Macon Beer Scene

GA Beer Day - Friday, November 13

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 16:35:00 +0000

Mark your calendars for November 13. The Georgia Craft Brewers Guild has declared November 13 to be Georgia Beer Day. As we saw with the passing of a weakened SB63, the Georgia legislative machine is highly influenced by financial contributions. Although in an idealistic world, the state government would want to promote local job creation and tourism, we have to play by the rules that everyone else plays by. This means that our only hope of making Georgia a great craft beer state is to investing in lobbying through the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild.

On November 13, almost every brewery in the state will donate a portion of their proceeds to the Brewers Guild's lobbying efforts. All you have to do is show up and drink beer. Here's a list of everyone participating:

Burnt Hickory Brewery - Kennesaw, GA - November 12th. Tours will be $20.00 and will include 36 on site and two crowlers of any beer to go. They will be tapping a special brew, Statesboro Blues. $5 of every one of those tours sold to the guild!

The Cannon Brewpub – Columbus, GA – November 13 & 14 - In support of the Guild, the Cannon is having a Red Jacket event where we will donate 10% of each draft on November 13th and 14th. The event, from 3PM till 10 PM on both days is also to show our appreciation for all our loyal customers that have enjoyed our beer since the Cannon opened. Come down and enjoy a Red Jacket and support a great cause.

Cherry Street Brewing - Cumming, GA - November 13th- Cherry Street has collaBEERated with O'Dempsey's Brewing to promote the Modernization of Georgia Beer Laws. Blame Canada Imperial Red Ale is an 8.8% double Irish Red Ale with huge malt up front and a nice American Citrus hop finish. Randy and Gail from O'Dempsey's will be at Cherry Street Taproom on Friday the 13th at 4pm for the Tapping and also 1pm on Saturday for Tours. ALL Sales will be donated to the Guild!!

Creature Comforts Beer Co. - Athens, GA - November 14th. CCBC will have a second tour option that day, with an increased price of $16. This tour will include the normal sampling, a sticker, as well as a 32oz crowler of a special beer brewed with one of last year's IndieGoGo campaign donors. Creature Comforts will donate $10 of every one of those tours sold to the guild!

Eagle Creek Brewery - Statesboro, GA - November 13th - 5pm - 10pm - Local Band Piano's Album release pre-party, and Eagle Creek Georgia Beer Day Festival. $15 tasting Beer, Brats, & Blues. Brats will be supplied by Hunter cattle and will be using Low Country Pale Ale. $3 of the event price will go to benefit the Georgia Craft Brewer's Guild.

Eventide Brewing -Atlanta, GA- November 14th from 12 - 6pm tickets will be $35 and will include the private release of our winter seasonal, a Baltic Porter, a 64 oz growler fill, & food. $10 will go to the brewers guild for each purchase!

Jailhouse Brewing -Hampton, GA- November 14th - Jailhouse Brewing Company is hosting a “Free the Brewers Tour” will have live music, food, a raffle for great swag and of course handcrafted JHB beer. They will donate the proceeds of the raffle and all JHB Coozie sales to the Brewers Guild. Tours are from 2-6 and are 18.00 and includes souvenir beer to go.

Macon Beer Company- Macon, GA - November 13th - Macon Beer Co. is offering a special Friday opening of the tasting room, November 13th 6 - 10 PM, to celebrate Georgia Beer Day. Tours will be $12 and will include a pint glass and 36 oz of free on-premise tastings. Macon Beer Company will donate $5 for each tour admission to the Georgia Brewer's Guild.

Max Lager's Brewery - Atlanta, GA - November 13-15 - They will be donating $1 from every beer sold to the Guild! Drink up!

Monday Night Brewing- Atlanta, GA - Nov 14 Tours will be priced at $18 and will include a free souvenir beer. $5 from every tour will be donated directly to the Guild!

Orpheus Brewing - Atlanta, GA- November 14, 6-9. They'll have Bourbon Barrel-aged, The 12th Labor, and a Sauternes barrel-aged cherry sour on tap. The Tour includes 2 souvenir bombers of Cognac Barrel-aged Sykophantes fig sour. Max 100 people, $30. The guild will get $15!

Red Brick Brewing - Atlanta, GA - November 13. Tour will be $13 with glass and beer tasting and Red Brick will donate $2 from each tour. They will also take donations at the door!

Red Hare Brewing – Marietta, GA – November 13th 5:30-7:30. Tours will be priced at $15, featuring food sampling, souvenir glassware and tasting, including our very limited Saison Rouge. $5 from every tour will be donated to the Guild! For more info on this event visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/982653475110834/

Reformation Brewery - Woodstock, GA - $15 Reformed Tour including samples and togo beer available. $5 per Tour towards the guild.

Second Self Beer -Atlanta, GA - November 14 - Will be doing their first ever bottle release. They are bottling the Mole Porter and it will only be available this one day. $15 for our 36 oz on premise tour and 1 - 12 oz Souvenir beer (labeled 'Souvenir Mole'). $5 goes to the guild!

Southbound Brewing Co. -Savannah, GA- November 13. The Tour price is $20 includes a special pilot batch 22 oz bottle brewed for the day. BBQ and live music. The guild will get $10 from each tour!

SweetWater Brewing Co. - Atlanta, GA - November 13th – Tour will be $10 and includes on site samples and the souvenir glass. $3 from each glass will be a donation to the guild!

Terrapin Beer Co - Athens, GA - Thursday, November 12th.- Tours will be $20 and will include a pint glass, 36 oz on premise, and a special 32oz growler (and fill) with the Guild and Terrapins logo! $5 of every tour will be donated to the Guild.

Three Taverns Brewery - Decatur, GA - Friday, November 13th There will be a special Support Georgia Breweries tour that will be $18 and include tastings of up to 36oz. of beer and a 32oz. souvenir glass growler filled with one of our beers to go. $5 of every tour purchase will be donated to the Georgia Brewers Guild.

Wild Heaven Craft Beers - Decatur, GA - November 13th, 5:30-8:30pm -They will be hosting the Brewery Defense Tour - $15. Three 12oz pours PLUS a free souvenir 32oz Crowler of our Autumn Defense fall beer to-go rebranded as Brewery Defense Fall Ale. 50% of every tour purchase will be donated to the Georgia Brewers Guild.

Hat tip to Jason Pellett from Orpheus for posting this on BeerAdvocate.

2015 Macon Beer Fest is this Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 14:04:00 +0000

The Macon Beer Fest is undergoing some major changes this year. In previous years, the beer festival has featured a unique and very cool "pub crawl"-style atmosphere. Patrons would visit 10-15 venues and use their sample tickets to try beer at each venue. This format was logistically creative and offered patrons an opportunity to experience bars they may not have visited in the past. On the other hand, it also required a lot of walking around downtown, which was not always enjoyable when the temperatures were north of 95 degrees.

This year, the Macon Beer Fest is shifting the layout to a smaller footprint, occupying two blocks at the corner of 3rd and Poplar. The festival format will switch from a sample ticket system to an unlimited sample system. That means you can try your favorite beer as often as you want (unless it's everyone's favorite beer and you drink it all!). There will also be live music and more portalets available.

You may have heard radio or TV ads promoting the event as being able to sample over 30 craft beers. While this is technically true, the lineup is much closer to 50 different craft beers from nearly 30 craft breweries. This is already shaping up to be the biggest and best Macon Beer Fest to date. The festival proceeds still help support prostate cancer research through Pints for Prostates, so you'll be having a good time AND supporting a good cause.

The Macon Beer Fest is Saturday, August 22. General admission tickets are $35 and the event runs from 3PM - 7PM. If you want to start early, VIP tickets are $75 and they start off the festival early with food and a few special release beers at 1:30PM.

Buy your tickets here.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/152992298133545
Twitter: @MaconBeerFest

Macon Beer Company Grand Opening

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 14:46:00 +0000

Macon Beer Company isn't a new name to those in Middle Georgia. Their flagship beer, Macon Progress, has been available in your local bars for almost 2 years. Macon Love, the seasonal cherry blossom-themed beer, is now on its second year of production. As of this Saturday, Macon Beer Company will officially be cutting the ribbon on their tasting room, allowing you to check out the brewery and sample some beers that have never been distributed to bars.

That's right, you can try some brand new Macon Beer Company beers at their tasting room this Saturday, from 1-6PM. For $10 you'll get a Macon Beer Company pint glass, 5 tasting tickets and a tour of their brewery. Live music will be provided by The JC Connection and Moonhanger Group will be selling food. Tours will be running throughout the day so make it a point to stop by and check out the brewery and some new beers!

Speaking of those new beers, here's what you can expect to see on tap:

Macon Progress - Surely you've had this by now.

Macon Progress^2 - A variant of Macon Progress that's a little less sweet and dry-hopped with El Dorado hops. Compare it to regular Progress and see which one you like better.

Macon Love - The official beer of the Cherry Blossom festival, a blonde ale fermented with cherries to give it a full body that's sweet but not too sweet.

Macon Movies - A brand new offering that coincides with the Macon Film Festival. This amber ale is brewed with sarsaparilla to give it a hint of root beer character.

Macon Out - The perfect summer beer, a light blonde ale brewed with rye malt to give it a nice spicy finish. Currently a tap room exclusive.

Macon Homebrew - Back out of retirement, an IPA brewed with a ton of peach flavor. It is summer in Georgia, after all.

Macon Beer Company is located at 345 Oglethorpe St and will be open from 1-6 on Saturday. Come on out and support your local brewery!

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/523216804500729/

How SB 63 Affects Consumers

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Wed, 13 May 2015 15:49:00 +0000

After much publicity, lobbying, ~~backroom deals,~~ and rewriting, SB 63 has passed and was signed by Governor Deal on May 5. It's not the bill that consumers or breweries wanted, but it is a small amount of progress. Here's what you need to know.

The biggest change that consumers will see with SB 63 is that distilleries can now open to the public for tours and tastings. That means the new craft distilleries in Georgia can now operate very similarly to how breweries operate. Consumers can pay a small fee to tour the distillery and try up to 3 half ounce samples of their products. Just like breweries, distilleries can sell you merchandise and other promotional items that aren't alcohol.

The other big change is to the revenue model of tours. Previously brewery tours and tastings had to be free. Breweries were able to recoup some of these expenses by selling you an expensive pint glass, usually for $10-12. Consumers not interested in helping breweries stay open could opt not to buy the pint glass and drink out of a plastic cup for free, but I trust no readers of this blog ever did that. With the passing of SB 63, breweries can now charge for their tours. Once you pay for the tour, all tastings and food are to be provided for free. The amount of beer you can sample during the tour has been increased from 32oz to 36oz, though I really doubt you'll notice the difference.

SB 63 also introduces the concept of a "souvenir." For both distilleries and breweries, the price of a tour may include a free souvenir to take home. At a distillery, a souvenir is up to a 750 mL bottle of distilled spirits. For breweries, souvenirs are up to 72oz of malt beverages brewed on site. That's roughly a growler, 6-pack or 3 bombers. Souvenirs must always be sealed and only one can be provided to a customer per day.

