3 Taverns Gives Dark Beer Drinkers Sanctuary in the spring.

I wanted see blogger and all around man about town (and the country for that matter), Ale Sharpton, and talk to him about giving a shout out to my old workplace and very under appreciated beer spot Melton's App and Tap about their 20th Anniversary this weekend.  Great folks, and they've been in business for 20 years, y'all...must be doing something right.  Also, they are going to have their first cask ever.....what is it, you ask?  Well, it's from Michigan.  It has some honey in it, and I think Ale would say..."It's SLAMMIN'"  If you're going to have your first cask on your 20th birthday....that's a heck of a one to start with.

I think I actually heard angels sing, y'all
Quasimodo

The other great thing going on this weekend in my part of the Brew South is 3 Taverns releasing their Quasimodo Quadruple, their spring seasonal.  I was hanging out to meet with Ale, but I wasn't on the official "list".  To my rescue rode in the Brewmaster, Brian Purcell.  Thanks a bunch to Brian for penciling me in last minute.

Joran with another great Belgian Style
winner.  Quasimodo 

You can tell that the Brew South is coming along amazingly when a brewery has a Belgian Quad come out as the weather is getting warmer.  For a dark and malty beer drinker like myself (and I know some of y'all) It's like having a Sanctuary from everyone trying to do the same thing with their spring beers.  Hey,  I like spring beers too....it's just nice to have a CHOICE to drink something else if I like.

So, today is the day.  I get a sense of freedom of choice even as the thermometer creeps up.  Quasimodo makes me hear the chiming of the bells and their song makes me Happy.

Happy Quasimodo Day, everyone.  Now put a hump in your back and go drink some great beer.

Cheers.

Fannin Brewery Opening May 9.

New crew joining the #NewBrewSouth gang up in beautiful Fannin County in the Northeast Georgia Mountains.  Check out the details on the website. Great to have another place up there to visit.  Looks like they'll really be hitting the festival circuit coming up in the summer and fall.

Here's their spot.




Cheers, Y'all.

Creature Comforts in Athens, Ga Info on Line-Up

Man, I've been after the guys at Creature Comforts in downtown Athens, Ga for awhile to give the public what they need.....info on the beers they are going to sell.  Well, today is the day.  With the news yesterday that they had all four beers in the fermenters, it's great to see the styles and some info on their year-round line-up.  There will be a Pilsner, an American IPA, a Rye Amber on French oak, and a Berliner Weisse all year round.  I can't wait to taste the Berliner.

The space is beautiful , and they really did a good job using the space of the former Snow Tire building and a lot of the wood in the new bar was reclaimed and reused from the former building.  Looks like you'll be able to try beers from the guys at the original and one of the best craft beer fests, The Classic City Brewfest, and the market launch will be at a favorite Athens event, the Athens Twilight Criterium.


Good luck to Blake, Adam, David and Chris as their hard work, and all the hours of perfecting their launch recipes finally bears some fruit.  Ya know....kinda like a tart lemon of a refreshing Berline Weisse.

Three South Carolina Breweries on Maxim 10 Best List

Maxim magazine has a list of the ten best brews you've never heard of, and three beers from South Carolina make his list.  Now, the fact the author is from South Carolina might have something to do with that, but it's a national magazine and great exposure (definitely abundant in Maxim) for three breweries in the #newbrewsouth.

Heck, Brewery 85 and Quest Brewing have not even been brewing that long, so it's pretty impressive.

Brewery 85 Sweet Tea Sour

I can't wait to check out the Sour, as I've (in the not too distant past) become somewhat of a sour-phile.  Don Richardson is one of the lowest key most cool people I know in the biz.  I worked with him a bit when he was importing Belgian beers, and he was always just really cool to work with.  Well, Quest is just a really cool place in Greeneville, SC, and they have a lot of cool live music (even an outside stage), and I can't wait to check it out now that they are open to the public.

Don Richardson Quest Brewing

The Revolution in Deep South Beer may not be televised, but it's coming.  It'll be fun to watch it develop.


Cheers!

New Home Brew Shop in Charleston.

H/T to drinkblogrepeat for this blog about Charleston's new home brew shop that is opening Feb 1.  This is a great sign for the low country area of South Carolina because the more people that get into home brewing and learn about beer, the more they appreciate great well made beer.

drinkblogrepeat post on new home brew shop in Charleston

Cheers!

Southbound Brewing in Savannah, Ga to Begin Tours

Congratulations are in order for Southbound Brewing Company for beginning the company's first tours starting next week according to its website.

From its website, the company gives "tourists" a way to save a little on the tour and help out the less fortunate in the community at the same time.

Southbound’s brewery tour partnership with America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia will also begin that day! Guests bringing two canned goods can receive $1.00 (max) off their souvenir tour glass. This year round food drive will benefit many families throughout coastal Georgia. Please feel free to visit www.helpendhunger.org/ for suggested canned items.

In personally dealing with some food banks, I know some of their favorite canned items to receive are tuna and beans.  I'm sure I'll be down there soon to check out the space.   Cheers.

