This weekend starts a wave of beer events that frankly just does not know when to stop. I hope that you are ready, because it is about to get heavy. If you are not prepared for this, then you may be excused now. OK, good. You're still with me. Here is the itinerary, and I don't want to hear any crying. "Oh my god, Fred! I can't possibly drink all of this beer! Oh, why do you plan so many fun things for me to do with so many cool people? Boo-hoo. I, like, have a life and stuff. I can't possibly be traipsing all over Atlanta from one drinking event to another." If that's you, then you should have left the room when I warned you. Because now you're in, and here's what we have cooked up for you:
- Friday every GA store starts selling the Terrapin 30 Strong. The above photo is the list of ingredients, in the brewer's handwriting. I don't know if you can expand that picture or not, but we will have those on hand for you to look at when you stop in for this awesome beer. Be prepared for a very drinkable, high-gravity beer. Careful. There, I warned you. Don't blame me when you wake up fully clothed (or totally naked-it's always one or the other) in a strange place.
- Monday we have 2 casks of this beer to pour at our Virginia-Highland store. It is a special day for us for a few reasons, so we are tapping these kegs of anniversary beer at our original store. Please come by and check it out if you can. These kegs have a special 31st ingredient in them. Terrapin people will be on hand to enjoy the festivities with all of us. It is safe to say that you will never see this beer again. Apparently it was a pain to brew, and we appreciate Terrapin's patience. You will too once you taste it.
- Monday also sees the launch of New Belgium's beers into Atlanta. We should be getting deliveries of Fat Tire 22 oz. bottles before lunch on Monday, and will ice it down to sell ASAP.
- Wednesday the Stone beer dinner in Duluth offers things for those who were not able to get into the event. We are serving Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale on draft, and it will be available to the general public after 8 pm. There is only 1 other keg of this incredible black IPA in Atlanta. We also have a cask of Stone Smoked Porter with chipotle peppers in it. You can start purchasing that around 8:30 pm. You will probably never see that again in this area. I really hope that you can try these beers if you did not get into the dinner. The owner/brew master from Stone will be there, so if you are hanging around in the bar, maybe you can meet him once we are done.
- Our Canton, G Mall and Decatur stores just received cask-conditioned kegs of Lagunitas IPA, Undercover Shutdown Ale and/or 2009 Correction Ale (new!). Those are getting tapped ASAP. All of those beers are Mega Fred Favorites. I received a bottle of the Correction in the mail recently. Get ready for a great hoppy beer that pulls back before plunging you over a cliff. I can't wait to try these from a beer engine.
- Sweetwater's latest Dank Tank beer, Big Medlin Double IPA is showing up all over town. Only about 30 small kegs remain. Don't be a snoozer. That would, by defintion, also make you a loser.
- Then the following Monday the 18th Bell's launches in Atlanta. We will be doing something at our Kennesaw store for that, probably on Tuesday the 19th. Put that on your calendar, and more details will follow. I am "working" on that tonight over a few Victory Hop Devils with the distributor.
- Look for Peak's Organic beers from Vermont to start popping up this month.
- Not enough for you? Moylan's Brewery from northern CA is going to debut this month as well. In case you just arrived on Earth, they make pretty awesome beer in California.
- Perimeter is tapping an '08 Duck Rabbit Wee Heavy this week.
- Kennesaw and Old Milton are both installing some of those new Pennichuck beers from New Hampshire.
- Schneider-Brooklyner Hopfen Weiss (made at Schneider in Germany by Garret Oliver of Brooklyn Brewing) kegs are at Metropolis, Decatur, Perimeter, Duluth and G Mall. Rare and incredible.
- Johns Creek is picking up Spaten Mai Bock and the new Spaten Pils. Both are great, in case you forgot that Germans make quality beer, too. They also have keg of Brooklyn Blast, a new IPA that I have yet to taste. Go get one and give me a full report.
- Speaking of Brooklyn, East-West has their Pennant Ale coming in. They also have an Ommegang Rare Vos. This Belgian-style amber is mellow and easy to drink. An Ommegang is a big glass? That's right. (Psst! Also a Fred favorite.)
- Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball, Decatur. Go!
- Allagash Confluence at Kennesaw. You need to go NOW! It will be gone quickly.
