Are you a beer connoisseur or do you just love a good beer? From Stout to Lager, Brown Ale to Extra Special Bitter, although the ever-famous Rock Bottom and Gordon Biersch micro-breweries are present, there are also several local breweries in and around Atlanta that will quench your thirst.
Max Lager’s American Grill & Brewery
This brewery invites you to “Taste the flavors of Georgia’s oldest independent brewery restaurant, located in the heart of Downtown Atlanta.” Max Lager’s offers an extensive range of hand-crafted beers. Master brewer John Roberts creates his recipes exclusively for Max Lager’s. And also offers Max Tap Rootbeer, brewed by JR, as well as seasonal sodas, including cream, ginger, orange, and grape. Max Lager’s creations include both year-round and seasonal beers:
Max Pale: A “West Coast” style India Pale Ale brewed with generous amounts of Pacific Northwestern hops. *Voted one of the Top Ten Best Beers in Atlanta by the Atlanta Journal Constitution
Max Gold: A Bohemian Pilsner style lager, this classic beer style has a medium body and a beautifully rich gold color. *Voted one of the Top Ten Best Beers in Atlanta by the Atlanta Journal Constitution
Max Red: A vibrantly red Vienna-style lager, Max Red is a mild blend of a rich toasted malt character and a subtle but spicy hop finish.
Max Black: Don’t be afraid of the dark! Max Black’s smooth rich body and complex chocolate-like malt character will change their attitude about dark beer.
Max Scotch: AJC’s Beer Pick February 03 Max Scotch “John Roberts’ interpretation of this classic style has a distinctively sweet malt character….the result is a deep brown caramelized brew with a very sophisticated taste. Scotch drinkers will appreciate the full-bodied mouth feel and the smokiness in the finish…” – Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Max Imperial Mocha Oatmeal Stout: Intensely flavorful, the roasted flavors are balanced by the hops giving it an overall bittersweet quality.
-AJC’s Beer Pick February 04 Max Imperial “This is the first time Max Lager’s brewmaster has offered an imperial stout, which in and of itself is cause for celebration…” – Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This complex brew is made with wheat and chocolate malts, flaked oats and barley, Maris Otter malt, and dark crystal. It’s hopped with Cascades, Goldings, and Northern Brewer. Max Lagers’ Imperial Mocha Oatmeal Stout pours to a deep jet black color with a thick and creamy head formation and a rich chocolaty nose. There are strong notes of licorice here, powerful notes of espresso, bittersweet chocolate, and a subtle hint of fruit. The oatmeal smoothes the beer out a bit, but in the finish the hops take over. They’re a bit minty (and thus work well with the chocolaty flavors), a tad grassy, and leave a lingering bitter buzz on the tongue that balances but does not overpower. Max Lagers’ Imperial Mocha Oatmeal Stout isn’t on tap yet, but it will be soon.
-“This is one very impressive beer. Kudos to Max Lagers once again.” ~ epinions.com
Max Winter Bock: This full bodied, slightly sweet lager has a smooth, rich toasted malt flavor and enough power to overcome the coldest winter day!
Max Common: California Common (also called “steam”) is a beer style developed in Northern California by German immigrants about the time of the Gold Rush. The German brewers had brought their lager yeast with them, but California’s climate (there was no refrigeration) was too warm for proper lager fermentation. The result was a beer fermented with lager yeast at ale temperatures. This method combines the smooth, crisp character of a lager with the fruitiness of an ale. Max Common has a Medium/full body with a caramel-like malt character and a complex hop finish.
Max Oatmeal Stout: Max Oatmeal Stout has a smooth creamy body and a rich roasted malt character with distinct coffee and chocolate notes and a dry hoppy finish.
Max Reserve Lager: Max Reserve Lager is a fuller-bodied, less bitter version of a Pilsner style beer. It has an amber color and a smooth, rich malt character and a floral hop finish.
Max Mai Bock: This is a traditional spring lager, often referred to as a Helles or Pale Bock. It has a full, rich body and a deep golden color. Its smooth toasted malt character gives way to a slight sweetness and a delicate noble hop finish.
Max ESB: English Special Bitters are brewed as “session” beers, made to be consumed in quantity while in the company of good friends. Max Extra Special Bitter has a slight caramel sweetness with a pear-like fruitiness and smooth rich body balanced by a complex Fuggles hop finish.
Max Hefe Wiezen: A classic German Style Wheat beer. Light and fruity with notes of banana and clove, Max Hefe is the perfect beer for a hot afternoon on the deck! Served unfiltered (The term Hefe means “with yeast”) and can be served with a wedge of lemon.
