'Tis the Season

Middle Georgia is a great place to be right now if you enjoy craft beer.  This year has introduced craft beer friendly laws to allow both growler stores and on-site consumption in those stores.  More Georgia breweries are available in the area than ever before.  The success of craft beer focused businesses is evidence that we have a craving for local brews.  If you're one of the many people checking out all Georgia's beer landscape has to offer, I have an excellent gift idea for you.

A Peach State Ale Trail Passport.

What is it?  Most importantly, it's a discount program that applies to almost every brewery in the state.  Since Peach State Ale Trail is also a Macon Made business, you'll also receive discounts at local growler shops.  Each passport comes with a variety of swag and access to events, which increases with the level of passport purchased.  Passports start at $30 which make them a perfect gift, and you'll be using it all year long!

Peach State Ale Trail has partnered with the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild to bring you this discount program, so you know it's the real deal.  I know what I'm asking for for Christmas.

VOTE!

Today is election day!  This is your opportunity to tell your state and federal representatives whether or not you like the job they're doing.  By definition, their job is to represent YOU, not their party or personal interests.  Whether you're voting for Georgia's brewery freedoms or preventing companies from taxing the Internet, vote based on the issues that matter to you.  Democracy doesn't work unless you participate - get out and vote!

Monday Night Pint Night at The Rookery

Monday Night Brewing out of Atlanta has finally worked their way to a distributor that will carry them in Macon!  Their well-designed bottles and tap handles have been slowly appearing in your local beer stores and growler shops over the past couple of weeks and now they're ready for their official release party.  The Atlanta-based brewery opened in 2011 and currently offers 5 year round beers - a Pilsner, Belgian Wit, Scotch Ale, IPA and Double IPA; in addition to their seasonal offerings.  They just picked up a gold medal for Wood and Barrel-aged Beer at the Great American Beer Festival, so it would appear they know what they're doing.

Come find out for yourself!  This Thursday from 6-8 PM, one of the owners and one of the reps from Monday Night Brewing will be on hand at The Rookery to answer your questions.  Blind Pirate Double IPA and Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale will be on tap with Fu Manbrew Belgian Wit and Eye Patch IPA available in bottles.  Buy any two Monday Night beers and you'll take home a Monday Night pint glass for free.

I personally recommend the Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale.  Not many breweries in Georgia are doing Scotch ales, and Monday Night's is a great example of the style.

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/599658726829876/

Macon HOMEBREW at the Macon Octoberfest

This weekend marks the second annual Macon Octoberfest and this year's event is focusing on Georgia-brewed craft beer.  A variety of music acts will be performing, including an authentic polka band hailing from Atlanta.  Tickets are on sale now and range from an $8 single day admission to a $40 two-day VIP package.  The VIP packages are your best value ($25 single day, $40 both days) and include a custom 32oz stein, 32oz of beer (or 8 4oz samples), a Bavarian meal prepared by Grow and access to priority seating, bathrooms and draft options.

Your hometown favorites, Macon Beer Company, will also be debuting their new seasonal offering at the Macon Octoberfest.  Eager to know more about their next offering, I sent a few questions over to Jeremy Knowles to see what they have in store.  Here's what Jeremy had to say.

What is the name and style of the beer you're brewing for Macon Octoberfest?

The brand is HOMEBREW. Using this brand as a medium, we plan on identifying up and coming homebrewers by showcasing a developed recipe and making it commercially available. This batch is our first and the homebrewer is CJ Holmes. CJ won last year's Octoberfest homebrew competition and he won with a peach IPA.

What all can you tell us about the Octoberfest beer?

This round of HOMEBREW is a Peach IPA. It is a 7.3% ABV, has around 70 IBU's and is hopped with Millennium and Glacier hops. Macon Beer Company partnered with Lane Southern Orchards to get the peaches from the Ft Valley location.

When were the peaches added to the beer and why did you choose that stage in the brewing process?

Peach puree was provided by Lane Southern Orchards and we added it to secondary fermentation. At Macon Beer Company we propagate our yeast from batch to batch so adding the peaches before secondary would likely result in our next few batches having some peach aroma or flavor. We didn't want to continue the peach theme but we wanted to have active yeast on the peach to get the flavor profile most closely matching the homebrewer's recipe. It made the most sense to rack the beer with some active yeast onto the peaches.

Macon Music seemed to be a big success, is this beer similar to Macon Music?

Though both MUSIC and this year's version of HOMEBREW are both IPA's, the comparison really stops there. MUSIC was more of a traditional IPA where hop overtones are the focus. HOMEBREW has a deep fruit aroma and finishes slightly tart but peach is really the focus.

After the Macon Octoberfest, will this beer be available around town?

The beer will be debuted at Octoberfest and will be featured around town. Supplies are limited but the brand will be available after Octoberfest.

What's your favorite thing about the Macon Octoberfest event?

The support the Octoberfest leadership offers to the Macon community through donation and engagement is really my favorite thing about the festival. It's also great the festival showcases Georgia craft beers. Georgia's, and really the southeastern US craft beer scene is booming. Not many festivals have caught on that Georgia has great craft beer and even fewer are brave enough to limit the breweries to only Georgia craft.

When will the next Macon Beer Company seasonal beer come out? Can you give us any details about it?

Macon Beer Company is still a company in startup mode. We're going to take some time to better equip ourselves for the upcoming year. Our next seasonal will be Macon Love and will be released in March in conjunction with Macon's Cherry Blossom Festival.

---------------

Congratulations to CJ and we all look forward to trying out your recipe as the very first Macon HOMEBREW!  The Macon Octoberfest is this Friday and Saturday and it looks to be a great weekend for it.  Tattnall Square Park is the location, and yes, the Atlanta German Polka Band will be playing both Friday and Saturday.  It's not Octoberfest without beer steins and polka!

Purchase your tickets here for the Macon Octoberfest and save a few bucks!

Georgia Picks Up Some GABF Hardware

The Great American Beer Festival is an annual beer festival in Denver, Colorado that is in its 33rd year.  From the consumer end, this is the country's largest beer festival, featuring 700 breweries, 49,000 attendees and spread over 3 days.  From the brewer end, it's also an opportunity to compete with breweries across the country for awards in 90 different categories of beer styles.  This year Georgia brought home 3 medals.  Here are your winners.

Creature Comforts - Curiosity No. 2
Bronze - American-style Brett Beer
From the Creature Comforts website: Our first bottled beer in the curiosity series of beers. Curiosity is a blonde American Brett beer refermented with kiwi and pineapple juice. This beer is fermented with our house Brettanomyces blend.

Coastal Empire - Dawn Patrol Breakfast Stout
Bronze - Herb and Spice Beer
From the Coastal Empire website: No information currently available.

Monday Night Brewing - Bourbon Barrel Drafty Kilt
Gold - Wood and Barrel-aged Beer
From the Monday Night website: What do Scotland and the American South have in common? An appreciation for good booze. But that doesn’t mean they always get along. We put our award-winning Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale in Kentucky bourbon barrels and let them duke it out in the cellar. Who won? You did. The chocolate, caramel, and roasted malts in Drafty Kilt complement the charred oak and vanilla notes in the bourbon barrels quite well. Notice we didn’t say “compliment.” Scotch and Bourbon still don’t send each other Christmas cards.

Congratulations to all three breweries on an excellent showing!

Check out all the winners here.

If Macon Drinks It, They Will Brew It

There are many beer destinations in our country.  One of these, Denver, is kicking off the Great American Beer Festival today, which is the largest beer festival in the country.  In fact, Colorado's governor is the co-founder of Wynkoop Brewing, located in Denver.  Oregon offers up the largest number of breweries per capita, while Asheville, NC carries that title for an individual city.  California has the largest number of breweries in the country and reinvented hoppy beers.  In Wisconsin, nearly 1 in every 3 beers sold is a craft beer.  The pacific northwest boasts the largest hop fields in the US and is responsible for most of the hops that define the flavors of American craft beer.

These cities and states had to get their start somewhere, as people weren't drinking craft beer in 1970.  In every case, a few daring individuals had the idea that they could open a brewery and offer up a local alternative to the huge brewing corporations.  Their friends and neighbors liked the new and exciting beverages, and a risky idea became a stable business plan.  Americans wanted more, and therefore more breweries opened.  State laws changed to support small businesses instead of mega-corporations and one brewery at a time, these states became world renowned for their brewing achievements.

