An entry into the Beer Dictionary...

Beerdom (beir•dum): [noun] (1.) the emotional state, mood, attitude, or current life situation of having nothing else to do but drink beer. i.e.: "Dude, I'm dying of beerdom right now. No, I mean literally if I drink one more, I'm going to end up pissing out my liver." (2.) the entirety of one's possessions, often exaggerated to a varying degree, when the person is intoxicated on beer. i.e.: "This house is my beerdom , and the beer doesn't care if you don't wanna watch Monday Night Football! Get. Out!"

Weekenderings = Beers Galore!

So it was yet another weekend filled with various beer drinking in various Decatur bars.  Along with the full spectrum of beers I consumed, I also experienced the full spectrum of emotions in dealing with the horrendous weather we had here in Atlanta.  

I felt everything from childish giddiness as I trekked nearly a half mile in a steady downpour Saturday night (sans un umbrella, ella, ella, aye!) to absolute despair upon my awakening Sunday morning to more of the same.  Curse this awful Atlanta Spring weather, I'm moving back to L.A. (not really).

Anyhow, enough small talk about the weather, on with the beer.

Saturday began at Twain's Billiard's and Tap for their first annual SpringFest.  14 bands on two stages, indoors and out, BBQ, one-of-a-kind house-brewed beers, shuffleboard, and one of my favorite servers in all of the industry.  How could anyone go wrong, right?  WRONG.

$10 got you in, at which point, you had to fight your way through slews of children being entirely unchaperoned by any sort of parent or guardian just to stake claim at a shuffleboard table, on which, at anytime, the likelihood of one or more of your pucks being removed from the board mid-game was as great as the odds that one of the little ones would knock over the three-legged table holding your beer.  

My first round (a.k.a. my first mistake), a Twain's original house brew, Honest Lender Brown Ale.  If you've ever awakened to the thought, "did I lick an ashtray last night or what?" then you already have some sort of an idea as to what Honest Lender Brown Ale tastes like.  It smells a bit like a minced meat pie on the verge of turning.  The flavors are mostly of burnt tobacco (hence the ashtray effect), early (way too) hops, and stale coffee.  It lacks any resemblance to a traditional brown ale.  No nutty maltiness, or sweetness of any kind.  Absolutely horrible in every way.  Undrinkably bad beer.  A true SKUNK SPEW.  I pitted two sips before I made my favorite waitress replace it with an all-time favorite, Schneider-Brooklyner Hopfen-Weiss; the best decision I had made to that point.

Now, if you're like me, you can't smell barbecue for very long without having to order some, so I grabbed the remainder of my hopfen-weiss and headed over to the b-b-q booth.  $8 gets you your choice of pulled pork or chicken (both heinously over cooked, and in portions not fit for a tapas menu), and a choice of 2 out of 3 possible sides:  Canned baked beans (heated up 20 minutes ago, now on the verge of cold), Cole slaw, or Chips.  $8.  Seriously...

The lineup of bands was an interesting array of various, indeterminable musical styles (run with a very good sound guy); none of which do I think made a good fit for the majority age group of the audience (45 and up) except for maybe the saving grace of the entire festival, Mystery Men; an over 40, instrumental, surf band with some pretty world class musicians including Brad Zimmerman from Dayroom on drums.

Okay, round number 2, I got a bit smarter.  I asked for a taster of a different Twain's house brew.  This time, I decided on Three Lies Cocoa Stout.  An EXCEPTIONAL improvement from round/mistake #1.  Three Lies Cocoa Stout is a hoppy, coffee, cocoa stout similar to a Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout.  It's truly a full pallet of flavors, not for the faint of heart.  Ringing in at a whopping 7.2% abv, it yields in comparison to its magnanimous New York counterpart (Brooklyn BCS sits at 10.6% abv), but delivering a fully cocked buzz punch of its own nevertheless.  If you're in to thick, hoppy, bittersweet stouts, you've GOTTA try this one!

Closing out my day, as the impromptu clown started making balloon animals for the little ones (P.S. - I have coulrophobia, so that's just not cool) , was a newly acquired favorite of mine, Oskar Blues Gordon.  Gordon (besides being on my list of the top 5 greatest albums ever made) is also by far my favorite offering from the Oskar Blues Brewery.  A hybrid Imperial Red/Double IPA, it has an incredibly well balanced citrus hoppiness, with a finish of ripe strawberries.  It's truly a delicious, full-flavored beer, easy to drink, but delivering a ridiculous 8.7% abv.

Having returned to the bar to close out my tab, I found an entirely new set of bartenders, none of whom had served me anything at all.  "Not fair," I said, "where's my friend who has been serving me all day." This was a service scenario I was not entirely prepared to deal with.

