By: Curtis Stockwell
As the craft beer movement continues to heat up (well, cool down this time of year), Georgia has become an attractive market for breweries. We have amassed quite the selection to date and in 2014 several additional breweries began distributing here in Georgia. Hopefully, after reading this article you will be inclined to try something new.
Blackberry Farm is one addition to the list of craft beers now available locally. Located in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, they are home to a luxury hotel and resort offering high-end cuisine, fly fishing, spa services and more. Lucky for us they have their own brewery as well! Their initial lineup up is comprised of “Classic Saison”, “Farm Ale” (Pale Ale), and “Screaming Cock” (Dubbel). These beers are very limited in production, so do not miss your opportunity to taste them. You never know when they might be back around!
Coming to us from Tulsa, Oklahoma, we have Prairie Artisan Ales. Their opening lineup includes “Birra”, a farmhouse ale, “Prairie Ale” a Belgian-style Saison, and finally “Bomb!”, an Imperial Stout aged in espresso beans, vanilla beans, and ancho chile peppers. I have to admit, I am most excited about “Bomb!” It received a 100 on Beeradvocate.com, a pretty solid indication of the caliber of beers produced by the guys at Prairie Artisan Ales.
Spencer Trappist is America’s first and only brewery to be recognized by the International Trappist Association. This very special seal has been earned by only 8 other breweries in the world. It joins the likes of Chimay, Rochfort, and Westmalle to name a few. The brewery is a part of the Saint Joseph Abbey in Massachusetts which is an important requirement for earning this coveted seal. The monastic community determines the policies and provides the means of production. The whole process of production must provide clear evidence of the indisputable bond of subsidiarity, with the monastery benefiting from the production, and must be in accordance with the business practices proper to a monastic way of life. Finally, the profits are primarily intended to provide for the needs of the community or for social services. Spencer Trappist Ale, a Belgian-style Pale Ale, is their only offering at this time.
To round off the list of newly distributed craft beers in Georgia we have the Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project coming to us all the way from Denver, Colorado. Colorado is home to some great breweries so we are excited to have these beers within our grasp. The “Vieille” is a Barrel-Aged Brett Saison. “Surette” is a Barrel- Aged Saison brewed with harvest grains. The “Surette Autumn” is a Brett-fermented Barrel- Aged Amber Saison with squash, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and anise. Lastly “St. Bretta Autumn” is a Brett-fermented Witbier with Citrus. I bet you’re wondering what is this “Brett”. Well, Brett or Brettanomyces, is a style of yeast that brings a funky tartness to its beers. Crooked Stave’s opening lineup brings along some very interesting and complex beers that I cannot wait to get my hands on. Keep your eyes peeled!
I will end the same way I usually do by urging you to get yourself out of your comfort zone and try some new beers. And hopefully you will be inclined to give one of these guys a whirl and see what the craft beer buzz in Georgia has attracted from around the country. Who knows what 2015 will bring, but I am sure it will be tasty. Cheers!
