So what's the deal with New Belgium? Read on.

So the official press release's headline posted by New Belgium reads:

New Belgium Brewing to join Lion Little World Beverages

I heard the news about New Belgium joining Lion Little World Beverages from a text earlier this afternoon from one of my fellow craft beer homies and honestly, I was floored by the initial news. It has been an amazing run crafting the Piano Keys Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Imperial Stout with this very progressive, employee-owned brewing company that I have always respected. The experience has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done in my entire career as a beer enthusiast, journalist, and entrepreneur. The team has become like a family to me with so many endeavors we have accomplished to promote diversity, including symposiums, working alongside Fresh Fest, pouring at Hunahpu, and so many other projects during our collaboration. It's been a crazy, enlightening, and unforgettable ride.
So when I received the news that New Belgium was joining with this Australasian

brewer as a 100-percent bought acquisition via all cash, I did not know what to initially think, but I do know that their staff, business practices, and efforts with sustainability would not change with this merger. This note by Co-Founder Kim Jordan certainly shed some light of this probable transition including this last statement that concluded the letter:

*all of this is of dependent on our co-workers who also are our shareholders, approving the conditions of this deal.

There is also the official press release here.
So what happens next? I say we wait to see what the employees have to say and how this will change New Belgium going forward.
In the meantime, I appreciate everyone who has reached out and continues to on my behalf and supported my collaboration with New Belgium. I do not know what the next step is with Piano Keys, but I am certain we will make the best of the opportunity at hand. Stay tuned everyone. The first run with this beer has been incredible. I trust the marathon will continue and hope the people who have made New Belgium what it is and has always been will ultimately win.

Peep Kim Jordan's letter direct from New Belgium's website:

Hey New Belgium fans!

You’ve probably read the big news that New Belgium Brewing is set to join Lion Little World Beverages– the global craft beer division of Australasian brewer, Lion, which is part of Kirin.  I’m assuming you’re here to learn more.  If there are three things we’re known for at New Belgium, it’s our dedication to innovation and excellence in beer, our commitment to the culture and well-being of our coworkers and our crazy enthusiasm for being a business role model.  We were thinking about these three things as we began to explore being a part of the Little World family.  Lion, Kirin, and the Little World team liked that about us, and that paved the way for this decision.* 

We are a Certified B Corp.  Which means that we’re dedicated to being a force for good as a business.  Right away, the folks at Little World told us that they were captivated by this model, and they are asking us to retain our B Corp status. In addition, Lion announced last week that they’ve made a pledge to be carbon neutral in their Australian and New Zealand breweries starting in 2020.  That’s exciting! And now we will be accelerating our own journey toward Carbon Neutrality.  Imagine a world where publicly traded companies are dedicated to business as a force for good, taking into account an array of stakeholders- their workers, their shareholders, and the environment.  This is a model for a big, compelling future and is in line with the needs of our rapidly changing world. 

We’ve been brewing eclectic Belgian style beers, aging beer on wood, and generally pushing at the boundaries of beer innovation as pioneers for almost three decades. Little World are brewers’ brewers.  They loved the sour beers from our renowned wood beer cellar! When we noticed that they were really interested in the breadth of our beer portfolio, and they began to share stories about their own innovation, we felt their commitment to this ancient craft.  They are as devoted as we are, and their resources in R&D and innovation can only help to grow our own capabilities.      

We will no longer be employee owned and it would be easy to see that as a drawback.  But here’s another way to look at it. More than 300 employees are receiving over $100,000 of retirement money with some receiving significantly greater amounts.  Over the life of our ESOP, including this transaction, the total amount paid to current and former employees will be nearly $190 million.  We will have helped a significant number of people realize the upside of having equity in something, being a part of the American Dream!  Little World is committed to strategies to broadly share the wealth going forward, like profit sharing, best-in-class healthcare and a generous family leave policy.  Our on-site wellness clinic will carry on.  Continuing to practice the rest of what makes New Belgium so cherished by its coworkers: a playful, loving vibe, a culture that encourages learning and experimentation, and an entrepreneurial spirit, will be up to all of us. We are more than up for that challenge and Little World will support us all the way. 

