Omnivore Atlanta

Decisions, decisions: Taco Mac is tapping special beers all month.

New beers are popping up all over this month, from new-to-Georgia breweries, to special casks and limited edition releases, to spring and summer seasonals from local and national breweries. It can be a bit overwhelming. I suggest you you just take it One Beer at a Time.

Bell’s Weather. Monday marks the Georgia debut of beers from Bell’s Brewery, and a number of local bars have events to mark the occasion. The Brick Store Pub will have a rare cask of HopSlam, the brewery’s much-drooled over double IPA, which will not be part of the regular Georgia portfolio until next year’s release in January. There will also be a keg of Special Double Cream Stout. Starting Tuesday, Taco Mac will be tapping Bell’s Amber Ale, Pale Ale, Porter, and Oberon, with a sixtel of HopSlam and Expedition Stout at the Kennesaw location. Check with your neighborhood store to see what is pouring. The Porter Beer Bar in L5P will host a Bell’s Beer Dinner on Tues., May 26. Check their website for details. Look for a full story on Bell’s next week.

More, more, more. Speaking of Taco Mac, there’s enough new stuff rolling out at their stores to keep you half-lit well into June. This weekend was the debut of Terrapin’s 30 Strong Ale, brewed especially for Taco Mac’s 30th anniversary. Thirty years is a long time in the restaurant business, and Taco Mac certainly deserves a special toast for turning its little Va-High pub into a beer bar empire. I remember experiencing some of my first world-class beers at that original store back in the early 80s when I didn’t know a hefeweizen from a doppelbock. Terrapin’s 30 Strong has a ridiculous 30 ingredients that includes 19 kinds of malt, 8 varieties of hops, water, and yeast, and is aged on oak spirals. It clocks in at 8.8% ABV. Now that’s extreme! (more…)

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French Broad Altbier

French Broad Brewing Company
Asheville, NC
5.5% ABV

Once a rarity, Altbier seems to be coming into its own lately, with the classic German Uerige more widely available and quality American versions coming from Victory, Otter Creek and Southampton. Altbier is a German ale found primarily in the Düsseldorf region. It is fermented at ale temperatures, but cold conditioned like a lager, for a clean, crisp character. Unlike the other German ale style, kölsch, altbiers are malt-forward and slightly sweet, rather than spicy and dry.

French Broad Altbier pours an orangey-gold, with a rocky, off-white head. Damp, earthy aroma and some floral notes in the nose, along with a bit of estery, ripe apple. Toasted Munich malt dominates the flavor, with its distinctive graininess and bready character. Grassy, herbal, tea-like hops provide a subtle counterpoint, but this one is all about the malt. Smooth and soft on the tongue, with a gentle carbonation and easy drinkability. A welcome break from the current hop-bomb trend. Try this with a grilled burger and corn-on-the-cob at your next cookout.

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May Flowers. The month of May promises to be one of the biggest in recent memory for Georgia beer lovers: Craft Beer Week, two new Terrapin releases, the opening of 5 Seasons Westside, and the Georgia debut of Bell’s and New Belgium. Look for more details here in the coming weeks on all of these events. Then, toward the end of the month, the East Atlanta Beer Festival kicks off the Atlanta festival season. The fest takes place on Sat., May 30, from 1-6 p.m. at the corner of Moreland and Metropolitan avenues in East Atlanta. Over 120 craft beers will be featured and proceeds benefit community projects. Buy your tickets today (Apr. 29) to save $5 and avoid the long lines. They will be $35 at the gate.

French Broad spotted in Atlanta. No, not Carla Bruni. Asheville’s French Broad Brewing Company has begun distribution in the Atlanta area. The small brewery (about 2,500 barrels in 2008) opened in 2001 and has pursued a goal of creating classic European style beers with an Asheville twist. Recently they have been stepping up production, expanding into Virginia, Eastern Tennessee, and now Georgia. “We’re a little stressed here at the brewery right now,” says marketing director Matt Barnao. “We’re on a pace to triple our production from last year.” To keep up with orders, beers are brewed during the day on the company’s 15-barrel system, then the night shift comes in to bottle on a semi-automated bottle filling system. (more…)

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