Max Summer Lager: Ultra clean and crisp, Max Summer Lager is a refreshing dry style pilsner with low bitterness and a light floral hop finish.
Max Kolsch: Max Kolsch is a light, German style ale. It has a light, crisp body, a slight fruitiness with notes of apple and pear and a light floral hop finish.
North Shore Ale: I recently found myself reminiscing with an old friend of mine about a beer made by a very small brewery on the North Shore of Boston. They celebrated the light, yet complex malt character and the perfectly balanced hop finish. Not quite a Porter and more than a Brown ale – they couldn’t decide what to call it. The brewery called it “Dark Ale”. This is my tribute to that much beloved beer of my years in Boston. Enjoy and think of late summer on the North Shore. ~JR
Max Oktoberfest: A classic German style lager, Oktoberfest has a rich toasted malt character with a clean dry finish. Oktoberfest is traditionally brewed in March, laid down to age through the summer then joyfully served during the Oktoberfest celebration in the early fall.
Max Pumpkin Dunkel Weizen (P.D.W.): An unfiltered wheat ale that ushers in the Autumn season with a glowing copper/gold color. Real pumpkin puree, cinnamon and nutmeg were added to the boil, giving a warm pumpkin aroma and flavor with a spicy finish. This complex beer is made even more so, with the addition of spicy Saaz hops, and the unmistakable banana and clove flavors of Hefe Weizen brewers yeast.
Max Abbey: A truly a very special beer. Its rich malt character and complex spiciness, along with its warming alcohol notes make it the perfect beer to go with dinner or just to be enjoyed on its own.
– AJC’s Beer Pick January 2003 Max Abbey “Max Lager’s brewmaster John Roberts has been creating some of the best beers in Atlanta for many years. His Belgian-style Dubble ranks near the top…” – Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 01/02/03
Max Lager’s is located at 320 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA. You can give them a call at (404) 525-4400 or visit them online at www.maxlagers.com.
Sweetwater Brewing Company
After relocating from Colorado to Atlanta in 1997, Sweetwater Brewery has brought a western flavor to the Georgia microbrewery scene. Six different kinds of beer are brewed under the Sweetwater label at any given time, depending on the season and the progress of new recipes. The company brewing and bottling facility offers tours from Wednesday through Friday at 5:30pm. While folks do enjoy the tour, the most popular stop is the last, where guests are invited to sample recent batches.
SweetWater Georgia Brown: It’s definitely one of the finer American Brown Ales. A deep, copper colored, mild brown ale. SGB is accentuated by a slight nuttiness from its malt character. Designed to be a session beer it has a real smooth finish with a subtle hop character (Gold medal winner at the 2001 Great American Beer Festival – English Style Brown Ales)
SweetWater 420 Extra Pale Ale: Their most popular brew. 420 Extra Pale Ale is a tasty West Coast Style Pale Ale with a good hop feel to it and a crisp finish. First brewed on April 20th, 1997 this beer has developed quite the following in the Southeast. (2002 Silver Medal – Great American Beer Festival, 1997-2005 Creative Loafing – Readers Choice – Best Local Beer, Silver Medal winner at the 1998 World Beer Cup , Voted top ten beers in Atlanta by the Atlanta Journal Constitution)
SweetWater ESB: This old boy has been put up on the shelf for a little while. He had been with them since the beginning. The time came for this guy to take a break. Sweetwater doesn’t pasteurize their beers, so freshness is priority #1. The old saying goes if you can’t make great beer don’t make it at all.
SweetWater Blue: Sweetwater Blue is a unique lighter style ale enhanced with a hint of fresh blueberry. When you drink this beer, take a good whiff first and smell the blueberry influence, but on the taste it’s extremely subtle and the finish is extra clean. This brew and the ESB were the original two to go through the tanks at SweetWater when they relocated in February 1997. (Bronze medal winner at the 1998 World Beer Cup, Fruit Beer category, Always the funky favorite at any outdoor beer festival)
SweetWater Exodus: This is a classic American Porter, poured on tap it has a good head that stays and leaves a nice lace. It is defined by chocolate malt, medium body, and smooth mouthfeel. Balanced by Golding and Columbus hops on the finish is a hint of bitterness. Don’t be afraid of the dark. (2004 Gold Medal – World Beer Cup, 2003 Silver Medal – Great American Beer Festival, 2002 Silver Medal – World Beer Cup, 2002 Gold Medal – Great American Beer Festival, 2000 Silver Medal – Great American Beer Festival, Originally crafted as the symposium beer for the 1998 National Craft-Brewers Conference)
SweetWater IPA: This mammoth IPA is defined by generous quantities of premium hops and balanced with a premium selection of English malt. Traditionally unfiltered, IPA’s lead to a slightly hazy appearance. An extensive dry-hopping process contributes to its very intense floral hop aroma. The IPA is unfiltered and as always, unpasteurized, to leave all the natural flavors intact.