Draft Magazine Names Top 100 Beer Bars (Deep South)

Draft Magazine  released its annual America's 100 Best Beer Bars list in its latest issue.  The link will take you to the list for "The South".  I, of course, want to focus on the bars in the Deep South.

(Oak Barrel Tavern h/t @chsbeer.org)

Mahogany Bar
3810 Hardy St., Hattiesburg, Miss.; mahoganybar.net

Brickstore Pub
125 E. Court Square, Decatur, Ga.; brickstorepub.com

Closed For Business
453 King St., Charleston, S.C.; closed4business.com

The Porter Beer Bar (Little Five Points)

The Nook
3305 Bob Wallace Ave. SW, Huntsville, Ala.; thenooktavern.com

Oak Barrel Tavern
825 Savannah Hwy., Charleston, S.C.; 843.789.3686

Porter Beer Bar
1156 Euclid Ave. NE, 
Atlanta; theporterbeerbar.com


                                            
I'm actually thrilled to say that I have not been to all of these establishments.  I take that to be a sign that these kind of places are opening up  at a decent clip in the region, even though there have been laws in most of the states that did not allow stores, restaurants, or bars to carry beers that were over a pretty low ABV percentage (usually in the 6% range).

The main thing about this list that I want to point out is that our region has a great chance to have a lot of growth in these kinds of establishments.  That's one of the reasons that I started this blog.  I want to be able to look back in a few years and say to myself, "Look how far we have come." 

There are also a few places I have been that did not make this list, but I feel have good beer lists and take care of the product.  So, if you are in these areas, they are worth going a little out of your way for.  If you know of some others in SC, GA, AL or MS....let us know in the comments.

DoT's Beer Bars of Note in the Deep South Region

• Barley's Tap Room and Pizzeria and The Trappe Door which is Barley's "Belgian Cousin" downstairs. The are also right down the alley from Greenville Beer Exchange if you taste something you want to take home. 
• I really enjoy Charleston's Griffon Pub.  It's down in the "olde section" of Charleston and just has that funky don't give a flip kind of vibe to it,  but with good beer, and they seem to always have a lot of local stuff.  Plus, you are surrounded by money (go and you'll see what I mean).  
• Trappeze Pub in Athens is a personal favorite of mine and really one of the pioneer beer bars in the southeast.  The owner Eric Johnson is also the brewmaster of the (til soon) contract brew, but soon to have its new home in Avondale Estates, Ga Wild Heaven .  
• Savannah, Ga has the beautifully encased The Distillery in downtown.  A few new breweries are opening up or have opened in Savannah, so go take a couple of tours to get the local flavor and then land here for treats from everywhere...around the nation and the world.  

So, what are some of your favorite beer bars (not brewery bars mind you) in The Deep South.  I'll be traveling some and would love some suggestions to visit.

First Annual Southeastern Brewer's Symposium April 9 in Decatur, Ga

News today from the Georgia Craft Brewer's Guild, as it announces the First Annual Southeastern Craft Brewers Symposium.  There aren't a lot of details yet, other than one of my favorite guys and real pioneers in brewing in the Deep South, John Pinkerton of Moon River Brewing will open the conference.

I'll be excited to see the turnout from brewers across the region, as building community is one of the cornerstones of the craft brewing movement.  It also sounds like it will be a great chance for some home brewers to learn some things and maybe bend the ears of some of the best up and coming breweries across the South.

I am, of course, hoping to bend the ears of some of the brewers myself just to see what is upcoming on their brew calendars, etc.  With as many new breweries as there are cropping up in the region, I'm sure a lot of people can get questions answered at most any stage of brewing they may be in.   I'll try to give updates as I get them.

See the hyperlink above for a bit more info on the Conference.

Cheers

Creature Comforts of Athens, Ga Receives Its Tanks

Big news for the guys at Creature Comforts Brewing , as they received and placed the tanks for the brewery. In a post on its site, the brewery gives some info on why they decided on the tank manufacturer they did, the capacity they feel the system can handle, and the styles of beer that will be the core of the brand.  I'm very excited to try the Berliner Weisse, a bold choice for a year round lineup.  I think it goes to show how much the craft beer culture in Georgia and other places have grown to support a great style of beer like Berliner Weisse


They also discuss that they plan to package in cans in addition to kegs and have begun developing some Brett beers, as well as some barrel aged stouts.  Sounds like they have been very busy while the equipment has been manufactured.

If you are not familiar with the Athens, Ga area, the brewery will be located downtown just a few doors down from Trappeze Pub, a pub that really helped the craft beer movement get started in Georgia that is maybe (unfairly) overshadowed by better known bars in the Atlanta area.  Having as great a place as Trappeze to go to after tours with such great food and amazing selection of imports and craft beers is only an awesome bonus for those that want to visit Creature Comforts.

As those of us who have anxiously awaited the opening of new breweries can attest, they have a little ways to go yet with hooking up systems, permits, etc, but this is an exciting hurdle and one of the biggest certainly in starting a brewery.  Cheers to David and the gang on being a step closer to their dream.  And yes, gents...I'm thirsty....very thirsty