We all know the world of craft brewing is dynamic.  In the US, the number of breweries has nearly doubled in the last four years to 7,500.  At New Belgium, we’ve needed to balance the cash demands of our ESOP and selling shareholders, with the operational need for more capacity (hence the brewery in Asheville) and the need to grow our brand by reaching more beer drinkers with our brand message.  These are a lot of competing priorities and it has been difficult to do all of them as well as we’d like. As we surveyed the landscape over the last several years, we found that options to raise capital while being an independent brewer weren’t realistic for us. Some of the most widely used options by craft brewers were going to compromise a lot about what makes New Belgium great; environmental sustainability, and a rich internal culture.  Some of these were going to lead to cost-cutting or a lack of focus on sustainability. Having the support and resources of Lion Little World Beverages, allows us to attend to those competing priorities and utilize our brewery capacity to its fullest. 

Joining Little World Beverages to anchor a US Craft Beer platform is so congruent with all the things we’ve committed ourselves to at New Belgium that we jumped at the opportunity to offer this to our shareholders. We’re thankful for Lion and Kirin’s support of our values and I’m excited to help to build a collective of breweries along with the management of New Belgium, who share the same commitment to delighting beer drinkers: with great beer, great businesses and great collaboration amongst us. 

Of course, there are always people to thank: boundless thanks to all our passionate customers: you smuggled beer across state borders a la Smokey and The Bandit, you got tattoos, you make our hearts swell with pride with your care.  To our retailers and distributors: nothing we’ve done could have been done without you, huge props! To all of our friends inside the craft brewing industry and in so many other places, thank you thank you --we treasure your friendship now and in the future.  And last, but certainly not least to our amazing New Belgium Family, what can I say, but we have created the most loving, curious, warm, interesting fun thing together and I burst with pride every day.  This is not the last chapter, there’s more fun to be had.

We can’t wait to see what happens next.  We are as committed to being a vibrant, values-driven enterprise as we’ve ever been, and we look forward to having a beer with all of you along the journey! 

Here we go.

Much love,

Kim

*all of this is of dependent on our co-workers who also are our shareholders, approving the conditions of this deal.

Founders and Tracy Evans reach a settlement. Let's all learn from it.

After protests, boycotts and much controversy, things will hopefully move forward for everyone.

Man. 

Halloween of 2019 was a little different when it comes to the brewing world. On October 31^st, Founders Brewing Company made it official and posted a statement saying that they have thankfully reached a settlement with former employee Tracy Evans regarding an unfortunate racial discrimination case. I wanted to post it for you below; I received this directly from Founders. 

Now that things have resolved regarding the settlement, the question now is How does Founders, Mr. Evans, and the industry as a whole progress regarding diversity, erasing racism, and making the playing field level for everyone? I will do whatever I can to make that way. Hopefully you will too.

Ale

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

FINAL STATEMENTS ON TRACY EVANS/FOUNDERS BREWING CO. LAWSUIT

The lawsuit involving Founders Brewing Co. and Tracy Evans has been dismissed after the parties reached a settlement agreement. Per the agreement, terms of the settlement will not be disclosed.

The attached statements are what both sides have agreed to say about the settlement.

Founders Statement:
We are pleased to settle this case and focus on the future. Through recent discussions with Tracy, we listened, engaged in self-discovery, and reached common ground to make amends. We agreed that nobody be viewed at fault here. Most importantly, this serves as an opportunity to place our full attention on the work we now have to do, as a company of more than 600 dedicated team members, to rebuild our relationships.

Significantly, we are committed to moving the cause of diversity and inclusion forward for Founders. We want every employee to feel valued, respected and safe. We abhor discriminatory action of any type and believe that beer should bring people together and not divide.

- Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers, Co-Founders

Tracy’s Statement:
I am not going to say too much here but I want the world to know the power we have when we step forward and make ourselves heard. Upon hearing us, businesses also have the power to make changes or not. I don’t know what happens from here within the doors of Founders Brewing Co. I do know this; we have legal resolution and we have started looking at how ALL of this is affecting human lives. I don’t know what Dave and Mike have planned for the future, but I know that that “seeing color” and valuing people for who they are, and their collection of experiences is the mission. 

