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| A new Saison, casks, and where to go on Sunday... |
So now it’s another incredible year Atlanta’s beloved SweetWater
has been kickin’ major ass in the brewing industry! Every one of this brewing company's annual
throwdowns have been unforgettable, and each year they turn the gangster level
up a notch. Well if you were wise enough to get a ticket before they sold out for the 17th Annual Birthday Bash on February 23 starting at 1:45 p.m. (taps turn on at 2 p.m.), instructions,
suggestions and the overall lowdown is below. I am hitting up Birmingham to
visit a few folks including the J. Clyde Alehouse,
Hop City-Birmingham, and Good People Brewing to name a few, but
on Sunday I am heading straight to SweetWater to get my sip on!
Besides all the crazy casks, Freddy aka The Big Kahuna’s speech at 4:20 p.m., and the cluster of
other festivities listed below, I can’t wait to try their new 17th Anniversary SweetWater Farmhouse
Saison they will have on draft. The scoop is my homey and Head Brewer Nick Nock plus the rest of
the squad “…used 2-Row, rye, wheat, Munich, 13/17 and Melanoidin malts; Galena,
Saaz, Centennial and Amarillo hops; fermented it with French Saison yeast; and
then ran a secondary fermentation with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis.” It will be
a potent 9 percent ABV with some tartness to balance out this liquid haymaker.
Direct from the brewery’s P.R. squad, Nick says about the new Saison, “The
malt bill gives this brew an earthy, spicy flavor with a light and fluffy
mouth-feel, while the hops deliver a moderate bitterness blended with a bit of
lemon-lime citrus from the finishing hops.” He adds, “Together, the 2+ month
fermentation and cellar time, malt bill, hop bill, and yeast strains all work
harmoniously to produce a natural tasting, lighter-bodied (for high-gravity)
brew, perfect for some outdoors sippin’ in the spring.” Sounds hella good!
I hope to see y’all there! Okay, now for the deets…
The Party Lowdown...
Pimpin’ a ride
there:
Parking is limited, so we set up some alternative options
for y’all to stay green and safe:
·
FurBus Shuttle from the Lindberg MARTA Station:
The FurBus will be runnin’ a continuous shuttles every
15(ish) minutes to and from the SIP Coffee Shop at the Lindbergh MARTA stop to our front doors.
·
UBER: Our buddies at UBER have set up some sweet codes to
save you a few bucks on your ride:
o New
UBER user code: SWB17th (up to $20 off)
o Existing
UBER user code: RideSBC (up to $10 off)
·
Carpool: If you have to drive, pick a DD
and get your carpool on.
Getting past the big-ass bouncer rocking the baldy and
tats:
·
Don't forget your ID for entry. This is a
21+ event - without proof you won't get in.
·
Keep your Xorbia tickets handy – the quicker we can scan
your ticket, the quicker you get to wet your whistles.
·
You must have a ticket - printed or pulled
up on your phone. If you lost your printed copies or have any issues,
call Xorbia at 800-793-9040.
·
There will be no free “Designated Driver”
tickets at this hoedown since it's a capacity shindig.
When walking inside with a George Jefferson strut:
·
Check out our handy site map (below) for
the many places around the brewery to roam for beer, food, music
and more.
·
Your souvenir pint glass will give
you 10 tasting tickets that can be swapped for samples at any of our beer
stations. Certain specialty brews may cost ya’
two tickets.
·
If you have a hankerin' for tasty treats, bring
some cash. Mellow Mushroom's Bake Bus, On Tapa the World and Poor Huey's Hot Dogs will all be dishing.
·
Like a Locomotive will be gettin' down on our
main patio stage.
·
Join us at 4:20 p.m. in lobby where
our Big Kahuna will raise a toast and cut the cake.
·
Last call is at 5:45 p.m. and then
we'll have to ask y'all to skedaddle at 6 p.m.
·
Please leave the pups at home for this event.
Cheers!
Ale