Heavenly Creation

To create something from nothing is one of the greatest feelings, and I would - I don't know, I wish it upon everybody. It's heaven.

Prince

Craft brewing is a tough business. Cost of hops is up, beer consumption is down. Consumers are squeezed and the market is crowded.

But at least two breweries still thrive, and for that we can thank divine creativity.

In 1994, my friend Brock Arnold started Saint Arnold Brewing Co. as a nod to the patron saint of brewing, Saint Arnulf of Metz.

The product is marvelous.

But the real success came when Brock created a place that not only reflected his brand, but also became his brand. A place for purpose-built for beer drinking.

I think of it as beer’s mother church:

In the shadow of downtown, Brock created a grand patio that makes even Houston’s summers enjoyable. For him, it was a helluva real estate deal. For beer drinkers, it was a gift.

And Brock’s real creativity came when he leaned into “art cars”.

A display of art cars occupies the brewery’s entrance.

The creativity inspired a brew that became a best-seller, a heavenly brew.

700 miles northeast, Wild Heaven brews beer in a sleepy Avondale Estates, Georgia warehouse. Art cars surround Saint Arnold, junk cars surround Wild Heaven.

It’s the kind of place with no A/C and roll-up doors. A homespun version of Saint Arnold.

Wild Heaven supplies local restaurants and became a fan favorite with “Emergency Drinking Beer”.

Enthusiasts can buy a six pack to go or order at the counter.

Step outside for a makeshift patio, the Sunday School version of Saint Arnold’s mother church.

Grandeur isn’t required; beer and patios in any form are a blessed combination.

But as with Saint Arnold, the beer and patio combination has reached a new level of divine. In Wild Heaven’s case, it’s thanks to the creations of Todd Ginsberg, the two time James Beard “Best Chef, Southeast” semifinalist.

Todd goes hard. His fleet of superb restaurants shaped Atlanta dining, but the trailer he drug to Wild Heaven - “Ginsberg’s Refresher” - is his most divine work yet. And he can be found there this summer, working shoulder to shoulder with his young son.

When it comes to food, Todd is a maniac on a mission and we’re the lucky beneficiaries.

“I wanted to do food, including a burger, I would enjoy drinking with a beer. Those are sandwiches and shareables incorporating spicy, salty, fatty, and acidic flavors,” he said. “This menu is what I want to eat on a patio.”

Wild Heaven is now more heavenly.

The lesson for us real estate sinners: both Saint Arnold and Wild Heaven occupy interesting urban properties, but what makes them desirable (and therefore valuable) is how creativity brought them to life.

A patio next to a warehouse is one thing, but a patio with Emergency Drinking Beers and crispy oyster sliders with vietnamese slaw, fresno pepper and fish sauce caramel aioli is on a far higher celestial plane.

Todd and Brock have both created something from nothing - and it’s heaven.