SweetWater Festive Ale: Well, the temperature is dropping and the days are getting shorter. You know what that means don’t you? It’s time for WINTER BREW. A full-bodied, high-octane brew capped off with their use of cinnamon and mace. This beer will warm you all the way to their bones. It’s brewed only one day a year – only bottling 7200 liters, 3800 12 oz. cases, and a handful of kegs, so get it while it lasts.
Sweetwater Brewing Company is located at 195 Ottley Dr NE, Atlanta, GA. You can call them at (404) 691-2537 or visit them online at www.sweetwaterbrew.com.
Atlanta Brewing Company
Founded in 1994, this outfit now offers six different world-class beers, brewed and bottled at their working brewery in Midtown. Where as all the other breweries highlighted include restaurants where you can sit and enjoy, this brewery strictly brews and bottles. Their popular local brews include Red Brick Ale, Red Brick Golden Lager and Laughing Skull Bohemian Pilsner. Free tours of the facility are given every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Complementary tasting sessions begin at 5:00pm, followed by tours at 6:15pm. Reservations are required for groups of eight or more, and a full complement of Red Brick regalia is offered in the Company gift shop. For a tour and tasting, Atlanta Brewing Company is located at 1219 Williams St NW, Atlanta, GA. You can contact them at (404) 881-0300 or by visiting their website at www.atlantabrewing.com.
Park Tavern
This brewery sits at the southeast corner of Piedmont Park, Atlanta’s busiest public green. The Tavern also brews its own line of beer, which ranges from light amber ales to full-bodied stouts (draft beer for USD1), brewed on the premises by brewmaster John Stuart. The interior tavern is dark and friendly, with a fireplace – its two bars offering limited seating. But the main attraction is the patio, which overlooks the Midtown skyline. The Tavern offers both Year round and seasonal beers.
Druid Hills Pils: Light-bodied golden brew, with a smooth malty aftertaste, Druid Pils is crafted in the traditions of Old World pilsners, made with an excellent combination of imported malts and the finest Czechoslovakian variety of hops.
Park Trail Ale: A traditional Pale Ale brewed for the British-style ale lover. Full malt flavor, followed by an assertive hop aftertaste, Park Trail Ale is brewed with the best English 2-row pale malt, aromatic “Fuggles” hops, and fermented with their special ale yeast.
Olmsted Amber: Auburn-colored, medium-bodied ale, with a smooth finish. Olmsted Amber is their classic amber ale, made with select 2-row English and American pale and caramelized malts, combined with a subtle blend of hops. A well-balanced favorite, this brew is named after the legendary Olmsted brothers, the designers of Piedmont Park.
Spring Wheat (Available April – June): A German-style Hefe-Weizen, this light bodied crisp brew, is crafted with superior German malted barley, spring wheat, and fermented with a traditional German yeast which accents the delicate clove and subtle notes of banana.
Summer Blue (July – September): Crisp and dry, this refreshing golden light ale has a distinctive blueberry nose and finish. Brewed with American barley and wheat malts, it’s perfect for keeping cool during the dog days of summer.
Fall Fest (October – December): Their popular Oktoberfest Lager, made available when the leaves start to turn. Brewed with a delicious blend of seven German malts for rich body, traditional Halletauer hops, and cold store for the smooth finish.
Winter-Piedmont Porter: A rich and creamy brew, deep brown to black in color, with a delicious, full-bodied chocolate-like malt flavor and a smooth, lingering finish. A modern revival of centuries-old style of dark ale. Piedmont porter is crafted with their special blend of roasted, caramelized, and pale malts, balanced with traditional “Goldings” hops.
The Park Tavern is located at 500 10th St NE, Atlanta, GA. You can reach them at (404) 249-0001 or by visiting their website at www.parktavern.com.
Five Seasons Brewing
5 Seasons Brewing Company, located in the Prado on Roswell Road, boasts to brew “… the highest quality hand-crafted beers in the Southeast.” 5 Seasons Brewing Company uses only the freshest, best quality ingredients in all of their selections. There are TWENTY EIGHT hand-crafted beers on their menu!
