Friday, September 21, 2012

The Beast Feast is Coming!!!



SweetWater. 5chefs. 5 dishes. Live art. DJ Kemit. Wine. Gourmet desserts.
Let's party!

Georgia capital's finest, most eccentric and eerily talented culinary geniuses will demonstrate how “beastly” they are in their restaurants via extraordinary fashion on Thursday, October 18th. Burgeoning creative agency AllWays Open Creative (Ale Sharpton, Eric Nine, and Mike Moore) will host the inaugural Beast Feast at SweetWater Brewery, featuring five heralded executive chefs who are responsible for creating a dish to pair with SweetWater’s revered line of craft brews. The participating culinary Beasts are:


·         Mike LaSage: Executive Chef, P'Cheen/Co-Owner, Chef, Bone Lick BBQ
·         Joey Ahn: Executive Chef, SOHO
·         Edward Russell: Executive Chef, Parish
·         Jared Lee Pyles: Opening Villains in Old Fourth Ward
·         Matt Deckard: Executive Chef, Deckard's Tavern and Tappan Street 


To embrace the theme of Halloween, the design work of AllWays Open will first artistically transform each chef into a BEAST through various digital art platforms. Once finished, these works of art will premiere at one of the most anticipated dining events of the year.
Not a beer drinker? Wine tastings of co-sponsor Piccolo Tesoro Moscato will be poured throughout the night!

For dessert, East Atlanta’s revered OMG Cup and Cakes and local gourmet ice cream makers, High Road Craft, will be making delicious treats infused with SweetWater beer and Piccolo Tesoro Moscato as well. If satisfying the hundreds of guests with delectable food, desserts, beer, and wine was not enough, there will be live art created by three revered Atlanta artists­—Eric Nine, Jeremy Ray, and Michi Meko—plus an exhibit by eccentric sculptor Shawn Knight, the world renowned DJ Kemit spinning, and many more surprises in store. Stay tuned for more updates leading up to the one of the most memorable culinary events of the year!

The Beast Feast, hosted by Beer Authority Ale Sharpton, will be such an unforgettable night, even the thought of it is scary.

VIP includes beer, wine, the feast, desserts, gift bag, and access to art exhibit.
General Admission includes beer, wine, and access to art exhibit. Killer deals either way!

Be afraid. Be very afraid...and thirsty, hungry, and ready to boogie down! 

Tickets are sold through Xorbia.com. Get them while they last!

Stay tuned for all of the details. 

Presented by...


Hosted by...

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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

I'm Hosting Euphoria Food Festival's Beer Garden!

One of the best food festivals in the nation just got better with loads of  Craft Beer!

I had a smashing time at SweetWater last
Saturday thanks to my homey Andy & Co.!
Hey folks, sorry it took so long recovering from this past weekend of events (did you go to any of these?), but between finishing up a gang of articles, editing others, serving as the creative director for AllWays Open, and preparing for a ridiculous event I am doing at SweetWater Brewery on October 18th (stay tuned!), things have been bananas! Regardless, I will be taking a much-needed break (sort of) when I host the two beer panels at one of my favorite food festivals in the nation, Euphoria (September 20-23), in charming Greenville, S.C. 
Yep, the organizers and I have been discussing how beer needs to be a more integral part of the festival during my last few annual visits, and was floored when they asked me to host two panels based on craft beer on Saturday, September 22, with some heavy hitters in the brewing industry (a few I recommended). Happily accepting, we'll have the founder and owner of Terrapin, John Cochran; SweetWater's Head Brewer Nick Nock; Oskar Blues Sales Guru Dave Lawson, and local brewing king Thomas Creek with Owner Bill Davis to name a few. There will be a second panel discussion an hour later with local beer authorities, pub owners and burgeoning breweries you can't miss either! 
Shout out to local brewing king, Thomas Creek!
We will basically be discussing how craft beer is kicking major tail in the beverage industry, while sipping from at least 40 different styles of brews in the wondrous outdoors of Greenville. All the info is below in the links. If you can make it, the food is awesome, the events are top notch, and the beer? Well, come on, you know if I'm sticking my neck out for it, it's the shizznit! Ha! There will also be some righteous beer dinners too! 
Overall, I am excited to be a part of this food and drink extravaganza. You should be too!
Hopefully there are tickets left. I hope to see you there! 
Here are all the links:
For General Information and tickets, go here.
For a description of the 2012 Euphoria Beer Garden, go here.
For my cool bio page (a-hem!), check it out here.
Cheers!
Ale
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Friday, September 7, 2012

Saturday is going to be nuts in the ATL!!!