On the business end for brewpubs, the beer they sell to distributors is no longer included in their profit ratio. At a brewpub, food has to make up at least 50% of sales. In the past, beer that was sold to a distributor would count toward the "less than 50%" of profit that could be generated by beer. This is no longer the case, which might mean that brewpubs will be sending out more of their beer to growler shops and bars. Brewpubs can now bottle their beer as well, though it still is not available for retail sale at the brewpub.

You can read the bill in its entirety here. Let me know if I missed anything.

Assuming SB63 is like most legislation in Georgia, it will go into effect on July 1.

Taste of the South Beer Festival

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 16:39:00 +0000

Just Tap'd in downtown Macon will be hosting Taste of the South, their very first beer festival this coming Friday, April 10, from 3-9PM. Over 20 breweries from across Georgia and beyond will be in attendance. The breweries and live music will be set up in Rosa Parks Square across First Street. This festival will scale to however much time you have available to dedicate to trying new craft beers, with ticket levels starting as low as $15. Here's what's available:

Taste-Tester - $15
For $15 you'll get 8 4oz pours from any combination of breweries you're interested in.

Beer Sampler - $25
For just $10 more than the Taste Tester, you'll get 15 4oz pours plus a $5 discount on a festival t-shirt.

Beer Lover - $35
At the $35 mark you'll have 25 4oz pours, which should allow you to try something from every brewery, and you'll still get a $5 discount on a festival shirt.

Craft Beer Connoisseur - $50
The best deal comes at $50, which allows you unlimited 4oz pours plus access to a Founders VIP beer which I'm pretty sure is KBS. Not only do you get unlimited beer, you also get a festival t-shirt and 25% off any growler purchases you make on Friday.

Or you can even show up for free and just hang out. Corner Concerts will be providing live music throughout the afternoon and Peach State Ale Trail is sponsoring a cornhole tournament. I can't think of a better way to spend a Friday. And since it's on a Friday, you can still enjoy the Magnolia Soap Box Derby, Bearstock and/or Beards, Bourbon and Bacon on Saturday!

Last Chance to Support GA Beer

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 14:43:00 +0000

The following is a repost of the latest communication from the Georgia Craft Brewer's Guild:

Here's what happened in the Senate -
and what we need TODAY and Monday!

As many of you already know, the Beer Jobs Bill has been decimated by the Senate. Despite our attempts at a reasonable compromise working with various members of the industry, our original bill was deemed too controversial for the tastes of the Senate leadership. The Regulated Industries Committee Chairman pulled the version of SB 63 originally proposed by our advocate Senator Hunter Hill and replaced it with a version written by the Senate leadership. The new version is riddled with mistakes, bad public policy, and has stripped the bill of anything that might tempt a brewery to open in the state of Georgia. We hoped to offer amendments to this new bill inside of the Regulated Industries Committee, but no amendments were allowed. So we planned that on the Senate floor we would finally get the chance to modify the new bill and offer amendments - but unfortunately again, the Senate leadership exercised it's power and some of the most important amendments were withdrawn. As one of our supporters put it, "T he new bill will do nothing for jobs and has become a protectionist piece of legislation that bear hugs the status quo and smacks free enterprise in the face."

So now we're on to the House and we have to ask them to fix the Beer Jobs Bill. With some common sense amendments this bill can underpin some of Georgia's craft breweries and give us a small amount of flexibility to show what kind of tourism our industry can provide. This bill has to be modified, at the very least, into something that doesn't actively hurt Georgia breweries. But we should go further and ask that the Republican majority in the House to stick true to it's roots - we need a bill that drives economic growth, makes Georgia's beer industry competitive, and gets our craft breweries hiring! Georgia's politicians say that we're the number one place to do business - it's time to make them prove it.

Help us take the bill the Senate leadership gave us and let's turn it back into the
Beer Jobs Bill.

Here's what we need now:

Reach out to the members of the House Regulated Industries Committee and let them know that you support common sense amendments to SB 63, the Beer Jobs Bill. You can find a list of committee members here. As before, phone calls can be better than emails, but both are well-recieved and appreciated. We believe that we'll have a hearing in front of the Alcohol Sub Committee (consisting of members of the Regulated Industries Committee) on Monday - it's important that they hear from supporters going into that meeting!

If you'd like to reach out to your local representative, you can find them here.

As always you can also help by sharing gabeerjobs.com on Facebook. Ask your friends to sign the petition. We need all of Georgia behind this. Use the button below to share now:

Finally, thank you for all of your hard work and support over the last few weeks - it's meant a lot to our cause.

Cheers,
Nancy Palmer
Executive Director, Georgia Craft Brewers Guild

What's On Tap?

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 17:45:00 +0000

Rookery and Margarita's in Mercer Village are both posting their draft lists online. I've updated the links on the sidebar, but you can find out what's currently available at the links below.

Margarita's - https://www.beermenus.com/places/6744-margaritas-mercer-village

Rookery - https://www.beermenus.com/places/19376-the-rookery

As usual, all of our local growler shops keep up to date lists online.

Growler Spot - https://www.facebook.com/growlerspots/app_350090741787212

Just Tap'd Macon - http://www.justtapd.com/now-pouring-3/now-pouring-macon/

Just Tap'd Warner Robins - http://www.justtapd.com/now-pouring-3/now-pouring-2/

Top Dawg Growler - http://www.topdawggrowler.com/tap-menu/

Support SB63!

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 20:38:00 +0000

Senate Bill 63 was introduced into the Georgia State Senate yesterday. You can read the bill in its entirety here. Creative Loafing has put together a nice summary of the bill's current status and what it contains. Here's what Senate Bill 63 proposes:

Breweries and brewpubs would be able to sell up to 144oz of beer for off-site consumption. That's roughly 2 6-packs or 2 growlers. By keeping this number low, the brewer's guild has demonstrated that they do not wish to directly compete with growler stores or distributors.

