Rare Opportunity

CASK ALERT – Traditional Wassail

Every Thursday, at 5:55pm 5 Seasons Westside and brewer Crawford Moran tap a cask.  The cask is different every Thursday and each time more and more unique.  Today in the spirit of Christmas, Crawford is tapping Wassail.

Wassail traditionally is a Continue Reading →

BLT Steak Atlanta Hosts Terrapin Beer Dinner

Craft beer is obviously turning heads.  Upscale restaurants who once focused on wines, selling only macro lagers/ales are now having multi course beer dinners featuring craft brewers.  This is a prime (no pun intended) example.  It’s a little last minute, Continue Reading →

Posted in Brooklyn Brewing, Rare Opportunity

BROOKLYN BLACK OPS!!! IT’S BACK!

Black OpsI really don’t know where to begin on this one.   Better yet, here is a quote from the back of the bottle –

“Brooklyn Black Ops does not exist. However, if it did exist, it would be a robust stout concocted by the Brooklyn brewing team under cover of secrecy and hidden from everyone else at the brewery. Supposedly “Black ops” was aged for four months in bourbon barrels, bottled flat, and re-fermented with Champagne yeast, creating big chocolate and coffee flavors with a rich underpinning of vanilla-like oat notes. They say there are only 1,000 cases. We have no idea what they’re talking about.”

Basically, I’m talking about a rare beer put out by Brooklyn Brewery in New York.  This Russian Imperial Stout was aged in Woodford Reserve barrels this year.  (The barrels Black Ops is aged in changes.) Woodford Reserve barrels are the same kind of barrels that Sweetwater used to age their Ron W. Burgundy (Flashback Click Here.)  Black ops is a Black Chocolate Stout Aged in Woodford Barrels.  It’s distinctive, and for those stout fans out there, don’t miss this.

One thing to note – these bottles are limited, and are 24.99 a piece.   Hop City only has a few left. (Strike that.  Before I could finish writing this, they are all gone.) Checking to see who else will be receiving them.. More to come.

12/17 – 3:30 PM – Toco Giant on North Druid has a case.

12/18 – 11 AM – Both Tower Locations to receive.  Date TBA

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Casks, Rare Opportunity

CASK ALERT – Traditional Wassail

5 Seasons WestsideEvery Thursday, at 5:55pm 5 Seasons Westside and brewer Crawford Moran tap a cask.  The cask is different every Thursday and each time more and more unique.  Today in the spirit of Christmas, Crawford is tapping Wassail.

Wassail traditionally is a hot spiced punch resembling cider.  It is generally accepted that wassail was actually a mead or beer, served spiced and warm.   The term wassail derives from a Middle English contraction wæs hæil which means “be healthy.”   The wassail was served at holiday feasts.  The drink was placed in a bowl and heated, then spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and sugar.

The 5 Seasons Wassail stays pretty traditional.   This wassail is a barleywine that will be heated on a stovetop.  Mulling spices are then added — cinnamon, ginger, star anise, coriander, allspice — then served.   Can you honestly find another place that serves a traditional style wassail?  Good Luck if you can.   I once again must tip my hat to Crawford Moran’s brewing brilliance.

Tapping — 5:55 pm Today (12/17)

5 Seasons Westside

1000 Marietta St NW

Atlanta, GA 30318

404.875.3232

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Rare Opportunity, Sierra Nevada, Terrapin Beer Company

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot ’07, ’08, ’09

SN BigfootThis is not exactly an event, but more of an opportunity.  As fun as it is to drink beer, or should I say current beer, I get even more excited to drink aged/cellared beer.   That brings us to today.

Sierra Nevada releases a Barleywine called Bigfoot annually.  (Barleywines are a form of strong ale that originated from England.  BW’s are strong 8%-12% ABV and are as strong as wine, but made from grain instead of fruits. Thus – barley.)   Back to the point, 2009 marks the 25th release of Bigfoot. Today you can try not only the ’09 release, but you can also taste ’08 & ’07 all side by side.

Vertical tastings are particularly significant because it provides some great insight to how a beer ages and matures.  I can’t tell you how many beers I have had that only get better with age.  (Something you can throw back at your wine snob friends.)    Hopefully by now you see that this is a particularly interesting opportunity to try the last 3 years of releases.

ALSO!!! To finish off your vertical tastings, you can also try Terrapin’s Wake & Bake 2008 & 2009 side by side.  Wake and Bake is an Imperial Oatmeal Stout – and part inspiration for the now acclaimed Depth Charge.

To my knowledge, these will be available today whenever you hit the bar, but I make 100% sure and post.

Taco Mac Metropolis
933 Peachtree Street N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 631-6526
@tmacmetropolis (on twitter)

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Dogfish Head, Rare Opportunity, Sierra Nevada

Dogfish Head/ Sierra Nevada – Life & Limb Opportunities Coming Soon!

