New Launches
Laughing Dog Brewing
Theres a new brewery hitting shelves in Atlanta. To be perfectly honest, they have been here a few weeks. These bottles have been on shelves for a bit at Total Wine. Long story short, Total Wine had some exclusivity with the distribution. In the State of Georgia, it’s illegal to have that exclusivity. So with that said, more places can pick up Laughing Dog Brewing from Ponderay, Idaho.
History:
At Laughing Dog Brewing, what began with a dream for brews with more hops has turned into an insatiable desire to craft beers of all flavors, with a focus on quality, purity, and fun. Today, Laughing Dog brews has brewed over 15 distinct beers, including seasonals like our Huckleberry Ale and Winter Ale, and our award-winning IPA’s and Stouts. But despite our success and growth, our motto remains the same as the day we started, to create… “Fetchingly Good Beer”!
The laughing Yellow Lab that appears on all of our brews, our logo, and other items is Ben our family dog. His loyal and relaxed attitude, appetite for quality food, and constant desire for walks to complete his healthy lifestyle has served as the perfect inspiration for all our brews at Laughing Dog Brewing.
But of course, Ben can’t write or run the business of a brewery or due to health and safety regulations even be in the clean areas of the brewery, so his “owners” Fred Colby and Michelle Douglass are really the ones behind the curtain making it all happen. The three often discuss their new ideas for brews and flavors, and Ben gives his OK by one bark, or a NO by two barks.
At some point, Ben plans to retire from brewing, and he will pass the torch onto his son Ruger to make the day-to-day barks of approval. But be warned, Ruger is already the inspiration for Devil Dog, a fiesty brew with a full bite, so there may be a few more “exotic” brews in the future at Laughing Dog Brewing.
Laughing Dog Brewing Owners Ben (the dog), Michelle Douglass and Fred Colby hope that you enjoy drinking our beers as much as we enjoy making them.
Beers now available in Georgia:
Dogzilla Black IPA – 6.9% ABV. Floral & Citrus hops. Caramel, toasted malts. Bready, black, hoppy.
Alpha Dog – Imperial IPA, 8.7% ABV. Hops are grapefruit & pine. Malty backbone. Walks the line on balance.
Devil Dog – Imperial IPA, 10% ABV. DIPA that is hoppy, bitter, but balanced. Pine and sweet caramel malts.
CSB – ESB, 5.4% ABV. Light citrus hops. Roasted malts. Some bready malt.
Pale Ale – ?? ABV. Hoppy pale ale. Citrus hops. Light pale malts.
Availability: Most are year round offerings, 22oz Bottles. No draft in Georgia currently.
Looking for these? Hop City and Total Wine
NEW BREWER: Napa Smith Brewing
Now available in Atlanta are beers from Napa Smith Brewery in Napa, California. The launch brings 3 beers in tow, one of them a hoppy certified organic IPA.
History:
Life is meant to be experienced to the fullest, and that means the constant search for new and better things: whether it is the perfect wave, a newly discovered forest, a secret trout stream, a Montana sunset, or whatever you want it to be. It is about having great meals with good friends, and having a party. It is about having fun.
The Smith family loves life. We decided that what the world really needed was a great beer that makes food taste better. A beer that you can be proud to serve at dinner with friends and family.
We set out to make a beer that paired well with all food types. We asked ourselves the age old question, “What wine do you serve with shrimp?”, and came up with the answer. “You don’t serve wine with shrimp; you serve BEER with shrimp, because it tastes great with them.” So we got to thinking that we should make beers that not only taste great all by themselves, but go with a variety of foods as well. We also believe in cooking with beer, just like wines offer flavors and textures to sauces, beer can do the same thing.
We wanted to make a family of beers that you can enjoy on a fishing trip with your friends, your next football party, or can serve on a linen table cloth at a black tie affair. After much experimentation (and a lot of tasting), we have come up with beers that meet these challenges.
We are dedicated to producing the highest quality beer in the craft brewing industry, and are insistent on using only the finest ingredients to assure this.
We were aware of the challenge that we were taking on when we used the word “Napa” in the name of the brewery. The Napa Valley has developed a well deserved reputation for producing fine wine; and a lot of hard work, artistry and craftsmanship has gone into the development of that reputation. We are committed to producing a beer that is worthy of the Napa reputation for fine food and beverages.
The Napa Smith Brewery was able to woo Don Barkley, a Master Brewer with over 30 years experience in the craft brewing industry, to join us in our undertaking. Don joined us because he too believed in the concept,that beer should pair well with food, and shared in the dream of turning the concept into a reality.
Napa Smith is owned and operated by family and friends, only. Our sons and daughters work daily to bring you this fine line of beers. You can talk to any one of us, at any time, and, should you decide to visit us at the Brewery, we will gladly drop what we are doing and show you around
We hope that you will try our beers and enjoy them as we do. Please remember, always drink responsibly, and let moderation be your guide.
Launch Beers:
Amber Ale – 5.75% ABV. Lots of caramel malt in this amber. It’s definitely malt forward. Bready, some grassy hops.
