Today at Octane Coffee, Hop City is hosting it’s weekly free beer tasting. This week’s featured brewer is Peak Organic Brewing Company (Portland, ME.) Just released by Peak is their brand new brew – Fall Summit, a amber beer with Continue Reading →
A few months ago, Atlanta home brewer Randy O’Dempsey debuted his first professional beer for sale and distribution – “Big Red Ale.” The red ale, like the next release is contract brewed through Red Brick Brewing. The initial launch of Continue Reading →
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”!
As just mentioned in the previous post about Great Divide’s brewery expansion here is the second new release by the brewery. Rumble has arrived to join Smoked Baltic Porter as the newest releases from the Denver, Colorado brewery.
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. Read on for the brewery’s history, and launch beers!
Tuatara stands for 2 things in New Zealand. A reptile resembling a lizard, and craft beer. We get so focused American craft brewing (it’s awesome, tasty, and gives me a reason to get up in the morning, lol) that we can forget to look beyond our own brewing efforts. Lately we have seen more beer hit stateside that doesn’t come from England or Belgium, but more exotic places like Asia and New Zealand. This new brewer to the American market brings 2 initial offerings – a pilsner and an IPA.
Today at Octane Coffee, Hop City is hosting it’s weekly free beer tasting. This week’s featured brewer is Peak Organic Brewing Company (Portland, ME.) Just released by Peak is their brand new brew – Fall Summit, a amber beer with summit and simcoe hops.
Also in the lineup is the IPA, and Nut Brown Ale. The IPA is a nicely balanced American IPA (Simcoe, Amarillo, & Nugget hops, 7.2% ABV) The Nut Brown is a rendition of an English brown ale, brewed with Hallertau hops and chocolate & munich malts.
Tasting starts at 5:30 and runs until 7:30. Cost is free. I’ll be pouring the beer so come by and say hello!
Octane Coffee – 9/8/10
009-b Marietta Street Northwest
Atlanta, GA
(404) 815-9886
A few months ago, Atlanta home brewer Randy O’Dempsey debuted his first professional beer for sale and distribution – “Big Red Ale.” The red ale, like the next release is contract brewed through Red Brick Brewing. The initial launch of the “Big Red Ale” was successful, so next week O’Dempsey is releasing his follow up – “Inukshuks IPA.”
From the label: “Inukshuks were originally created as directional markers and used as landmarks for travelers on the Arctic Tundra. These stone scuptures can now be found all over North America andnd today they have become a symbol for hope, friendship, and hospitality. We can’t think of a better icon for our North American IPA. O’Dempsey’s Inukshuk IPA combines a bitter hop bite and citrus nose with just enough malt backbone to achieve a balancing act for your senses. Enjoy.”
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.
As just mentioned in the previous post about Great Divide’s brewery expansion here is the second new release by the brewery. Rumble has arrived to join Smoked Baltic Porter as the newest releases from the Denver, Colorado brewery.
According to the description — Rumble is an oak aged IPA. Some of you may immediately think about the 15th and 16th Anniversary releases by Great Divide. While this brew is based on the same idea, Rumble is indeed different. The flavor profile is a departure from the anniversary releases, along with the ABV being less.
From the label —
“Rumble IPA is an American IPA with subtle nuance. Brewed with heavy-handed additions of Pacific Northwest hops, this beer is gently aged on French and American oak resulting in a wonderful balance of bitterness, caramel sweetness, vanilla, and undertones of pine and citrus. Very inspiring.”
Taste Expectations: Subtle oak gives you light vanilla. Citrus and pine hops mingle with pale and slight caramel hops. It’s an American IPA with light oak notes.
Food Pairings: Marinated skirt steak, grilled sweet potatoes, ripe Brie or Talleggio cheese, apple crisp with creme friache ice cream.
Availability: 12/6 pks. Draft. Seasonal. August-September, annually. 2010 marks first release.
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..
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
Today at Octane Coffee, Hop City is hosting it’s weekly free beer tasting. This week’s featured brewer is Peak Organic Brewing Company (Portland, ME.) Just released by Peak is their brand new brew – Fall Summit, a amber beer with summit and simcoe hops.
