Get Blasted On Wednesday

Like IPA's? Who doesn't these days, right? If you are anything like me, you are also really digging the recent trend towards making black IPA's, or Cascadian Dark Ales, as they are also called. I don't know about you, but CDA's doesn't exactly roll off the tongue like "black IPA". Anyway, the beers are great, and a new one has just sailed into Atlanta--Heavy Seas Black Cannon. Take all of the deliciousness of Loose Cannon and imagine it dark. I can't wait to taste it. Deckard's is going to be pouring some of this beer for the first time on Wednesday, along with tapping a cask of Heavy Seas Siren Noire, an incredible chocolate Imperial Stout. Some other Heavy Seas favorites will be on deck as well, and you can meet Kevin from the brewery if you are interested. The food menu will have some great looking pairings, too. Check it out:

Loose Cannon- Oysters “Rockafella” (Crispy salami, Habanero cream, Spinach, Manchego Cheese)
Black Cannon- Jerked Swordfish
Below Decks- Goat Cheese and Gorgonzola Fritters
Marzen- Grilled Kielbasa with Beer-Braised Saurkraut

These are all appetizer sizes at $6.00 each. So you can have a few beers, get a small plate, and just have a super-duper good time in general. If you have always wanted to be somewhere that you could talk like a pirate, this would be that place. Which reminds me of a joke about a pirate that walks into a bar with a steering wheel hanging from his waist. Don't know that one? Come see me at Deckard's for the rest of the joke. It's a good one.

The Lost Abbey & Port Brewing thing is definitely on for Thursday at Kennesaw Taco Mac. If you do not know about these beers, check out some of their ratings. Pretty much everything is high 90's and a few 100's (extremely rare) on a popular beer rating web site. Not that you need other people to tell you what you like or don't like, but when a consensus of people are in unanimous agreement, that usually means that you are on to something good. But then, of course, the prevailing sentiment can create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Like, "Gee, I am not sure that this is good, but everyone else thinks it's good, so I better go along with the crowd so that I don't look stupid." On second thought, don't look up their ratings. Make up your own mind. I just looked at a 99 rating for a beer I think is garbage. It is made by a really geek-famous brewery, so nobody has the guts to say it sucks.

Also, we are going to be busting out the new draft system at Woodstock really soon. The work is starting to wrap-up, so that store will see 54 new taps very soon. Could be as early as next Friday the 21st. Other notable upcoming events are:

• All Taco Mac locations (yes, TN & NC too) will be releasing the new Red Brick Helluva Bock on Friday, February 4th at 5:00 pm. I bet if you went in earlier they would probably pour you one though.
• Huge night of Bell's specialties at The Fred on February the 10th. More details will follow.
• A cask of the next Terrapin "Georgia Theater" Series, a smoked IPA called Hoptaneous Combustion. Yes, you are right, that does sound intriguing. You can count on the fellas at Terrapin to keep thinking up unique and tasty brews. I had a Moo-Hoo last night, and man is that a great beer.

That is all I can think of right now. Enjoy your weekend, and look for me on TV tomorrow night. I landed some tickets to the Falcons game, and I assume that most of the city will be watching. This game is going to be huge for the team if they can pull off a win. Those Packers are looking pretty tough these days though. Should be an awesome game, and the dome will be a tremendous atmosphere.

PS--Thanks to all of the understanding people who came out on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. All locations were open during the ice freak-out, and we were very busy. Typically that is not a problem, but due to the limited number of employees we could get into work, it was a little challenging. There are even some reports of yours truly bartending and running food. All true. Our company president was waiting tables at a few locations this week as well. Hey, what can we say? We know you needed somewhere to get a few beers and a bite to eat. Ice doesn't change that.