Lost Dog – Red Ale, 7.2% ABV. Some fruity sweetness. Flavors of caramel & vanilla appear, followed by some light citrus hops.
Organic IPA – 7.1% ABV. Hops are piney. Also perhaps some light citrus. Malts – caramel, even some toffeee. A balanced American IPA.
Availability: 12 oz bottles. Future draft offerings..
NEW BREWER: Les Trois Mousquetaires
Les Trois Mousquetaires Brewing is here from Quebec, Canada. The name “Les Trois Mousquetaires” translates to “Three Musketeers” in french, and is located near the famous Unibroue Brewery. Started in 2004, Les Trois specializes in German style beers with a French/Belgian twist. The brewery currently has a website and Facebook page, but neither are active.
4 beers are now offered here in the United States, and Georgia:
Serie Signature Rauchbier – 6% ABV. Chocolate, raisins, smoked malts.
Serie Signature Kellerbier – Keller Bier, 5.5% ABV. Zesty & bitter. Hops are floral, & grassy. Some lager yeast character.
Doppelbock Grande Cuvee Printemps – Doppelbock, 9.5% ABV. Sweet caramel malts. Some chocolate. Biscuit & fruit.
Imperiale Weizen Grande Cuvee – American Pale Wheat Ale, 10% ABV. Honey, clove banana. Soft wheat malt finish.
Availability: 750 ML Corked & Caged.
Looking for these? 8/18 Hop City has all 4 in stock!
NEW BREWER: Tuatara Brewing
Tuatara Brewing hails from New Zealand and just hit the Atlanta market with 2 offerings – a pilsner and an IPA. Here’s the brewer rundown.
History:
Whether talking about his early days home brewing, the set up Carl and Simone Vasta have now at Tuatara, or the possible need for further expansion, it’s clear that they’re dedicated to continuing to supply the best quality beer to New Zealanders who’re thirsty for it.
A Microbrewery Brewing Wonder
Carl’s passion for brewing started after a trip to London in the 1980’s where he discovered beer didn’t have to be flat or tasteless or come in a flagon. When he had to return home to this dismal imitation of the real thing he knew he hadn’t just found a gap in the market but a hollow void that would seriously affect his quality of life if he did nothing to remedy it. “You come back and there’s one beer on tap, a lager in the fridge, and an imported one a year old and the price of a keg.” So while he worked on as an electrician (his first trade), Carl started home brewing, learning from books, importing yeasts and hops to match and quietly learning his craft. Sometime later the head brewer at the Parrot and Jigger, a brewpub in Petone was leaving his job and offered it to Carl. After two years there he was ready to set up his own brewery, Polar Brewing, having been approached by a couple of publicans and the Workingmans Club to brew beers for their bars. He made good cheap beer, that’s what the publicans wanted, and also developed a speciality beer range, which began winning awards almost straight away. But the market for beer in the lower end price bracket had begun to get fiercely competitive, with the larger breweries ‘buying taps’ to try and push out the smaller brewers and Carl sold up. So, while Polar Brewing — the whole thing — was being shipped to its new owners in Perth, he took over a bar in Raumati, running it with his wife Simone whilst commuting to Australia as a highly sought after brewery consultant and trainer. Finally, in 2002 he got together with Sean Murrie, publican of the Malthouse and Fraser McInnes of the Bar Bodega, who’d both sold Polar Beer in the past. With two popular, established bars to use as outlets, customers on hand to give them feedback, and a farm in Reikorangi to build the brewery on, not to mention a somewhat reticent brewing genius, it was favourable beginnings.
“Yep – engineering is a bit of a hobby.”
Carl built the first brewery by hand from modified dairy tanks, and some equipment he had lying around. He set it up as a small lifestyle brewery with a 1200 litre volume per brew capacity and began brewing Tuatara beer. With customer feedback coming in they were able to refine and perfect the beer range, which never failed to win awards, and soon enough began bottling for Regional Wines in Wellington.
Don’t give him a lot, never more than a spot
In 2007, on the back of the bottled beer sales a German designed brew-house and new fermenters were added, giving Tuatara a capacity of over 35,000 litres. Now, that upgrade is almost at capacity and they’re considering if they can still stay boutique. Whatever the next step, whether they limit growth and remain a boutique microbrewery or expand further, they’re adamant the beer will remain the same. You can’t doubt their integrity, to Carl and Simone, it wouldn’t be worth doing if they had to compromise on quality.
The Beers:
Bohemian Pilsner – 5% ABV. Brewed with German Malt, Saaz hops, Czech yeast. Light, crisp, easy drinking.
India Pale Ale – English IPA, 5% ABV. English malts. English hops. light bitter finish.
More offerings on the way. Theses beers are fresh off the boat and available in 12 oz singles. No word on any draft offerings yet.
Looking for these? Both beers on the shelf at Hop City – 8/17
Batemans Brewing U.S. Launch
Another brewery has hit the shelves here in Atlanta, and this one’s done some travelling to get here. Bateman’s Brewing arrives from Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, England with 3 launch titles.