Breweries would be able to sell up to 72oz of beer for on-site consumption. Currently they can give away 32oz and are not allowed to charge for it.

Brewpubs would still be limited to the product of 10,000 barrels of beer per year, 5,000 of which could be sold to a wholesaler. Off-site sales, such as growlers, would be included in the 5,000 barrel cap.

Breweries and brewpubs would be required to sell beer at the current market rate, preventing them from undercutting other bars, beer stores or growler stores.

This is a bill that we should all be able to get behind. The limits on sales prevent breweries from becoming a major competitor with existing businesses. Jobs will be created at every brewery and the state will generate additional excise tax revenue. Georgia will also benefit from increase beer tourism.

Although this bill was introduced, it is a long way from being passed, but you can help! David Lucas, our state senate representative in Macon, is on the Regulated Industries committee and his support is crucial. Send Mr. Lucas an email and let him know that SB63 is important to you. Let him know how much you enjoy the Macon Beer Company and how much you want to see them grow as a local business and that you believe SB63 is necessary to enable their success.

David Lucas - david.lucas@senate.ga.gov

If you have a few more minutes, consider emailing the other members of the Regulated Industries committee and let them know that you believe SB63 will create jobs, increase tourism and make Georgia a better place to live.

Rick Jeffares - rick.jeffares@senate.ga.gov (Chairman)
Frank Ginn - frank.ginn@senate.ga.gov (Vice-Chairman)

Josh McKoon - jrm2016@yahoo.com (Secretary)
Ed Harbison - ed.harbison@senate.ga.gov

Bill Cowsert - bill.cowsert@senate.ga.gov

Steve Henson - stevehenson@mindspring.com

Jack Hill - jack.hill@senate.ga.gov

Butch Miller - butch.miller@senate.ga.gov

Jeff Mullis - jeff.mullis@senate.ga.gov

David Shafer - david.shafer@senate.ga.gov

Renee Unterman - renee.unterman@senate.ga.gov
Brandon Beach - brandon.beach@senate.ga.gov
Steve Gooch - steve.gooch@senate.ga.gov

Support Your Local Breweries

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 15:56:00 +0000

Georgia is an interesting state when it comes to breweries. We rank 28th in the country when it comes to the number of breweries operating on our land. Now consider that Georgia is the 8th largest state by population. This piece of information, drops us all the way down to 47th in the country for breweries per capita. 47th! How is this possible? Simple, Georgia has some of the most prohibitive laws around the brewing industry in the country. It is difficult to open a brewery in Georgia, and it's even more difficult to make it financially successful.

Did you know...

You can't purchase beer from a brewery. If you visit a brewery in Georgia, you can buy t-shirts, glasses and koozies, but you can't buy the one thing they actually produce - beer. Georgia is one of only four states where you can't buy beer from a brewery. The others are Mississippi, West Virginia and North Dakota.
Breweries can give away up to 32oz of beer for free, but only if you participate in the free 2 hour tour.
Georgia has some of the highest excise taxes on beer produced by breweries.
It is illegal for a brewery to tell you where you can purchase their beer.

Here's where the problem lies. The craft beer industry is booming, bringing tourists and jobs to states around the country - but not Georgia. We're missing out. If a brewery can sell beer to the public, they need to hire the staff to do so. If a brewery can promote their product, they can help encourage people to purchase Georgia beer over out-of-state beer. All of these activities create additional tax revenue for the state of Georgia. Everyone wins.

Distributors are a necessary part of the system, and will continue to make money hand over fist, distributing out-of-state beer and local beer to bars and liquor stores. No one is going out of business because breweries make a little extra money improving their customer experience. If they were, distributors would be going out of business in 46 other states, but they're not. In fact, it's a little sad that distributors view breweries as the enemy. They have gone so far as to contribute $85,000 to prevent breweries from being able to sell beer on their premises. All of that money, used to prevent the creation of small businesses and jobs.

What can you do? You can sign the petition at GABeerJobs.com. If you have the financial means to contribute to the Brewer's Guild's legislative efforts, you can contribute at their Indiegogo page.

Improved legislation that treats breweries in a similar manner to wineries will create jobs and provide additional tax revenue for the state. Help make Georgia better for everyone and support the GABeerJobs.com campaign.

'Tis the Season

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 18:06:00 +0000

Middle Georgia is a great place to be right now if you enjoy craft beer. This year has introduced craft beer friendly laws to allow both growler stores and on-site consumption in those stores. More Georgia breweries are available in the area than ever before. The success of craft beer focused businesses is evidence that we have a craving for local brews. If you're one of the many people checking out all Georgia's beer landscape has to offer, I have an excellent gift idea for you.

A Peach State Ale Trail Passport.

What is it? Most importantly, it's a discount program that applies to almost every brewery in the state. Since Peach State Ale Trail is also a Macon Made business, you'll also receive discounts at local growler shops. Each passport comes with a variety of swag and access to events, which increases with the level of passport purchased. Passports start at $30 which make them a perfect gift, and you'll be using it all year long!

Peach State Ale Trail has partnered with the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild to bring you this discount program, so you know it's the real deal. I know what I'm asking for for Christmas.

VOTE!

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 13:56:00 +0000

Today is election day! This is your opportunity to tell your state and federal representatives whether or not you like the job they're doing. By definition, their job is to represent YOU, not their party or personal interests. Whether you're voting for Georgia's brewery freedoms or preventing companies from taxing the Internet, vote based on the issues that matter to you. Democracy doesn't work unless you participate - get out and vote!

