Olympic Thirst

by Lisa Gros

So Olympic fever has gripped you. You have rushed out and bought the last two tickets to power weight lifting. You’re all ready to set off for Atlanta -- you just need to know where to get good beer.

Well, luckily Bryan and I, in our search for good beer in the South, ventured to Atlanta to scout out the beer venues which seem to be popping up daily there. Here is the medal breakdown of the brewpubs we tried.

GOLD With scores nearing that perfect 10.0, the gold goes to Phoenix Brewing Company. Not only is their facility great, their beer and food are top notch. The night that we visited Phoenix, they had five beers on tap including a Maibock, a (pseudo) Wee Heavy, an Oatmeal Stout, a Bohemian Pilsener, and a Munich Style lager. All the beers were very good. Especially nice were the Maibock, which was malty but a little bit bitter, and the Oatmeal Stout, which was served with low carbonation giving it a very smooth, rich mouthfeel. The Wee Heavy was timid and certainly not fitting the style--not surprising since the law does not allow them to brew a beer higher than 6% v/v.

The interesting thing about the Georgia brewpub law is that it requires them to carry other beers besides their own. Phoenix offered Budweiser and Samuel Adams. Another interesting thing is that they serve their beers in appropriate glassware. The Maibock was served in a 14 oz. Pilsener glass, the Wee Heavy in a 12 oz. brandy snifter, the Stout in an 18 oz. straight-sided pint glass (a bigger version of the glass that is cursed by Bob Jones), the Pilsener in the pilsener glass, and the Munich lager in a 1/2 liter mug. The prices ranged from $3.50 for the pils to $4.00 for the Munich Style lager.

The food at Phoenix is an eclectic mix with appetizers like crabcakes and barbecued portabello mushrooms with polenta. Entrees ranged from venison "osso bucco" to shrimp tamales. The prices were very reasonable and the food tasted as good as it sounds.

SILVER Atlanta Beer Garden. Located in the heart of Buckhead, one of the hottest spots in Atlanta (that means parking is hard to find). The Beer Garden is large and open with the main focus being a figure-eight closed type of bar with big German ceramic Beer tap holder. The bar shape allows for cozy alcoves for intimate conversation, with the front part of the bar open and spilling out into a patio. They had several TVs around and loud music playing.

They had six beers on tap when we were there: Lunatic lager, Beer Garden Alt, Plantation Porter, Buffalo Skull, a Buckred ale, and Scarlett’s Peach Wheat. The beers tended to be milder and less distinct than those at Phoenix. The alt was mild but well balanced, and the lager was also light, but had a bit of hop bitterness. The Buckred ale was sweet, but had an astringent finish. The Plantation Porter was very dark and a bit roasty; it seemed to be served warmer than the other beers. The peach beer seemed artificially flavored, but we’re not big fans of fruit beers. The Buffalo Skull was a thin dark lager with a hint of chocolate malt flavor. Don’t go there just for the beers, but it would be a fun place with a group.

BRONZE John Harvard’s. Also located in Buckhead, John Harvard’s was a very popular place to be. In fact, at 5 or 6 on a Saturday evening, there was a long line for the patio. Harvard’s earns the bronze because their beers were unimpressive. The most interesting thing was that they posted the original gravity of each of their beers and the date they went on tap.

The bar and restaurant were quite spacious, and the interior was elegant with dark wood paneling and stained glass to go with the copper brewing kettles. The menu looked good; I would definitely give Harvard’s another try.

A quick note on the archaic laws here in the South. The Georgia brewpub law states that the maximum alcohol allowed in a beer is 6 percent by volume. If that sounds bad, then you’ll be shocked to hear that the maximum alcohol allowed in a beer (any beer) in Tennessee is 5 percent. I don’t know how they’re going to make a Christmas beer! In Atlanta, however, you can find a good selection of bottled beers. (And, according to Michael Lewis’ book Stout, Atlanta and Boston are the only places where you can find Beamish Stout). Also, the Georgia law states that brewpubs must carry beers other than those brewed. This is a strange requirement, but it has a nice benefit. Phoenix, for example, carries Budweiser and Samuel Adams lager in bottles. People who like these lighter beer styles can get a Bud. This situation allows the brewer to concentrate on the styles that he or she likes, so the lightest of the five beers at Phoenix is the Pilsener—which was pretty hoppy. In Tennessee, however, the brewpubs generally have two of the five or six beers be really light—a Kolsh or a cream ale or an American wheat.

So again, think about how fortunate you are the next time you’re at the pub enjoying an Old Foghorn. And when you’re in Atlanta, there are plenty of places to get a good beer--so go for the gold.