Unfortunately, Georgia is behind the curve.  We all know that because the numbers don't lie.  We are 47th in the country in breweries per capita in 2013, and that's considering 2013 saw a 30% growth in craft breweries in our state.  That's also considering that Atlanta can claim two of the top beer bars in the country with the Porter Beer Bar and the Brick Store Pub.  State laws need to change to favor small brewing businesses, but we'll get there the same way everyone else did - one brewery at a time.

Something different in the beer industry just happened right here in Macon.  While it surely wasn't the first time to happen, it is a rare occurrence and I've never witnessed it before.  Macon was just handed a beer culture.  Over the past few years, local businesses have been interested in offering a more interesting selection of beer, especially downtown.  Growler stores, popular around the country, are opening in middle Georgia in response to recent law changes and have been doing well.  Macon is getting there one brewery at a time.  In fact, Macon currently has one brewery, which illustrates where our Progress lies, pun intended.

So what happened?  Macon-Bibb passed a law that allowed our growler stores to sell pints.  This sounds simple enough.  It's an additional line of revenue for stores only allowed to sell carry-out products.  But what it creates is something far different.  In most cities, a profitable beer culture needs to be established before anyone risks opening up a 50, 60, or even 100 tap bar.  That's a lot of beer to go through, and it's an expensive setup to build.  You need enough people to buy that much beer before you start selling that much beer.

This is essentially the Field of Dreams scenario.  If we build it, they will come.  What was anticipated to be an additional side business, has created a beer culture.  Lazy Dog Macon was the first to obtain the new license, and they're busy every night.  Macon is now the home of a 64 tap beer bar, and you can even take beer home with you.  That's something you can't do in Atlanta.  Growler Spot is set to obtain their permit at the start of 2015, which will add another beer destination to our map.

Five years ago, Macon was known for southern rock, a prestigious university and good southern cooking.  It's possible that in five years from now, you'll be able to add craft beer to that list.  If this experiment holds, it proves out the craft beer business model in Macon.  Macon Beer Company proved that we were willing to support a local brewery.  Now Lazy Dog has proved that we're willing to support a bar that only serves craft beer and wine.  No Bud Light, no liquor, no food (other than light snacks).  The opening month has been so successful that they've just extended their regular hours.

Congratulations, Macon.  We may not have built it the traditional way, but it's up to us to make it successful.  If we continue to support our existing and future craft beer businesses, who knows where we could be in five years?

Macon Octoberfest - October 24 and 25

Now that the dust has settled on the Macon Beer Fest, you're probably wondering to yourself when the next big beer event will happen.  Octoberfest is that event!  Macon Octoberfest is a 2-day beer and music festival that takes place in the newly updated Tattnall Square Park next to Mercer's campus.  Proceeds are being donated to the LH Harris Ecology Center, the Alzheimer's Association and the All About Animals Rescue Shelter.

Octoberfest isn't an "all you can drink" type of beer festival. Much like the Oktoberfest in Munich, Macon Octoberfest features a variety of live music (including a polka band!), Bavarian food and your pick of Georgia craft breweries (that you can drink out of a 32oz stein).  Tickets purchased before October 23 get you around a 20% discount, and are free with an active military ID.

Breweries featured at the 2014 Macon Octoberfest include:

• Coastal Empire
• Eagle Creek
• Jailhouse
• Macon
• Max Lagers
• Odempsey’s
• Red Brick
• Red Hare
• Service Brewing
• Southbound
• Strawn
• Sweetwater
• Terrapin
• Wild Heaven
• Yes Face

While 16 and 32oz beers are available, I'd recommend going the 4oz sampling route to find your favorite, then enjoy a nice 32oz mug.

The event runs from 4-10 on Friday, October 24 and 11-10 on Saturday, October 25.  Ticket packages are available for one or two days and there are also VIP packages that include mugs, drink tickets and food.  Hop on over to http://maconoctoberfest.com/ for more information and to buy tickets.

Stay tuned for tap lists as they become solidified and more information on Macon Beer Company's special event beer.  Prost!

Lazy Dog Macon to open next weekend

Just stopped in Lazy Dog Growler Macon to see their nearly finished space.  If you follow them on Facebook or Twitter then you already know it's looking very nice.  Just shy of an official announcement, it sounds like the target date for the grand opening will be next weekend, around September 13.  The new space is on the first floor of the Armory building, right under the turret, and features beautiful historic hardwood and terrazzo floors.