Learning from our mistakes is also part of the mission. Founders as a whole made some bad choices. I, as an individual made some mistakes but on this day we look to move forward. When someone offers to change, as humans we have a few choices and I have made the choice to see what Founders does with the path that they are about to take. To those that were affected by all of this within Founders and had nothing to do with this, I apologize. To the few of those that were affected by this and you are a part of the problem, I hope you listen to what your company is about to start saying. Craft beer is about coming together and celebrating our differences and no dollar amount should make a company want to forget that. A company is nothing without its workers and you deserve to be valued as such and there should be a clear line of what those goals are. As there are still people working for Founders that I still love very dearly, I hope for nothing but the best for Founders in the future. I will also be moving on and continuing this fight around the world as the issues that I experienced at Founders are not just a Founders issue, they happen everywhere and I vow to continue to be a vessel to help both employers and employees become better at acknowledging, understanding and dealing with them.

Love you all, thanks for the support and let’s continue to stand up for what’s right.

- Tracy Evans

Here are the 2019 Great American Beer Festival medal winners!

Check out who got the 318 medals awarded from 9,497 entries in the 33^rd Great American Beer Festival, the world’s largest commercial beer competition! (Photos courtesy of the Brewers Association)

Cheers Everyone!

Although I couldn’t make this year’s Great American Beer Festival­ in Denver (which is always an awesome time to network, learn, and get your sip on), the Brewers Association always makes sure you, my cherished readers, are in the know of what goes down whenever they host something. From the looks of it and what people sent me in teasing social media posts, the 33^rd edition of GABF was a huge success! Below is the official press release stating who out of the 9,497 entries won the 318 medals available.  The complete list is on the GABF website here.

Congrats to all of the winners! I will be there for sure next year!

Happy Sippin’!

Ale

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

America’s Finest: The Country’s Best Beers Celebrated at 2019 Great American Beer Festival

Claremont Craft Ales representing Claremont, CA, 

won gold for their Double Hoppy Red Ale!

318 medals awarded from 9,497 entries in 

world’s largest commercial beer competition

The finest beers in America were celebrated today as the Brewers Association (BA) awarded 318 medals* to 283 breweries at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) competition. Gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded in 107 beer categories covering 174 different beer styles (including all subcategories), establishing the best examples of each style in the country.

In the 33rd edition of the most prestigious professional beer competition in the country, judges evaluated 9,497 entries from 2,295 breweries representing all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, along with 113 Pro-Am Competition and 70 Collaboration Competition entries. Judging took place over the course of three days, with awards presented at a ceremony held Saturday morning at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.

“This year’s GABF competition was the largest and most competitive to date,” said Chris Swersey, competition manager, Great American Beer Festival. “The beers and talent were as impressive as ever, and we congratulate this year’s winners for their achievements in brewing.”

All of the 2019 winners are available here.

GABF COMPETITION STATISTICS

·         33^rd edition of the GABF competition

·         9,497 entries plus 113 Pro-Am and 70 Collaboration entries

·         2,295 breweries in the competition from all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands

·         322 judges from 18 countries

·         Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 88

·         Category with the highest number of entries: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale (348)

·         283 medal-winning breweries (including Pro-Am and Collaboration)

·         318 total medals awarded plus three (3) each for Pro-Am and Collaboration

·         401 first-time GABF entrants

·         37 first-time GABF winners

MOST ENTERED STYLE CATEGORIES

The winners of the top five most-entered categories were:                                         

Category 64: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale (348 entries)

GOLD: Old Irving Brewing Co., Beezer, Chicago, IL

SILVER: City Lights Brewing Co., Hazy IPA, Milwaukee, WI

BRONZE: Pond Farm Brewing Co., Devil's Gulch, San Rafael, CA

Category 63: American-Style India Pale Ale (342 entries)

GOLD: Comrade Brewing Co., More Dodge Less RAM, Denver, CO

SILVER: Green Cheek Beer Co., Radiant Beauty, Orange, CA

BRONZE: Coronado Brewing Co. - Production Facility, Weekend Vibes IPA, San Diego, CA

Category 25: Fruited American-Style Sour Ale (215 entries)

GOLD: St. Elmo Brewing Co., Roxanne, Austin, TX

SILVER: Storm Peak Brewing Co., Hoochie Mama, Steamboat Springs, CO

BRONZE: Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co., Sour Blackberry Raspberry, Charleston, SC

Category 43: German-Style Pilsener (183 entries)

GOLD: Blind Owl Brewery, Parliament Drive, Indianapolis, IN

SILVER: Family Business Beer Co., Golden Age Pilsner, Dripping Springs, TX

BRONZE: Hardywood West Creek, Pils, Richmond, VA

Category 66: Imperial India Pale Ale (173 entries)

