Friday, June 23, 2017

Roswell has broken into the Brewing Scene


Gate City Brewing Co.




The 2 founders of Gate City Brewing Company come from other US states, but in the last decade have landed themselves as proud long-term Georgia residents. Naming the brewery after Atlanta’s well known label (gate city of the new south), they focus on accentuating everything “Georgia.” From the phoenix on their logo, to beer names like Terminus Porter and “1864,” there’s no doubt from out-of-towners as to where this brewery can be found.



Gate City Brewing is located in the heart of Roswell’s historic district in metro Atlanta. Surrounded by a vibrant region of new restaurants and bars, they have strategically placed themselves where no one will be able to miss them. If their giant logo doesn’t bring you in the front doors, then the excited crowds, live music, and food trucks might! While this big warehouse in the downtown area might struggle with the air conditioning this summer, they at least have a strong selection of highly drinkable and flavorful beer to help keep you cool. Several chairs, picnic tables, and a giant fan help to make you comfortable as you sip beer after delicious beer while listening to local musicians and enjoying the company of others.


My Rating:

DateFacility RatingLocation RatingBeer RatingBeer Notes
2016576Good




Best Beer: Terminus Porter - This porter has exploded since hitting the local taps around Georgia. It stands out from other porters with its old world hop flavors and lightly rich malts. It is strong without being heavy, and creates a complex and enjoyable palate.


Abbey of the Holy Goats Brewery






Have you ever found yourself contemplating what to do with your life? Has that ever lead you down 2 different paths? Were those 2 paths to either open a brewery or move to Maine and start a goat farm? Some of those questions may sound familiar, however, the 3rd is probably unique. This is the predicament in which Kathy Davis, founder of Abbey of the Holy Goats Brewery, found herself. I think that you can guess which decision won out. Using an award winning business plan, Kathy started this brewery with her passion of Belgian beers and all that goes into them. The all women brewing team and Kathy, focus on modernizing classic Belgian styles to hone in on the best of those styles and introduce them to the world. In my visit to the brewery, I found classic styles, such as a Belgian golden strong and a Belgian tripel, as well as more modern takes, like their Belgian Double IPA. While I enjoy visiting breweries with large selections to try, it’s a nice change of pace to visit one that focuses on quality rather than quantity.


The beer styles are not the only thing in this brewery that offer an abbey-like experience; Walking in the front door, you are immediately transported into the hall of a small monastery itself! In the middle of the room you will find a large central table for all to gather around. They have several different fun and interesting new games to be played, and a beautiful handmade beer list on the wall. Take the tour and learn more about some of their innovative practices, such as plastic kegs, and find out their most recent plans for expansion like their upcoming bottling line. As you try these enjoyable new beers, you’ll likely find yourself immersed in the makeshift abbey culture; give in to it, commune with your fellow man, and be inspired to appreciate the Beglian styles that have changed the world!


My Rating:

DateFacility RatingLocation RatingBeer RatingBeer Notes
2017546Breweries that a focus are worth 10 of those who try to do everything

Best Beer: The Goat's Obsession - Belgian Double IPA - While not for the faint of heart, this strongly hopped brew remains surprisingly drinkable, well balanced, and smooth. Much darker than your standard IPA, it has a sweet malt backbone that blends well with the floral hops and the bitter aftertaste. While you should probably only have one, my bet is that you order a second.

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Arches Brewing


Found in Hapeville Georgia, just north of the airport, Arches Brewing is a great addition to the Atlanta brewery family. You must carefully follow your GPS or risk driving right past it; but once you park and walk in the doors, you’re instantly greeted, and you enjoy taking in the perfect combination of the historic looking design with modern features. With plenty of space to stand at the bar-style tables and drink the beer that you are now inexplicably holding, the taps remain as the centerpiece of this habitation, drawing your focus to the list that doesn’t quite read the same as the other GA breweries you have visited. Arches focuses on old world beer recipes with modern technology, and in doing so has established a niche within the craft brewing industry. You find many classic lagers similar to that of Germany and the reinheitsgebot driven beers and less of the hop-forward American styles that we are so used to seeing.

As you realize that your first beer has already disappeared and grab your next one, you will decide to travel further back into the building. The next stop on the pathway takes you right past some of the fermenters and you will get to enjoy taking in the beautiful new equipment that they have prepared themselves with. Since you will surely be back for the next brewery tour that they offer, keep on moving to the back patio area which contains a wide array of games including giant jenga and several corn-hole  boards. I’m not sure if it is an ongoing offering, but when I visited they also offered BBQ and other food, which perfectly mixes with the old world brews. Finding the shade, they also have a number of picnic tables to lounge on while enjoying the rest of their beer samples.




Now that you have experienced the virtual tour, hopefully you have been persuaded to spend your next free night at this location. Arches Brewing lands near the top of my personal lists in the beer brewing category, for the main reason that they are slightly unique and I can find beer that I won’t likely find elsewhere. If you have a certain beer style that you expect to try, make sure you check the European brewing calendar (or their website), as many of their seasonals come and go along with the seasons. Don’t worry too much, my bet is that if you don’t prepare at all, you’re still likely to find a new awesome beer that makes the top of your list also!


My Rating:


Date
Facility Rating
Location Rating
Beer Rating
Beer Notes
2017
7
4 (It’s in Atlanta, but not really a good part)
7
Old world style with a modern take




Best Beer: Mystik Bock - This beer is a seasonal that is only around in certain months, and is one of those that I mentioned you might plan ahead for. Enjoy the toasty caramel malt flavor which is moderately rich but balanced with light hop bitterness. At 7.5%, this one stands out for it’s extreme drinkability despite the high ABV. It would be much too easy to drink way too many...

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Adventure Post: Running a Marathon Part 3

Running a Marathon: Part 3

The 3rd and final section of this post is one the hardest to describe in a useful way, but shares in great detail my pre-race preparations, the experience of my first marathon race, and the after-effects that I endured. While preparing for my race, I looked for blogs and posts like this one, as I enjoyed reading about other's experiences so that I could better determine things that I may face when going into this myself. I was able to fine-tune other's experiences to myself, and determine based on my prior runs what I was likely to expect and what I may not yet be expecting. That being said, I was still completely unprepared when it came to the actual race, so keep that in mind! Whether useful or not, this is likely the most interesting section to read; Without more wasted time, see what I have shared below in Part 3: