Omnivore Atlanta

The eco-friendly campus at New Belgium Brewing Company

Fat Tire Amber Ale from New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, CO is due in stores the first of next week. It will be available in 22-oz. bombers to start, with 6-packs and draft to follow shortly. Fat Tire has myriad fans, and it has propelled the company into the number 3 spot in the nation among craft brewers (behind Boston Beer Company and Sierra Nevada). I find it to be a decent enough beer; it is balanced and has a nutty, toasted malt character that makes it a good choice with food. New Belgium also turns out some other good beers, which will no doubt make their way to Georgia soon (look for the 1554 Belgian Black, Abbey-style Dubbel, Trippel, and if we are lucky, La Folie Flanders Red).

For me, though, the best thing about this company is their commitment to the environment. I don’t think there is another brewery in the world that takes sustainability as seriously as the folks at New Belgium. Their brewery is a model of efficiency. It runs almost entirely on wind power with the remainder from gas generated on- and off-site. The buildings utilize passive solar power and evaporative cooling, and were built using downed timber. The boilers are the most energy-efficient available, and their recycling efforts have reduced landfill diversion to only 15 percent, not including spent grain and yeast, which are also recycled. The company’s employees, who are also its owners, are deeply involved in the effort to reduce waste and save energy, and each receive a bicycle on their 1-year anniversary at the company. The parking lot at the brewery has as many bikes as cars. They also sponsor a number of green-focused events and donate 1% of their revenue to environmental non-profits. That’s commitment I will drink to. For more information on New Belgium’s efforts at environmental stewardship, check out this summary and their 2007 Sustainability Report. (more…)

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On the case: Kraig Torres stocks his beer store, Hop City, for its April 2 opening

The Westside is looking more and more like a beer Mecca. Hop City, a craft beer and wine specialty store, will open this week across the alley from the soon-to-open 5 Seasons Westside in the Brickworks complex on Marietta St. Along with beer and wine, Hop City will also stock beer-making supplies, a rarity in Atlanta.

Owner Kraig Torres will host a Grand Opening party on Thursday April 2 at 5 Seasons that will feature nine craft brewers, including local favorites Terrapin, 5 Seasons, Sweetwater, and Atlanta Brewing Company. There will be free beer samples, food and live music from 6-9 p.m.

Torres is the self-proclaimed “beer guy” in the operation, with his general manager, Doug Schaller, handling the wine side of the aisle. Torres will stock about 1,000 varieties of beer, along with about 800 wines. The store will have a 12-door cooler for beer, as well as a chiller on hand to prep those large, single bottles of American craft beer and Belgians.

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I woke up Saturday morning to overcast skies and wondered if this would be the first Decatur Beer Festival to not have perfect weather. But of course the clouds parted at 11:30, proving that God loves us and wants us to drink beer.

I pretty much did everything wrong for this festival: got there late, forgot my notebook and my camera, had no plan, socialized too much and missed a lot of tables. But eventually I decided not to be rushed and enjoy the beautiful day and all the delicious beer.

My favorite of the day would have to be the De Proef Saison Imperiale, a collaboration with Rob Tod from Allagash. It has a huge bouquet of flowers and honey, with a caramel malt body and tons of spice and fruit flavor. Pineapple, papaya, and green bananas are in there, along with coriander and ginger. Sweeter and stickier than a typical saison, it is unique and delicious. I also enjoyed the Full Sail Wassail, Weyerbacher Old Heathen Imperial Stout, and St. Peter’s Organic Ale.

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Downtown Decatur’s spacious bar/pool hall/brewery, Twain’s, is hosting their Early Autumn Beer Dinner, Wed., Sept. 24. The dinner is four courses, paired with Twain’s beer. Twain’s is showcasing two fresh brews; an imperial brown ale and a strawberry-steeped kristalweizen. When buying your ticket at the bar, note that there are three different seating times: 6:30, 7:30, and 8:30 p.m., so make sure your friends buy the same ticket or you’re eating alone. Check out the entire food and beer menu here.

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Tonight, Twain’s in Decatur celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Modification of the Volstead Act, which allowed for the manufacture and sale of 3.2% beer and paved the way for the repeal of Prohibition, by tapping their new smoked pale ale. Fox Brothers Barbeque smoked 15 lbs. of grain on their smoker for the special brew. Twain’s will also be serving bourbon-glazed ribs as part of the celebration. Call 404-373-0063 for more information.

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Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, would be 172 years old today.
So, Twain’s in Decatur is celebrating its namesake’s 172nd birthday with the third annual Mark Twain Birthday Bash. The party features food and drink specials and live music from local musician William Donnie Picou, as well as a mustache contest.

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Twain’s Billiards and Tap in Decatur is hosting its first beer dinner Thurs., Sept. 27, from 6-9 p.m. The dinner will feature five courses paired with Twain’s own beers, courtesy of brewer Jordan Fleetwood. Tickets will set you back $40 and are only available at Twain’s, starting Thurs., Sept. 13.

Check out Twain’s beers on your own any day of the week, including Sleepy Conscience ESB (a medium-bodied ale), Hannibal Red Ale (dry hopped and naturally carbonated) and Up the Kriek (crisp and peppery with a hint of sour cherry).

Twain’s Billiards and Tap, 211 E. Trinity Place, Decatur. 404-373-0063.

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