Breweries

Wild Heaven Fest Beer, Year 8

Wild Heaven Fest Beer is back for its eighth year, a brew that took a bit of a “travel curve” before the Avondale Estates, Georgia, brewery perfected it.

A few years ago, brewery co-founder Eric Johnson debuted Autumn Defense, a creative Continue Reading →

Wiseacre Brewing acquires Bearded Iris

Wiseacre Brewing Acquires Bearded Iris Brewing, Uniting Two of Tennessee’s Top Craft Breweries

Memphis-based Wiseacre Brewing Company has acquired Nashville’s Bearded Iris Brewing in a deal announced this week, combining two of Tennessee’s largest craft breweries.

Wiseacre Brewing, through its Abel Brewing Continue Reading →

Posted in NoDa Brewing, Seasonal Return

NoDa Gordgeous Pumpkin Ale gold medal winner returns

NoDa Gordgeous Pumpkin Ale has made another seasonal appearance. This North Carolina brewed pumpkin ale touts 100+ pounds of organic sugar and caramelized brown sugar, freshly cracked spices, and 42 pounds of pumpkin.

The recipe started as head brewer Chad Henderson’s homebrew recipe more than a decade ago. (At one point he told Beer Street Journal a giant pumpkin was involved in the process, either in brewing or tapping. Never did get clarity.) NoDa Gordgeous has been a fall offering each year since debuting in 2013.

The beer has won gold at the Great American Beer Festival in both 2018 and 2020, which is quite the accomplishment for that particular beer style.

NoDa Gordgeous is available in 16-ounce cans (4 packs) and draft as an early fall seasonal.

Style: Pumpkin Beer (w/ Brown Sugar, Cardamom, Cloves, Ginger Root, Allspice)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft
Latest Return: Late August 2025

6.4% ABV, 29 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Firestone Walker Brewing, Don't Miss This, Headlines, Seasonal Return

Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest, lagered in Cabernet barrels returns

Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest is back for 2025, signaling the transition from summer to fall.

First debuting in 2006, Oaktoberfest has become a cherished seasonal tradition for the brewery. Brewmaster Matt Brynildson and his team use all-German ingredients in the recipe and lager the beer in Napa Valley wine barrels (hence the name Oaktoberfest). This year, the beer was lagered in French oak barrels that previously aged Cabernet Sauvignon from a local winery. According to the brewery, the oak lagering “creates an even smoother texture while staying true to the beer’s crisp malt profile and hints of noble hops.”

It may be coincidental, but Firestone Walker’s home of Paso Robles, California, ties in beautifully. “Paso Robles” translates to “Pass of the Oaks,” a nod to the abundant oak trees in the region. This connection complements the city’s reputation for wine production and the Oaktoberfest name.

This year, Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest is available in 12-ounce cans and on draft for a limited time.

Style: Oktoberfest
Hops: Tettnanger, Hersbrucker
Malts: Vienna, Weyermann Pilsner, Cara Red

Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Seasonal release.
Latest Return: Mid-August, 2025

5.2% ABV

Image: Firestone Walker 

ED NOTE: If any readers know of a retailer will ship Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest, contact us. Be sure to scroll down the page for the form, we are having some coding issues on that page)

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Wild Heaven Craft Beers, Seasonal Return

Wild Heaven Fest Beer, Year 8

Wild Heaven Fest Beer is back for its eighth year, a brew that took a bit of a “travel curve” before the Avondale Estates, Georgia, brewery perfected it.

A few years ago, brewery co-founder Eric Johnson debuted Autumn Defense, a creative take on the classic fall lager. However, Autumn Defense was actually an ale, boasting “pronounced bright citrus flavors, brewed heavy-handedly with Munich malt.” A festbier in spirit, but, as Johnson admits, not very traditional. “You’re not a brewer if you’re not experimenting, I guess,” Johnson once told us. “It doesn’t always work out.”

