Explore the Athens, Georgia Beer Trail

 

By Owen Ogletree   Brewers and the local Convention & Visitors Bureau in Athens, Georgia, teamed up in 2021 in the creation of an enjoyable short YouTube video called Beer: The Athens Way. The presentation showcases the welcoming college town and all six of its personable craft breweries.   Beer: The Athens Way began as an idea hatched by local craft beer retailer Sachin Patel and PR specialist Nerissa Rajcoomar. In Nerissa's mind, the early days of the Athens craft beer scene seem like a rock band or sports team going through struggles and learning how to succeed through passion and goal-setting. "I realized how special a time it was for the beginnings of craft beer in Athens in the early 2000s," she recalls. "Hearing stories from the brewers felt relatable and inspiring to me, and I thought it might do the same for others. Bringing these individuals together to create the mini-documentary video was the thing to do."   Inspired by the video, the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau came up with the scheme of an Athens Beer Trail where visitors check out each brewery and collect stamps in a printed "field guide." Field guide booklets are available at any Athens brewery or the Athens Welcome Center, and participants who get a stamp at all six breweries earn a branded Athens Beer Trail mug.   Hannah Smith of the Convention & Visitors Bureau notes, "Athens is many things: the birthplace of public higher education in America, home to hundreds of bands, center for top college sports action, and a diverse and vibrant arts and food scene. Athens has also quietly become the all-American beer town."   Athens' six craft breweries come in all shapes and sizes, with each location possessing its own personality, philosophy and vibe. Visitors should score a hotel room downtown and spend at least two days making their way to each brewery taproom by city bus, rideshare options or a designated driver.      Akademia Brewing Company 150 Crane Drive Athens, GA 30606   Akademia opened its doors in 2017 and ranks as the city's only brewpub. Located on the busy Atlanta Highway just a few miles west of downtown, the full-service restaurant, brewery and event space has quickly become a top spot in Athens for people to socialize, hear live music and enjoy fabulous food and beer.   Akademia brewer Morgan Wireman sees the brewpub's location on the west side of Athens as a perfect spot to hit on the way into or out of town when folks are heading down the Atlanta Highway. "With our giant outdoor space, excellent restaurant and 22 taps of house beers, Akademia offers something for everyone," Morgan explains. "We try to mix in classic beer styles with more modern takes on beer. I do a lot of reading and research on different styles, and if I see something that sparks my attention, I'll obsess over it until I come up with the perfect recipe."     Athentic Brewing Company 108 Park Ave. Athens, GA 30601   Athentic Brewing began in 2020 in the vibrant Normaltown neighborhood of Athens. Homebrewing sparked the interest of Athentic cofounders Paul Skinner and Mark Johnson back in 2011, and the two soon collaborated on the dream of owning a commercial brewery.    Athentic's motto of "crafting good times" seems a perfect fit. Kimberly Wise, taproom manager at Athentic, notes, "We pride ourselves on being a welcoming community meeting spot where the neighborhood and people from town can get together in a joyous, social manner. We feel that if you come to Athentic, it should feel like you are coming home to a great place where you can be yourself. Everyone loves that we specialize in beer-flavored beers and classic styles. We have so many different styles that it's easy to find something to meet your taste."     Photo courtesy of CCBC Creature Comforts Brewing Company 271 W Hancock Ave. Athens, GA 30601   As Athens' sole downtown brewery, Creature Comforts makes its home in the historic Snow Tire facility. Brewery general manager John Apostolik believes that the best way to experience Athens comes in supporting local businesses. "We believe that our curiosity, small-town tenacity and southern regionality brings a distinct approach to how Creature Comforts creates its beer," he declares. "Aside from having a wonderful and welcoming space in the heart of downtown and a diverse selection of quality beer, Creature Comforts believes that good companies are good neighbors. Creature Comforts has recently been awarded B Corp Certification and has committed to 1% of its revenue going to community efforts."     Normaltown Brewing Company 149 Oneta Street Athens, GA 30601   Housed in an old, rustic industrial complex just outside of downtown, Normaltown Brewing ranks as Athens' smallest and coziest brewery. The nanobrewery cranks out a fun range of eclectic beers in a friendly and sociable atmosphere. Co-owner Heath Yarbrough relates, "People love the size and intimacy of the brewery. Folks can come in, meet the owners, try all our beers and relax. We brew in small batches and have constantly rotating taps."   Normaltown's taproom manager Erich Fietkau adds, "I love working at Normaltown because of the beer and the people. I've been able to meet all the movers of the Athens craft beer scene, and this has been a blessing in terms of my beer knowledge. I also enjoy talking to customers and getting direct feedback that helps us tweak recipes."     Southern Brewing Company  231 Collins Industrial Blvd. Athens, GA 30601   SBC's co-owner Brian Roth worked in Athens for years as craft beer director of a local distributor. As his passion for brew blossomed, so did his desire to create a destination brewery of his own in his beloved home of Athens. Housed on several acres of land just outside downtown, SBC sometimes seems more like a blend of a brewery and a recreational green space. The casual, welcoming taproom's back doors lead to an expansive lawn space, outdoor game area and live music pavilion.   "SBC's large venue space allowed us to remain open and support local artists, musicians and charities during much of COVID," Brian says. "I'm really proud of our collaborative efforts with local businesses, breweries and organizations. We've enjoyed working with the University of Georgia on yeast research, and SBC now has 87 exclusive wild yeasts collected from the Athens area, many of which we have used in fermenting our beers. We always try to have at least 30 taps that run the gamut of an array of beer styles that we keep on constant rotation. Our beers are tasty, interesting and creative."     Terrapin Beer Company 265 Newton Bridge Road Athens, GA 30607   Founded by Georgia brewers John Cochran and Brian "Spike" Buckowski, Terrapin released its popular Rye Pale Ale at Athens' Classic City Brew Fest around 20 years ago. Shortly after, the beer was awarded a gold medal for best American pale ale at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. Terrapin had made its splash on the American craft beer scene with an amazing beer and a simple plan of contract brewing long enough to raise funds for the construction of its 40,000 square-foot pioneering brewing facility in Athens.    Terrapin vice president Dustin Watts takes pride in the brewery's creative beers and environmental initiatives. "I think Terrapin is special for visitors to Athens," he says. "We have a beautiful taproom with around 16 different beers on draft. Visitors can also check out our huge yard, outdoor bar and beer garden, where families and dogs are welcome. We call it 'Athens' largest backyard.' Terrapin also has a test brewery at Truist Park in Atlanta, and its small-batch beers show up at our Athens taproom."   Craft Beer Nurtures a Community   As a producer of Beer: The Athens Way and founder of Athens' popular Five Points Bottle Shop, Northside Bottle Shop and Westside Bottle Shop, Sachin Patel believes that beer is a gift from God. "Before we knew science and the process of fermentation, beer was considered magical," he says. "Beer provided sustenance and gave us the chance to engage, enjoy ourselves and bring communities together. Beer is the quintessential beverage of history. Athens ties in because of its organic vibe that nurtures the craft beer scene and allows it to flourish. Just as beer has been important to history and civilization, it is now an integral part of Athens."   First Published in:

You're Gonna Need a Biggerstaff

Brewery Profile:

Biggerstaff Brewing 
Atlanta, GA
 
By Owen Ogletree
 
Located in the up-and-coming Edgewood neighborhood near downtown Atlanta, Biggerstaff Brewing ranks as one of the city's newest craft breweries. Nope, the name doesn't mean what some people might think. Rather, Biggerstaff refers to a family name of co-owner Clay Davies' wife, Sarah. With beers named after current family members and the farming ancestors of the owners and brewer, a strong focus on family seems to make up a central philosophy of this welcoming brewery and coffee shop.
 
"A few years ago, we visited the Biggerstaff family farm in North Carolina," explains Clay Davies. "I immediately thought that this would be a great name for a brewery. Our beer names and farm-fresh food items with a southern slant are all inspired by family."
 

Biggerstaff's co-owner Clay Davies (left) and brewer Chris Collier.

 
Family Roots
 
Clay Davies' son Cole somehow became interested in homebrewing when he was only 13 years old and immediately got his father involved in the hobby. Cole, a world-class barista with experience in all the top coffee places in Atlanta, now runs the coffee program at Biggerstaff Brewing. The coffee counter located just inside the front entrance opens each morning, providing customers and neighboring business people with delicious wake-up beverages. Don't worry - the beer taps also open each morning around 10 am, making Biggerstaff an ideal start to an Atlanta brewery crawl.
 
John "J.R." Roberts of Atlanta's Max Lager's and Bold Monk brewpubs consulted with Davies during the early stages of purchasing and installing brewing equipment. When the time arrived for hiring an initial brewer, J.R. immediately thought of award-winning Atlanta brewer and beer judge Chris Collier who was instrumental in making tasty beers at North Carolina's Nantahala Brewing and getting Hopstix brewpub established in Chamblee, Georgia. "I met with Clay and Sarah just as the company where I worked closed its doors," Collier recalls. "It was good timing for me to help out with Biggerstaff. The pandemic prevented us from opening in a timely manner, so I just stayed on full time."
 