Munich Helles: A golden lager in the traditional Munich brewing style. This is what you find on tap in Bavaria instead of a Pilsener. With more malt character and less hop bitterness than a pilsener, their Helles is full flavored but crisp. Slightly lighter bodied than their Seven Sisters Münchner.
Lionheart Pale Ale: A Pale Ale that is a blend of two well-known English styles, Extra Special Bitter and India Pale Ale. It is golden amber in color, mild in taste, but crisp, with a fruity, hoppy nose. Lionheart is full flavored, but not extremely bitter or sweet.
Copperhead ESB: A deep copper colored American style ESB (Extra Special Bitter) made with lots of crystal malt and dry hopped for that West Coast “bite”. This ESB yields an earthy, fruity aroma followed by a rich caramel, spicy flavor. The finish is slightly sweet and aromatic.
Blackbird Porter: Porter dates from the 1720’s and is the predecessor to Stout. This one is a Robust Porter with plenty of body and a deep garnet, almost black color. It is slightly sweet with chocolate & coffee aromas and a slight toffee/molasses finish. Hop and roasted grain flavors are present, but unlike Stout, the Porter profile is balanced with no single dominating component. Seven grains are used and only the finest English Fuggles hops to brew Blackbird Porter.
Velvet Heaven Oatmeal Stout: Sweet as Heaven, Black as Sin! A REAL Oatmeal Stout brewed with over 70 lbs. of the Quaker’s Best! Fuller bodied than a dry Irish Stout but not overly sweet. Seven grains, including generous portions of Chocolate and Black Malt and Roasted Barley give this brew a rich, chewy coffee & toffee character balanced by a “barely there” bitterness of Centennial and Fuggles hops. “Stout, it’s not just for breakfast anymore!”
Kounterfeit Kölsch: Native to Köln Germany, this is a unique light, crisp but flavorful German Ale. In Köln, they drink it in little 0.2 liter glasses and they drink it fast. Theirs is brewed in the traditional style with imported Kölsch yeast, a touch of Vienna and wheat malt and Hallertau hops. It has a light, quenching mouthfeel with a grainy, delicately bitter finish.
Big Blonde HefeWeizen: A real Bavarian HefeWeizen. Made with over 50% red wheat and fermented twice using two distinctive Bavarian Weizenbier yeasts. This is an unfiltered, lightly hopped thirst quenching summer treat with big mouthfeel, plenty of aromas like banana and clove and a refreshing tartness in the finish.
DunkelWeizen: A dark Bavarian HefeWeizen. Like their HefeWeizen, it’s brewed with over 50% red wheat and fermented twice using two distinctive Bavarian Weizenbier yeasts. It is an unfiltered, full bodied thirst quencher. Also lightly hopped, traditional Weizenbier flavors dominate, like banana and clove, but with a delicate caramel finish with only a touch of tartness.
Düsseldorf Alt: A dark Kölsch? Altbier hails from Dusseldorf and theirs is brewed in their drier style. It has a clean, dry complex malt character gently overlaid with a delicate roasted grain flavor. Alt means “old” and is brewed in the “old” German style, it’s an ale. It gets its clean dryness from a high addition of bittering hops with no strong hop flavor.
Bavarian Ecstasy Festbier: Similar to their Münchner, only BIGGER! This full bodied, malty, mellow amber lager is brewed only once a year, to celebrate the Oktoberfest. Munich & Pilsen malts make this beer big and smooth, while German CaraMunich malt gives it a rich amber hue. This style is also known as Märzenbier and Weis’n Bier. Best enjoyed in a one liter Mass with three fingers of foamy head!
Phoenix Pils: Pilsener originated in what is now the Czech Republic. And, like true Czech Pilsners, theirs is aggressively hopped early in the boil giving it a clean crispness without a hoppy flavor. It is brewed entirely with superior German Pilsen malt to give it a pale straw color, a thick, lasting rocky head and a palate dominated by maltiness. Fresh Czech Saaz hops provide a delicate spicy aroma. Phoenix Pils is named for the brewmaster’s original brewery.
Seven Sisters Münchner: Their signature beer! Named after the original seven Munich breweries that hosted Oktoberfest, THE beer celebration dating back to 1571. It is a deep rich amber Bavarian Lager (known as a Vienna Style to beer aficionados) with a full, round voluptuous body and a very malty finish. Enjoy with pork, roast chicken, sausages and mixed grills.
