Aren't We All Winners, Really. No? Not So Much?

Before you get any further, you need to know that tonight (Friday) we are tapping a cask of Terrapin's new black IPA, Capt'n Krunkles, at Taco Mac Metropolis, 6 pm. Last weekend was all about getting retarded, and tonight is about getting Krunkled. This cask will go fast, so if you want to be a winner and Krunk-ify your life, then get on down*. I tasted this beer on tap at The Fred yesterday, and it rocks. Tomorrow the Mall of GA store is tapping the last of the Rogue Double Mocha Porter casks we have had. This beer is great too. The one we did last week in Kennesaw could not have possibly tasted any better. They will also be pouring regular drafts of the previously mentioned Krunkles, Rogue John-John Dead Guy (whiskey barrel-aged Dead Guy) and Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout. If that is not enough to get you out of the house on Saturday, please stop calling yourself a beer drinker. I will be at Metropolis tonight but not at G Mall on Saturday, sorry. There is an Abita Oyster & Crawfish Fest thing with live bands at Park Tavern in Piedmont Park that sounds like fun. If the weather stinks though, I just might turn up in Buford. Founder's KBS is not an easy draft to find.

The big SweetWater Brew Your Cask Off was last Saturday. It was a great event, even if some of the beers were made by, well, amateurs. That was sort of the idea. The Full Retard did not win, place or show, but that is OK. We had a good time and it was free, so who's complaining? The t-shirts were a big hit though. From the minute I walked into the 5 Seasons West for lunch until it got too dark out to see, people seemed to love the shirts. Hey, I am just here to bring joy into your world in whatever way I can. The 5 Westside had some tasty beers too. What a cool place.

Anyway, the winners of the BYCO were:

• 1st Place: Fontaine's with a beer called Hop n' Spicy
• 2nd Place: Gibney's (a bar that nobody I know has heard of) with ELT Ale
• 3rd Place: Taco Mac's own Tim & Donald (of Canton & Metropolis stores respectively) for PNS Reserve. Congratulation guys. You saved our reputation.
• People's Choice Award (this means the fest-goers voted for it, but the "expert" judges did not): Cypress St. Plate & Pint with Knobzilla Vanilla Oatmeal Stout

I have finished slide shows of days 2 & 3 of my trip to England. Expect one or both of those this weekend. I spent so much time getting those dialed in that I don't have time now to give you the commentary to go with the photos. Thank you for your continued patience. I think I understand the slide show making process now. You're safe now, computer.

I also wanted to thank those of you who have recently mentioned my radio spots on 790 The Zone. I am amazed at how many people don't change the station during commercials. I did a new one of those this morning, and this time I wasn't hung over. You should notice an increased lucidity in my speech patterns. I know I did. Have a great weekend, and enjoy whatever it is that you plan on getting into. If you don't have anything planned, then for god's sake, get into something.

*Inspired by The Meters "Funkify Your Life (Get On Down)". If you don't know it, check it out. It will do what is says it will do. Get funky y'all.

Can You Go, "All The Way"?

Really quick memo today readers. I am getting prepped to do a cask of Rogue Double Mocha Porter in Kennesaw today. This beer is awesome. We have one more going next Saturday (3/27) at our Mall of GA store. If you miss this one tonight, you have to ask yourself, "When is the last time I was in Buford?" I think it is about time, don't you. Even if you are there right now.

Tomorrow is the Brew Your Cask Off event at SweetWater. Needless to say we are very excited about not just our entries, but the whole thing in general. For my entry, lovingly called The Full Retard, we had t-shirts made up to hopefully encourage the judges. Let's hope that everybody is feeling a little retarded by the end of the day. Probably not going to be a problem.....

I will continue working on the Day 2 slide show of my England trip this weekend. It is about half done, so stay tuned for that.

Lastly, if anyone is interested in a tequila & beer tasting on April 8th, let me know. You can call the office at 678-679-1210 and leave a call-back number with Lauren our receptionist. We will be sampling 4 premium and super-premium tequilas along with 4 Mexican beers to wash them down. For $40 you will get half shots and half beers of each, plus Matt is going to have some tasty Mexican-themed snacks for you. Not a full dinner really, but some sustenance to go with the libations. Most importantly, though, will be the educational aspect. Tequila expert Ciska Siertsma (yes, that is spelled correctly; I did not have seizure while typing) will be on hand to tell you all you ever wanted to know about the agave plant and its fermented spirit. It is actually very interesting, and she will have a full presentation. She is very knowledgeable and a great resource for information to wow your friends and co-workers with. Space is limited, and there are only 10 more openings.

That is all for now. Just remember, when you aren't sure how far you want to go, suck it up and Go Full Retard!

PS- The relevance of a hot chick riding a beer bottle to a quote from Tropic Thunder and to a cask of beer that I helped make? Nothing. Let it go. Why does everything have to make sense?