SweetWater Brewing

38,720,000 More Bottles Of 420

Short bit on SweetWater’s Expansion by Lords Of Sapelo.

SweetWater expansion 12-10 from SweetWater Brewery on Vimeo.

Cans Likely For SweetWater Brewing

SweetWater Brewing (Atlanta, GA) is under going a pretty big expansion.  The build will push their capacity to 400,000 barrels.  BSJ got to tour the new facility last week.  We’ve all been thinking it, so I asked The Big Kahuna, Continue Reading →

VID: Inside SweetWater’s Expansion

On Monday, BSJ got to walk through the new expansion at SweetWater Brewing.  Currently the brewery is completing a massive expansion that will take their capacity from 100,000 barrels to 400,000 barrels.  Some exciting new additions include – bottle conditioning, Continue Reading →

SweetWater Ships Sticky Nugs

SweetWater Brewing’s newest Dank Tank release is now shipping.  A hoppy red ale, full of nugget hops.

Looking to drain the main vein on a 420 mile road trip, el Danko casually slipped into the dankest nugget hop field known to Continue Reading →

SweetWater 420 Makes A Walking Dead Appearance

Zombies! Oh, and 420.  SweetWater’s 420 made an appearance on The Walking Dead Sunday night.  After all, it is filmed in Atlanta.   There were some excited zombie loving beer fans…

Posted in SweetWater Brewing

SweetWater’s Next Dank Tank: A Hopped Up 420 IPA

SweetWater Dank Tank 420 IPAGreat surprise this AM – SweetWater’s next Dank Tank release has been revealed.  A hopped up 420 IPA.  For those of you that don’t know – 420 is the brewery’s signature pale ale.  This next release- billed at an F’up after el Danko met a wookie and partied at the Clermont Lounge with Blondie – is nearly double the strength of 420 Pale.  Don’t have the pleasure of living in Atlanta?  Get to know The Clermont Lounge.  We’ve taken many a brewer that has come to town to this institution.  All shall remain… errr… nameless.

Tingling with excitement, el dank hopped the fur bus and rolled to the panic show at The Fox.  Boogieing down to Chilly Water, he noodled into a cute little wookie that blew his mind and yanked him from some post show get down at the Clermont lounge.  Stumbling and bumbling with blondie, he got booted, and went home for some shut eye.  Dreaming of the wet wookie, he awoke to his dog licking his tongue, realizing he was late for his night shift at SweetWater.

Fumbling through his brew and dry hopping duties, el danko hit the wall, and passed out mid-shift. Waking up to Nick Nock screaming WTF, he frantically ran around putting out fires.  As the haze cleared he realized he had left the mill running, jacking up the OG and dry hopping the wrong tank.  Fuddied up after the most insane 36 hours, el Danko pondered his delirious creation, a chubby 420 India Pale Ale! Huh??? Ducking trouble, he quickly swept the abominable snowman  under the rug, as he sent the 420 IPA to the bottling line boys in an effort to hide his momentoustus F- up.

Style: Imperial IPA
Availability: 22oz bombers, Draft
Arrival: TBA

8.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in SweetWater Brewing, Videos
Posted in Beer News, Brewery Expansions, Coming Soon, SweetWater Brewing

Cans Likely For SweetWater Brewing

SweetWater Brewing (Atlanta, GA) is under going a pretty big expansion.  The build will push their capacity to 400,000 barrels.  BSJ got to tour the new facility last week.  We’ve all been thinking it, so I asked The Big Kahuna, Freddy Bensch  “Are you going to can?”  His answer -“We’ve built in space in the new building for a canning line, so.. Yes.”

This is awesome news of course.  I made the mistake of thinking that 420 Pale would be the first to find an aluminum home.  I was wrong.  Freddy’s leaning towards IPA to kick off the canning line.  Trust me, I’m ok with that.  As exciting news as this is however, the timeline for SweetWater cans might not be until after Summer, 2012.  Fingers crossed I can crack a can of SweetWater at the pool soon.

