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Last night was what we call “busy.” Of course, our annual barleywine brew session is always a little busier than normal because we don’t normally have a 47 pound grain bill and don’t usually have to worry about crushing cloves and cinnamon sticks and other ingredients best left to potpourri gift baskets. Also we were busy getting our chilling system working correctly (thanks to Melvin for his expertise). And I am proud to say that we chilled that wort completely in about 16 minutes, compared to the usual 45 minutes. GO TEAM MONDAY NIGHT!

Our mashtun is usually quite capable, but it is not capable of handling 47 pounds of grain. And so we had to add some DME. As newcomer John pointed out, this is not cheating if you’re brewing a barleywine. It’s just science.

We had our ginger-infused Belgian wit, an India Brown Ale and a little bit of IPA on tap last night. We also had the Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale in bottles. If you drank the Belgian wit last night, we’d love to hear your thoughts. I can already feel an argument coming up on whether we should add less ginger next time. All in all, we had a good crowd, including some newcomers and some old-timers that I thought had completely forgotten about us. But then I remembered, how could anyone forget about us? We’re the poster children for Awesome. Aaaaand… SCENE.

This guy is my dad, David, who is driving in from Nashville. You can see that I get my good looks from my mom. Regardless, please make him feel welcome. Like all fathers, he likes light touches on the elbow from complete strangers and questions in which he is forced to make quick mathematical decisions. Jeff’s amazing mother-in-law will also be in attendance, which makes tonight the official “Bring Your Parent to MNB Day.”

We talked about this only yesterday, but I already forgot what we will be brewing. I think it is either another batch of our Double IPA or our yearly batch of barleywine. So either way, a big beer that will require some time to age. We will also be kegging our peach Belgian dubbel and transfering last week’s Eye Patch Ale. Oh, and we will be consuming some Drafty Kilt and hopefully a few assorted other sundries. Hope to see you at 8pm!

That’s right. Bryan. Adams. I immediately added his name into the system. Thank you, iPhoto, for recognizing the face of Monday Night Brewery. In other Bryan Adams news, did anyone know that we was a pretty good photographer? Anyone?

Great beer abounds today in New York, and the choices keep getting better. Nowadays, almost every neighborhood bar has at least a few craft beers. The better beer bars offer an expanded selection, scouring the world for unknown brewers and new beers. And the mark of a top-flight spot is one or two cask beers, served unpasteurized and unfiltered with natural carbonation, rather than from a pressurized keg.

Yet an imbalance exists that threatens to undercut the pleasure to be found in a perfectly drawn pint. While aficionados yearn to have beer taken as seriously as wine, too often beer is presented in a context that diminishes the respect it deserves.

What kinds of things contribute to this diminished respect for the beer? It could be mediocre food or clueless staff. One of my pet peeves is when beers are served in the wrong glassware at establishments that should carry the correct glassware. Wow, as I type that I realize that makes me sound like a tool. Fortunately you and I both know that I’m not a tool. No need to revise it.

I admit I judge the beer menu first, the food second. I don’t think many would claim that Taco Mac serves food that fully complements their amazing beer list, but I still love Taco Mac. And the marriage of beer and good food is admittedly a tough one to manage.

“Running a beer bar is really tough,” said Mr. Brodrick of Blind Tiger. “You add into that a good kitchen, it costs more in terms of labor and it’s a little more frantic.”

That said, I think Atlanta has made some major strides in recent years. Some of my favorite places to grab a good beer and a good meal are:

• Brick Store Pub
• Leon’s Full Service
• The Porter
• 5 Seasons
• Tap

What are some of your favorites? Any other thoughts on the matter? Is Atlanta there yet?

Image source: eye3cee

Despite the fact that it was FATHER’S Day on Sunday, Hannah showed us the true meaning of motherhood on Monday. It is indeed possible to be a great mother and enjoy great beer. At the same time. Provided one does so while holding a Monday Night branded pint glass.

In other news, we brewed some beer. An older version of our Eye Patch Ale, specifically. The primary differences were a return to Marris Otter as the base malt (from Cargill 2-row) and a simpler hopping schedule. We are anxious to see how this new old version stacks up against some recent tweaks.

I include a picture of Jeff and Joel doing our mash out for one reason. It is rare to see Joel working. I think Jeff must have tricked him into thinking there was a My Little Pony at the bottom of that mashtun. “If they could only raise the level of the water, the My Little Pony would float to the surface…” Joel would soon be bitterly disappointed.

In addition to brewing the Eye Patch, we also kegged a ginger-infused Belgian wit (which we think is going to taste great) and drained the yeast off of our peach-infused Belgian dubbel (which is equally exciting). Draining yeast off of a conical fermenter never ceases to gross me out. Especially when people are watching and uttering phrases like “baby diarrhea.” People, all I ask is that you be as mature about all of this as I obviously am.

We tested our new and improved chilling system for the first time last night, but ran into a few little hiccups, so it didn’t actually take less time. But on the plus side, it WAS more expensive and impressive-looking! Hopefully we’ll have the kinks worked out next week and we can share some more details. Thanks to everyone who came, especially the first-timers!