Getting ready for SweetWater's LowRYEder party!
Here is the bottle-mounted mustache schwag they sent me to get me crunk
!
ATL Beer Fest? SweetWater Party? The Porter? Burger Wars? Daaaaaaaamn!!!

As we all know, Atlanta is off the chain, but it’s going to be ridiculously bananas this weekend! With so much poppin’, I am going to just focus on Saturday. Football is all day Sunday in my book, but it will also be a day of rest after checking out this list below. I am trying to make all of ‘em! Will you? Here we go:

Last year was dope! This is Co-owner Nick.
Saturday, September 8, 11:00 a.m. until…
Little Fizzle, fa shizzle! 1156 Euclid Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30307 

The Porter Beer Bar is undoubtedly one of my favorite beer spots in the city, and truthfully, it is regarded as one of the best in the world! With that being said, the husband and wife team of Molly and Nick will be celebrating in grand fashion. At exactly 11:00 a.m., there’s a handmade gift for the first if you're one of the first 150 people in the door, you'll get a special handmade gift! Throughout the day, they are pouring some of the craziest, hard-to-find brews along with a special tapping of the Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout. Good luck trying to score a glass if you are even a minute late! By the way, I just got some of the GANSGTER beers on tap direct from the Porter Queen, Molly, and Taylor from the new Burnt Hickory Brewery! Here ya go:

  • Lost Abbey Angel's Share 
  • Terrapin Barrel Aged Wake n' Bake
  • Goose Island Matilda, Sofie, and Pere Jacques
  • Burnt Hickory Old Wooden Head Imperial IPA
  • Founder's Frangelico, and Old Curmudgeon Better Half
  • Plus a ton of other surprises!

See you there, homies!



Saturday, Sept. 8 from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.
195 Ottley Drive, Atlanta , Georgia 30324
$10 admission charge (entry plus a souvenir LowRYEder pint glass with six 5.5-ounce sample pour)

Man, I love how witty and hilarious their press releases are at good ol’ SweetWater, so I am going to let them have it! After getting this cool schwag they sent me (fuzzy dice and bottle mustache, anyone?), I know it’s going to be another nutty event, launching their new sipper, LowRYEder IPA (brewed with rye), with bouncing low riders, food trucks, and even some Lucha Libre wresting in the lot!

“Skip that afternoon siesta and come get loco with us at our LowRYEder Car Show! We'll be hosting a booty hoppin', flame throwin' launch party and lowrider car show to introduce the newest addition to our lineup, the LowRYEder, a rye IPA. The LowRYEder Launch Party & Car Show will surely be one you don't want to miss. The shindig will feature live mariachi music, Lucha Libre wrestling, food trucks, brewery tours and tastings, special LowRYEder cask samples, a lowrider car show, and more.” 
·         The event is 21+ with $10 admission charge (same as general tours) which gets you entry plus a souvenir LowRYEder pint glass with six 5.5-ounce sample pour.
·         The lowrider car show will feature a Hop Off Exhibition (of course it would!) hosted by Obsession CC and a cash prize for "best of show" contestants. All cars must be pre-registered. Interested in registering?
·         Email: LowRYEder@sweetwaterbrew.com. This LowRYEder gets a little higher, so get ready to bounce! Make sure you RSVP to our LowRYEder Launch Party & Car Show on Facebook for updates, photos of the cars that will be there, and details on the shindig. 



John Howell Park, Virginia Highlands
Saturday, September 8, Noon to 5 p.m.
General Admission (Entry + Unlimited Burgers) $25.00; VIP Admission (Entry + Unlimited Burgers & Beer) $60.00; donation to Embraced $5.00; Kids under 10 Admission

For all the gangster hamburger flippers who beef about who makes them the best, the 2nd annual Battle of the Burgers should settle it! To add, there’s going to be three televisions playing college football, some pimpin’ leather recliners, couches in the VIP section, and, yes, unlimited burgers and beer (the latter for VIP only). What?!! Yep! Plus, as you wolf down herd members of Chick-Fil-A’s mascot, every bite will be going to a great cause, Embraced, a non-profit organization that provides assistive mobility equipment (wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, etc.) to those in need! There’s also music by Whiskey Belt, a 5K race at 9 a.m. (costumes are encouraged), and a ton of other goodies.
Here are the eateries stepping into the ring.

So with all the beer you plan on throwing back during the day, burgers are great sources of alcohol absorption!



Turner Field
Saturday, September 8, 3pm-8pm
$40 advance, $48 day of event

Come on, a beer festival at the home of the Atlanta Braves? That’s pretty damn cool! It went so well last year, why not do it again? We’re talking 150+ beers from all over the U.S, plus live music, a wine section, ciders, plus college football and baseball played on televisions throughout the complex. They are even having people vote right now for which game they want on that big ass, 33-foot screen in the plaza! Here are some specifics:
·         “150+ different beers to sample from Atlanta, the Southeast, and all over America.  We are adding a small selection of wines this year, and we’ll also have a healthy list of ciders available.”
·         Scout’s Alley will be open and the games will be free for beerfest patrons.
·         There will be live music with Ocean Street on the stage of the Grand Entry Plaza.
·         The ticket price includes a souvenir cup, entertainment, and your beer samples.  Food will cost extra. You can purchase tickets at the Turner Field box office with no fees.
·         Parking will be available in the Gold lot at the corner of Abernathy and Hank Aaron Dr. for $5. Want to take MARTA?  Get off at the Georgia State Station, and then it’s a 15 minute strut to Turner Field.
·         “This is a 21 and up event; please no kids, pets, or outside food or beverage (pretzel necklaces are allowed). The event is rain or shine, no refunds will be given.  We have a lot of covered space if we need it at Turner Field.  Last call for beer samples will be at 7:45 p.m.”

Here's the layout below:


Plus, there are a gang of college games and a fight on HBO later that night!
Sheeesh!

See you this weekend!
Ale
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Tuesday, September 4, 2012

President Obama gets his homebrewing on!


Check out President 'Brewrack' Obama's recipes below, too!


Man, I have been receiving a lot of inquiries about this and I am answering the bell with pleasure! Undoubtedly, President Barack Obama has accomplished a lot of "firsts" in American history, but this is one of the feats I am the most proud to boast: He's the first President to make a brew in the White House! Sure, George Washington did it off grounds in Mount Vernon, but no POTUS has been a bigger advocate of the brewing movement since! We're talking about how Obama show suds love when settling controversial riffs (the Beer Summit I covered here), has local pub visits on his itinerary when he travels (see above), and the most significant when it comes to homebrewing, crafting ales on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave! 

After the Pres snatched up a homebrewing kit last year, there have been three delicious sounding ales that have reportedly been crafted since then. What's really cool is the fact that they collectively boast a common theme: they embrace his staff's infatuation with honey which is also produced within the House's fence on the South Lawn (another first!). Check out this video. Shout out to in-House Beekeeper Charlie Brandt!

First up was the nutty White House Honey Brown Ale, followed by their darker, more coffee-ish Honey Porter, and last was the lighter, refreshing Honey Blonde Ale (see below for the latter two's recipes). Now, let's give credit where it's due; it looks like the hands-on brewers were White House Assistant Chef Sam Kass and White House Sous Chef Tafari Campbell, but nothing gets done without the President's thumb's up, so props go to everyone under that roof. I wish I could sip one and see how well they came out, but after peeping this video, I would go out on a limb and say they look official. 



Now if there is a thick, smooth, and creamy imperial...errr, presidential stout aged in Kentucky's bourbon barrels or an extravagantly hopped India Pale Ale brewed with solely American hops next, that would be one hell of an addition to the President's beer portfolio. Plus, honey can go with both, so let's make it happen!

All in all, no matter what your political views are, we need to toast a cold one to President Obama and his staff, because it's all for the love of beer! 

Cheers!
Ale

By the way, here are the recipes in a cool, downloadable format courtesy of the blog for Whitehouse.gov here, but hey, I want to give you as much as possible on this site too, so here you go: 

The White House Honey Ale
Ingredients
2 (3.3 lb) cans light malt extract
1 lb light dried malt extract
12 oz crushed amber crystal malt
8 oz Biscuit Malt
1 lb White House Honey
1 ½ oz Kent Goldings Hop Pellets
1 ½ oz Fuggles Hop pellets
2 tsp gypsum
1 pkg Windsor dry ale yeast
¾ cup corn sugar for priming
Brewed with White House Honey

Directions
1. In an 12 qt. pot, steep the grains in a hop bag in 1½ gallons of
sterile water at 155 degrees for half an hour. Remove the grains.
2. Add the 2 cans of the malt extract and the dried extract and bring
to a boil.
3. For the first flavoring, add the 1½ oz Kent Goldings and 2 tsp. of
gypsum. Boil for 45 minutes.
4. For the second flavoring, add the ½ oz Fuggles hop pellets at the
last minute of the boil.
5. Add the honey and boil for 5 more minutes.
6. Add 2 gallons chilled sterile water into the primary fermenter and
add the hot wort into it. Top with more water to total 5 gallons.
There is no need to strain.
7. Pitch yeast when wort temperature is between 70-80°.
Fill airlock halfway with water.
8. Ferment at 68-72° for about seven days.
9. Rack to a secondary fermenter after five days and ferment for
14 more days.
10. To bottle, dissolve the corn sugar into 2 pints of boiling water for
15 minutes. Pour the mixture into an empty bottling bucket.
Siphon the beer from the fermenter over it. Distribute priming
sugar evenly. Siphon into bottles and cap. Let sit for 2 to 3
weeks at 75°.