Not to worry. I remembered seeing my server taking a smoke break outside just prior, so I decided to tip the new bartenders $1 per drink, and an extra $5 for all the food.  This was more than likely less than 20%, but let's face it, all they had done for me at that point was show up for work.   I then immediately returned outside in search of my server, to whom I slipped an appropriate tip for her efforts.

My advice to Twain's, next year, do a better job of advertising for this event, catering specifically to the 25-35 year-old crowd who missed the earlier part of the day entirely.  Lower either the price of your horrendous b-b-q, or the entry fee.  And lastly, just simply take Honest Lender Brown Ale OFF your menu.

My advice to you the reader.  Go to Twain's, play "Dodge the child Shuffleboard", drink Three Lies Cocoa Stout, and come back next year to the 2nd Annual SpringFest, with all the kinks worked out.

Until next time,

T.C.

#2 Beer Bar in the World - Decatur's very own, The Brick Store Pub

One of the highlights at the top of my "pros" list when deciding to move back to Atlanta from Los Angeles, was the prospect of living within such close proximity to the Brick Store Pub in Decatur.  At the time, "The Brick", as a few of us regulars refer to it for short, was rounding at the top 5 best beer bars in the world at a dismal (seemingly now) #5, having been beaten out by bars like Monk's Cafe (Philadelphia) and others that, in my opinion, yield in comparison.  Well, not anymore!  

In the most recent rating of the top 10 best beer bars in the world (publicized annually by Beer Advocate Magazine), "the Brick" sealed the deal on the #2 spot, losing only to Ebenezer's Pub in Maine (to which I've not yet had the priviledge of having patronized).

That being said, I've managed to run into an overwhelming number of Atlanta natives of late who have NOT yet EVER been to the Brick Store.  WTF?  So completely inexcusable!

You can pretty much blindfold yourself, spin around in a circle 100 times, and then point at a calendar and decide to go to the Brick Store on that day, and they'll have an incredible draft beer selection, no doubt.  BUT, if you're like me, and you don't want to have to wait until the 32nd of June to go there, go NOW, whilst they have 2 of the best Saisons I've ever tasted on draft.

Sierra Nevada Brown Saison & Dupont Saison Foret are seriously fantastic saison style drafts.  The Foret variety of the classic Saison Dupont is organically produced, has a HUGE vanilla nose and a sweet, citrusy finish.  Western Coastal U.S. brewery Sierra Nevada gives shout out to the Old Belgian Farmhouse Classic Saison with its Brown Saison, tasting of orange rind, coriander, and licorice (from the star anise).

Whether you're a regular or a first timer, make no excuses and take your @$$ down to the Brick Store in Decatur now before these unique and rarely available draft saisons are gone.

Cheers,

T.C.

Two Fantastic Beers/Locations - One Fantastic Night

On a quiet, Sunday evening, our first stop was dinner. As a rather large fan of the show Top Chef, it was never moreso exciting for me than when I first saw that Tom Colicchio had opened a Craft Restaurant (and Craftbar) in Atlanta (Buckhead). And having driven passed it several times wondering when I'd finally get the chance to stop in, I made it official this Sunday night.

With such a lavish meal ahead of me, in true Beer Bashers fashion, I kept it real with a beer selection rather than opting for the more traditional wine pairing. My first choice from the limited but adequately varied selection would have been the Wells & Young's Banana Bread Beer. I've heard many a splendid thing about this concoction, and even though it may not have paired nicely with my Duck Leg Confit, had my beautiful date liked banana, it would be the first beer I was reviewing for you all right now.

However, under the circumstances, and wanting nothing more than to share sips, I opted for a luxurious belgian-style from the canadian brewery, Unibroue. La Fin Du Monde (French for "The End of the Earth") is a belgian triple style ale with a golden-yellow hue (pretty standard, nothing outstanding), and a lingering, frothy head.

It's label: an impressionist's science fiction painting, with the top of the bottle wrapped in silver foil like a split of champagne.

The aroma literally flies out of the glass, smelling of sweet citrus rind and clove spiciness.

Ah, the first taste: Your classic belgian-inspired flavors of clove spice and high gravity alcohol content hit right away. As the beer glides past the middle of your tongue, a hint of pear fruitiness and malt sweetness rolls on into the back of your mouth, where it meets dry, slightly bitter hops creating a well-rounded balance with a dry, quick-decaying finish.

An absolutely fabulous beer for any occasion, but coming in at an even 9.0%, it's definitely not something you want to drink all night, although it's balance and quick finish make it possible. Just be careful if you so choose.

