Max Lager’s will be fan base for the West Division Champs, Wichita State. The Shockers really lived up to their nickname in the tournament and will face Louisville on Saturday. Come on downtown and enjoy this exciting weekend of basketball, music and Max Lager’s beer!! We’ll be opening for lunch at 10:30 AM on Saturday and 12:30 PM on Sunday….oh, did I mention the Cubbies are in town too? What a weekend!

JR

Don’t miss our big birthday bash on Saturday, March 9 with live music by Jango Monkey, cask specials, a tapping of 3X5 Gran Cru, complimentary appetizers and birthday cupcakes, and a special beer dinner menu.

Recently, the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild, with the support of Representatives Tom Taylor and Ron Stephens, introduced the “Fill the Growler Bill”-HB 314.  HB 314 is all about expansion of the market, job creation, giving the consumers what they want, increased awareness of Craft Beer, and the growth of the Craft Brewing industry in the State of Georgia. What the bill will do is allow Breweries and Brewpubs to sell up to   288 oz. (that’s equivalent to one case) of beer per person per day for off premise consumption. What’s that mean for you? It means you can go to your favorite pub, have a great meal, and take home some great beer to enjoy back at home. You’d also be able to take a tour of one of Georgia’s great packaging breweries and take home, say, a mixed case of your favorite brews as fresh as you could ever get them. Sounding pretty good huh?

The Fill the Growler Bill gives Georgia Breweries and Brewpubs an invaluable tool for brand building.  The brands that have grown up in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys would not be what they are today if not for California’s allowance of direct retail sales at the wineries.  When we visit a winery we buy into that brand based on the tour, the tasting, the meal we enjoy at the winery’s restaurant and the wine we purchase to take home and share with family and friends.  But, we don’t fly back to California every time we want to buy another bottle of that wine.  We go to our local grocery or liquor store; ask for it and they purchase that wine from the local wholesaler.  The existing structure alone cannot accomplish the goals of providing the best craft beer experience that customers crave and deserve.  Nobody knows more about the craft beer served in a Brewpub or made in a Brewery than the Brew Master.  Growler sales by Breweries and Brewpubs permit the best-informed interaction with the Consumer. There is nothing available in the retail market as fresh as the product that can be served directly by a brewery or a brewpub. The ability for the consumer to bring home a growler of the beer they enjoyed with dinner or after a tour helps to complete the craft beer experience; the consumer might not be able to find the same fresh tapped craft beer from a retailer.

Other states have been supportive of their Craft Beer industries (and the entrepreneurs behind them) and the result has been the creation of new high skilled jobs and a larger tax base.  It is always better to grow the tax base than seek to impose higher taxes on a smaller base. Here’s a list of states that allow off premise sales for breweries and brewpubs:  Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming…that’s 40 out of 50 plus the nation’s capital! More than just a few!

Support of our Craft Beer industry is a bid for an improvement in culture and living conditions in the State of Georgia.  Craft Beer enthusiasts tend to be smart, highly educated people who appreciate higher end consumables.  These are highly desirable citizens.  It would be difficult if not impossible to quantify, but a thriving Craft Beer culture in the State of Georgia could be an important factor in attracting new talent and opportunity to our State.  Better to create that environment here than to allow competitive states to take all the opportunity.

Tourism is an essential part of Georgia’s current and future economy and Brewery Tourism is a growing phenomenon across our nation.  Encouragement of Georgia’s nascent Craft Beer industry is a vote in support of our tourism industry and for economic development.  A healthy Craft Beer industry in Georgia will promote international investment as international investors realize that the citizens of Georgia are as smart and forward-thinking as citizens of their own country.

So the time is now! We need your support! We know you want it because we hear it every day, but now you need to tell the people that can make the change- your House and Senate Representatives. Call them, email them, fax them, heck send the Pony Express! Below are links to help you find out who represents you and how to contact them. Don’t delay! You can drop a quick email saying you support the bill. Exercise your citizenship! Also check out the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild web site.

NOTE: We have just learned that an identical bill has been introduced in the Senate- SB174 introduced by Senator Josh McKoon. So hit your Senators up too!

Find your representative:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/

Read the bill and contact your representative:

 http://www.legis.ga.gov/en-US/default.aspx

Join the Guild! :

www.georgiacraftbrewersguild.org

I must say the day went off without a hitch! Judging started promptly at 9:30 am. The first four flights were judged before lunch. There’s nothing like good home brew for breakfast! The afternoon session was more involved as we had six flights to judge. The Holiday Beers and Light Hybrid categories had to be split into two judgings due to the numbers of entries. Once they were judged, we then had to have mini-best of show judgings in those categories to determine the winners.

We had some great palates at the Best of Show judging and there were so many superb entries that the choice was difficult. In the end, one beer stood above the rest to the BOS judges both stylistically and empirically…”A Very Monkey Christmas” Holiday Beer from the Monkey Wrench brewing group. A deep amber ale brewed with honey and a variety of spices blended together perfectly. Second and third place were almost a dead heat, but ultimately Josh Rachel’s Koelsch took second and Marc Powell’s German Pilsner took third. Both are very difficult and delicate styles to brew and my hat goes off to these brewers for nailing them.

