over the past decades to become true community gathering spaces, also known as third spaces, Gacioch said.

“Many have been family-friendly for a long time, and for good reason,” Gacioch said. “For consumers, it means not needing to choose between family time and getting out of the house.

“For owners, it means that customers are able to prolong their visit, which often translates to larger check size. But, it’s often not just about being a revenue driver. Frequently, it connects with the mission of the business to offer a family-friendly community space where people can truly socialize in-person in an increasingly digital world,” he said.

Craft breweries by the numbers

The popularity of craft breweries has continued to grow in Georgia over the years, with only 21 in 2011 compared to 190 across the state by 2024, according to the most recent statistics compiled by the Brewers Association.

In all, Georgia produced 585,429 barrels of craft beer in 2024, ranking 11th in the nation, the Brewers Association reported. One barrel is equal to 31 gallons.

The combined economic impact of the craft breweries in Georgia in 2024 was just over $1.87 million, according to the Brewers Association.