Of course I loved the duck confit with shallots in spinach and roasted fingerling potatoes with a gravy that tasted like you put the best thanksgiving dinner you've ever had into a blender and just poured it "right over the top, yeah?!" Of course I loved the braised, bourbon-glazed pork belly appetizer, with a mesclar greens salad, radish, house-made gourmet pickles, and creme fraiche. Of course I loved the striped bass with deconstructed brussel sprouts, Jerusalem artichoke purée, & grilled trompette mushrooms. I needn't even tell you that I loved the dark chocolate souffle with cream cheese creme fraiche and candied salt peanuts. 

I needn't really have told you anything about the food at all, because I know we're all here for the beer! But, you gotta eat. You can't live entirely off of beer (believe me, I've tried), so if you're gonna, you might as well go to Craft on Peachtree Rd in Buckhead, because it is without a doubt, the best restaurant in Atlanta now!

Unibroue - La Fin Du Monde - Craftbar - Atlanta, GA - 03/22/09

Label - 4 out of 5

Color - 2.5 out of 5

Aroma - 4.5 out of 5

Taste - 8.5 out of 10

Total - 19.5 out of 25

Now, on to destination numero dos: mas cervasas antes de la cena. Uh, that means more beers after dinner, I think, which would probably make a whole lot more sense if I had either gone to a mexican place for such, or ordered a mexican beer. Neither of which were the case, so let me just continue.

Destination number 2 was P'Cheen in Inman Park. I have been to P'Cheen before and had a blast.  Their beer selection is perfect; an offering for everyone's pallet.  The last time I was there they had one of my all time favorites in a bottle - Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-weisse.  A collaboration from two of my favs, Brooklyn Brewery and Schneider-Weisse.  Mmmmmmm delicioso, but consider that saved for another review.

They no longer had Hopfen-weisse, so I went straight for the Fuller's.  You pretty much can't go wrong with anything Fuller's in my book, but most places that carry anything Fuller's only carry their ESB, which is OUTSTANDINGLY delicious, however, it's always a rare treat when you find a place that ventures out a little further.  

P'Cheen offers Fuller's London Pride, an absolutely BRILLIANT English Pale Ale, that truly does make London Proud.  Bad teeth, worse weather, even worse food or not, the Brits know how to brew outstanding beer.

When looking at the label of a Fuller's London Pride, you can imagine stumbling through the streets of downtown London on a rainy day, looking for your next pub to nearly crawl into.  Wait, no, that's a good thing, I swear.  As with all the other Fuller's varieties, their label design is extremely professional and very indicative of the beer it's promoting.

London Pride pours a classic, reddish-brown.  It's head is very minimal, yet the beer itself is fully carbonated.  Plain and simple, it's a beer that just wants to get into your glass as quickly as possible, and be ready to drink the second that you are.  No waiting for the head to subside b.s.  Just, ready to get in my belly ASAP.

The aroma is probably the least interesting thing about it, as it fizzles as quickly as the head, almost instantly after pouring.

"Taste me!" It says to me from my 12oz. Chalis.  I do.  I know what to expect, but am NEVER disappointed.  Warm, buttered biscuits attack my tongue, followed by a rich, sweet caramel maltiness, finished off with an absolutely perfect balance (for the style) of fruity, bitter, and earthy hops.  And at under 5%, you can feel free to pound one after another, after another, and then proceed to follow your instincts that the label sets forth.

Fuller's - London Pride - P'Cheen - Atlanta, GA - 03/22/09

Label - 4.5 out of 5

Color - 4 out of 5

Aroma - 2.5 out of 5

Taste - 9 out of 10

Total - 20.5 out of 25

New Beer Bar in Decatur

Saturday night, October 18, 2008 -

The Backstory of the occassion:

It was the day before my friend A's birthday and we were celebrating it early because it was a Saturday night. There were a few specific things A was looking for when deciding a place to have her party this year. The first, and most important to her, was a fantastic, large patio space. The 2nd, most important to me, was a place that had a great beer selection.

Now, understand this about A; she can't even drink beer. No, not because she's a chick and she can't stand the way it tastes (which is a common generalization associated with women who don't drink beer. Usually this generalization, I have found, is a result of the fact that most non-beer drinking females have never had a taste of any beer other than Bud Light or the like). No, A is a celiac, which means she's allergic to gluten. More specifically, gluten that comes from wheat, barley, oats, rye, and malt, or in other words, everything that goes into making beer. Nevertheless, finding a good beer bar for her party was important to her because all of her friends enjoy beer, and she's just incredibly giving like that.

I know what most of you are thinking, "why hasn't she just offed herself?" I mean, I can't imagine a life without beer. Well, there is one type of beer currently available for celiacs that is "gluten-free," but I promise you if you tasted it, you would definitely want to off yourself if you knew it was all from which you had to choose. I'll save any further comments about Redbridge Sorghum Ale for another Beer Bashers' Review.