Other improvements: 

Bottle conditioning: The brewery will start bottling condition soon (less O2. Fresher beer, better shelf life.)
Capacity:  SW currently brews about 77,000 barrels a year.  After – 400,000
New Office Space
New Event Space, separate from tasting room
New Rooftop Patio
Bigger Gift Shop

The brewery has no immediate plans to expand into new markets after the expansion. (But it’s not off the table of course.)

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Brewery Expansions, SweetWater Brewing, Videos

VID: Inside SweetWater’s Expansion

On Monday, BSJ got to walk through the new expansion at SweetWater Brewing.  Currently the brewery is completing a massive expansion that will take their capacity from 100,000 barrels to 400,000 barrels.  Some exciting new additions include – bottle conditioning, solar panels, new event space and more.  SweetWater’s founder Freddy Bensch walks us through the new building (still in progress.)  The second video below features Freddy, Steve and Mark chatting about the past, present, and future.  (Standard Disclaimer: I’m a drunk, not a videographer.)  Check out more on SweetWater’s Expansion, & Recent Releases.

Video #1: The Walkthrough

Video #2 Chat with SweetWater (Audio a little quiet in parts)

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Releases, SweetWater Brewing

SweetWater Ships Sticky Nugs

SweetWater Brewing Fresh Sticky NugsSweetWater Brewing’s newest Dank Tank release is now shipping.  A hoppy red ale, full of nugget hops.

Looking to drain the main vein on a 420 mile road trip, el Danko casually slipped into the dankest nugget hop field known to man.  Stupefied by the pungent aromas, his eyes rolled back as he fell into a sea of sticky buds.  After 4 days of being pinned in the vines, he thought he was a goner.  Believing he was hallucinating as he saw every woodland creature, horny toad, and Sasquatch rush past his stuck self.  He suddenly became petrified as he saw a million army ants devouring everything they saw in his path.   He said one last hail mary as the ants began to chew on him and the vines.   With one last gasp, he jerked free and hauled balls out of the field with biting ants and sticky hops covering his pruned body.  Desperately in search of ant bite relief, he belly flopped in the 1st oasis he saw, with was a fermenter at SweetWater.  Fuddied up, el Danko’s tea bag into the brew turned it into a double red from the blending ant bites, and dry hopped this bad boy from the fresh nugget hops that where stuck to him.  

Style: Red Ale
Availability: 22oz bombers, Draft.
Taste Expectations: 

8% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Cool Stuff, SweetWater Brewing

SweetWater 420 Makes A Walking Dead Appearance

Zombies! Oh, and 420.  SweetWater’s 420 made an appearance on The Walking Dead Sunday night.  After all, it is filmed in Atlanta.   There were some excited zombie loving beer fans…

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, SweetWater Brewing

El Danko’s Tea Bag In To SweetWater’s Fermenter Makes Fresh Sticky Nugs

As mentioned last week, SweetWater Brewing is following up Browneyed Buckeye, and The Ghoulash with Fresh Sticky Nugs – a hoppy red ale.  What the hell am I talking about in the title? Read below. You’ll get it.

Looking to drain the main vein on a 420 mile road trip, el Danko casually slipped into the dankest nugget hop field known to man.  Stupefied by the pungent aromas, his eyes rolled back as he fell into a sea of sticky buds.  After 4 days of being pinned in the vines, he thought he was a goner.  Believing he was hallucinating as he saw every woodland creature, horny toad, and Sasquatch rush past his stuck self.  He suddenly became petrified as he saw a million army ants devouring everything they saw in his path.   He said one last hail mary as the ants began to chew on him and the vines.   With one last gasp, he jerked free and hauled balls out of the field with biting ants and sticky hops covering his pruned body.  Desperately in search of ant bite relief, he belly flopped in the 1st oasis he saw, with was a fermenter at SweetWater.  Fuddied up, el Danko’s tea bag into the brew turned it into a double red from the blending ant bites, and dry hopped this bad boy from the fresh nugget hops that where stuck to him.  

Style: Red Ale
Availability: 22oz bombers, Draft.
Arrival: Mid November, 2011

8% ABV

by Reid Ramsay