Monday Night Pint Night at The Rookery

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 18:53:00 +0000

Monday Night Brewing out of Atlanta has finally worked their way to a distributor that will carry them in Macon! Their well-designed bottles and tap handles have been slowly appearing in your local beer stores and growler shops over the past couple of weeks and now they're ready for their official release party. The Atlanta-based brewery opened in 2011 and currently offers 5 year round beers - a Pilsner, Belgian Wit, Scotch Ale, IPA and Double IPA; in addition to their seasonal offerings. They just picked up a gold medal for Wood and Barrel-aged Beer at the Great American Beer Festival, so it would appear they know what they're doing.

Come find out for yourself! This Thursday from 6-8 PM, one of the owners and one of the reps from Monday Night Brewing will be on hand at The Rookery to answer your questions. Blind Pirate Double IPA and Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale will be on tap with Fu Manbrew Belgian Wit and Eye Patch IPA available in bottles. Buy any two Monday Night beers and you'll take home a Monday Night pint glass for free.

I personally recommend the Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale. Not many breweries in Georgia are doing Scotch ales, and Monday Night's is a great example of the style.

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/599658726829876/

Macon HOMEBREW at the Macon Octoberfest

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 17:17:00 +0000

This weekend marks the second annual Macon Octoberfest and this year's event is focusing on Georgia-brewed craft beer. A variety of music acts will be performing, including an authentic polka band hailing from Atlanta. Tickets are on sale now and range from an $8 single day admission to a $40 two-day VIP package. The VIP packages are your best value ($25 single day, $40 both days) and include a custom 32oz stein, 32oz of beer (or 8 4oz samples), a Bavarian meal prepared by Grow and access to priority seating, bathrooms and draft options.

Your hometown favorites, Macon Beer Company, will also be debuting their new seasonal offering at the Macon Octoberfest. Eager to know more about their next offering, I sent a few questions over to Jeremy Knowles to see what they have in store. Here's what Jeremy had to say.

What is the name and style of the beer you're brewing for Macon Octoberfest?

The brand is HOMEBREW. Using this brand as a medium, we plan on identifying up and coming homebrewers by showcasing a developed recipe and making it commercially available. This batch is our first and the homebrewer is CJ Holmes. CJ won last year's Octoberfest homebrew competition and he won with a peach IPA.

What all can you tell us about the Octoberfest beer?

This round of HOMEBREW is a Peach IPA. It is a 7.3% ABV, has around 70 IBU's and is hopped with Millennium and Glacier hops. Macon Beer Company partnered with Lane Southern Orchards to get the peaches from the Ft Valley location.

When were the peaches added to the beer and why did you choose that stage in the brewing process?

Peach puree was provided by Lane Southern Orchards and we added it to secondary fermentation. At Macon Beer Company we propagate our yeast from batch to batch so adding the peaches before secondary would likely result in our next few batches having some peach aroma or flavor. We didn't want to continue the peach theme but we wanted to have active yeast on the peach to get the flavor profile most closely matching the homebrewer's recipe. It made the most sense to rack the beer with some active yeast onto the peaches.

Macon Music seemed to be a big success, is this beer similar to Macon Music?

Though both MUSIC and this year's version of HOMEBREW are both IPA's, the comparison really stops there. MUSIC was more of a traditional IPA where hop overtones are the focus. HOMEBREW has a deep fruit aroma and finishes slightly tart but peach is really the focus.

After the Macon Octoberfest, will this beer be available around town?

The beer will be debuted at Octoberfest and will be featured around town. Supplies are limited but the brand will be available after Octoberfest.

What's your favorite thing about the Macon Octoberfest event?

The support the Octoberfest leadership offers to the Macon community through donation and engagement is really my favorite thing about the festival. It's also great the festival showcases Georgia craft beers. Georgia's, and really the southeastern US craft beer scene is booming. Not many festivals have caught on that Georgia has great craft beer and even fewer are brave enough to limit the breweries to only Georgia craft.

When will the next Macon Beer Company seasonal beer come out? Can you give us any details about it?

Macon Beer Company is still a company in startup mode. We're going to take some time to better equip ourselves for the upcoming year. Our next seasonal will be Macon Love and will be released in March in conjunction with Macon's Cherry Blossom Festival.

---------------

Congratulations to CJ and we all look forward to trying out your recipe as the very first Macon HOMEBREW! The Macon Octoberfest is this Friday and Saturday and it looks to be a great weekend for it. Tattnall Square Park is the location, and yes, the Atlanta German Polka Band will be playing both Friday and Saturday. It's not Octoberfest without beer steins and polka!

Purchase your tickets here for the Macon Octoberfest and save a few bucks!

Georgia Picks Up Some GABF Hardware

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 15:29:00 +0000

The Great American Beer Festival is an annual beer festival in Denver, Colorado that is in its 33rd year. From the consumer end, this is the country's largest beer festival, featuring 700 breweries, 49,000 attendees and spread over 3 days. From the brewer end, it's also an opportunity to compete with breweries across the country for awards in 90 different categories of beer styles. This year Georgia brought home 3 medals. Here are your winners.

Creature Comforts - Curiosity No. 2
Bronze - American-style Brett Beer
From the Creature Comforts website: Our first bottled beer in the curiosity series of beers. Curiosity is a blonde American Brett beer refermented with kiwi and pineapple juice. This beer is fermented with our house Brettanomyces blend.

Coastal Empire - Dawn Patrol Breakfast Stout
Bronze - Herb and Spice Beer
From the Coastal Empire website: No information currently available.

