What, you may be asking yourself, is Fred babbling about? Let me break it down for you.
- On January 27th we have our monthly beer dinner. This month the featured brewery is Duck Rabbit, and the brew master will be present to answer any of your questions (like, "What is up with the name of your brewery?" which is an interesting story by the way). There are only a few spots left, so if you are unaware of the best bargain in Atlanta, maybe you should sign up. Seriously, we are very proud of these events, and $50 for 5 courses and 5 beers, gratuity included, is a steal. You can see the menu on the Taco Mac web site. January we are at Duluth, and February we move to Lindbergh. I host these events, so if you have any questions for me, well, there I am.
- The following day we head over to our Suwanee store for a vertical tasting of 3 years of Duck Rabbit Barley Wine. Ever wondered how some beer ages and matures well, but have not had the patience to get the rewards? We took care of that for you. Paul, the brew master, will be there to explain everything you ever wanted to know about beer cellaring, barley wines, ducks, rabbits, all of that. The '07, '08 and '09 DR BWs will be available in a one-day-only 6 oz. size for $2.50, so you can try all of them without getting completely hammered. I will be there around 5 pm. These beers were made in the late winter, so the '09 is actually from '08, but is only 2 months old at this point, so we don't want to imply that our youngest vintage is a year old if it isn't. Make sense? Also, the 6 oz. size will be a new credit for Passport Club members who may have had these vintages already. Remember, after the 28th, you can still get the beers, and each one will be a separate credit becuase they are dated, but the 6 oz. credits will go away.
- Before all of this Duck Rabbit mayhem breaks out, there is an extremely rare keg of beer being tapped at Metropolis on Wednesday the 21st. Stone Brewing Co. has made a collaborative beer with Alesmith and Mikkeller. It is a Belgian-style triple, and I can't wait to try it. Only 2 kegs are coming to Atlanta, and it they will probably not live to see the following day. Alesmith is a highly regarded SoCal brewery that wins awards everywhere it goes. Mikkeller is a crazy Dutch guy that does not own a brewery. He goes to some of the world's most esoteric breweries and makes these way-out collaborations. Everything is extreme and pushes the limits of sanity. I would look into this if I were you. I will be there around 5 pm as well. I'll be the guy with the really awesome beer in his hand.
- Small amounts of kegs of Terrapin's Side Project (#4 or 5) are hitting the stores now. Almost every store is getting one. It is called Dos Cocoas, and it is a porter made with 2 kinds of cocoa. Get it before it is gone. That means you. Now. Go. (Please call your local store to see when they are going to have room for it, because this beer sort of came out of nowhere and now is ready to drink. I would hate for you to make a trip for this one purpose and be let down.)
- This Friday the stores on the west side of 400, excluding Cherokee, Fayette and Coweta counties will have Yuengling Amber Lager on draft. Yes, I am serious. The rest of metro ATL will have the beer on Monday or Tuesday. Why is this? One distributor has it now and is ready to sell, and that is basically how the territories are divided. It's complicated.
Now, if that is not enough to keep you busy until February, keep reading.
- Some brand new beers going in are Breckenridge Pandora's Bock (Johns Creek, Cumming, Old Milton Pkwy, Kennesaw, and Decatur). Just in is Highland Black Mountain Bitter, which is very limited. Look for one at Kennesaw, Decatur, and Crabapple. Kennesaw is the only store pouring Vermont's Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout. They also have Avery "The Czar" (so does PT City) and "The Kaiser". Many more stores will be picking up these very unusual Avery beers soon. Suwanee is in the mood with Avery Ale To The Chief this week. Whether you voted for the guy or not, this beer is worth hailing.
- Still can't get the Belgians out of your mind? Houblon Chouffe just keeps on blowing minds everywhere it goes. Suwanee, Old Milton and Kennesaw are the most recent to get on board. Johns Creek is rockin' Blanche de Bruxelles, N. Coast Pranqster, 3 Philosphers and Ommegang Witte. I guess we know what that manager likes to drink. Go, Jem. The selection up north is looking sharp right now.
- Some items that you don't see everyday are Brooklyn Brown (at Suwanee and Decatur), DFH Raison d' Etre (Lindbergh) and Great Divide Titan (Suwanee).
- Last but not least, the long-awaited arrival of Sierra Nevada's Hop Secret 393 is almost upon us. This is the beer that I helped write the recipe for during a seminar at the brewery in Chico, CA. It uses an experimental hop so rare (never before used), it does not even have a name yet. It is called simply Hop 393. If this beer is as good as the brewery says it is, we are in for a treat. However, there are only going to be a dozen kegs, max, so stay tuned. Arrival date is still TBD.
Have a great week everyone. I will be back in touch soon.