Lazy Dog Growler's Macon location will boast the most taps of any bar in Macon, with well over 60 taps of craft beer ready for you to drink in house or to take home in 32 or 64oz growlers.  The new location will showcase new growler artwork that commemorates their new store in the historic Macon Armory building.  Here are a few pictures of what's to come.

Macon Beer Fest Recap

The high was 100, but that didn't stop the beer-craving masses from flooding the streets of downtown Macon.  Much like last year, each attendee received a handy bag to carry their sampling cup and check sheet.  Many of the locations were offering draft beer this year, which was a nice addition.  The lines moved much faster than last year with many stations having an almost non-existent line.  Perhaps my favorite improvement was that I was able to try every beer.  I enjoyed my last sample at 7PM on the dot.  Last year there were 3 or 4 beers I was unable to try due to locations running out of beer.  Overall, it was a great day and I didn't even get a sunburn!

If you want to see pictures, check out my twitter @maconbeerscene or the hashtag #maconbeerfest.

Here's a list of what you tried at each location, and my quick thoughts on each beer.

Bearfoot Tavern
Red Brick Matcha Yuzu Super Green IPA - Do you like green tea?  Because that's exactly what this beer tastes like!  Maybe a bit much for me, but plenty of others around me were enjoying it.
Strawn Scottish Ale - My favorite Strawn beer.  Nice and roasty but light enough to enjoy in the heat.

Hummingbird
Jailhouse 4D IPA - Tons of hop character in this IPA. Jailhouse constantly changes their IPA and I think each version is better than the last.
Jailhouse Reprieve - Sort of a cross between a wheat and a saison.  Spicy, yet refreshing.  Maybe it was the heat, but I thought of it as a summer saison.
Note: The Hummingbird will have these beers on tap for $2/pint tonight (9/3/14)!

Lemongrass
O'Dempsey's Inukshuk IPA - This was my last beer of the day, so all I remember is that I liked it.
O'Dempsey's Big Red - Malty and sweet, just as you would expect.

Ocmulgee Traders
Orange Blossom Pilsner - Both the name of the brewery and the beer.  A sweeter, slightly fruity take on a light beer.
Sprecher Hard Root Beer - Tastes exactly like root beer, but the same alcohol as a beer.  Dangerous.
Harpoon IPA - An old favorite, a well-balanced IPA.

Downtown Macon Rotary
Back Forty Naked Pig - A nice pale ale, not too bitter, from across the state line in Alabama.
Innus and Gunn Original - This brewery is known for barrel aging all the beers, so it would be expected that this one had a hint of bourbon to it.
Anchor Porter - I suppose they had to get a dark beer in here, but the chocolate and coffee notes were a bit too much in this heat.  This would be a great winter beer.

Margaritas - Mercer Village
Abita Lemon Wheat - Sort of what you'd expect if you dissolved a lemon drop in a beer, which actually worked in a good way.
Three Taverns White Hops - One of my favorite GA breweries, this one crosses a wheat and an IPA for a summer take on the style.

Twang
Southern Tier Phin and Matt's - Easy drinking pilsner-ish beer.  Light and refreshing.
Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan - Been seeing a lot of this one recently.  A slightly sweet brown ale with a hint of pecans.

Ginger
Terrapin Liquid Bliss - Holy crap it's peanut butter and chocolate.  Not exactly a summer beer but would be a great dessert beer.
Sweetwater Blue - The summer classic.  Light, a bit sweet and a strong flavor of blueberries.

Cox Capitol Theatre
Max Lagers Hopsplosion - Whoa. The hoppiest thing I've had all day, maybe all summer.  Maybe even too hoppy for me.
Max Lagers Demon d'Or - Very sweet with some Belgian flavors. Glad I'm drinking it indoors because it's probably too boozy for the heat.

Ocmulgee National Reserve
Uinta Hop Nosh - I've had some beers from this brewery that I didn't like, but this one is a solid IPA.
Clown Shoes Clementine - A bit of hops, a bit of wheat and a bit of orange.  Refreshing.
Highland Gaelic Ale - Not sure what I was expecting, but this one tasted a lot lighter than it looked.  Kind of wish it had more malt.