Wild Heaven Fest Beer has since followed a more traditional path. Now a true Märzen lager, it has officially moved away from the “ale festbier” concept for good. Getting there required tweaks to the recipe and yeast.

In the first two years of Fest Beer, Johnson used Grungeist hops, a European hop of Hallertauer parentage. While these hops produced a good lager, traditional brewing ultimately won out. (Another revelation came later: the Gungeist hop flavor faded significantly after four weeks.)

These days, the lager is brewed exclusively with classic German Noble hops.

The journey from Autumn Defense to Fest Beer has been a story in itself. What Fest Beer is today is quickly becoming a fall tradition for Wild Heaven and its fans.

Wild Heaven Fest Beer is available on draft and in 12-ounce cans seasonally, starting this week.

Style: Festbier/Marzen

Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: 9/22/18
Latest Return: August 2025

5% ABV

Image: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Brewery Expansions, Headlines, Monday Night Brewing

Monday Night Brewing opens “The Grove” this weekend

Monday Night Brewing’s first location was an abandoned warehouse on Atlanta’s Westside, opened in September 2012. Since then, founders Jeff Heck, Joel Iverson, and Jonathan Baker, along with brewmaster Peter Kiley, have expanded across the Southeast to Birmingham, Nashville, Knoxville, and Charlotte. This month, the brewery returns to the Westside for its latest expansion.

Meet “The Grove”

Located at 670 Trabert Avenue, Monday Night’s “The Grove” connects directly to a brand-new segment of the Atlanta BeltLine Northwest Trail, linking Northside Drive to Howell Mill Road. This new “oasis” spans 17,000 square feet of communal space, including a 7,400-square-foot indoor taproom, adjacent to the original West Midtown location. The Grove is equal parts taproom, patio, and green space paradise, serving as a BeltLine getaway.

PICS: MONDAY NIGHT BREWING THROUGH THE YEARS

The indoor taproom will feature 30 taps, the largest tap lineup the brewery has built to date. Guests can pair their beers with house-made pizzas from twin Italian ovens (including gluten-free options) or start the day with a new morning program offering coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and pastries.

The outdoor space includes an amphitheater-style area for live music, a 20-foot LED TV screen, and shade provided by 62 preserved trees and 30 newly planted native trees. Free parking is available across three lots.

“The Grove brings new life and a fresh start to the Monday Night Brewing space that started it all. Thirteen years ago, we moved into an abandoned warehouse on a dead-end street and created an inviting taproom amidst a beer production space. West Midtown has been our home ever since, so we want this to be an everyday experience—a space to connect with friends, meet new people, and enjoy fresh beer, great food, and good vibes.” – Co-Founder Joel Iverson

Monday Night’s original location will now focus on production expansion and private event space.

Look for Monday Night’s The Grove to open by the end of August.

Below are Beer Street Journal photos taken with Jonathan Baker at the buildout of the Westside location fall of 2012.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Headlines, New Releases, Sierra Nevada

Sierra Nevada reveals “Proper Pilsner Cans” for Premium PILS

Back in April, Sierra Nevada unveiled a project more than a year in the making—Premium PILS, available on draft in select markets nationwide. At the time, the brewery teased unique packaging for the pilsner in late summer. Today, the brewery has revealed the answer: Proper Pilsner cans.

The key to this packaging is the smaller can format—specifically, 8.4 ounces—to maintain temperature and flavor from beginning to end. According to Brian Grossman, head brewer at Sierra Nevada, crafting a traditional European-style pilsner was half the challenge. When the beer transitioned to packaging, the standard 12- or 16-ounce can wouldn’t suffice. “I’ve enjoyed beers all over the world, but there’s something special about a proper pilsner at a European pub—crisp, refreshing, and served in a smaller glass to keep it at the ideal temperature and flavor. That’s how PILS is meant to be enjoyed,” Grossman says.

We tried Premium PILS back in April at The Ramspeck in Decatur, Georgia, and it’s fantastic, truly setting a new standard for American craft breweries producing European-style beers. At 4.7% alcohol by volume and 25 IBUs, it’s crisp and pairs with nearly everything.