Biggerstaff brewer Chris Collier prepares a transfer in the brewhouse.

 
Creating the Brews
 
Collier has enjoyed assembling and learning the nuances of Biggerstaff's sparkling new 10-barrel Deutsche Beverage Technology brewhouse from North Carolina. He adds, "We also have 20-barrel hot and cold liquor tanks, five fermenters and seven brite tanks. I've been impressed with our glass lauter grant device that sits just off our mash tun and prevents compaction of the mash and allows access to runoff as the mash gets lautered and sparged."
 
Collier's Biggerstaff beers shine with impressive balance, drinkability and distinctive hops, and the initial recipes include two IPAs and two pale ales. Also, look for a smooth and flavorful kettle-soured ale, a California Common, dry stout and pilsner. " My goal is to have three or four hoppy beers on at all times. I've also done some kegged variations that include a Citra hopped pale ale dosed with our house coffee from Intelligentsia. The result was a nice light ale with a beautiful coffee backdrop and finish. I like to have some hazy beers on tap, but our West Coast-style IPA with 75 IBUs is also one of my favorites."
 
Biggerstaff's attractive facility includes a beer garden/patio out front, a coffee stand and an open and airy main seating room with the brewery visible through the glass windows behind the bar. With decor combining industrial with farmhouse, the modern walls of Biggerstaff's seating areas are decorated with antique doors and botanical designs. 
 

The brewery offers a fully stocked coffee counter.

 
Can't Live on Beer Alone
 
During the construction of Biggerstaff, Clay Davies met chef Ryan Smith from the award-winning Staplehouse restaurant next door. Since COVID, Staplehouse has transitioned into a provisions market, and Ryan Smith provided input and an extraordinary influence on Biggerstaff's food menu. Davis King, Biggerstaff's new executive chef, has valuable experience at acclaimed Atlanta restaurants The Optimist and Bacchanalia. "Davis makes the ideal chef," notes Clay Davies. "He is upbeat, charismatic and passionate about food, and we are so proud of our menu at Biggerstaff."
 
Patrons can pair Collier's exceptional beers with Biggerstaff food items that include smoked Vidalia onion rings, pumpkin soup, roasted oysters, smoked brisket sandwiches, slider burgers, honey butter ribs and shrimp & grits. The owners want the food to be just as good as the beer. "Biggerstaff takes a crossover/marriage approach between the kitchen and brewery," says Chris Collier. "The kitchen reduces our beer down to use in some recipes, and our amazing onion rings have a batter made with our pale ale. We even produce our own malt vinegar. Our dry stout reduced down with some maple syrup makes a delicious flavoring for our coffee, and the kitchen added a yuzu fruit dish to pair with our special yuzu sour ale."
 
Challenges and Rewards
 
Of course, COVID formed a frustrating obstacle that prevented Biggerstaff from opening on time. It was June of 2021 and the city office that handles permit approval was understaffed, slow and backlogged. "September 15, 2021 was supposed to be our grand opening," Collier recalls. "The license finally came through the morning of our opening - just in time. We also waited forever on our brewing license that arrived less than a month before our opening, so we brewed for five straight days. It was a crunch that didn't allow time to reflect on the first batches - we just had to get the tanks filled."
 
Davies and Collier both agree that their hard work and patience while weathering the challenges were well worth it. Biggerstaff ended up better than both of them imagined, and the entire staff enjoys being a part of the exciting growth and development happening in Atlanta's vibrant, revitalized Edgewood neighborhood. Area residents and neighborhood business owners constantly come into the brewery and thank Davies and Collier for choosing Edgewood as the home for Biggerstaff. 
 
Davies adds, "The most rewarding thing for me has been talking to customers about our beer and being honored by everyone's responses as they enjoy the beer, food and vibe that makes Biggerstaff special. People really get happy and love our beer."
 
Biggerstaff Brewing Company
537 Edgewood Ave SE
Atlanta, GA 30312
(404) 796-9919
www.biggerstaffbrewing.com
 

This article appeared originally in Southern Brew News.