HISTORY: Bateman’s got it’s start in 1874 when George Bateman and his wife Suzanna sold their farm and rented a small brewery in Wainfleet. As the history goes – neither one really had much knowledge of brewing. Suzanna would actually brew on their stove. A man named Edwin Crowe sold the couple brewing equipment and passed on all his knowledge on the art of beer brewing to the Batemans. By 1880, the couple had enough money to expand into coach houses nearby. The brewery sold both beer and bread baked by Suzanna. In 1921 George’s son Harry took over the brewing business upon the passing of his father. In an attempt to keep his employees working during WWI, Harry added a bottling line across the street and starting shipping beer by horse and carriage.
In 1947 Bateman’s switched from river water to the city water due to river pollution. 1950 found Harry’s oldest son George (named for his grandfather) joining the brewery. By 1957 Bateman’s was operating more than 50 pubs. Interestingly by 1960 cask conditioned beer was on the decline and kegged beer was becoming popular. Beer engines were being removed from pubs and keg taps added in their place. This presented a problem for Bateman’s as they couldn’t afford the equipment for brewery conditioned beer. Enter CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale.) CAMRA helped bring cask conditioned beer back in vogue again.
1998 Carlsberg Tetley purchased Bateman’s freetrade which has helped Bateman’s grow continually ever since.
Launch Titles:
Triple XB – Bitter, 4.8% ABV. Goldings, Challenger, Liberty hops. Maris Otter Malts. Classic English bitter.
Combined Harvest – 4.7% ABV. Combination of brewing worts. Malted oats, Rye, Barley. Big Grain flavor.
Mr. George’s Ruby Porter – 5% ABV. Classic English Porter. Known as Dark Lord in England. Sold as Mr. George’s in the US for trademark conflict. Multi award winning porter.
Availability: 16.9 Ounce bottles. Capped.
NEW LAUNCH: Pyramid Brewing
Pyramid has “officially” arrived in Georgia. I use “quotation” fingers because the launch title Haywire Hefe has been on tap at Taco Mac restaurants for a few weeks. Pyramid hails from Kalama, Washington.
Here is the short short version of Pyramid’s history. Pyramid Brewing actually got it’s start under a different name – Hart Brewing Co in 1984. History was made by the brewer when it introduced the first year round wheat beer since the dark times aka Prohibition. New beers were introduced into the lineup each year, and in 1989 5 investors from Seattle jumped into the mix. In 1993 Hefeweizen debuts followed by Apricot Ale in 1994. In that same year Pyramid became the fourth largest craft brewer in the U.S. Pyramid expanded in 1997 by building an alehouse in Berkeley, CA. Eventually Sacramento, Walnut Creek, and Portland also become homes to Pyramid.
Haywire Hefe has seen a few weeks on tap handles here in Atlanta, and now the bottles are on shelves. Ingredients:
Hops: Nugget, Liberty
Malts: 39% Row Pale Barley, 60% Malted Wheat, 1% Caramel
Taste Expectations: Some spice – coriander. Lemon and citrus with some fruit. Malt sweetness makes the hefe smooth and easy drinking.
Availability: 12oz/6 pks. Draft. Year round
5.2% ABV
18 IBU’s
Fun Fact: Haywire takes a gold medal at GABF in 2009. “American Style Wheat Beer w/ Yeast
Rumor Mill: Both Pyramid and Magic Hat are purportedly about to be purchased by North American Breweries…
Alvinne Cuvee Freddy American Debut
This beer might be completely off the radar for some. It’s new the the United States, and hasn’t burst on the scene with a lot of fanfare. If I had to describe this beer – it’s less for casual drinker, and one more for the individual on a flavor journey. Cuvee Freddy is brewed by Picobrouwerij Alvinne in Heule, Belgium. The name of the brewery comes from a female spirit that is the subject of local folktales, and appears on the labels of the bottles. Don’t be put off by the name “Picobrouwerij.” The name is a bit of a play on words. Basically “Pico” is a scientific prefix in the metric system denoting a factor of 10−12 or 0.000000000001. In other words VERY SMALL or… Micro brewery. Everything has a backstory!
Alvinne began brewing in 2002 as a contract brewer through De Graal Brewery in the East Flanders area of Belgium. They have since moved to their own digs. Alvinne produces a fairly wide range of styles from Abbey ales, Strong ales, and oak aged sour ales. Something to note as you read this. Belgium is a brewery intensive country. Other than the U.S. estimates I’ve read indicate that Belgium has just as many breweries, if not more. For a small craft brewer to gain as much attention as it has, and to have its brews come as far as Atlanta, it’s an impossibly big feat.
So – Cuvee Freddy. This is sour ale aged in oak barrels. Sour ales are brewed with wild yeasts like saccharomyces or brettanomyces, and lactic acid. Sour ales have a really unique flavor and the style is really catching on in the states.
Taste Expectations: Tart for starters. Not very sour. Vine fruits, grapes cherries. Dark dry fruits. Oak. Chocolate. Very complex beer that leads you in a lot of directions.
Availability: 750 ML capped bottles. Retail around $18.00
9% ABV
40 IBU’s
Cuvee Freddy is imported by B. United International – Redding, CT