The White House Honey Porter
Ingredients
2 (3.3 lb) cans light unhopped malt extract
¾ lb Munich Malt (cracked)
1 lb crystal 20 malt (cracked)
6 oz black malt (cracked)
3 oz chocolate malt (cracked)
1 lb White House Honey
10 HBUs bittering hops
½ oz Hallertaur Aroma hops
1 pkg Nottingham dry yeast
¾ cup corn sugar for bottling

Directions
1. In a 6 qt. pot, add grains to 2.25 qts of 168° water. Mix well to
bring temp down to 155°. Steep on stovetop at 155° for 45
minutes. Meanwhile, bring 2 gallons of water to 165° in a 12 qt. pot.
Place strainer over, then pour and spoon all the grains and liquid
in. Rinse with 2 gallons of 165° water. Let liquid drain through.
Discard the grains and bring the liquid to a boil. Set aside.
2. Add the 2 cans of malt extract and honey into the pot. Stir well.
3. Boil for an hour. Add half of the bittering hops at the 15 minute
mark, the other half at 30 minute mark, then the aroma hops at the
60 minute mark.
4. Set aside and let stand for 15 minutes.
5. Place 2 gallons of chilled water into the primary fermenter and add
the hot wort into it. Top with more water to total 5 gallons if
necessary. Place into an ice bath to cool down to 70-80°.
6. Activate dry yeast in 1 cup of sterilized water at 75-90° for
fifteen minutes. Pitch yeast into the fermenter. Fill airlock halfway
with water. Ferment at room temp (64-68°) for 3-4 days.
7. Siphon over to a secondary glass fermenter for another 4-7 days.
8. To bottle, make a priming syrup on the stove with 1 cup sterile
water and ¾ cup priming sugar, bring to a boil for five minutes.
Pour the mixture into an empty bottling bucket. Siphon the beer
from the fermenter over it. Distribute priming sugar evenly. Siphon
into bottles and cap. Let sit for 1-2 weeks at 75°.
Brewed with White House Honey

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Saturday, September 1, 2012

The I'm A Beast show was unreal!


Special thanks to you, Oskar Blues!
Man, the I'm A Beast: The Second Killing art exhibit presented by me new agency AllWays Open Creative was packed and off the chain! 
AllWays Open killed it at
I'm A Beast: The Second Killing!
The crowd was so diverse with beer lovers, art lovers, music lovers... it was like "We Are the World" up in there! DJ Rasta Root (my favorite sound provider, hands down), Hebru Brantley wowed attendees with the live art, and one of C. Flux Sing's pieces sold for $1,500 that night! It was amazing and my AllWays Open crew including Chief Designer Eric Nine, Photographer Mike Moore, Prop King Chris "Rated R" Rindal, and Sculptor Shawn "Dark" Knight was instrumental in making this one of the most memorable events this year! There was Oskar Blues Rep Dave L. pouring tastes of the Deviant, Old Chub, Dale's Pale Ale, Gubna, and Mama's Little Yella Pils, door prizes, dropped jaws because of the gangster art, cocktails, and even some boogeying down on the dance floor until 2 a.m.!  We need more events like this and I am dedicated to bring make 'em happen!
I am going to hook up photos from the night, but in the meantime, I had to send out a special thanks to everyone who made it possible: 'Nuff respect to Sam Flax; Sound Table's Injex and Billy; Speakeasy Promotions; Andrea Janise; Rebecca Red; Kevin aka DJ Swirv; 4Ize, TruthKinko'sBemHOToberfest; Creative Loafing; Thrillist.comSha; Claudia; OMG! CupcakesBeer Street Journal's Reid Ramsey; Rick Jacksonand a gang of others (forgive me for not listing you but I will!). 
Oh, I can't say much yet but look for an incredible event by AllWays Open Creative (our official launch) and SweetWater on October 18th at their brewery! I will be making an official announcement by the end of next week, but it is going to be unlike anything you have ever been a part of, trust me!!! 

Last, I want to thank you for reading my site and being in my corner. It means a lot, so cheers!

Peace,
Ale   
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ALE MAX Returns to Fuse Craft Beer & Sneaker Cultures!

Yup! It's that time again! Ale Max Day , the event put on by my boy Craig and I, will be in its second year, and it's going to be an...

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