Monday Night Brewing

Monday Night Dr. Robot debuts year-round

Monday Night Dr. Robot is the latest can release by the Atlanta based brewery.

This raspberry kettle soured ale was first teased in September, at a media event previewing Monday Night’s second located now known as the ‘Garage’. Dr. Robot is Continue Reading →

Posted in Monday Night Brewing, Don't Miss This, New Releases

Throwout the playbook on barleywines. Monday Night Entente Cordiale just changed the rules

For years now we’ve tried various attempts at brewers recreating the famed “chocolate orange” dessert in fermented form. Quite a few came close. Monday Night Entente Cordiale gets it right.

First of all, throw out everything you know about a barleywine. You won’t need that info here. Sure, Monday Night Entente Cordiale is a barleywine, or at least was – at one point in time. What is it now? A symphony of nuanced flavors that hide the 13% alcohol by volume perfectly.

“Every bit of this beer is intentional,” says Peter Kiley, Monday Night’s Head Brewer. “We didn’t just have some empty barrels and decide to throw something into them.”

As a kid, Kiley loved the Chocolate Orange candy, especially around Christmas. They are pretty big in England, plus the base beer being an English-style barleywine, the idea was already taking shape. Monday Night’s first barleywine appeared back in 2014, at the hands of the brewery’s creative (experimental) brewer, Josh Johnson. “It came out great,” Kiley says, but like everything else we are doing, it about finding the time to scale up the recipe and do it right.

Kiley stuck with thoughts of Chocolate Orange dancing in his head, and Johnson with his English-style barleywine, Monday Night Entente Cordiale was born.

Every addition to Entente plays into the stylistic weakness. Barleywines are big and boozy and hard to approach for some. Cognac barrels plus some fresh orange zest add a citrusy flavor to the big caramel notes of the base beer. The almost creamy, dessert-like flavor is thanks to whole cocoa nibs and vanilla beans Entente Cordiale was laid to rest for months on.

Kiley and Johnson absolutely nailed it. For years we’ve drank various beers inspired by the Chocolate Orange candy. Many come close. Monday Night achieved it in the most unlikely way, with the most unlikely style. No imperial stout or even English-style porter here. A barleywine that is high on the alcohol by volume but you wouldn’t know it, that tastes like a creamy, subtle mix of the chocolate orange candy or dare we say it – Grand Marnier.

All in all, that what you can expect from Monday Night’s new Garage facility. Creative, deliberate beers. “The Garage will be innately polarizing,” says Kiley. “People will most likely love it or hate it.”

Monday Night Entente Cordiale has limited availability in market now, on draft and 750-milliliter bottles.

Style: Barleywine (w/ Cocoa Nibs. Orange Zest. Vanilla Beans. Barrel Aged. Cognac.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Draft.)
Debut: Christmas Week, 2017

13% ABV

About the name: Entente Cordiale was a series of agreements signed on April 8, 1904 between the United Kingdom. Ireland and the French Third Republic which saw a significant improvement in Anglo-French relations.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Monday Night Brewing

Monday Night Space Lettuce

Monday Night Space Lettuce

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Monday Night Brewing, Headlines, Three Taverns Brewery

Joran Van Ginderachter departs Three Taverns for Monday Night; future brewery

Joran Van Ginderachter, brewmaster of Three Taverns Craft Brewery, has parted ways his first American brewery home. He will now assume a brewer role with Atlanta’s Monday Night Brewing.

‘Van Ginderachter studied Chemistry at the University of Ghent before interning with his uncle Peter Bouckaert, a legend at U.S. based New Belgium, and now Purpose Brewing and Cellars in Fort Collins, Colorado. At the close of his internship, Joran returned to Belgium, ultimately co-founding Brouwers Verzet in 2011. The creativity and passion in the American industry brought Joran to Three Taverns, where he has been overseeing the day to day operations, as well as creating the brewery’s wild ale program.

Unfortunately, not everything goes as planned. For reasons not immediately disclosed, Joran Van Ginderachter has departed Three Taverns. Just a few miles away, Monday Night Brewing has stepped in to help.

Peter Kiley, head brewer at Monday Night tells Beer Street Journal that this move is intended to keep extraordinary talent in Georgia. “We know business can be complicated sometimes. Joran is a good friend to us, and an integral part of the brewing community in Georgia,” Kiley said.

This move over to Monday Night is a temporary one. Joran and close friends Shawn Bainbridge and Tim Kilic
will open Halfway Crooks Brewing and Blending in Atlanta in 2018. Expect everything from pilsners to saisons and wild ales from the trio.

In the meantime, don’t be surprised if you see Van Ginderachter brewing at Monday Night or running around the brewery’s new “Garage” location.