Downtown Grill
Eventide Kolsch - A lighter beer that was appropriate for the weather. First time trying something from these guys and I liked it.
Wild Heaven White Blackbird - This was a more traditional saison, with plenty of spicy notes.  One of my favorites of the day.

Rookery
Macon Progress - The beer we all know and love.  Need I say more?
Macon Music - The latest batch of this IPA is the best yet.

Macon Beer Fest in 2 days!

The Macon Beer Fest is only two days away, do you have your tickets yet?  The event sold out last year, so there may not be tickets available the day-of.  If you haven't purchased tickets yet, you can buy them online here or from the Grand Opera House.

If this is your first year at the Macon Beer Festival, it's possibly unlike any festival you've attended before.  The Rotary Club of Downtown Macon and Mainstreet Macon pair together with local business for a one-of-a-kind pub crawl meets beer festival.  You'll receive a map and tasting tickets for each location.  Your beer destinations are spread across downtown Macon and you'll get to sample craft beers from Georgia and beyond at each location.  You may even discover a cool new bar or interesting restaurant along the way!  One thing is for sure, you won't have to travel far for a good post-festival meal.  You could even check out The Dirty Guv'nahs for Weaver's Weekend at the Crazy Bull after the festival!

What's new this year?  More beer!  This year's festival will see 13 different stations sponsored by local businesses.  In addition to the lineup from last year, Ocmulgee Traders, Margaritas, Twang and Crazy Bull will be sponsoring your beer consumption destinations.  A full list of venues can be found here.

In case you're feeling a bit guilty for spending your Saturday day-drinking around downtown Macon, don't worry.  The Macon Beer Fest is for a good cause!  Proceeds go to Pints for Prostates, a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness of prostate cancer through the universal language of Beer.  There will even be free PSA tests at The Rotary venue, just in case you need a little liquid encouragement to get tested.  It should be noted that they will only be testing your blood for PSA and not BAC.

Come on out Saturday and have a great time with the rest of Macon's beer-drinking elite!

More information: http://www.themaconbeerfest.com/

Macon Bibb approves on-site consumption at growler stores

Late this spring, Macon Bibb passed an ordinance to allow for growler stores to sell draft beer in to-go containers.  Growler Spot was the first to capitalize on this new law and opened shortly after.  Lazy Dog is in the process of opening their second location, and first in Macon Bibb, this fall.  Yesterday, growler shops were treated to a second important piece of legislation.  On-premises consumption is now allowed in Macon Bibb with the appropriate license.  Once Growler Spot has their license approved, you'll be able to enjoy beer flights and pints at their store.  Lazy Dog is expected to open with both on and off-premises licenses in place.

2014 is shaping up to be the year of the growler in Macon!

Macon Beer Fest 2014 Tickets On Sale

Tickets for the 2014 Macon Beer Fest are on sale now! The festival provides you with over 30 samples of craft beer from around the country, as well as an excuse to check out a lot of cool downtown venues. A commemorative tasting glass is included with your admission, and samples will be 3oz. If you're doing the math, that's a lot of beer!

There will be a VIP event for $40 more that includes special beers, a cask tapping, food pairings at Downtown Grill and a festival t-shirt.  This is the biggest beer event in Macon and it sells out, so don't delay in buying your tickets!

General Admission - $25 (incl. tax/fees)
VIP - $65 (incl. tax/fees)

Buy tickets here

Craft Beer Guide to Bragg Jam

You're in town for Bragg Jam, great!  There are tons of excellent bands on this year's line up and you've probably already charted your path between venues to see your favorites.  Although I wouldn't recommend seeing bands specifically because the beer selection is good, it doesn't hurt to know where you can find a good beer or two.  Here's a list of my favorites -

Best Venue Beer Selections

Hummingbird Taproom - One of downtown's live music mainstays, the Hummingbird offers 2 rotating craft taps.

Cox Capital Theater - The Cox recently came under the ownership of the Moonhanger Group (The Rookery, Dovetail), so you'll likely find a few craft options here.

Roasted Cafe and Lounge - Roasted offers a variety of bottled craft beer, including some Georgia breweries.

Twang - Hop a bus out to Payne City and you'll find a couple taps with craft beer options, as well as a few bottles.