I personally judged Brewer’s Choice Award. I was looking for a beer that was not only well crafted, but exhibited some unique characteristics. Something I had never done before…something I could learn from. The choice was very clear to me. Chris and Tina Collier’s Gruit was simply fantastic. Gruit is a medieval style which uses no hops at all, but instead makes use of herbs such as lavender and chamomile and roots such as mugwort and yarrow to flavor the beer. The Collier’s use of lager yeast and a wheat base created a most wonderfully unique and refreshing beer. The plan is to brew a batch this summer and enter it into the Great American Beer Festival’s Pro/Am competition.

Finally, the judging was done and we could all get on to the fun part….actually drinking some beer! The beer reception and awards ceremony started with the tapping of five great casks. I called on some of my brewing buddies to send me some special beers and boy did they deliver! Spike (Terrapin) sent a cask of Hopsicutioner dry hopped with a ton of Centennial hops. Glenn Golden (Jailhouse) sent Break Out Stout aged on oak and vanilla beans.  Bob Sandage (Wrecking Bar) sent his Oatmeal Cookie Porter made with brown sugar, raisins and cinnamon and I put up a cask of Hopsplosion!!! IPA dry hopped with a new hop variety, El Dorado and also a cask of Max Abbey Belgian Style Dubble. Needless to say we all drank well. Once we all had some cask beer in us, it was time for the winners! Guy Beck was a big winner taking a total of 4 medals! That guy can really brew! Check out the complete list of winners Max Lager’s Challenge Results 2012

The beer dinner that followed was completely sold out! Chef J put out a four course meal that had people licking their plates. While everyone was busy drinking and eating I raffled off some great prizes. A wide variety of grains from Brewer’s Supply Group including bags of Crisp Pale Male, Weyermann Pilsner Malt, Rahr Two Row, and Irish Malting Company’s Stout Malt had everyone asking “What’s this malt about?” Jim Gizlebach was glad to inform us that it is a two row pale malt similar to  Maris Otter malt (for you beer geeks). A variety of 10# bags of specialty malts were also raffled as well as a great stainless steel brew kettle complete with a false bottom and spigot provided by Brew Depot. I’m not sure how many Max Lager’s tee shirts, hats and glasses were raffled, but let’s just say there are some stylin’ people out there now.

Whew! What a day! Again, I congratulate all the winners and all the contestants. There were a lot of great beers and it was really a tough competition. I look forward to seeing what you come up with for next year’s Max Lager’s Challenge!

Cheers!

JR

Highlights of this year’s trip included a side trip up to Ft. Collins to visit the beautiful (and delicious) Odell’s Brewing Company and the wonderful Funkwerks Brewery, who as it turns out won the Small Brewing Company of the year award. Quite a feat considering it’s only their second year in business. Other highlights include (but are not limited to) Pliny the Elder, “life size” Janga, the fantastic volunteers at our booth (every one was jealous cause we got the cutest girls!), Great Divide Brewing, hanging out with my fellow Georgia brewers yelling “BROCK!” when he’d go missing and of course meeting and talking to so many great beer fans. It never ceases to amaze me how many people I meet at the GABF who are from Atlanta, grew up here, or visit here regularly.

So my hat’s off to the Brewer’s Association for putting on another spectacular event and to all the winners of the 2012 GABF. Congrats and see you next year!

• Saturday, 10/6 – 12:30 pm on the Home Plate Stage – Our Executive Chef, Ben Vaughn, will be on board for the “Almost Famous” food demo featuring Atlanta’s up and coming chefs. We certain Ben’s Roasted Local Quail with Toasted Brioche, Homemade Bacon and Taleggio Cheese will score instant fame.
• Sunday, 10/7 –  at 2:30 pm inside the Food Studio Stage – Our Brewmaster, JR,  & Executive Chef, Ben Vaughn, are presenting, Cheers to Craft Beers, a Craft Beer and cooking talk and demo.

All weekend long, we’ll be serving JR’s Smoked Firecracker Wings, Creole BBQ Shrimp & Grits, Apple Whiskey Bread Pudding from our Booth #406.

Plus, we’ll be giving away a $350 Brewer’s Party and three $50 gift cards over the course of the weekend. Stop by for a taste and be sure to register for our giveaways.

Over at White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails, Booth #404, we’ll be serving Sugar cane roasted Quail breasts, pancetta bread & butter onions, Friddled brioche, tallegio gastrique and WOKC Caramel Popcorn Clusters.

WOKC will be giving away four $50 gift cards over the course of the weekend.

Can’t wait to see you there.

Entry info is coming soon so ladies and gentlemen… START YOUR BREWING!

Alan visits Restaurant Owner Radio to share his experiences and knowledge of the Hospitality Industry. Listen to him share his views on training procedures, quality service, and his newly opened restaurant venture, White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails!

Listen to the full interview here: http://goo.gl/hqsAq