 

Ironshield Brewing Bucks Modern Craft Beer Trends

 

Ironshield's Glen Sprouse in the brewery's malt storage room.   Ironshield Brewing 394 N. Clayton Street, Lawrenceville, Georgia 770-882-2171 www.ironshieldbrewing.com   By Owen Ogletree   In our modern craft beer world filled with offbeat trends and unconventional styles, Ironshield Brewing focuses much of its energy, passion, and determination in the creation and promotion of classic beers that showcase outstanding technical merit and appeal. How does this young Georgia brewery market these traditional beers? Education is the key.    Glen Sprouse, Ironshield's founder and brewmaster, expresses amazement that many of his taproom patrons have never tasted many styles of authentic German-style lagers. Ironshield's taproom servers discuss the fascinating histories of these beer styles and provide tasting samples. More often than not, this creates a new appreciation for Ironshield's beers and expands the drinkers' horizons.    Sprouse fell in love with German lagers at quite an early age. "I was raised in an army family, and we seemed to live in all the towns with 'fort' in the name," he explains. "I remember being a kid in Stuttgart, Germany, with my family touring wineries and breweries on the weekends. I had my first sip of helles lager at five years old, and, even at that young age, I thought it was wonderful."   Sprouse's brewing roots in the Atlanta area run deep. He started Phoenix Brewpub in 1996 and stayed with the brewery for a time after it became Five Seasons Brewing. The restaurant aspect of the business made for a constant source of frustration for Sprouse. Upon leaving Five Seasons in 2008, he transitioned into brewery consulting and automation while putting together a grand plan for his dream brewery. Ironshield Brewing eventually opened its doors in mid-2020, with COVID creating enormous challenges. Ironshield made it through the rough parts of the pandemic by using its vast, well-equipped brewing facility for contract brewing for other companies.      Sprouse adds, "Our contract business dried up a bit when the fall COVID shutdown took place, but it took off again in early 2021 when we increased our contract volume six-fold in four months. Right now, we are at capacity with contract brewing, and this keeps the tanks full. Our Ironshield beers are doing extremely well too, with our taproom business doubling in the last six months."    Ironshield's flavorsome house beers showcase traditional, high-quality ingredients that come together in mouthwatering fashion. Flagship examples include Karneval Kolsch, Heroes Helles, Seven Sisters Munchner Lager, Half Cork'd Irish Red Ale, Sgt. Mackenzie Scottish Ale and Nitro Dry Irish Stout. Ironshield's 7% ABV Warhammer Maibock debuted in the early spring of 2021 with an outstanding malt profile and alcohol warmth, and the luscious lager quickly became one of the brewery's best-selling beers. So as not to ignore trends completely, Sprouse also plans to release a hazy New England-style IPA called Hop Legends.    Glen Sprouse and Jason Carroll   Jason Carroll, Ironshield's head brewer, hails from Cork in Ireland and lists a ton of brewing experience on his impressive résumé. Carroll contributed valuable insight into the formulation of Ironshield's Irish red ale and nitrogenated stout, and he worked with Sprouse at his home kitchen table in the early days to plan out brewery automation and recipe formulation. "I met Glen Sprouse when I worked at a brewery in Peachtree City where Glen was a consultant," Carroll recalls. "We took the Ironshield concept from something raw to something solid and productive. The experience has been rewarding, and our beer has been solid from the first batch. We love keeping traditional styles on the forefront and educating customers as to why these styles are so worthy of attention."   Part of what draws Sprouse to classic lager styles stems from the fact that these beers exhibit an impressive range of aromas and flavors simply from the four traditional Reinheitsgebot ingredients of water, malt, hops and yeast. Sprouse explains, "Lagers are complex, yet subtle. The challenge in making a great lager is that every single step must be correct. Lagers show every fault and take longer to produce, so we must have more tanks for lagering and keeping up our volume. We also believe that filtering our lagers produces sparkling clarity and allows the beautiful malt and hop profiles to shine through."   Master brewer Glenn Sprouse checks the progress of a brew.   October 2 saw Ironshield's annual Oktoberfest celebration take place in the taproom and beer garden. Patrons loved the German food trucks, traditional music and décor, and Sprouse's sublime Oktoberfest lager served in traditional steins.   Sprouse holds esteem and affection for Ironshield's staff and customers. "Our gifted staff has been a blessing," he says. "It has been tough finding workers during these challenging times, but our people show up, get things done and love our customers. We don't really go for a certain customer demographic, as we want everyone to share a love for our beers. Most of our regulars are more mature, but it doesn't take long for younger beer drinkers to come to Ironshield, fall in love with our beers and feel at home."    Published Originally in:

Best-of-Show Craft Beer Blind Competition 2021

 

 
Owen Ogletree gathered brewers and beer judges Neal Engleman, The Beer Wench, Ashton Smith, Samantha Eaves, Tim Schiavone and Ben Halter to sample and comment on 12 exceptional examples of classic craft beers on the market now. This blind beer evaluation was done in a "best-of-show" format, and beers were commented upon and ranked according to Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) style guidelines. First, second and third places were awarded to the beers we felt represented their styles in an extraordinary fashion. Photos by Ashton Smith. 
 
