A few Fridays ago we did the Lenny's RIPA event in Canton, which was a big success. The beers were all great, but especially the firkin of Lenny's. The store did a superb job with it, and the beer came out crystal clear and tasting incredible. Then last week we had our annual holiday beer dinner extravaganza. If you missed it (again) this year, well, you goofed pal. It was a big hit as always. All of the holiday beers were delicious, and each person had their favorite. I can't say enough about the St. Bernardus Christmas, which has been a staple at this dinner each year. Of course the eggnog spiked with Rogue Hazelnut Spiced Rum is a fan favorite that looks like it will be a December tradition for years to come. If you are looking for a holiday cocktail, this is where it's at, trust me. We also hosted the Beer Connoisseur One-Year Anniversary party at Deckard's last week. That was a blow-out. Lots of great beers all over the place. See, I have not been being lazy and ignoring my readers. I really have been all over the place for the last two weeks.
So here is a quick run-down of upcoming events. Maybe I should say "event". There is a cask of Peak Organic IPA being tapped tomorrow (Wednesday, Dec. 15th) at the Perimeter Mall Taco Mac. Need to do some last-minute shopping? Screw it. Come over and drink beer instead. Everybody has enough "stuff". Your nephew just wants money or I-Tunes cards or Bieber tickets, not another shirt from The Gap. In fact, if you even attempt to enter a mall this weekend, you have some bizarre masochistic tendencies you probably keep a secret. In fact, if you do, then I think know a "woman" named George that you might like to meet. Looks like Mrs. Claus decides who is naughty or nice this year....
Coming up we have a beer dinner in Charlotte on January 12th with Anderson Valley Brewing Co. The owner and president, Trey White, will be in town for the event. The menu has been posted to www.tacomac.com already, so check it out. If you or someone you know are in the Charlotte area, you should really see about making this dinner.
We are also planning a Valentines beer dinner at Deckard's with five different Ommegang specialties. I will have a menu and a date for you in the next few weeks. I mean a date that the dinner will be held, not a date for you to take to the dinner. I am sorry, that is not exactly within my skill set. You are on your own when it comes to finding romantic partners. I give you social events that involve alcohol. The rest is up to you champ. But seriously, if you and your significant other appreciate good beer and are looking for a Valentine's spot, I have you covered. More details to follow. But you can skip the bistros, brasseries, cafes, lounges, ristorantes or whatever, and have a nice sit-down meal in an unpretentious setting with some great food and elegant beer pairings. Then you can go home and get freaky. I know that's what you were thinking, so I just went ahead and said it for you.
We are also going to do some sort of event surrounding the arrival of some firkins from Fuller's that should be here in February. You may recall that I was at this brewery this past February (see slide show #1 from my trip to England). The beer will be a great change of pace from the American firkins we get so much more frequently. The brewery is very cautious to send these over here only in cool weather months to ensure that they travel safely and arrive as tasty as they can be. Once I get an ETA on that boat I will get some dates set down. We should be getting about six of these things.
The only other event that I know of right now is the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting on January 29th. It is being held jointly by Taco Mac Prado and Lucky Devil Brewing Co. (formerly 5 Seasons) at The Prado. Unfortunately this event is sold out as usual, but who knows? Every year something happens to somebody and they have to give up their tickets at the last minute. So you can pray for someone else's misfortune in order to get into a beer event. If that's your kind of thing.
But don't despair. There will be more January events for sure. We are just waiting for the holidays to get over with and people to get back to a regular work schedule. I personally will be back in Michigan for a few days to visit family. So if you are complaining about the cold in Atlanta right now, cram it. I get to go into sub-Arctic temperatures for "vacation". Have a great week and all of that. Maybe I will see you guys out for a cask of Peak Organic IPA tomorrow. Bye.
Holiday Pet Peeve # 17 (and I have a lot of them!): Anyone who ever uses the spelling or vocal inflection of "holi-daze". Stop it. Just stop now. You are not clever. You did not invent that. Stop acting like something you read on a redneck's hat 20 years ago is still considered witty. Even the person who first came up with it is sick of it. The next time you think about opening your mouth, just don't. If you like to get wasted over the holidays, keep it a secret. Just like grandma does.