GOLD: Alvarado Street Brewery, Double Cone, Salinas, CA

SILVER: Westbound & Down Brewing Co., Westbound Double IPA, Idaho Springs, CO

BRONZE: Brew Hub, Sharrow, Lakeland, FL

MOST MEDALED BREWERY

·         Most medals won by a single (non-group) brewery: 3

o    Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Santa Fe, NM – 3 medals

§  Bronze – Côte d'Or - Double Cerise, 27: Mixed-Culture Brett Beer

§  Silver – Agent Orange - Apple Brandy Barrel, 31: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer

§  Gold – Meier, 80: German-Style Sour Ale

BREWERY AND BREWPUB OF THE YEAR AWARDS

(See criteria here)

PACKAGING BREWERIES:

Very Small Brewing Company of the Year – Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group

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Brink Brewing Co. – Cincinnati, OH; Brewmaster: Brink Brew Crew

Small Brewing Company of the Year – Sponsored by ABS Commercial

1,000 – 14,999 barrels produced in 2018

Comrade Brewing Co. – Denver, CO; Brewmaster: Marks Lanham & David Lin

Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year – Sponsored by MicroStar Logistics

15,000 – 6,000,000 barrels produced in 2018

Silver City Brewery – Bremerton, WA; Brewmaster: Silver City Brew Team

BREWPUBS:

Small Brewpub of the Year – Sponsored by Briess Malt & Ingredients Co.

<750 2018="" barrels="" in="" produced="" span="">

Rowley Farmhouse Ales – Santa Fe, NM; Brewmaster: Rowley Farmhouse Ales

Mid-Size Brewpub of the Year – Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group

750 – 1,500 barrels produced in 2018

Westbound & Down Brewing Co. – Idaho Springs, CO; Brewmaster: Westbound & Down Brewery Team

Large Brewpub of the Year – Sponsored by The Country Malt Group

Over 1,500 barrels produced in 2018

Vintage Brewing Co. – Madison – Madison, WI; Brewmaster: Drinking Fresh Thinking

LARGE BREWERIES OR MULTIPLE LOCATION BREWERIES:

Brewery Group of the Year – Sponsored by Live Oak Bank

Over 6,000,000 barrels produced in 2018 or multi-location breweries wishing to compete as a group

Kern River Brewing Co. – Kernville, CA; Brewmaster: KRBC Brew Team

PRO-AM COMPETITION

Sponsored by Briess Malt & Ingredients Co., The Country Malt Group and White Labs

Gold, silver and bronze medals were also awarded in the GABF Pro-Am competition, which pairs homebrewers with professional brewers, who scale up their award-winning homebrew recipes. The medal winners, including the winning professional brewers and American Homebrewers Association (AHA) member homebrewers are:

GOLD: IMBĪB Custom Brews – Reno, NV

Distemper, Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer

Brewmaster: IMBĪB Custom Brews

Homebrewer: Lance Newlin

SILVER: Precarious Beer Project - Beer Hall – Williamsburg, VA

Leicht, Light Lager

Brewmaster: Greg Fleehart

Homebrewer: Joel Miller

BRONZE: New Belgium Brewing Co. – Fort Collins, CO

Chess with Checkers, Belgian- and French-Style Ale

Brewmaster: The Employee Owners of New Belgium

Homebrewer: Erich Purcell

COLLABORATION COMPETITION

Medals were also awarded in the second annual GABF Collaboration Competition, which recognizes the collaborative spirit of the professional craft brewing community.

GOLD: Sun King Brewing Co. – Indianapolis, IN

Getting By on Central Time

Collaboration Brewery: Indiana Brewers Guild Beer Brigade

SILVER: Taft's Brewing Co. – Cincinnati, OH

Are You Pricklish?

Collaboration Brewery: Against the Grain Brewing – Louisville, KY

BRONZE: Public Coast Brewing Co. – Cannon Beach, OR

Willie Big Dog

Collaboration Brewery: Big Dog's Brewing Company – Las Vegas, NV

The 2019 Great American Beer Festival was made possible in part by the generous support of its sponsors.

*Out of a possible 321 medals in 107 beer style categories, 318 were awarded. Gold medals were not given in Category 1, American-Style Wheat Beer, or Category 21, Historical Beer, and a bronze medal was not awarded in Category 65, Emerging India Pale Ale.