Monday Night Brewing - Bourbon Barrel Drafty Kilt
Gold - Wood and Barrel-aged Beer
From the Monday Night website: What do Scotland and the American South have in common? An appreciation for good booze. But that doesn’t mean they always get along. We put our award-winning Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale in Kentucky bourbon barrels and let them duke it out in the cellar. Who won? You did. The chocolate, caramel, and roasted malts in Drafty Kilt complement the charred oak and vanilla notes in the bourbon barrels quite well. Notice we didn’t say “compliment.” Scotch and Bourbon still don’t send each other Christmas cards.

Congratulations to all three breweries on an excellent showing!

Check out all the winners here.

If Macon Drinks It, They Will Brew It

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 18:26:00 +0000

There are many beer destinations in our country. One of these, Denver, is kicking off the Great American Beer Festival today, which is the largest beer festival in the country. In fact, Colorado's governor is the co-founder of Wynkoop Brewing, located in Denver. Oregon offers up the largest number of breweries per capita, while Asheville, NC carries that title for an individual city. California has the largest number of breweries in the country and reinvented hoppy beers. In Wisconsin, nearly 1 in every 3 beers sold is a craft beer. The pacific northwest boasts the largest hop fields in the US and is responsible for most of the hops that define the flavors of American craft beer.

These cities and states had to get their start somewhere, as people weren't drinking craft beer in 1970. In every case, a few daring individuals had the idea that they could open a brewery and offer up a local alternative to the huge brewing corporations. Their friends and neighbors liked the new and exciting beverages, and a risky idea became a stable business plan. Americans wanted more, and therefore more breweries opened. State laws changed to support small businesses instead of mega-corporations and one brewery at a time, these states became world renowned for their brewing achievements.

Unfortunately, Georgia is behind the curve. We all know that because the numbers don't lie. We are 47th in the country in breweries per capita in 2013, and that's considering 2013 saw a 30% growth in craft breweries in our state. That's also considering that Atlanta can claim two of the top beer bars in the country with the Porter Beer Bar and the Brick Store Pub. State laws need to change to favor small brewing businesses, but we'll get there the same way everyone else did - one brewery at a time.

Something different in the beer industry just happened right here in Macon. While it surely wasn't the first time to happen, it is a rare occurrence and I've never witnessed it before. Macon was just handed a beer culture. Over the past few years, local businesses have been interested in offering a more interesting selection of beer, especially downtown. Growler stores, popular around the country, are opening in middle Georgia in response to recent law changes and have been doing well. Macon is getting there one brewery at a time. In fact, Macon currently has one brewery, which illustrates where our Progress lies, pun intended.

So what happened? Macon-Bibb passed a law that allowed our growler stores to sell pints. This sounds simple enough. It's an additional line of revenue for stores only allowed to sell carry-out products. But what it creates is something far different. In most cities, a profitable beer culture needs to be established before anyone risks opening up a 50, 60, or even 100 tap bar. That's a lot of beer to go through, and it's an expensive setup to build. You need enough people to buy that much beer before you start selling that much beer.

This is essentially the Field of Dreams scenario. If we build it, they will come. What was anticipated to be an additional side business, has created a beer culture. Lazy Dog Macon was the first to obtain the new license, and they're busy every night. Macon is now the home of a 64 tap beer bar, and you can even take beer home with you. That's something you can't do in Atlanta. Growler Spot is set to obtain their permit at the start of 2015, which will add another beer destination to our map.

Five years ago, Macon was known for southern rock, a prestigious university and good southern cooking. It's possible that in five years from now, you'll be able to add craft beer to that list. If this experiment holds, it proves out the craft beer business model in Macon. Macon Beer Company proved that we were willing to support a local brewery. Now Lazy Dog has proved that we're willing to support a bar that only serves craft beer and wine. No Bud Light, no liquor, no food (other than light snacks). The opening month has been so successful that they've just extended their regular hours.

Congratulations, Macon. We may not have built it the traditional way, but it's up to us to make it successful. If we continue to support our existing and future craft beer businesses, who knows where we could be in five years?

Macon Octoberfest - October 24 and 25

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 14:28:00 +0000

Now that the dust has settled on the Macon Beer Fest, you're probably wondering to yourself when the next big beer event will happen. Octoberfest is that event! Macon Octoberfest is a 2-day beer and music festival that takes place in the newly updated Tattnall Square Park next to Mercer's campus. Proceeds are being donated to the LH Harris Ecology Center, the Alzheimer's Association and the All About Animals Rescue Shelter.

Octoberfest isn't an "all you can drink" type of beer festival. Much like the Oktoberfest in Munich, Macon Octoberfest features a variety of live music (including a polka band!), Bavarian food and your pick of Georgia craft breweries (that you can drink out of a 32oz stein). Tickets purchased before October 23 get you around a 20% discount, and are free with an active military ID.

Breweries featured at the 2014 Macon Octoberfest include:

Coastal Empire
Eagle Creek
Jailhouse
Macon
Max Lagers
Odempsey’s
Red Brick
Red Hare
Service Brewing
Southbound
Strawn
Sweetwater
Terrapin
Wild Heaven
Yes Face

While 16 and 32oz beers are available, I'd recommend going the 4oz sampling route to find your favorite, then enjoy a nice 32oz mug.

The event runs from 4-10 on Friday, October 24 and 11-10 on Saturday, October 25. Ticket packages are available for one or two days and there are also VIP packages that include mugs, drink tickets and food. Hop on over to http://maconoctoberfest.com/ for more information and to buy tickets.

Stay tuned for tap lists as they become solidified and more information on Macon Beer Company's special event beer. Prost!

