Today is an awesome day for beer in ATL!

Courtesy of ESPN
The World Cup’s best beer countries collide, the best beer spots to watch it, and Rivals On Five’s gangster celebration of GA’s 14% ABV 10^th anniversary!

Okay, I am crazy hyped about today!

Every once in a while, there is a day where there is just way too much cool sh*t going down and this 1^st of July happens to be one of ‘em! Maybe because Rivals On Five (1227 Rockbridge Rd, Stone Mountain, GA 30087) is celebrating the 10^th anniversary Georgia passing the bill that raised the alcohol by volume limit to 14 percent in grand fashion tonight starting at 7 p.m. (Yep, that was July 1^st, 2004owhen Georgia woke the hell up, and Rivals ingeniously set up a gangster lineup of top-notch food and ridiculously hard-to-find beer to celebrate it which I listed below. Come out!)

Or maybe it’s because I am a rabid sports fan and the FIFA World Cup is featuring two of the best beer-making countries in the world—the U.S. vs. Belgium—and all of the awesome Atlanta brew spots hosting the game. In fact, I just tweeted my Top 5 for today including MidwayPub, the Brick Store, Cypress Street Pint and Plate, Taco Mac at the Prado, and where I will be today, Three Taverns Brewery, since it will be a perfect mix of Belgians and Americans kicking it while their brews are flowing. Also, I did features on cocktails for three different magazines including two with Lifestyle Publications (see the cover I shot cover and page 18 here) and Urban Lux which launched today (see page 14 here).

Anyway, I plan on Tweeting and Instagramming my arse off today leading up to the grand finale, and the aforementioned Rivals celebration tonight. Check out their menu with descriptions coming straight from the ten participating breweries, along with my initial post about the event here. You shouldn’t miss it! Peep it:

At 7 p.m. tonight, Rivals On Five will feature…

Southern Tier Zero Mile
Paired with: Heirloom Tomato & Burrata Mezzalunas, Fried Pasta with House Marinara

From Southern Tier: (Brewed for Atlanta Beer Week.) Before there was an Atlanta, there was only the terminus of the Western and Atlantic Railroad. That was quite a while ago and proved to be the impetus for the city. Atlanta has grown by leaps and bounds in the decades that have passed. We’ve dedicated a beer to the city, a fresh hopped India Pale Ale we call Zero Mile. What is a fresh hopped beer? As the name suggests, the hops are fresh–these were picked just 4 hours before being dumped into the brewing process. We used 575 pounds of locally grown hops including centennial, cascade, magnum, chinook and nugget to brew a mere 30 barrels. That’s over 19 pounds of hops in every barrel! One would expect this to be outrageously bitter, but you’ll find the bitterness to be balanced by sweet malts. It’s a bigger beer at 7.2% ABV, but we think you’ll be on the right track after your first sip.

Boulder Beer Company Whiskey Summer Rare Pilot Brew

Paired with: Ground Buffalo Sliders with Swiss. Grilled Jalapeno & Onions

From Boulder: Whiskey Summer: 6.5% ABV, our Never Summer Ale (deep ruby red in color, assertively hopped and brewed with dark caramel malts) aged in oak whiskey barrels for 4 months. 

Terrapin 2013 Oaked Big Hoppy Monster

Paired with: Beef Tenderloin Tartar. Oaked Big Hoppy Dijon, house pickled okra. Served on grilled crouton.

From Terrapin: Terrapin Beer Co’s big red ale is headed back to shelves. Oaked Big Hoppy Monster is not for the faint of palate. This monster is indeed, a monster. Big malt backbone, lots of hops, and aged on French oak. The last of a now retired beer.

Mother Earth Barrel Aged Triple Overhead

Paired with: Horseradish stuffed, bacon wrapped Shrimp Skewers

From Mother Earth: The flavors of our Belgian-style tripel keep rollin' in; filling your mouth with perfect peeling waves of unexpected pleasure. Respectfully aged in seasoned bourbon barrels, this beer offers you an amazing zest, balanced with flavors of warming oak. The result? A complex sipping beer that finishes smooth and sweet, giving you a glide you won't soon forget.

Shmaltz Brewing Company He'Brew Funky Jewbelation 2014

Paired with: Albacore Tuna mini-flatbreads, Parsley-Parmesan pesto

From Shmaltz: A blend of seven ales, aged in 35% Bourbon Barrels and 65% Rye Whiskey Barrels. Funky Jewbelation, the latest offering in our barrel-aged series, is available in 22 oz. bottles and a limited amount of draft at select bars nationwide. This year’s recipe features a unique blend of seven ales aged in Buffalo Trace Bourbon and Sazarac and Willett Rye whisky barrels, and hustles in at 9.4% abv. Funky Jewbelation is a mash-up of Jewbelation 15® (aged 18 months), Messiah Nut Brown Ale® (aged 3 months), Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.® (aged 12 months), Reunion® (aged 6 months), Origin® Pomegranate Strong Ale (aged 6 months), Rejewvenator® with Figs and Dates(aged 6 months), and Death of a Contract Brewer® (aged 4 months).

2013 Lagunitas Brown Shugga

Paired with: Mini Beef Wellington, Beef chuck tenders, puff pastry, carrot & onion

From Lagunitas: Originally a failed attempt at our 1997 batch of Olde GnarlyWine Ale resulting in an all-new-beer-style we like to call…Irresponsible.

Terrapin Rye³

Paired with: Spicy Creole Short rib of Beef, blackened

From Terrapin: Rye beers have been a part of our brewing arsenal from day one. “Rye”, “Rye Squared” and now “Rye Cubed” Triple IPA completes this trilogy of brewing excellence.

Anderson Valley Huge Arker Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout

Paired with: “Wild Turkey” wings, Sweet Tea Marinated, Wild Turkey BBQ glazed wings

From Anderson Valley: True to its Boontling moniker, “Huge Arker” is a massive force of nature that detonates on your tongue. After primary fermentation, the beer is aged in Wild Turkey® Bourbon barrels until it fully matures. The deep mahogany color is evocative of the opulence to follow. Dark luscious aromas of burnished oak mingle with candy sugar, bourbon and hearth-baked bread. The luxurious flavors redolent of honey and molasses are intertwined with the richness of dark chocolate and the ardent warmth of alcohol, underpinned with hints of coffee, vanilla and dark fruits.

Founders Devil Dancer

Paired with: Pat LaFrieda’s Hot Italian Sausage

From Founders: When you dance with the Devil, the Devil don’t change. You do. Massive in complexity, the huge malt character balances the insane amount of alphas used to create it. At an incredible 112 IBUs, it’s dry-hopped with ten hop varieties.

Left Hand 2004 Chardonnay Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

Paired with: Chocolate Mango Tart w/ toasted almonds

From Left Hand: 10 yr. old Left Hand imperial Stout, the pre-cursor to Wake up Dead! 10.4% ABV, a big chocolate and roasty stout that was aged on Chardonnay barrels for 4 months, then bottle aged for 9 years in the Left Hand cellar. Over the years, this beer has mellowed into a great vintage stout. It has hints of White Chocolate, chocolate covered almonds, soft and round roasted malts with a kiss of tropical fruit from the Chardonnay barrel.

Other offerings include…

Tomato Bruschetta; White Bean & Bacon Bruschetta; Rivals BBQ Sliders; Prosciutto & Soppressata; Romaine, Parmesan & Anchovy bites; Classic Buffalo Chicken Wings, and more!

Like I said, today is going to be gangster!

See you soon I hope!

Cheers!

Ale