The History of the Pub:

Now that you have the backstory, I'll tell you that A decided to have her birthday party at Decatur's newest Beer joint, The Grange Public House, or in short, simply, The Grange (or as my cohorts and I like to call it, "The Grangel", read on to see why).

The Grange took over the lease on the building located at 426 W. Ponce de Leon Ave in Decatur that used to house The Angel, one of my favorite beer spots in Atlanta prior to my move to Los Angeles in 2005. When the owners of The Angel (whom also owned The Prince of Whales in Midtown and Fox & Hounds, and still own Hand in Hand in Virginia Highlands and Rose & Crown off of E. Paces Ferry as far as I know) decided to close it down, the building sat vacant for well over a year it seems. After such a long period of time, I worried that whomever took over the building from that point would decide to do a little "redecorating," and that they would shamefully tear down the hand-crafted, imported woodworking that made the Angel so unique.

Much to my relief, what we actually got was 4, true-blooded, thick-accented, real-deal irishmen (and women) who decided that the interior design set forth by The Angel needed only a bit of "lightening up." Their improvements were minimal, but effective, and I would definitely consider them "improvements." Colin and Darren, brothers, are the only 2 owners I have yet had the priviliedge of meeting. They were tending bar on the night of A's birthday party, and you couldn't have asked for a more authentic Irish Pub vibe.

The Beer:

The beer selection was adequately vast enough to please even a tremendous beer snob such as myself; offering bottled selections from Samuel Smith (including their Organic Cider, which up to that point, I had never tried - Delicious, might I add, but again, save it for another review) and St. Bernardus (including their beloved Pater 6 Brown Ale). Other noteworthy selections include Avery Majara, and a new Whiskey-aged Ale I'd never heard of before and can't remember the name of now (my last drink of the evening), which was recommended to me by our server (also Irish as all get out). It was one of the most potent, whiskey-flavored whiskey-aged ales I've ever had; alright if you love whiskey (which I do), but non-whiskey drinking beer adventurers should start with something a little more tame if they want to try that style of beer.

There were many different draught selections to choose from as well. Guinness, of course, was on the list, as well as their lesser common Smithwick's (pronounced, 'Smit'icks') Irish Ale. Several selections from Stone Brewing Co. and a few local Georgia microbreweries (Sweetwater, out of Atlanta, GA, and Terrapin, out of Athens, GA) also made the list.

To view The Grange's complete beer list, click here.

The Food:

The Grange offers some pretty standard Irish/British Pub Fare with a few surprises. It's all a bit on the pricey side for pub food if you ask me, but times are tough and food costs have come up across the board these days. Now, I'm certainly more of a beer review than a food critic, but I still know good food when I eat it. The first thing I always have to try at a new Irish or British pub is the sheperd's pie. About a 7 out of 10 for me at The Grange. Not outstanding, but certainly edible. And besides, if you're looking for an amazing meal, why would you be considering dinner at an Irish Pub? Irish fare, as far as I know, has never been atop the list of the world's most outstanding culinary cuisines.

The only other menu items I have tried there are the risotto balls (which were delicious, although I didn't even know risottos had balls), and the sliders - NOT RECOMMENDED (seriously, should be taken off the menu immediately, ).

To view The Grange's complete menu, click here.

The Differences:

Now, going back to the differences between The Grange, and The Angel again for a moment, in the place where there used to be a giant digital jukebox in the Angel, there is now absolutely nothing; meaning that the drunken patrons of the Grange, thankfully, cannot control the music we all have to hear. Instead, Colin and Darren seem to be in control of what we hear, and what we all heard on this night was the best mix of what's popular in European pubs, particularly Irish pubs, today.

Another HUGE plus for the Grange right now is that it's still very new; meaning that getting a table for even a large group is no problem. We had about 12 people in our group, with no reservations or anything, on a Saturday night, and we were seated right away. In all honesty, the place was almost completely dead. And if we hadn't brought a party of 12, you'd have to take the "almost" out of that statement. I'm not one for overly crowded pubs, so "almost" dead was okay by me, but I would expect business to pick up there very soon, so get in while you can if you like your pubs fairly empty.

Summary:

All-in-all, as cheesy as it sounds, it was truly as if upon walking through the doors of The Grange, we were all instantly transported to Mother Ireland. The beer selection is great, the food is better than average, the service is outstanding, and the owners, Colin and Darren, are cool as shit! So I give The Grange in Decatur a 4 out of 5; an excellent new Beer Bar just a stone's throw from the Decatur Square.

For a different look at this up and coming Decatur hotspot, check out a fellow bloggers in-depth review of The Grange.