Munich Helles - 4A.
Arches Brewing Heritage Helles Lager.

SECOND PLACE

- Golden color; clear; beautiful white foam; mild aromas of flowers, honey and pilsner malt; flavor notes of honeysuckle, light jasmine, just a hint of corn.
 

German-style Landbier/Kellerbier - 7C Pale Kellerbier.
Good Word Brewing & Public House Chronovisor Landbier.

THIRD PLACE

- Brilliant clarity; gorgeous golden color; herbal note; grassy, hoppy nose; flavors of flowers, hops, light citrus, pleasant bitterness, egg white hint; sulfur hint; ends dry, clean and hoppy. 
  

Marzen - BJCP 6A.
Tucker Brewing Company Tucktoberfest Marzen Lager.
- Spot-on copper color for style; excellent clarity; good head retention; maple and caramel nuances; dark toasted bread; herbal; grassy; cracker-like note; nice dry finish. 
 

Helles Bock - BJCP 4C.
Creature Comforts / Burial Beer Company Culture Keeper Maibock.
- Hint of chill haze; attractive golden color and white foam; floral hops; citrus hint; grassy; flavors of sweet malt, sugar, pale malt; hoppy finish is pleasant but may be too much for style; quite floral; finish seems a bit too bitter for this malty style. 
 

New World Cider - BJCP C1A.
Urban Tree Fan Cider.
- Nice gold color with light carbonation; apple note dominates; fruity; clean; hint of dark sugar and acidity; well-balanced between sweetness and apple nuances; lovely apple note comes through mid-palate; dry finish; refreshing; simple, yet pleasant and elegant. 
 
 
American IPA - BJCP 21A.
Creature Comforts Tropicalia India Pale Ale.
- Deep gold color; slight haze; aromas of candied oranges, citrus, pine resin and dank hops; good malt/hop balance; clean malt goes well with rich hops and mild bitterness; nice dry finish; bold citrus and piney hops are the star of this IPA. 
 

Double IPA - BJCP 22A.
Akademia Brewing Parallel Shift West Coast Style DIPA.
- Quite hazy and opaque; dark gold/orange color; nose seems like candy sugar, earthy malt, light caramel hint; flavors of earthy malt, orange, apricot, tropical fruits and hops. 
 

Doppelbock - BJCP 9A.
Birds Fly South Ale Project Sometimes Goats.
- Great clarity; deep tan head with nice retention; brown/mahogany color with a ruby/orange hue; aromas of chocolate, raisins, prunes, dates, dark sugar; flavors of leather, dark sugar, cherry hint, light fruit; hint of alcohol warmth; melanoidin finish balanced with a hint of hops; dark, toasty malts; slightly bitter finish. 
 

Schwarzbier - BJCP 8B.
Wild Heaven Beer Schwarz Helmet.
- Dark brown color that's almost black; good clarity; light tan head; aromas of roasted malt, coffee, hint of dark sugar and caramel; flavors come across as moderate; dark malt; roasted malt is soft on the finish; pleasing bitterness in the end from dark malts and light hops; nice and dry; a great dark lager. 
 

American Barleywine - BJCP 22C.
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine 2021.

FIRST PLACE

- This amazing barleywine was voted best beer of the bunch. Mahogany color; dark auburn; deep amber/copper hue; aromas of dark caramel, lots of American hops, raisins, leather, pine, wood; flavors of massive hops and clean, rich malt; well-rounded and packed with flavor; not harsh at all; hop character is outstanding; beautiful, long hop finish; a big, bold, breathtaking beer. 
 

Imperial Stout - BJCP 20C.
Bold Monk Brother Ivan.
- Deep black hue with a dark tan head; small amount of particulate matter in the beer; aromas of spice, roasted malt, smoke hint, dark cocoa, bitter chocolate, Maduro cigars and subtle fruit. Flavors of dark malt; dark bitter chocolate; anise and chocolate candy. Luscious, full mouthfeel. 
 

Imperial Stout with vanilla, chai, coffee and oatmeal - BJCP 20C.
Terrapin Vanilla Chai Late Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout 2020 Reserve.
- Deep black color with dark head. Aromas of green coffee and roasted malts. Flavors reminiscent of peppers, chai latte, spices, dark sugar, viscous oatmeal, caramel and dark sugar. Ends sweet with a warming alcohol hint. 
 

 

Winners at our 25th-Anniversary Classic City Brew Fest

I want to thank everyone who made yesterday's 25th-anniversary Classic City Brew Fest so much fun: great volunteers, wonderful brewers/distributors, Jim Cook, Athens Area Humane Society, and the awesome staff at Hotel Indigo Athens Downtown. If you were able to attend, thanks so much!

We had a wonderful variety of cask ales from Georgia breweries, and the crowd awarded these casks as People's Choice:

FIRST: Burnt Hickory Brewery Cherry Pie Sister Disco Berliner Weisse

SECOND: Akademia Brewing Company Phobia the 13th Imperial Stout

THIRD: Athentic Brewing Company Barleywine

Cask Ale List: Classic City Brew Fest - 8-28-2021

Look below for the exciting list of exclusive cask ales that will be available at our 25th-anniversary CLASSIC CITY BREW FEST in Athens, Georgia on Saturday, August 28, 2021. This list can change without notice. 

·        Akademia Brewing Phobia the 13th is our 13% ABV rich and robust Phobia Imperial Stout with additions of vanilla beans, cinnamon and Oreos.

·        Arches Brewing Bob's Your Uncle ESB. At 5.5% ABV, this ale offers a medium/light body accentuated by mild fruitiness and an emphasis on hop aroma rather than hop bitterness. Look for a dark copper color with notes of toffee and earthy tea.

·        Athentic Brewing Barleywine comes in at 10.6% ABV and was produced from a 100% two-row grain bill that was triple mashed and boiled overnight on our direct fire system to impart deep caramel and toffee notes with a luxurious mouthfeel. Hop aromatics arise from Idaho Gem and Cascade hops.

·        Atlanta Brewing Southern Pale. Our 6% ABV southern classic ale was cask-conditioned to bring the flavor. Citra and Denali hops give this brew slight tropical notes that help the southern heat fade away from one pint to the next.

·        Beacon Brewing Funky Goosey is a gooseberry Brett Saison dry-hopped with Centennial. It's a blend of three Saisons, all inoculated with different strains of Brettanomyces and a Belgian Saison yeast.

·        Blackbird Farms Brewery Xmas in August. This full-bodied Porter from Lilburn's newest craft brewery is loaded with fresh additions of cherries, nutmeg and cinnamon for a truly inspired cask ale. 6% ABV.

·        Blue Tarp Turncoat Hippies Hazy IPA is a soft, creamy, hazy brew that's dry-hopped with Enigma and Loral. If a turncoat is not an enigma, we don't know what is.

·        Bold Monk Bourbon Barrel-Aged The Way Tripel with raspberries. Flavors and aromas of raspberry, honey, wood and vanillin play beautifully with melon/citrus hop notes and spicy Trappist yeast phenolics. 8.8% ABV.

·        Braselton Brewing Braseltoberfest! A 6.4% ABV German Fest Bier that's malty and delicious. Prost!

·        Burnt Hickory Cherry Pie Sister Disco Berliner Weisse. This fruited pastry kettle-soured ale comes in at 5% ABV and 15 IBUs. Tart like fruit, yet sweet like the crust, this is the cask that some beer nerds will tell you they hate, but they will secretly drink it all.

·        Cherry Street Grease Monkey is a 10% ABV bourbon barrel-aged English-style Barleywine blended with bananas, hazelnuts and cinnamon. It was crafted in honor of the mechanics, machine heads and bruisers that bust the daily grind.

·        Creature Comforts Railway Ale is a "New World Bitter" with 4.3% ABV and US Chinook and New Zealand Pacific Sunrise hops. Inspired by the fine cask ales we enjoyed a couple of years ago in Manchester, England; our version is lightly dry-hopped and supremely drinkable.

·        Dachshund Brewing Biscotti Brown Ale - A light brown, malty ale with notes of almond, vanilla bean and a hint of chocolate for a delicious hand-dipped biscotti experience.

·        Eventide Brewing Blackberry Smoke Kolsch. Blackberry puree was added to our traditional Kolsch-style ale to create a fun fruit beer for summer. Blackberry comes through immediately on the nose, along with the floral characteristics of German noble hops.

·        Flowing Cups "Porter? I Hardly Know Her..." is a 5.2% ABV roasty American Porter with macadamia nuts. It's dark, sweet and chocolatey with an appealing nutty flavor. 

·        Gate City Light Lager. This refreshing golden lager stands out in the crowd because of generous dry-hopping with Zuper Saazer hops. 4.3% ABV and 8 IBUs.