Me262 Maibock: A German Bock bier brewed for the late spring. Golden pale in color with a lot of maltiness, sweetness and body offset by the alcohol warmth of a strong beer. Hoppier than their Münchner, but not bitter. The hops balance the sweetness without dominating. A really “BIG” beer.
Sledgehammer: Originally called San Francisco Sledgehammer, they named this brew for its delicate hop character. If you like West Coast style ales with enough hops to chew on, you’ll love this beer. It is light mahogany in color with a slightly roasted big caramel flavor kicked squarely in the pants with plenty of hop flavor and aroma (though not overly bitter). They use nearly 20 pounds of fresh Cascade hops from the Yakima valley to make their Sledgehammer, so beware… this is a hophead’s beer.
Glenkevin “Wee Heavy” Scotch Ale: A Classic Scotch Strong Ale also known as a 90 Shilling Ale or Wee Heavy. Walnut in color with gentle roasted grain and mild alcohol warmth balanced with a moderate ‘sweetness’ and bitterness and very little hop aroma. This is a good ale for “sipping” after dinner with a cigar or as an aperitif. This is an ale to be savored rather than quaffed. Very popular in Belgium as an accompaniment to dessert. Belgians are the world’s foremost consumers of Scotch Ale.
Delirium Dubbel: (Belgian Abbey Dubbel): This is their Christmas and Holiday beer! A deep red/brown Abbey Ale often called the Burgundy of Belgium. Its a rich but crisp Trappist style dark ale with a flavor like no other beer. It is brewed with a special Belgian yeast that imparts fruity and almost wine-like flavors and aromas due to aromatic esters and complex alcohols that are the byproducts of fermentation. Very aromatic and slightly malty with some residual sweetness and tartness and a low hop bitterness/aroma. This is a warming high gravity beer made to be sipped and enjoyed in the colder months. It has been brewed as sustenance for Trappist Monks during Lent for centuries.
Demonic Dunkel: This is a classic Southern German dark lager beer (known as a Dunkel or Dunkelesbier). It has a pronounced malty aroma and flavor that dominates over a clean, crisp, moderate hop bitterness. They brew their Dunkel with three different European hops (Czech Saaz, Hallertau and Tettnang) to give it a complex blend of hop aromas and flavors that balance a delicate roasted caramel aftertaste. It is slightly dry but smooth, without the excessive sweetness or heaviness found in many dark beers.
Big Horn Bock: No one is sure where the name for this style came from, but the beer originated in the town of Einbeck in central Germany. In German, Bock means “stout” and is also the word for goat or ram (a German symbol of strength). Real Bock is a rich, strong, mahogany colored dark lager traditionally brewed in the fall and aged through winter (traditionally in natural ice caves). It’s a really big brew, loaded with chewy malt flavor, a slightly nutty aftertaste and enough body to make a Zeigfield girl jealous. Their Bock gets its deep mahogany color from lots of medium roasted lager malt imported from Bamberg. The Hallertau and Spalt hops are there, but do not compete with the big body and rich malt character. There is a saying in Germany – “The patron should not notice the strength of the Bock until he rises to pay the bill”. It’ll put horns on your head and hair on your chin!
Wired Straight Stout: Do you like coffee? I mean, really like coffee? They hope so. This Oatmeal Imperial Stout is dedicated to John Martinez; the late proprietor of San Gabriel coffee, from the Dota Plantation in Costa Rica. His coffees continue to be some of the finest in Atlanta, and have been for decades. Made smooth and creamier by the addition of oatmeal, they also used pounds and pounds of San Gabriel coffee, cold pressing it, down to 10 gallons of coffeenated goodness. Rich and full-bodied, with a higher-than-average alcohol content, this Imperial Stout is brewed to get us through these long Atlanta winters (those 2 or 3 days). Lots of roasted malt, floral hops and oh yes…coffee, come through on the palate. Though untested, you may actually be able to knock back enough of this to drink yourself sober!
GFYPA: In the true nature of 5 Seasons, they brewed a huge, in-yo’-face, West Coast imperial I.P.A. With copious amounts of Pacific Northwest hops, balanced by twice the malt of a typical India Pale Ale, this “hop-monster” will leave you breathless. Not for the faint of heart, you can be assured that if you love this as much as they do, you’re a true hophead. And if you don’t, they’ll, just remember…it’s Good For You!
