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| Awwww...Spin's first tap! The memories. |
It's been a blast coming up with the beer list for a new Atlanta pizza joint called Spin!
- Crazy traveling. I went to Charleston again (I can't get enough) to test drive the new Infiniti JX which was pretty impressive and I found two more chill spots: awesome food at F.I.G and a reggae-pumping bar called Boone's Tavern.
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| My shot of the new Infiniti JX in Charleston. |
- Starting my new creative company called AllWays Open with business partner Eric Nine (Yes, it's AllWays two "ls" because we're open to make just about anything hot and I can't wait to show you some of our work including photography, business cards, copywriting, branding... Man, wait until you see our logo and site!) We just finished Phase One with our first client, El Primer Mundo Cigars. Things came out super hot so EPM brought us on for Phase Two immediately after they saw our work. Dope!!!!
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| Phase One complete! |
- Finishing crazy deadlines with Jezebel and Men's Book magazines. Please check out my article on the Braves' Chipper Jones and fashion guru James W. Brashears III.
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| Brother James. |
- And last but not least, being hired to develop the beer list, write the press release, do the photography and some other awesome duties for a new pizza joint called The Spinning Pie, aka Spin! Man, was this fun! Since I was a hotelie at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, it brought back memories of what it was like to open a spot! Sure, there are kinks and b.s. you deal with in the early stages, but seeing something like an eatery develop in front of your eyes is pretty damn awesome!
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| One of my Spin flicks. |
Anyway, I was asked to do the beer list for Spin by owner Cortland Jackson because I gave him a freebie on the consulting tip for his adjacent business, 255, by telling him to add Victory Golden Monkey to his drink menu on tap. I thought a potent, slightly sweet Belgian Trippel-style beer that is well-respected, not too hoppy and possessing a cool name would be a slam dunk in a hip lounge like his. Ever since then, they can't keep it in stock. Anyway, about a year later, my friends at High Gravity Hip Hop told me Cortland wanted to get with me on developing his new beer list. I said hell yeah, and when he found out all the other things I did like photography, writing, consulting, etc., it was a done deal!
We did a number of tastings, and although I wanted to bring some serious craziness in there regarding beers from all over the world, we had to consider cost, popularity, showing local love, what would pair well with pizza, and what wouldn't have his customers' palates shocked with something like a Rauchbier or a Sour. With that being said, I chose a few refreshing wheats (Allagash White, the classic Weihenstephaner), SweetWater Blue for some fruity notes of blueberry, of course an IPA (I went with the malty Heavy Seas Loose Cannon and Bell's Two-Hearted is on deck), the potent Founder's Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale, one of my favorite stouts (Old Rasputin on draft), the delicious Wild Heaven Ode To Mercy Imperial Brown, and we had to have a potent Belgian so Chimay got the nod on tap. Of course, we also wanted to have some familiarity so the top-selling Corona (based on 255's sales) and lager staple, Stella Artois got the nod, and PBR is going for like $2.50 on draft for the frugal. There are a few more goodies coming and the taps are always changing, so as our pizza-eating customers develop a more adventurous approach to the craft suds, I will get more creative with the selection.
Thanks for checking back with me and supporting my blog. I love writing for you and promise that something huge is on the way so be ready!
Here's the Spin press release by the way. Cheers!!!:
Spin Pizzeria and Craft Beers comes to Castleberry Hill
New eatery puts a new ‘Spin’ on Castleberry Hill with hand-tossed pizza and craft beer
Atlanta, GA. (March 29, 2012) – The consistently burgeoning Castleberry Hill District just west of Downtown Atlanta continues to thrive with new and exciting restaurants. One flourishing restaurant team continues to develop the area with its newest culinary concept—The Spinning Pie (259 Peters St; Castleberry Hill; 404.880.0703)—adjacent to their popular restaurant/lounge, 255. Affectionately called Spin, its interior décor is a flawless fusion of contemporary and rustic elements—gorgeous wood paneled walls, stained concrete floors, and a hand-painted mural of Atlanta’s skyline to mention a few. Coming from the oven, Spin will specialize in traditional, large slices and pies with a plethora of toppings. Everyone from hipsters to head honchos will enjoy indulging in everything from apple chicken sausage to goat cheese, marinated chicken, Kalamata olives, and dozens more encompassed in a garlic butter-brushed crust. There will be various other menu items including chicken pesto, lasagna, fettuccini Alfredo, a French Hoagie Meatball Sub, a variety of fresh salads; delectable happy endings including the S'Mores Pie which collectively promise to satisfy the most demanding appetites and palates.
Notably, there are numerous other elements of Spin that separate this eatery from the run-of-the-mill pizza shops, such as:
· Craft beer: To embrace the boom of crafted ales and lagers, Spin has partnered with renowned beer expert Ale Sharpton—who pens for numerous national publications and his own award-winning website, www.alesharpton.com— to serve as the sommelier of the suds. Everything from Belgium’s revered Chimay to refreshing product from domestic breweries such as Bell’s, Heavy Seas, New Belgium and local king SweetWater, will perfectly pair with Spin’s fresh fare. Seven rotating taps and an extensive selection of bottled/canned items will be available, along with wine and an array of high-end spirits to choose from.
· Live DJs will be spinning an eclectic selection of music genres ranging from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to the latest from Jay-Z on a nightly basis on a state-of-the-art sound system.
· Three large, flat-screen HD televisions will be on high above the bar for everyone’s viewing pleasure.
· Plus a number of special events, parties and other nightly attractions.
Contact: 259 Peters St; Castleberry Hill; 404.880.0703
Spin’s hours: Sunday through Wednesday, 11:30 am to 1 am: Thursday through Saturday, 11:30 am to 2:30 am
Website: www.thespinningpie.com