·        Good Word Friends in High Places ranks as a 4.5% ABV English-style Bitter that's dry-hopped with Brambling Cross. The beer comes from a collaboration with Wooden Robot Brewery and Brasserie de la Senne.

·        High Card Brewing Planet of the Vampires is a crisp, golden Pilsner made with generous additions of blood oranges for an exceptional citrus bite and eye-catching hue.

·        Hippin' Hops Chocolate Stout. This fantastic 11.3% ABV stout comes from Georgia's first black-owned brick-and-mortar brewery that's located in East Atlanta Village. Expect robust notes of cocoa, espresso and dark fruit esters in this potent brew.

·        Indio Brewing Puff Nutty. This oatmeal stout was brewed with Madagascar vanilla beans, Georgia peanuts and eight pounds of Nicaraguan cacao nibs. Expect aromas and flavors reminiscent of Little Debbie Nutty Buddy bars and Reese's Puffs Cereal.

·        Khonso Brewing Hey Ya! is a fun take on a Belgian-style Golden Strong Ale brewed to make folks "shake it." Made with orange peel, a hint of cardamom and single-hopped with Mandarina Bavaria, this 9% ABV ale makes for a flavorful beer experience.

·        Left Nut Brewing 42 - An 11% ABV British-style Barleywine aged in new American oak barrels crafted by Gainesville Cooperage. After 7.5 months in the barrel, this beer holds the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything.

·        Lincoln Fill Station / Cherry Street Lincoln's Summer of Love is a delicate imperial sour ale brewed with fresh cherries and blackberries along with a touch of vanilla and a dash of cinnamon. 8% ABV.

·        Max Lager's Excommunication. This Flanders-style Red Ale was fermented with our house mixed-culture yeast strain for six months in our Solera barrel program. After initial fermentation, the beer was conditioned in a port wine/whiskey barrel for an additional four months. This special cask contains mission fig puree to highlight the dark fruit flavor and contrast beautifully with the rich tartness.

·        MAZURT The Time of Returning is a 9.5% ABV "Nordic Quad" aged in an Independent Distilling bourbon barrel. Generations have passed since Ragnar worshipped the old gods. Aegir, the god of sea and brewing, provided the yeast to brew this otherworldly elixir with grains and sugar aged in oak barrels as brewed for the banquets of the gods. This is the Season of What, now is The Time of Returning. Done in collaboration with Southern Brewing Company.

·        Monday Night Wish You Were Here. Our malty Drafty Kilt Scottish ale melds with additions of coffee, vanilla and macadamia nuts in this scrumptious cask ale that packs lovely notes of toffee, fruit, roasted nuts and espresso.

·        Monkey Wrench Adventures in Guava Land. Made with real pink guava and fresh basil, this exceptional sour ale is sure to invoke your adventurous side. 4.7% ABV.

·        Moon River Wacky Wit-Chata - Our 2017 Great American Beer Festival gold medalist Wacky Wit gets a horchata-inspired dose of flavor from additions of lactose, vanilla and cinnamon in this exclusive cask. 4.1% ABV.

·        New Realm LutraCrisp Lager is the brewery's popular Italian-style Pilsner that offers a beautiful, light malt profile balanced by gorgeous additions of Saphir and Cascade hops.

·        Normaltown Brewing "It's Pronounced Fronkensteen" is a delightfully tart ale conditioned on toasted coconut and vanilla beans for complexity. We also added a touch of lactose for an appealing mouthfeel and finish.

·        Orpheus Brewing Imperial Stout. This luscious, rich and roasty dark ale offers notes of caramelized sugar and nougat produced from a long overnight boil. This fruity, coffee-like strong ale comes in at 10% ABV.

·        Pontoon C’est la Açaí Berliner Weisse. This kettle-soured ale was brewed with whole açaí berries, strawberries, Sauvignon Blanc grapes and local apples for a wonderful depth of fruit intensity and complexity.

·        Rainy Day Brewery Brew-No-You-Know is an old-school American brown ale boasting dark malt notes of cocoa and roasted nuts - all balanced by American hops. It's direct and straightforward but filled with all the character you'd want in this style.

·        Red Hare The Drunken Hare is a special cask of our Hasenpfeffer Oktoberfest lager with additions of bourbon-soaked oak chips for a smooth, nutty and malty treat. 6% ABV.

·        Reformation Brewery Curuba Collision is a spicy rye pale ale conditioned in the cask with fresh vanilla, strawberries and curuba (banana passionfruit) for a delightful explosion of flavors.

