In December of 2008 the Brick Store Pub was named the #2 Best Beer Bar on the Planet Earth, by Beer Advocate Magazine. It is pretty easy to see why this Beer Bar is a favorite of many. From the casual and conversation centered atmosphere (no TV’s or blaring music) to the incredible selection of unique and interesting beers to a competent staff which is well educated about the beers – Brick Store Pub truly stands out in the crowd. Add all of that to a solid menu of tasty food and you have a winner.
In this first episode from Brick Store (we seperated out our tour of their cellar – it is worthy of its own episode) we talk with co-owner Dave Blanchard about the restaurant and pub and how they played an integral part in converting Georgia into a haven for beer lovers and take a look around the pub and restaurant.
Be sure to keep an eye on our site (or subscribe, or follow us on Twitter) for part 2 of this episode where we head downstairs with Lee Dickson (beer manager) on an exclusive tour of their beer cellar.
If you are in the Atlanta area be sure to check out The Brick Store Pub. It’s just an easy train ride to Decatur, the train leaves you just about a block away from the Pub.
Brick Store Pub
125 E. Court Square
Decatur, Georgia 30030
phone: (404) 687-0990 WebsiteMap
In this episode, we head to Terrapin Beer Company in Athens, GA. We meet with owners and co-founders John Cochran and Brian “Spike” Buckowski, who is also the head brewer.
We were lucky enough to be there on a Saturday evening, just in time to enjoy their beer tasting and tour. I must admit this was one of the most entertaining brewery tastings I had ever been to. The atmosphere was great, we were outside on a beautiful sunny evening, with games and live music playing. No surprise that there was a really impressive turnout. I felt like I was at a picnic in the park, but with access to much better beer! Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 5:30pm – 7:30pm they open the doors for these beer tastings and tours. The only requirement is that you purchase an $8.00 Terrapin Pint Glass from the gift shop, this pint glass includes tickets that are good for 8 4-oz sample pours of beer. Tours run every half hour during the tasting. A great way to start off your evening.
This Georgia beer is not yet available in New England, but over Christmas we received a box in the mail containing two Terrapin Beers: Big Hoppy Monster (Imperial Red Ale) and India Style Brown Ale. One of our wonderful guests at our Vermont B&B, Forty Putney Road (they were from Georgia) had sent them as a gift. It only took a few sips to recognize the quality of these beers, Terrapin was immediately added to our must visit list. Luckily it wasn’t long before we were in the area for an innkeeping conference and were able to take the field trip. Of course, Other than the quality of these beers I of course really enjoyed the branding…I just love that turtle…he gets to do everything.
In the video John gives us some insite into the branding and that crazy turle while Spike gives us an inside look at some new beers he is working on. We enjoyed meeting both John and Spike and hope that you all enjoy our video. We will see you next time on Here for the Beer … Cheers!
While visiting Georgia for an innkeeping conference, we were invited to the Classic City Brew Fest in Athens. This event is put together by Owen Ogletree, BJCP National Beer Judge and columnist for Southern Brew News and Athens Magazine. The event is a charity fund raiser for the Athens Area Humane Society. We really enjoyed this festival it seemed to have a little something for everyone. The venue provided both indoor and outdoor space, which came in handy as we had a mix of sun and rain. They had a funky band Swords & Whiskey playing a mix of Classic Rock, Blues and Celtic music. We were surprised to find that the food and bottled water for sale was very reasonably priced, only $1 for a bottle of water. Usually at a Brew Fest food and drinks are marked way up because of the captive audience, but not here.
The best part was the BEER! This particular festival had a mix of breweries and beer distributors representing there brands creating a large variety of beer. From the novice beer drinker to the a more sophisticated palate, Classic City Brew Fest had a variety for beers for both and everyone in between. They had some larger brands such as Shocktop (Anheuser-Busch), Blue Moon (Coors) and Yuengling (new in the state of GA). We were amazed to see some of the more interesting brands from importers such as Merchant duVin featuring several of their products including Rochefort, Westmalle, etc… not just the 6 and the dubbel but the 8 and the triple. Another distributor brought their full line of Rogue including XS Imperial Porter and XS Imperial Red…these beers run $17-$20 per bottle retail. Quite a treat and not often found at a beer festival. During the day we got a chance to speak with a few brewers and owners including:
Cooper Creek Brewing Company in Athens, GA – Matt Buley, Brewer
Atlanta Brewing Company (Atlanta’s oldest Brewery) in Atlanta, GA – Dave McClure, Brewer and Dave Weil, General Manager
Terrapin Beer Co. in Athens, GA – Spike, Brewer & Co-Owner and John Co-Owner
All in all I would recommend the Classic City Brew Fest. We have lots more from the Georgia area on the way – so we will see you next time on Here for the Beer!