Where to Grab a Beer Downtown

Downtown Grill - If you're looking to class things up a bit with a nice dinner, Downtown Grill offers a lengthy 2-page bottled beer list in addition to their great bourbon selection.

Lemongrass - At any given time, Lemongrass has 20-25 bottles on their list, covering everything from Georgia locals to Thai beers.

The Rookery - Perhaps the most dedicated to craft beer downtown, The Rookery fills all of its taps with craft beer in addition to a sturdy bottle list.  Their farm-to-table upstairs counterpart, Dovetail, has a bottle list more focused on Belgian beers.

Bearfoot Tavern - Bearfoot has recently listed out their full bottle list, and it's big!  You'll also find a few taps dedicated to craft options.

Most restaurants downtown now offer some craft options, as Maconites are becoming more familiar with the variety and quality of craft breweries.  For a quick grab-and-go, you can snag a Terrapin or Sweetwater bottle with your slice of pizza at Doughboy.  Feeling sushi?  Have a Left Hand Juju Ginger at Ninja.  You'll even find craft beer at the Greek Corner Deli!

And of course, try a Macon Music while you're in town.  It's the official beer of Bragg Jam and it's brewed here!  Just look for this tap handle.

Photo credit: Woody Marshall, macon.com

Bearfoot Tavern - Macon Beer Pint Night

The Macon Beer Company's next stop on their Pint Night tour will be Bearfoot Tavern tomorrow, July 17.  The event will start at 5PM and run until 8PM.  Souvenir pint glasses will be available for free with purchase of a pint of Macon Progress until they run out.  Swing by after work for a pint and a glass!

Mellow Mushroom - Macon Beer Pint Night

The Macon Beer Company is determined to have you drinking out of one of their pint glasses by the end of the summer.  Mellow Mushroom is hosting a Pint Night tonight with Macon Beer Company.  As usual, show up early as you get to keep the glass!  This Pint Night starts at 5PM and goes until 8PM.  Free glasses go until they run out.

Facebook event - https://www.facebook.com/events/319351368223083/

Barberitos - Macon Beer Pint Night

Hey Warner Robins!  Do you have a Macon Beer pint glass yet?  Here's your chance to pick one up for free, along with a discounted pint of Macon Progress.  Barberitos is hosting a pint night for the Macon Beer Company tomorrow (Saturday, July 12) at 5:30pm.  The event runs until 8:30pm, but the souvenir pint glasses are first come first serve, so don't wait too long.

Facebook event - https://www.facebook.com/events/842609805772789/

Wild Wing Cafe - Macon Beer Pint Night

Wild Wing Cafe on Riverside Dr is hosting a pint night for Macon Beer Company tomorrow, June 26.  If you stop by from 5-8PM and purchase a pint of Macon Progress, you get to keep the glass.  It's a Bragg Jam themed glass, so it's probably one you don't already have in your collection.  Stop by and show some support for the local guys!

Facebook event - https://www.facebook.com/events/539684139487055/

Growler Spot Grand Opening Today

Growler Spot is having their Grand Opening today.  I know what you're thinking, "Haven't they been open for a few weeks?" and you would be right.  But this is the GRAND opening.  You know, complete with scissors and ribbon.

Growler Spot will be open at noon, and the ribbon cutting will take place at 4.  Bottles of Westbrook's Mexican Cake and Founders Devil Dancer will be for sale, as well as growler fills of  Devil Dancer, Macon Love and Clown Shoes Space Cake Double IPA.  I hear there will be free gifts too.  The Mexican Cake alone makes it worth a stop by on your lunch break!

Growler Spot is located next to Carriage Hills Bottle Shoppe on Northside Dr.

Lazy Dog Growler Announces Macon Expansion

Shortly after their 1st anniversary, Lazy Dog Growler has announced they are expanding to downtown Macon. They have secured the corner storefront in the Armory building at 484 First Street and plan to open in September. No word yet on whether they will be able to offer pints in addition to growlers, as they recently started in Warner Robins.  The new Macon location is planned to have an expanded tap list and bottle selection.

Macon Beer Updates

It's First Friday!  Here are a couple suggestions for things to do this weekend.

Ocmulgee Traders is set for an open house this evening from 6-9.  If you haven't heard already, Ocmulgee Traders is an independent grocery store in downtown Macon, on the first floor of the Dannenberg Lofts building on Poplar Street.  In addition to all the stuff you'd expect to find at a grocery store, Ocmulgee Traders will also be offering growler fills.  The official opening is next week.

