SweetWater Brewery

SchWheat Draft Debut in Early June

2010-05-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

This Year Round Beauty is an Easy Quaffing Unfiltered Wheat Ale which is delivering rays of citrus tones all over Atlanta - Debuted at the 420 Fest and every keg was quaffed up quick! Six packs of Sch'Wheat are poking their head up around town, and the draft will be flowing in early June.

Magnum IP hitting the beach

2010-05-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

the long awaited next installment of the Dank Tank - "The Magnum IP" will arrive in late June. This 100 IBU Imperial Pilsner will be delivering Mustache Rides for everyone!

Craft Beer Conference in Chicago/Gold Medal for the Creeper

2010-04-13T05:14:00.000-07:00

April 13th - 2010
The Craft Brew world descended on Chicago last weekend for the 2010 Craft Beer Conference and it was a blast. This year was also the World Beer Cup which is held every other year in conjunction with the CBC. The central theme of the conference is to allow the brewers in the craft beer community to come together and share stories, educate, and learn from each other. they]re is a pretty good trade show with all the fancy beer gadgets and technology on display (hopefully i found some cool new signs for SweetWater).
Check out the full list of courses that were offered here - i stayed in the marketing sales side of the seminars and hopefully retained a load of info - although those late nights and early samples made me a few brain cells lighter on the flight home.

Biggest Highlight of the weekend was the Gold Medal for the Creeper in the Barrel Aged/ Sour beer category!!! First Gold Medal since our Exodus Porter took home the hardware in 2004. The Creeper was the very 1st edition of the Dank Tank from January 2010 and it had aged for a year in French Oak that had been used as a Cabernet Wine Barrel by Silverado Winery before we got our fiendish little hands on it. Good News/Bad News - Gold Medal was the good news, Bad News is there is no longer any of this beer available. The price we pay for the barrel delights!
Check out the photos i took from the weekend. Another cool highlight was meeting Fritz Maytag owner of Anchor Brewing and a pioneer in the Craft Beer Community

Brew Your Cask Off Winners

2010-03-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

3/21
Cheers to a successful and sold out Brew Your Cask Off!
Thanks to all of you for your participation in this first event. We couldn’t do it without you and all our guest brewers tasty creations.

In case you haven’t heard, here is the rundown of the 2010 winners.

2010 JUDGES PANEL AWARDS

1st PLACE: #32 Fontaines | Hop n’ Spicy
2nd PLACE: #49 Gibneys | ELT ale
3rd PLACE: #11 Taco Mac | PNS reserve
4th PLACE: #79 Locos | Moose Brew
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
#50 Cypress Street | Knobzilla Vanilla Oatmeal Stout

BIGGEST LOSER
#37 Raging Burrito | Raging Xocolate

CHARITY WINNER
We are also stoked to announce our Charity Winner! With a whopping 356 votes – Atlanta Humane Society will receive $1876.00 from Brew Your Cask Off!

Remember the top 4 winning brews and the people’s choice will be recreated and served at the upcoming SweetWater 420 Fest this April 17th and 18th in Candler Park! Check out www.sweetwater420fest.com for all the details

Didn’t get to attend or can’t remember the entire event? Check out photo galleries now up on Creative Loafing and Metromix!

Creative Loafing
http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/cask_ale_festival/Content?oid=1452105

Metromix
http://atlanta.metromix.com/events/photogallery/brew-your-cask-off/1832224/content

Sch'Wheat joining the year round lineup

2010-03-17T04:38:00.000-07:00

Mar 17th
Sch'Wheat American Wheat
- Delicate rays of citrus hop overtones transcend into this light bodied unfiltered wheat ale creating an exceptionally Quaffable experience.
We will be sneaking a few bottles out in Atlanta over the next few weeks in the latest edition of the Tackle Box, and then getting after it with the official release happening at this year's SweetWater 420 Fest, April 17th and 18th.

SweetWater Brewery Featured on Hop Cast

2010-03-09T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hop Cast - Episode 86 from Hop Cast on Vimeo.

