- There is a beer engine there, and you can get a fresh, hand-drawn, cask-conditioned Victory Hop Devil. This engine is a little different than the one at Metropolis. This one has a "cask breather" system, which basically adds gas to keep the beer fresh without pushing or carbonating the beer in any way. Instead of the normal draft system PSI, it only use 2-3 PSI, and only when beer is drawn out is the gas allowed to enter. This enables us to keep the cask longer than the 1 day shelf we prefer at Metropolis. Neither is better or worse than the other, just different. Metropolis is pouring a Red Brick Peachtree Pale cask on Friday! Try Canton's tomorrow or Thursday, then hit Metropolis Friday and give me your thoughts on the comparison.
- If you have never had St. Feuillien beers from Belgium before, you need to get with the program! We will have their Brune and Tripel on tap tomorrow for the first time at any Taco Mac. This is one of those breweries that has been hovering around my radar for a while, and once I got my hands on them, I am furious with myself for not diving in a lot sooner. Watch for their Noel this winter too. Mmmmmm.
- Two new Weyerbacher drafts debut at Canton tomorrow as well. The Winter and Fireside are on tap, with their dangerous Quad in the cooler to cellar for a while.
- Dark beer drinkers get ready. Duck Rabbit Baltic Porter, Rogue Imperial Porter and Mogul (both from the Locker Stock series of small batch kegs), and the re-release of Red Hook Double Black Stout (made with coffee) will be on hand.
- Need some crazy new credits on your Passport list? Ever had Coney Island Human Blockhead or Harpoon Celtic Ale on draft. I didn't think so. Not impressed? That's cool. How about Harviestoun Old Engine Oil or Left Hand Twin Sisters Double IPA? Am I getting anywhere yet. Anyone? Bueller?
- Some older, lesser know favorites will be on tap as well. Weihenstephen Dunkle Weiss, Breckenridge 471 ESB (a Fred favorite) and Ommegang Rare Vos are also in the building and ready to flow.
I hope that some of you can make it out there for the opening some time this week. As always, please plan your trasportation accordingly. We like to provide our regulars with excellent libations and a friendly atmosphere, and we prefer that our customers stay as far from harm and/or incarceration as possible.
The Hop Secret 393 Tour '09 is half over! Decatur killed the keg in 1 hr. 38 min., 4 minutes under Perimeter's time last week. Keep your head up Perimeter people, you poured a keg in 1:42 on a Wednesday. Decatur needed a Friday night to edge you out. This week we have to wait until 8 pm to tap the 393 at Lindbergh tonight. The beer dinner is sold out, so we have to save this beer until its appearance in the 3rd course. Too risky to start pouring it at 5 and be out before the beer dinner guests get any. For those of you that could not get out early enough to try this beer yet, here is your chance. The accompanying slide show will be upstairs on the mezzanine, and Sierra folks will be around to discuss the beer until I am through with the beer dinner. So come in around 8, grab a Hop Secret, mosey upstairs and someone will be waiting for you.
If you are a fan of the HS 393, and know folks in the Coweta or Fayette County areas, then get on the horn and get the word out! The Tour rolls through our Newnan store this Friday. Or, if you live in that area, we would love to see a strong showing for this event. We really want to keep showing the love to those stores down south, but as you know, love is a two way street. Let's get together and kill this keg of awesome beer in less than Decatur's time and show those folks who's boss. I will be there with the Sierra guys and the media show, so clear your calendar, call in sick, take the dog the kennel, and get ready, because we're headed your way Friday.
The only other notable event right now is the Allagash dinner next Tuesday. There is one spot available through Pay Pal right now. I am holding a few spots extra just in case, so if you had your heart set on going and can't pay through the web site, let me know. I might be able to release these spots in a pinch. Brew master Rob Tod from Allagash will be there to answer any questions that you may have about brettanomyces, lacto bacillus, barrel aging, or crazy Belgian-inspired brewing in general. Keep your eyes peeled for April's beer dinner: Fred & Matt's European Vacation! We will feature 2 German beers, 1 Belgian, 1 wacky Italian beer, and 1 from Sri Lanka (yes, I know that Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean, thank you). I would be surprised if many of you have seen any of these beers, since only 1 is available in GA. The other 4 I had only heard about until last month.
The Hop Secret 393 wraps up with the last 2 kegs at Kennesaw on Monday, and Crabapple on Wednesday 3/11. Have a great week, and I will see you all somewhere along the way. Thanks for all of the great feedback on this blog over the last few weeks as well!