Ocmulgee Traders on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/305242512863825/
Telegraph article - http://www.macon.com/2014/06/03/3130821/downtown-macon-grocery-to-offer.html

A feature I'd like to add to the site is regular draft and bottle updates for our fine purveyors of craft beer.  Downtown Grill was kind enough to share their current bottle list with me on Twitter.  Here are some of the options you can enjoy this weekend if you're looking for a night out on the town.  If you own or work at a bar or restaurant that has a focus on craft beer, contact me on the blog or twitter and I'll advertise your current offerings as well.



Downtown Grill - updated 5/23/14

21st Amendment Monk's Blood
Allagash White
Anderson Valley Amber
Anderson Valley Bourbon Barrel Stout
Anderson Valley Hop Ottin' IPA
Ballast Point Big Eye IPA
Bell's Oberon
Blue Point Toasted Lager
Brash Texas Exile Porter
Breckenridge Avalanche Amber
Breckenridge IPA
Breckenridge Lucky U IPA
Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout
Breckenridge Ophelia Hoppy Wheat
Breckenridge Vanilla Porter

Carolina Flagship IPA
Cisco IPA
Clown Shoes Clementine White
Clown Shoes Galactica IPA
Clown Shoes Tramp Stamp Belgian IPA
Cricket Hill American Ale
Day of the Dead IPA
Day of the Dead Porter
Dogfish Head Birra Etrusca
Duck Rabbit Milk Stout
Estrella Lager
Fort Collins Chocolate Stout
Fort Collins Rocky Mountain IPA
Founders Breakfast Stout
Gaffel Kölsch
Great Divide Denver Pale Ale
Great Divide Espresso Oak-aged Yeti
Great Divide Titan IPA
Green Flash Green Bullet Triple IPA
Green Flash West Coast IPA
Highland Black Mocha Stout
Highland Cold Mountain Winter Ale
Ipswitch Rye Porter
Jack's Cider
König Pilsener
Lakefront IPA
Left Hand Stranger APA
New Belgium Fat Tire
New Belgium 1554
New Belgium Ranger IPA
New Planet IPA (Gluten Free)
Nimbus Brown Ale
Nimbus Oatmeal StoutNimbus Pale Ale
O'dempsey's Imperial StoutO'dempsey's Inukshuk IPA
Oskar Blues Deviant Dale's IPA
Palm Amber
Red Brick Hoplanta
Red Hare Gangway IPA
Red Hare Long Day Lager
Rogue Chocolate Stout
Rogue Hazelnut Brown
Rogue Irish Lager
Rogue Oatmeal Stout
Sam Adams Boston Lager
Sam Adams Cream Stout
Sam Adams Seasonal
Seadog Hazelnut Porter
Slammin' Sam Lager
Smuttynose Robust Porter
Spaten Oktoberfest
Sprecher Double IPA
Sprecher Hard Root Beer
Sprecher Stout
Stone Spröcket Bier
Sweetwater IPA
Terrapin HopsecutionerTerrapin Maggie's Peach Farmhouse Ale
Terrapin Mosaic
Terrapin Rye Pale Ale
Terrapin Wake n' Bake
Three Taverns Night in Brussels IPA
Tommy Knocker Cocoa Porter
Tommy Knocker Hop Strike Black IPA
Tommy Knocker Pick Axe IPA
Tommy Knocker Saison
Uinta Hop Nosh
Victoria Lager
Victory Dirt Wolf
Weihenstephaner Hefeweisse
Wells & Young Double Chocolate Stout
Westbrook IPA
Weyerbacher Heresey
Weyerbacher Last Chance IPA
Wild Heaven Ode to Mercy

Lazy Dog Turns One!

That's 7 in dog years.

Warner Robins' favorite, Lazy Dog Growler, has had a very impressive year.  What started out as a bare-bones growler shop, now boasts one of the area's largest bottled beer selections and an on-premises pub.  Customers are able to purchase beer by the pint, 32oz or 64oz growler.  Although they'll fill almost any container with a standard size and adjust the per ounce price to the jug.  I'm thinking of those 1L or 2L European growlers, and not milk jugs, but who am I to tell you what to do.