Djokker Wit (Belgian Witbier): This 500 year old Belgian style wheat beer became nearly extinct until the late 1970’s when Pierre Celis revived a languishing brewery in Hoegaarden and began brewing WITBIER again. Theirs is a true Wit, brewed with 50% un-malted wheat then delicately spiced at the end of the boil with dried Curacao Bitter Orange Peel, Sweet Orange Peel and Coriander. A slight lactic sweetness is induced in secondary fermentation to balance the Wit’s creaminess and make it a tart, smooth, quenching summer brew.
Kartoon Brune: This is a little known Belgian style in America. It is an Abbey style Brown Ale. Walnut in color, it has the famous Belgian fruity and estery nose with a rich sweetness backed up with notes of roasted grain and banana. They brew this rare ale with seven different German and Belgian malts and an exotic “mystery” spice once favored by monks and mystic healers. It is then fermented twice, once in the fermentor and the second time in the cask to impart a gentle dryness and to mellow the wild Belgian character a bit. This beer will change in character and balance over time, so try it often and watch it “grow up”.
Witch’s Brew: This mystical tincture is literally out of this world! Blessed by two separate witch’s covens on the Fall Equinox, it contains small amounts of yarrow, Irish moss and Garlic… just enough, to cast away malevolent spirits. In this world, it’s very similar to an English Pale Ale; dark amber in color with a slight hop bite and aroma. It’s got a nice, malty back that makes it pleasant either by itself, or with almost any dish. Get it while you can, as it’s extremely limited to early Fall production. Are those ghosts screaming BOOO, or simply pleading for a Witch’s BREEEEW?!
West Mall Tripel: Like bread in a glass, their Trippel is a sweet, yeasty ale of Belgian descent. Still brewed today by Trappist monks, their recipe follows theirs perfectly to its golden, delicious conclusion. Served in a tulip glass, you’ll find it a wonderful sipping beer. It’s unfiltered, and some grapefruit, clove and banana notes may be present. West Mall Trippel was judged the FIRST PLACE WINNER in the Belgian Class during the 2004 GEORGIA CRAFT BREW CHALLENGE.
Spiny Norman’s IPA: This is an American style IPA. India Pale Ale originated when English breweries were contracted to supply ales to the British troops in India, in the 19th Century. They were brewed to a slightly higher gravity than local London Ales and then allowed to mature shipboard, en route to India. A dose of fresh hops was added to each barrel (a process called “dry-hopping”), to protect the brew from spoilage and increase shelf-life, as hops are a natural preservative. Unlike most military ration, IPAs really caught on in popularity with the troops who began to demand it in local pubs, upon their return home. American IPA is hopped a little more generously than its British cousin, with their more aromatic American hop varieties. Theirs is brewed with American, German, Belgian and English specialty malts and then liberally dry-hopped with a blend of Cascade and Columbus hops, from the Yakima Valley. This gives it a nice, bright, citrus, floral aroma.
Flanders Golden Ale: This is the Brewmaster’s wedding beer! A golden unfiltered rich, wild beer in the Belgian style. It is triple fermented with two different Belgian yeasts and one English yeast to fully develop all of its complex flavors and aromas. You will experience notes of banana, clove, bubblegum, coriander and passion fruit in the nose and palate with a finishing warmth. Known for its aphrodisiac qualities.
Chug Monkey Cream Ale: Brewed with five different malts and a generous amount of flaked maize, “The Monkey” pushes the flavor envelope for this style of golden ale. By using a unique brewing technique, called “first wort hopping”, they achieve a smooth bitterness and slightly fruity hop aroma and a light, smooth, thirst quenching brew. With its golden hue, gentle complexity and white creamy head, Chug Monkey is like sunshine in a glass.
Nut Brown Ale: This is a traditional English style Nut Brown. It’s slightly higher in gravity than their Pale Ale and gets its deep walnut hue from rich Belgian caramel malts and dark roasted British malts. English Fuggle hops are used in both the kettle and “dry hopped” during maturation to give their Nut Brown an earthy, balanced bitterness and a delicate fresh hop aroma, without that over-hopped bite. This is an excellent beer for the colder months and goes well with mussels, lamb and the richer, fuller flavored cheeses.
Five Seasons Brewing is located at 5600 Roswell Rd NE, Atlanta, GA. You can reach them at (404) 255-5911 or online at www.5seasonsbrewing.com.
Here are five of Atlanta’s very own brewhouses. Whether you’re just getting your feet wet, experimenting, or a very knowledgeable self-proclaimed brewmaster, each of these breweries gives something to appreciate. After all the research, the Velvet Heaven Oatmeal Stout by 5 Seasons sounds like a short road trip to me!
For a little help, Click here for some Beer Terminology!