Lazy Dog Macon to open next weekend

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 21:38:00 +0000

Just stopped in Lazy Dog Growler Macon to see their nearly finished space. If you follow them on Facebook or Twitter then you already know it's looking very nice. Just shy of an official announcement, it sounds like the target date for the grand opening will be next weekend, around September 13. The new space is on the first floor of the Armory building, right under the turret, and features beautiful historic hardwood and terrazzo floors.

Lazy Dog Growler's Macon location will boast the most taps of any bar in Macon, with well over 60 taps of craft beer ready for you to drink in house or to take home in 32 or 64oz growlers. The new location will showcase new growler artwork that commemorates their new store in the historic Macon Armory building. Here are a few pictures of what's to come.

Macon Beer Fest Recap

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 17:37:00 +0000

The high was 100, but that didn't stop the beer-craving masses from flooding the streets of downtown Macon. Much like last year, each attendee received a handy bag to carry their sampling cup and check sheet. Many of the locations were offering draft beer this year, which was a nice addition. The lines moved much faster than last year with many stations having an almost non-existent line. Perhaps my favorite improvement was that I was able to try every beer. I enjoyed my last sample at 7PM on the dot. Last year there were 3 or 4 beers I was unable to try due to locations running out of beer. Overall, it was a great day and I didn't even get a sunburn!

If you want to see pictures, check out my twitter @maconbeerscene or the hashtag #maconbeerfest.

Here's a list of what you tried at each location, and my quick thoughts on each beer.

Bearfoot Tavern
Red Brick Matcha Yuzu Super Green IPA - Do you like green tea? Because that's exactly what this beer tastes like! Maybe a bit much for me, but plenty of others around me were enjoying it.
Strawn Scottish Ale - My favorite Strawn beer. Nice and roasty but light enough to enjoy in the heat.

Hummingbird
Jailhouse 4D IPA - Tons of hop character in this IPA. Jailhouse constantly changes their IPA and I think each version is better than the last.
Jailhouse Reprieve - Sort of a cross between a wheat and a saison. Spicy, yet refreshing. Maybe it was the heat, but I thought of it as a summer saison.
Note: The Hummingbird will have these beers on tap for $2/pint tonight (9/3/14)!

Lemongrass
O'Dempsey's Inukshuk IPA - This was my last beer of the day, so all I remember is that I liked it.
O'Dempsey's Big Red - Malty and sweet, just as you would expect.

Ocmulgee Traders
Orange Blossom Pilsner - Both the name of the brewery and the beer. A sweeter, slightly fruity take on a light beer.
Sprecher Hard Root Beer - Tastes exactly like root beer, but the same alcohol as a beer. Dangerous.
Harpoon IPA - An old favorite, a well-balanced IPA.

Downtown Macon Rotary
Back Forty Naked Pig - A nice pale ale, not too bitter, from across the state line in Alabama.
Innus and Gunn Original - This brewery is known for barrel aging all the beers, so it would be expected that this one had a hint of bourbon to it.
Anchor Porter - I suppose they had to get a dark beer in here, but the chocolate and coffee notes were a bit too much in this heat. This would be a great winter beer.

Margaritas - Mercer Village
Abita Lemon Wheat - Sort of what you'd expect if you dissolved a lemon drop in a beer, which actually worked in a good way.
Three Taverns White Hops - One of my favorite GA breweries, this one crosses a wheat and an IPA for a summer take on the style.

Twang
Southern Tier Phin and Matt's - Easy drinking pilsner-ish beer. Light and refreshing.
Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan - Been seeing a lot of this one recently. A slightly sweet brown ale with a hint of pecans.

Ginger
Terrapin Liquid Bliss - Holy crap it's peanut butter and chocolate. Not exactly a summer beer but would be a great dessert beer.
Sweetwater Blue - The summer classic. Light, a bit sweet and a strong flavor of blueberries.

Cox Capitol Theatre
Max Lagers Hopsplosion - Whoa. The hoppiest thing I've had all day, maybe all summer. Maybe even too hoppy for me.
Max Lagers Demon d'Or - Very sweet with some Belgian flavors. Glad I'm drinking it indoors because it's probably too boozy for the heat.

Ocmulgee National Reserve
Uinta Hop Nosh - I've had some beers from this brewery that I didn't like, but this one is a solid IPA.
Clown Shoes Clementine - A bit of hops, a bit of wheat and a bit of orange. Refreshing.
Highland Gaelic Ale - Not sure what I was expecting, but this one tasted a lot lighter than it looked. Kind of wish it had more malt.

Downtown Grill
Eventide Kolsch - A lighter beer that was appropriate for the weather. First time trying something from these guys and I liked it.
Wild Heaven White Blackbird - This was a more traditional saison, with plenty of spicy notes. One of my favorites of the day.

Rookery
Macon Progress - The beer we all know and love. Need I say more?
Macon Music - The latest batch of this IPA is the best yet.

Macon Beer Fest in 2 days!

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 20:30:00 +0000

The Macon Beer Fest is only two days away, do you have your tickets yet? The event sold out last year, so there may not be tickets available the day-of. If you haven't purchased tickets yet, you can buy them online here or from the Grand Opera House.

If this is your first year at the Macon Beer Festival, it's possibly unlike any festival you've attended before. The Rotary Club of Downtown Macon and Mainstreet Macon pair together with local business for a one-of-a-kind pub crawl meets beer festival. You'll receive a map and tasting tickets for each location. Your beer destinations are spread across downtown Macon and you'll get to sample craft beers from Georgia and beyond at each location. You may even discover a cool new bar or interesting restaurant along the way! One thing is for sure, you won't have to travel far for a good post-festival meal. You could even check out The Dirty Guv'nahs for Weaver's Weekend at the Crazy Bull after the festival!