About the Brewers Association
The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 5,000-plus U.S. breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. The BA organizes events including the World Beer Cup^®, Great American Beer Festival^®, Craft Brewers Conference^® & BrewExpo America^®, SAVOR^™: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, Homebrew Con^™, National Homebrew Competition and American Craft Beer Week^®. The BA publishes The New Brewer^® magazine, and Brewers Publications^® is the leading publisher of brewing literature in the U.S. Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com^® and about homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association^® and the free Brew Guru^® mobile app. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Brewers Association is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital/familial status. The BA complies with provisions of Executive Order 11246 and the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor.

Taste of Atlanta is almost here!

Below is the restaurant lineup and programming for October 18, 19 & 20 in Historic Fourth Ward Park. Get your tickets now! 

(Photo by Taste of Atlanta)

Cheers Y’all!

One of my favorite fests is around the corner when it comes to eating and drinking the best Atlanta’s culinary scene has to offer. Even better, it’s in my own Old Fourth Ward Park backyard, an awesome venue to have it.

The info is below straight from the source. Just know that besides the 100-plus restaurants serving up some of the best dishes to get us hooked, they don’t play around when it comes to an awesome craft beer selection as well. Below is the inside scoop of what’s in store to get your mouths drooling. See you there!

Ale

Taste Of Atlanta Announces 2019 Restaurant Lineup & Festival Programming

Featuring Over 100 Local Restaurants, Cooking Demos & Classes from Chefs Including Jonathan Waxman of Brezza Cucina & Chef Todd Richards of Chicken + Beer, Saturday Night Concert from Yacht Rock Revue & More

October 18, 19 & 20, 2019 at Historic Fourth Ward Park

Tickets Available Here

They say: Taste of Atlanta, the city’s award-winning food, craft beer, wine and spirits festival showcasing the local restaurant scene, announces this year’s festival programming and restaurant lineup here. 

Taking place over three days from Friday, October 18 through Sunday, October 20, 2019 at Historic Fourth Ward Park, the 18th annual festival will feature more than 100 restaurants throughout the weekend. Plus, there will be a Friday Opening Night Party, on-stage cooking demos, cooking classes and new this year, Food Districts, a more expansive VIP Tasting Experience and a Saturday night concert from one of Atlanta’s favorite local bands, Yacht Rock Revue.

·         Opening Night Party (October 18): Kicking off on Friday with the Opening Night Party hosted by Chef-Owner Nick Leahy of AIX and Tin Tin, the evening will showcase a roster of well-regarded local chefs who focus on sourcing ingredients locally and cooking seasonally. From 7:30-11pm, participating restaurants, including Tiny Lou's, Bellina Alimentari, KR Steakbar, Table & Main, Mission + Market and dozens more, will serve tastings alongside wine, beer, cocktails and live music from Moontower. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will support Georgia Grown's restaurant partnership program.

·         Main Tasting Events (October 19 & 20): Bringing together chefs from neighborhoods across Atlanta and representing dozens of cuisines, Taste of Atlanta will serve as a destination to try bites from over 100 restaurants all in one place. General Admission featured restaurants include Barcelona Wine Bar, Joella’s Hot Chicken, Hawkers Asian Street Fare, Poke Burri, Sweet Spot and more. Among the restaurants in VIP Tasting Experience – an exclusive area of the festival offering all-inclusive tastings and pours from craft beer, wine and cocktail makers – are 9 Mile Station, Golden Eagle, STK, Casi Cielo and 5Church. Plus, this year’s Best Bartender Competition, presented by Bulleit Bourbon, culminates at the festival with finalists sampling their creations in VIP Tasting Experience as well as presenting alongside chefs leading cooking demos and classes.

·         Food Districts (October 19 & 20): This year’s festival will feature categorized Food Districts, including: 

o    Buford Highway – Offering the international cuisines of Atlanta's most diverse culinary corridor, this Food District presented by WeLoveBuhi will feature bites and sips from Northern China Eatery, Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea and more.

o    Tailgating – Guests can check out game day bites from restaurants such as City BBQ, Shake Shack, Taco Mac and Three Dollar Café while watching the football games of the day! Plus, the Atlanta Falcons and 92.9 The Game will be there adding to the game day spirit.

o    Hartsfield-Jackson Lounge – Attendees can swing by the lounge to get a taste of what the busiest airport in the world has to offer! Chicken + Beer, TGI Fridays, Atlanta Chophouse & Brewery and others will be serving tastes.

o    Brunch All Day – Festival goers can enjoy brunch all day, every day at Taste of Atlanta. Restaurants, including Waffle House, The Little Farmhouse Cafe and Simon’s Restaurant, will be dishing up the city’s best brunch dishes at this Food District presented by The Extreme Bean.