In a very appropriate move, Lazy Dog chose to fill their draft lines with Georgia-brewed beer on Saturday.  Strawn, O'Dempsey's, Jailhouse, Red Brick, Terrapin, Sweetwater, Three Taverns, Macon, Grumpy Old Men, Eventide, Coast Empire and Wild Heaven were all on tap and many brewery representatives were on site to answer questions.  Everything from fruity summer beers to hop-forward IPAs to high alcohol Belgian quads were available, guaranteeing something for every palate.

The first 100 customers received free pint glasses, and the line extended down the storefront before they were even open.  Those glasses went fast, but Lazy Dog had plenty more for those that stuck around later.  Their new summer hours are in effect, which means you can stop in as late as 10PM on Fridays and Saturdays.

Congratulations on your first year, Lazy Dog, and on being Middle Georgia's first growler store!  May you have many more years of success.

Judging from their online tap list, many of these beers are still flowing.  Stop by Lazy Dog this weekend for your Georgia-brewed hook up!

Growler Spot is now open!

Growler Spot is officially open!

Growler shops have been a huge success in Middle GA.  Lazy Dog Growler opened up just about a year ago and has already expanded to offer pints and wine on tap, as well as an increased bottle selection.  Growler Spot, the sister store to Carriage Hills, is set to bring the party north to Macon.  The initial tap lineup includes Georgia-based breweries Macon, Wrecking Bar, Jailhouse, Grumpy Old Men, Three Taverns, Coastal Empire and Strawn.

The shop is open this week and the grand opening is set for May 23.

Growler Spot Tap List - http://www.growlerspotmacon.com/portfolio/
Lazy Dog Tap List - http://www.lazydoggrowler.com/now-pouring-2/
Top Dawg Tap List - http://www.topdawggrowler.com/tap-menu/

Building the Site

One of the main goals of this site is to help promote craft beer in Macon and Middle GA.  One easy way to do that is to make it easier to find craft beer.  On the right sidebar I'll be building a list of local bars/restaurants, bottle shops and growler shops that share in the philosophy of this site.  Ideally, it will help myself and the readers of this blog discover new businesses and share their favorites.  If you see one of your favorites missing, post it in the comments and I'll add it.

Once we have a comprehensive list built, I'll start reaching out to owners and managers to see if we can start a regularly updating list of new offerings.

Welcome to Macon Beer Scene

Hi, I'm new here.

Just to clear things up, I'm new to Macon, not the Internet.  I like what I see so far.  The weather is nice and there are plenty of parks and public spaces.  This city embraces festivals and looks for any excuse to get together and celebrate.  Downtown is full of history, interesting architecture and a great revitalization effort is underway.  In fact, that revitalization effort is what inspires me the most.  It's happening all over the country.  When people take pride in their city and invest in the downtown area, the city grows and flourishes.  Supporting local businesses isn't a political topic, it's really a return to what made our cities successful in the first place.  Keeping your money circulating in the local economy.

What does that have to do with beer?  A lot, actually.  Breweries buy a lot of equipment and a lot of agricultural products.  They also employ our friends and neighbors.  There are nearly 3000 breweries in this country.  Around 30 of those are in Georgia, ranging in size from Sweetwater (who ranked 19th in craft beer sales in 2013), to Macon Beer Company (a couple friends who just opened a brewery last year).  The great thing about drinking craft beer is that on the personal level, you get a lot more options for your beer dollar and a more interesting and flavorful beverage.  The great thing about drinking craft beer from a economic level is that you're supporting American, Georgia and maybe even Macon businesses.  But I won't continue this lecture on economics, the real reason this blog is here is to talk about beer.

When I moved here, I couldn't find any beer websites talking about the latest beer offerings and events in the area.  I also noticed that Atlanta has a lot of beer destinations, and it's a short drive from Macon.  I think I speak for most of us when I say we'd all rather not make that drive and would much rather build our own beer destinations.  That's what we're going to do, you and me.  We're going to patronize businesses that promote and offer craft beer.  We're going to share our beer with friends.  We're going to prove to the rest of Georgia that Macon knows its beer.

Welcome to the Macon Beer Scene.  It may look like a website, but really it's all of us, our bars, restaurants and liquor stores.  Grab a pint and let's celebrate Macon.