What's new this year? More beer! This year's festival will see 13 different stations sponsored by local businesses. In addition to the lineup from last year, Ocmulgee Traders, Margaritas, Twang and Crazy Bull will be sponsoring your beer consumption destinations. A full list of venues can be found here.

In case you're feeling a bit guilty for spending your Saturday day-drinking around downtown Macon, don't worry. The Macon Beer Fest is for a good cause! Proceeds go to Pints for Prostates, a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness of prostate cancer through the universal language of Beer. There will even be free PSA tests at The Rotary venue, just in case you need a little liquid encouragement to get tested. It should be noted that they will only be testing your blood for PSA and not BAC.

Come on out Saturday and have a great time with the rest of Macon's beer-drinking elite!

More information: http://www.themaconbeerfest.com/

Macon Bibb approves on-site consumption at growler stores

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 18:32:00 +0000

Late this spring, Macon Bibb passed an ordinance to allow for growler stores to sell draft beer in to-go containers. Growler Spot was the first to capitalize on this new law and opened shortly after. Lazy Dog is in the process of opening their second location, and first in Macon Bibb, this fall. Yesterday, growler shops were treated to a second important piece of legislation. On-premises consumption is now allowed in Macon Bibb with the appropriate license. Once Growler Spot has their license approved, you'll be able to enjoy beer flights and pints at their store. Lazy Dog is expected to open with both on and off-premises licenses in place.

2014 is shaping up to be the year of the growler in Macon!

Macon Beer Fest 2014 Tickets On Sale

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 21:45:00 +0000

Tickets for the 2014 Macon Beer Fest are on sale now! The festival provides you with over 30 samples of craft beer from around the country, as well as an excuse to check out a lot of cool downtown venues. A commemorative tasting glass is included with your admission, and samples will be 3oz. If you're doing the math, that's a lot of beer!

There will be a VIP event for $40 more that includes special beers, a cask tapping, food pairings at Downtown Grill and a festival t-shirt. This is the biggest beer event in Macon and it sells out, so don't delay in buying your tickets!

General Admission - $25 (incl. tax/fees)
VIP - $65 (incl. tax/fees)

Buy tickets here

Craft Beer Guide to Bragg Jam

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 14:56:00 +0000

You're in town for Bragg Jam, great! There are tons of excellent bands on this year's line up and you've probably already charted your path between venues to see your favorites. Although I wouldn't recommend seeing bands specifically because the beer selection is good, it doesn't hurt to know where you can find a good beer or two. Here's a list of my favorites -

Best Venue Beer Selections

Hummingbird Taproom - One of downtown's live music mainstays, the Hummingbird offers 2 rotating craft taps.

Cox Capital Theater - The Cox recently came under the ownership of the Moonhanger Group (The Rookery, Dovetail), so you'll likely find a few craft options here.

Roasted Cafe and Lounge - Roasted offers a variety of bottled craft beer, including some Georgia breweries.

Twang - Hop a bus out to Payne City and you'll find a couple taps with craft beer options, as well as a few bottles.

Where to Grab a Beer Downtown

Downtown Grill - If you're looking to class things up a bit with a nice dinner, Downtown Grill offers a lengthy 2-page bottled beer list in addition to their great bourbon selection.

Lemongrass - At any given time, Lemongrass has 20-25 bottles on their list, covering everything from Georgia locals to Thai beers.

The Rookery - Perhaps the most dedicated to craft beer downtown, The Rookery fills all of its taps with craft beer in addition to a sturdy bottle list. Their farm-to-table upstairs counterpart, Dovetail, has a bottle list more focused on Belgian beers.

Bearfoot Tavern - Bearfoot has recently listed out their full bottle list, and it's big! You'll also find a few taps dedicated to craft options.

Most restaurants downtown now offer some craft options, as Maconites are becoming more familiar with the variety and quality of craft breweries. For a quick grab-and-go, you can snag a Terrapin or Sweetwater bottle with your slice of pizza at Doughboy. Feeling sushi? Have a Left Hand Juju Ginger at Ninja. You'll even find craft beer at the Greek Corner Deli!

And of course, try a Macon Music while you're in town. It's the official beer of Bragg Jam and it's brewed here! Just look for this tap handle.

Photo credit: Woody Marshall, macon.com

Bearfoot Tavern - Macon Beer Pint Night

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 19:57:00 +0000

The Macon Beer Company's next stop on their Pint Night tour will be Bearfoot Tavern tomorrow, July 17. The event will start at 5PM and run until 8PM. Souvenir pint glasses will be available for free with purchase of a pint of Macon Progress until they run out. Swing by after work for a pint and a glass!

Mellow Mushroom - Macon Beer Pint Night

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 16:48:00 +0000

The Macon Beer Company is determined to have you drinking out of one of their pint glasses by the end of the summer. Mellow Mushroom is hosting a Pint Night tonight with Macon Beer Company. As usual, show up early as you get to keep the glass! This Pint Night starts at 5PM and goes until 8PM. Free glasses go until they run out.

Facebook event - https://www.facebook.com/events/319351368223083/

Barberitos - Macon Beer Pint Night

noreply@blogger.com (rodney) — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 17:06:00 +0000

Hey Warner Robins! Do you have a Macon Beer pint glass yet? Here's your chance to pick one up for free, along with a discounted pint of Macon Progress. Barberitos is hosting a pint night for the Macon Beer Company tomorrow (Saturday, July 12) at 5:30pm. The event runs until 8:30pm, but the souvenir pint glasses are first come first serve, so don't wait too long.

Facebook event - https://www.facebook.com/events/842609805772789/