·         Chef Demos (October 19 & 20): Attendees will also get an inside view into the Atlanta culinary world at Chef’s Table and Home Plate Stages, where chefs will demonstrate how to prepare mouthwatering dishes and provide tastings of their creations. For a full demo schedule, please see here.

o    All Things Fall with Brezza Cucina's Culinary Legend Jonathan Waxman & Executive Chef Andrew Cacioppo – The duo is teaming up at Taste of Atlanta to teach attendees all about cooking fall recipes with local and seasonal ingredients, including a Roasted Fall Salad with Maple Vinaigrette, Lamb Chops and a Warm Shrimp Salad. Plus, they'll be serving a seasonal cocktail to pair. 

o    Somms and Sous – While head chefs tend to receive the glory, the behind-the-scenes heroes who help keep kitchens running are the sous chefs. Taste of Atlanta is putting some of the city’s best sous chefs front and center as they demo how to prepare bites that are paired with wines selected by their restaurants’ sommeliers. Not only will attendees learn how to cook, they’ll get the chance to explore pairings with wines of Germany and Bordeaux. 

o    Burger Brawl with Budweiser – There’s no doubt that restaurants all across Atlanta dish up tasty burgers, but who will receive the top honor at Taste of Atlanta? Guests are invited to watch as burger joints duke it out for ‘Best Burger.’

·         Cooking Classes (October 19 & 20): Sponsored by The Cook’s Warehouse, Garnish & Gather, Hammer Stahl and Sprouts Farmers Market, The Kitchen Workshop offers hands-on cooking classes led by Atlanta chefs, where cooks can learn to cook at individual stations. All classes are first-come, first-served and free to join with a Taste of Atlanta ticket. Please see here for the full list of classes. 

o    It’s All in the Cookware! – Festival goers can join Mary Moore, Founder and CEO of The Cook’s Warehouse, and Bobby Griggs of Hammer Stahl in the kitchen as they prepare Wild Mushroom & Marsala Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta. Participants will learn how to make the classic Italian-American dish using the cookware brand’s latest products. 

o    South Meets East – The brilliant chefs of Northern China Eatery will teach participants how to make Dan Dan Noodles with a peanut sauce made from Georgia Peanuts. Plus, Don Koehler from Georgia Peanut Commission will be on hand to talk shop about Georgia Peanuts in this awesome mash-up of South meets East.

o    Rue Po’ Boy – Chef Darrell Johnson, founder of creole and cajun bistro food truck NOLA Creations and winner of Food Network’s ‘The Great Food Truck Race,’ will take center stage with his famed Shrimp Po’ Boy. Attendees will learn how to prepare the fan favorite firsthand during this workshop.

o    Dinner at Home with Garnish & Gather – Atlanta’s local meal kit company Garnish & Gather invites Taste of Atlanta attendees to join them in cooking a farm-to-table recipe highlighting seasonal ingredients.  

·         Georgia Grown Pavilion (October 19 & 20): Chefs, restaurateurs and food producers will welcome attendees to learn about Georgia Grown products and ingredients through food conversations, mini culinary demos and of course, recipe tastings. Programs include Cathy Conway of Avalon Catering demoing a recipe with Decimal Place Goat Cheese; Ellijay Mushrooms showcasing their passion for growing shiitake mushrooms; Chef Jennifer Booker highlighting local apples and honey; Author Rebecca Lang talking pecans and more.

·         Saturday Night Concert with Yacht Rock Revue (October 19): Taste of Atlanta will continue into the evening on Saturday, October 19 with a concert from one of Atlanta’s favorite local bands, Yacht Rock Revue. The famed seven-man band will be crooning classic hits and Halloween tunes. Plus, local food trucks, such as Che Butter Jones, YoJay’s Yogurt Treats and Zubi’s Taco Kitchen, will be selling bites for purchase alongside drinks from beverage tents throughout the concert. Gates open at 7pm, and tickets can be purchased here. 