Proper Pilsner cans, filled with Premium PILS, debut in 8.4-ounce 12-packs in select markets in August 2025, with plans for full national distribution in early 2026.

Below are photos from the media launch party in April at The Ramspeck.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, New Holland Brewing, New Releases

New Holland teams up with Dungeons & Dragons again

New Holland Brewing drops a new edition in Dungeons & Dragons beer series this month.

New Holland Brewing has teamed up once again with Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast for another beer in their ongoing Dungeons & Dragons beer lineup: Dragon’s Milk Coconut Rum Barrel Reserve.

Last year, New Holland announced the start of a partnership with Dungeons & Dragons with Dragon’s Milk x Dungeons & Dragons Coconut Rum Barrel Reserve in August and the high-octane “beast” of a beer, D20 Brew Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout (20% ABV), in November. While the 2024 coconut stout kicked off the partnership to celebrate D&D’s 50th anniversary, the 2025 iteration introduces a narrative twist inspired by the mythical Dragon Turtle, a massive dragon-like creature with a turtle-like shell.

This release finds New Holland’s Dragon’s Milk, one of America’s best-selling stouts, aged in rum barrels with coconut.

“This collaboration is all about celebrating the power of storytelling through flavor. With the Dragon Turtle as our muse, we created a rich, coconut stout aged in rum barrels that’s as deep and complex as the world of D&D itself,” said Brett Vanderkamp, CEO and Founder.

Dragon’s Milk Coconut Rum Barrel Reserve, also known as the Dragon Turtle release, features an image of the mythical creature on the label with nods to both Dragon’s Milk and Dungeons & Dragons. It’s an instant must-have for D&D players.

While the creature may be mythical, the beer is very real, hitting shelves at select retailers and New Holland taprooms.

Style: Imperial Stout (with Coconut. Barrel-Aged. Rum.)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft, Limited Release
Debut: August 2025
ABV: 11%

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Bearded Iris Brewing, Brewery Acquisitions, Headlines, Wiseacre Brewing

Wiseacre Brewing acquires Bearded Iris

Wiseacre Brewing Acquires Bearded Iris Brewing, Uniting Two of Tennessee’s Top Craft Breweries

Memphis-based Wiseacre Brewing Company has acquired Nashville’s Bearded Iris Brewing in a deal announced this week, combining two of Tennessee’s largest craft breweries.

Wiseacre Brewing, through its Abel Brewing LLC, has applied for permit changes for Bearded Iris’ locations at 101 Van Buren St. and Sylvan Supply at 4101 Charlotte Ave.

Bearded Iris was founded in 2014 by Paul Vaughn, Matt Miller, and Kavon Togrye in Nashville, Tennessee. Wiseacre Brewing was established a year earlier in Memphis by brothers Kellan and Davin Bartosch. The merger is seen as a strategic alliance across the Volunteer State, aimed at overcoming challenges facing the craft beer industry, including rising costs, pandemic fallout, increasing insurance expenses, and shifting consumer preferences.

IndieBrew and Scofflaw

In October 2021, Atlanta-based Scofflaw Brewing founded IndieBrew, a brewing collective. Bearded Iris joined IndieBrew in December of that year. The collective provided shared business services, from HR to brewing operations, to enhance the long-term sustainability of member breweries. Bearded Iris co-founder Kavon Togrye was deeply involved in the initiative.

Discussions about IndieBrew have been scarce since late 2022. The acquisition of Bearded Iris, which does not involve Scofflaw Brewing, likely impacts the IndieBrew partnership.

Future

The acquisition brings two of Tennessee’s most popular craft beers—Wiseacre’s Tiny Bomb (a pilsner) and Bearded Iris’ Homestyle (an IPA)—under one brand. No word of any leadership changes or exits by any existing brewery founders.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Developing…

by Reid Ramsay