·        Round Trip Oktoberfest. This remarkable beer was lagered at cold temperatures for five weeks, and the cask version includes additions of oak chips soaked in port wine for additional complexity.

·        Sabbath Brewing Trapped in the Grasp of a Memory is our oak-aged Hazy Raw Ale DIPA brewed with floor-malted barley, flaked wheat, Citra Cryo, Ekuanot Cryo and TRI2304 Cryo hops.

·        Schoolhouse Brewing Evil Queen. The Evil Queen is at it again - this time using her skills to take a Quad to the next level. This 13.5% ABV Belgian-style Dark Strong Ale was aged in apple brandy barrels for 12 months and boasts a dark reddish hue, subtle sweetness and notes of raisin, toffee, fig and apple pie.

·        Service Brewing Caramel Macchiato Golden Stout is an 8.5% ABV ale blended with PERC cold brew coffee and salted caramel. Delicious coffee shines through the honey-like malt bill that provides mouth-watering toffee notes.

·        Southern Brewing Company / Owen Ogletree Collaboration Cask. In a nod to the Old Fashioned cocktail, we took Cuchulainn Red Ale and aged it in a barrel that once held ASW Irish whiskey made with the same Loughran malt that we use for Cuchulainn. Additions of Woodford Reserve bourbon cherries and Angostura aromatic bitters add a mouth-watering cocktail nuance.

·        Southern Brewing Company Dulche de Leche Moon Eyes Imperial Stout is a 9.5% ABV dark ale. Decadent, rich caramel and lactose sugars meld with our Moon Eyes Imperial Stout to create this one-of-kind cask treat.

·        Steady Hand Celestial Orifices. This 6% ABV hazy IPA was dry-hopped with aromatic Comet, Bravo and Calypso hops. Expect notes of tropical fruit, grapefruit and orange with hints of sweet cannabis-like terpenes.

·        StillFire Brewing Thoroughly Good Bourbon Barrel-Aged Scotch Ale. Our 13.5% ABV award-winning Scotch Ale was given a 16-month quarantine in an ASW bourbon barrel. The result is truly "one bourbon, one Scotch, and one beer."

·        SweetWater Brewing HAZY Habanero Mango. This special cask contains our 6.3% ABV HAZY IPA that's juicy, fruity and slightly sweet with just a touch of enjoyable heat in the finish from the peppers.

·        Terrapin Casktime Pale Ale is our Pastime Pale Ale generously dry-hopped with Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic and Galaxy for an extra punch. Malts include two-row pale, flaked oats, malted wheat, Vienna and Red X. We used both pelletized and Cryo hops for an extra smooth hop presence.

·        The Queenswood Pub La Lucy was created in memory of Chelsy Giles, a beloved Terrapin employee who passed away last month. La Lucy is the name of Chelsy's cat, and Chelsy would have loved this Imperial Gose ale almost as much as she loved her kitty. The sour beer packs fresh mango and Tajin (a blend of mild chili peppers, lime and sea salt). Chelsy would say, "This beer is worthy of a flower crown."

·        Three Taverns Old Bones is a 5% ABV English-style Old Ale brewed out of a passion for classic English pub ales. Delightfully simple, yet subtly complex, this elegant beer is brewed with an intentional blend of floor-malted Maris Otter malt, medium English crystal malt, black malt and a touch of flaked wheat. Notes of toffee, baked biscuits, black cherries and molasses are prevalent, along with stone fruit esters from the English yeast.

·        Urban Tree Hopped Up on Peach. This cider is packed with aromatic and floral hops at the start and then finished with Georgia peach juice. Enjoy the bright, citrusy flavors of one of our favorite seasonal ciders that's ready-made for summer.

·        Variant Brewing Over the Top Imperial Pastry Stout. This 13% ABV Imperial Stout was brewed with maple syrup, toasted coconut, double-stuffed Oreos and cassia bark.

·        Wild Heaven Townsend's Landlord Ale is an authentic British-style Best Bitter style brewed with Baird's Maris Otter malt, UK Burton yeast and Styrian Golding and Willamette hops. 4% ABV.

·        Wild Leap Tonic Boom. This impressive blonde ale was brewed with juniper and peppercorns and then aged for six months in a fragrant gin barrel. 8.5% ABV.

·        Wrecking Bar Brewer's Droop Oak-Aged ESB. Our exceptional British-style Extra Strong Bitter (ESB) was oak-aged to accentuate the ale's toasty caramel character and woody hop essence with a pleasing note of vanilla.