LLGHopefully by now you have heard about Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada collaborating to create Life & Limb.   If you are still finding yourself out of the loop, learn more HERE. .

Life and Limb came in bottles, and left pretty quickly.    If you still missed the opportunity to try them, here is a rundown of a couple of places that will have it.

First up – This week, Taco Mac Metropolis will have a VERY LIMITED number of bottles for sale.  Let me stress, VERY LIMITED.  Price to be determined.

Secondly,  Manuel’s Tavern will be receiving a keg, the date changed while I was writing this… Will be updating soon.


by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer Dinners, Rare Opportunity, Terrapin Beer Company

BLT Steak Atlanta Hosts Terrapin Beer Dinner

BLT SteakCraft beer is obviously turning heads.  Upscale restaurants who once focused on wines, selling only macro lagers/ales are now having multi course beer dinners featuring craft brewers.  This is a prime (no pun intended) example.  It’s a little last minute, but tickets are still available.

This dinner features Terrapin Brewing (Athens, GA) with multiple courses paired with Terrapin’s beer offerings.  (NOTE: Depth Charge is featured, and paired with dessert.)   Seats are $90 a piece.

Here is the menu –

Hamachi / Avocado / Pickled Ramps / Honey – Orange Sauce
Sunray Wheat

Diver Sea Scallops / Pumpkin Ravioli / Sage Butter Sauce
Pumpkinfest

Roasted Long Island Duck Breast / Peach Mustarda / Seven Spices Sauce
Gamma Ray

Sirloin Steak and Short Ribs Beef Duo/Red Wine Sauce
Imperial Red

Sides:  Roasted Butternut Squash/ Macadamia Nuts/Sage

Mac and Cheese / Gruyere / Bacon / Truffle

Chocolate Caramel Ganache Tart / Wattleseed Ice Cream
Depth Charge

Warm Madeleines

BLT Steak

W Atlanta-Downtown Hotel & Residences

45 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard

Atlanta, GA 30308

404.577.7601

www.bltsteak.com

7-9 pm – December 11, 2009

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Dogfish Head, Rare Opportunity, Sierra Nevada

Dogfish/Sierra Nevada Collab “Life & Limb” tapping @ Brickstore

LLG

Yes, this collaboration has arrived in bottle, and now draft.   Brickstore Pub is tapping “Life & Limb” tonight ( November 23rd) At 5 pm.

Only 6 kegs of this made it to Georgia, and 2 are going to Brickstore.  Taco Mac has at least one, tapping to be announced.

More info on this collaboration release read my previous post here – http://bit.ly/4BJTb1

Brickstore Pub

125 E Court Sq
Decatur, GA 30030-2521
(404) 687-0990

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Clipper City Brewing, Meet the Brewer, Rare Opportunity

Meet Heavy Seas founder, Hugh Sisson

Heavy seas lineupI know I’ve said this before, and here I will say it again.  You may know craft beer.  You may know the lineup of a brewery.  You may even be someone who can pick out the beers from a blind taste   However, until you meet the brewer and speak to him or her about brewing, you don’t know it all.  Want to know it all?  Be at Brickstore Pub Tuesday night.

Hugh Sisson, founder/General Partner of Clipper City/Heavy Seas will be at Brickstore with the Heavy Seas lineup and special food pairings.

Read here on a previous write up about Hugh Sisson — http://bit.ly/zfru

First of all, its not a traditional beer dinner, i.e. no tickets need be purchased.  Just show up, order a Heavy Seas, and perhaps start up a conversation with Hugh Sisson.

Starts around 5 pm, (November 17th) until the beer runs dry.

More info follow.  Check out @atlbeermaster, @atlantabeer, & @brickstorepub for more info.

UPDATE! –  Here is the beer lineup for tonight.

Yule Tide – Cask

Winter Storm Cask – ESB, 7.5% ABV.  Hops – Magnum, Fuggle, Cascade, Centennial and Chinook.  Malts – Pale, Crystal, Carapils and Munich.
Winter Storm – Draft.  Regular offering of this ESB
08 ‘Hang Ten – Weizenbock, 10% ABV.  July seasonal.
Great Pumpkin Bottles – Bourbon barrel aged – Imperial Pumpkin ale, 8.5% ABV. Seasonal fall ale, with secret malts, hops, spices.
06′ Below Decks – Barleywine, 10%+.  Aged since 2006.  Traditionally offered in December.

09′ Below Decks – Barleywine, 10%.  Upcoming 2009 release of this BW.

Other bottles include –

Big DIPA – Imperial IPA,  10.6% ABV. 5 hops, 3 malts.  Released in June.  Not sold currently.

Also, – Winter Storm, & Loose Cannon

(Please excuse the terrible spacings/margins.  Trying to correct…)

by Reid Ramsay