“Thanks to a must needed change in Georgia beer laws, the state is poised for growth. We want to keep talent like Joran’s here with us, and we are extremely excited. Even if it’s just for a little while,” said Kiley.

In an interesting, and unrelated twist, brewer Adam Bishop has parted ways with Monday Night. Co-founder Jonathan Baker tells Beer Street Journal that his departure is unrelated to the arrival of Joran.

“It’s just really weird timing,” said Baker.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Monday Night Brewing, New Releases

Monday Night Dr. Robot debuts year-round

Monday Night Dr. Robot is the latest can release by the Atlanta based brewery.

This raspberry kettle soured ale was first teased in September, at a media event previewing Monday Night’s second located now known as the ‘Garage’. Dr. Robot is a simple sour beer, brewed with fresh blackberry juice and lemon zest. The result is a beautiful pink tinted beer that is great for drinking on its own, or with some of your favorite food.

A tart, fruity sour beer. Dr. Robot is as playful as its name. After souring to a delightfully tart level, we add blackberry juice and lemon zest to enhance and balance the flavor. The juice gives this beer a pink hue. The perfect blend of sweet and sour, Dr. Robot is a refreshing year-round sipper.

Monday Night Dr. Robot is available in 12-ounce cans and draft, year-round starting in October.

Style: Berliner Weisse (w/ Blackberry Juice. Lemon Zest.)
Hops: Cascade
Malts: 2 Row, Malted Wheat

Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: October 2017

?? ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Monday Night Brewing, New Releases

A winner in both taste and name. Monday Night Han Brolo

Monday Night Han Brolo will soon be found in the Atlanta, Georgia brewery’s lineup soon. We’re already in love with the name.

“A crushable, hazy pale ale” is what you can expect from Han Brolo, the long lost brother of our favorite galactic smuggler. Cans of this new release debut soon, alongside Dr. Robot, a fruited sour.

Beer Street Journal recently tried “Brolo” and the first sips just scream juicy. It’s hard not be with a Mosaic, Mandarina Bavaria, and Simcoe hop lineup.

Monday Night Han Brolo will be available in 12-ounce cans and draft this fall.

Style: Pale Ale
Hops: Simcoe, Mosaic, Mandarina Bavaria
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft

Debut: September 2017

4,7% ABV, 25 IBUs

Monday Night Han Brolo tap

PIC: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Monday Night Brewing, Coming Soon

Branding Update: Monday Night Blood Orange Blind Pirate

Monday Night Blood Orange Blind Pirate is getting a little branding update. The brewery

This rendition of Blind Pirate got its start in the  Clip-On Series – a side project for Monday Night. The brewery takes a year round offering and throws it a curve ball. (Note: The series now includes none year-round beers too.)

The first release was Serrano Eye Patch Ale, a peppery spin on the year round English-style IPA. Not long after, Blind Pirate, their double IPA received a little blood orange treatment. As October winds down, you can get Blood Orange Blind Pirate in 12-ounce cans.

Pirates love citrus fruits almost as much as they love blood. If the phrase “you are what you eat” is true, then pirates are blood oranges. If the phrase “you are what you drink” is true, you’re about to be an incredibly delicious, juicy hop bomb of an IPA. We add bits of real blood orange to every beer, so you know it’s good.

Monday Night Blood Orange Blind Pirate is a draft, and 12-ounce can release.

Style: Imperial IPA (w/ Blood Orange)
Hops: Columbus, Cascade, Magnum
Malts: 2 Row, Wheat, Caramel

Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Year-Round.
Release (Cans): October, 2016

6.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Monday Night Brewing, Coming Soon

Monday Night Fu Manbrew takes aim at cans, will sport “Indie” logo

Our favorite year-round offering from Monday Night Brewing (Atlanta, GA) looks like it will be getting the aluminum treatment in the near future.

The beer we are talking about is Monday Night FuManBrew, a witbier that rocks just a “whisper” of ginger. Refreshing is the go-to word when describing the this beer we’ve come to love (since it’s 2012 debut of course).

As for the lovable folks at Monday Night, it took four years of test batches (dating back to their garage days) to perfect this beer. As good as it is, the love hasn’t been easy to take everywhere. No cans. Looks like that’s about to change.

This Belgian-style wit is an effervescent, easy-drinking wheat beer, brewed with Belgian yeast, German hops, and a whisper of ginger from the Far East. At 5.2%, it’s light enough to quench your thirst in the heat, but flavorful enough to keep you interested.

Monday Night FuManbrew is already available in 12 ounce bottles and draft, year-round. Something important to note as well – the can will sport the new “Independent Craft” label from the Brewers Association.

Style: Witbier (w/ Ginger)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. Current.
Debut (Cans): TBA

5.2% ABV

by Reid Ramsay