Tickets to Taste of Atlanta can be purchased here. Prior to the festival, ticket holders will receive wristbands equipped with radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, making Taste of Atlanta a cashless festival. The wristbands are pre-loaded with Taste Points which can be used for drink and merchandise purchases as well as food tastings, ranging from one to three points each. Wristbands track tastes sampled and provide attendees with a post-event tasting list, giving all ticket holders a customized roundup of restaurant recommendations for future dining out.

About Taste of Atlanta

Celebrating its 18^th year in 2019, Taste of Atlanta is the city's award-winning food and drink festival showcasing the local restaurant scene and attracting food lovers from the region and beyond to Historic Fourth Ward Park on October 18, 19 and 20. Throughout three days of bites and bevs, more than 100 of Atlanta’s favorite restaurants will show off their most craveable dishes alongside live on-stage cooking demos from top chefs, hands-on cooking classes, an all-inclusive Friday Night Opening Party, a Saturday night concert and more. Oprah Magazine named Taste of Atlanta as the “Top Food Festival Worth the Trip,” and Taste of Atlanta has won Creative Loafing’s “Best Food Festival or Event” for six years running. This year’s sponsors include Garnish & Gather, The Cook’s Warehouse, Sprouts, Georgia Peanut Commission and more. For more information, please visit www.TasteofAtlanta.com and follow Taste of Atlanta on Facebook (Taste of Atlanta), Twitter (@tasteofatlanta) and Instagram (@tasteofatlanta).

Wait, wha...? Beer sneakers?! Yep!

Merrell and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery launch limited-edition trail running shoe! 

Whoa!

For all sneaker and shoe lovers in general like myself, I need to get a pair of these on principle alone! Beer kicks? Hell yeah! Below is the official press release and information. Nice job Merrell and Dogfish! 

Whatcha think?

I say dopeness!

Ale

Straight from the press:

Merrell and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery 

launch Limited-Edition Trail Running Shoe! 

Made from sustainable materials, the Agility Synthesis x Dogfish shoe brings a fresh take on trail to tavern

Outdoor performance brand Merrell and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery have launched a cobranded trail running shoe inspired by two of their shared passions: the outdoors and beer. The limited-edition Merrell Agility Synthesis X Dogfish trail runner is now available in select retail stores and on Merrell.com, and will also be sold on September 29th at Dogfish Head’s annual Dogfish Dash in Milton, DE.

Available in a “SeaQuench” colorway for men and women, the design of the shoe is inspired by the most thirst-quenching beer Dogfish Head has ever brewed: SeaQuench Ale. SeaQuench Ale is now the best-selling sour beer in America, and is recognized by its signature sea-foam green can and off-centered ingredients, including black limes and sea salt, all of which are incorporated into the shoe design.

“Today’s adventurous beer drinker is seeking more from their alcoholic beverages than ever before. They’re looking for a beer that’s not only intensely flavorful, but that fits into their active lifestyle. Brewed with black limes, sour lime juice and sea salt, the thirst-slaying, citrusy-tart mashup that is SeaQuench Ale satisfies all those needs,” said Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head. “Partnering with Merrell, leaders in the active lifestyle footwear category, to release this sweet SeaQuench-themed shoe is a great reminder to folks everywhere that you can ‘have your beer and drink it too.’ Maintaining an active lifestyle is all about balance – go for a trail run or a gym workout, then reward yourself with a cold can of SeaQuench Ale.”

Merrell and Dogfish Head, two outdoor-loving brands, both believe wild spaces urgently need to be sustained and protected. With that in mind, the co-branded shoes are made with a more sustainable choice wherever possible. They include reclaimed scrap rubber, BLOOM® algae foam instead of petroleum, recycled plastic, and more.

Alongside the launch of the Agility Synthesis X Dogfish shoe, Merrell will be donating $10,000 to The Conservation Alliance, whose mission is to engage businesses to fund and partner with organizations to protect wild places for their habitat and recreation values. Merrell is a pinnacle member of The Conservation Alliance and to date, has provided more than $1 million in funding to assist their efforts.

“We’ve enjoyed building upon the shared beliefs of Merrell and Dogfish Head,” says Sue Rechner, President of Merrell. “We’re very proud that our partnership also provides support for The Conservation Alliance and reduces our impact through the use of recycled materials and sustainable processes.”