SweetWater is back on board with Bonnaroo - Feb 22nd

2010-02-22T04:45:00.000-08:00

Continuing our run of sponsoring one of the best music festivals in the country, SweetWater has signed on for another year to beer our delicious brews to the 80,000 folks who decend on middle tennessee every summer. Click below to check out the lineup and enter for a chance to win 2 VIP tickets

BSP Quad unleashed - Press Release

2010-02-19T12:03:00.000-08:00

ATLANTA Feb 17th– SweetWater fanatics rejoice since the release of the newest creation from the notorious Dank Tank on Wednesday, February 17, coincidentally the thirteenth anniversary of the brewery. BSP Quad is the latest in the series of rarely released, experimental beers from the Atlanta-based brewing company. Beer lovers need to act fast to get a taste of this one-hitter, as the concoction is available for a limited time only and is sure to fly off the shelves.

BSP Quad is a Belgian Quadruple Ale with a sweet, caramel and chocolate roasted body, a rich mahogany color, and a little spicy finish from the Sterling hops . This Quad is 11% ABV, and comes in hefty 22 ounce bottles with the widely recognized ceramic Dank Tank label, and on draft as well. It’s best enjoyed when refrigerated and will evolve over time if stashed with care in your cellar.

Dank Tank creations emerge from the dark side of SweetWater’s brewers and are few and far between, meaning those in the know are clamoring to get their hands on this brew. Only 500 cases and 50 kegs of BSP Quad are shipped out of the brewery, primarily to Atlanta and a few other lucky cities in the Southeast, including Tallahassee, FL; Raleigh, NC; Charleston, SC; and more. Like past Dank Tank beers, BSP Quad will likely vanish in about six weeks… gone, but never forgotten.

Spice of Life - 1st Place winner in the Atlanta Cask Ale Festival

2010-02-05T09:25:00.001-08:00

Jan 30th
SweetWater and our head brewer Nick Nock took home the gold once again at the annual Atlanta Cask Ale Festival. The Spice of Life cask Nick created was our Festive Ale that had been aged in a rum barrel for a few months. Over 400 folks were on hand at 5 Seasons at the Prado to taste 17 unique casks from breweries throughout the country. here is the website for the fest - check out all the photos of this event. if you missed it, don't sweat it our Brew Your Cask Off Festival is March 20th and we will have over 75 unique casks on hand from 75 guest brewers - I am sure Nick will have a few beauties there himself.

Interview with a Chef - Ron Hsu of Le Bernardin

2009-12-22T15:49:00.000-08:00

Do you prefer wine, beer or hard liquor? Favorite drink? I gotta go with an ice cold brew. My favorite beer would have to be SweetWater 420, which is a local beer from Atlanta.

Looks like he not only creates some of the finest food at one of the best restaurants in the world, but he appreciates great beer as well!

Thanks Ron! some of Atlanta's finest is on its way to you courtesy of the folks at SweetWater.

Read Rochelle Bilow's entire interview here

SweetWater's Night Before Christmas

2009-12-22T08:09:00.000-08:00

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the South
talk of a party was stirring, by word of mouth.
The koozies were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. SweetWater soon would be there.

The locals were nestled in Snuggies by their beds,
While visions of hop vines danced in their heads.
And Freddy in his seat, and I behind the tap,
Had just popped a coldie for a tasty night cap.

When out at the brewery there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bar to see who was the party crasher.
Away to the window I stumbled like a pro,
Tore open the door and tripped on a ho.

The moon on the breast of our new found friend
Gave the glow of mid-day like J-Lo’s rear end
When, what to my dilated eyes should appear,
But a lowridin sleigh, and eight groovy reindeer.

With a little old driver, with brews made to slaughter,
I knew in a moment it must be St. SweetWater.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he hooted, and hollered, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! Now Blue,! now, IPA and Motorboat!
On, Comet! On, Brown! On Festive and Choate!
He bounced off the patio! Barely clearing the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away y’all!"

He was dressed in Gore Tex, like an REI pimp
All his clothes were breathable, withstanding all temps
A bundle of brew, bottle openers and a stash,
He looked like a bartender raking in the cash.

He was chubby and plump, a right beer bellied jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
Some red lines in his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I would party till bed.

He slurred a few words, but went straight to his work,
And stuffed all the stockings, this dude aint no jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a shout,
They were gone like Elin and half of Tiger’s bank account.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘as they burned out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

SweetWater's "Brew Your Cask Off" Cask Ale Festival

2009-12-21T10:28:00.000-08:00

SweetWater’s Cask Ale Festival with a twist
SweetWater Give’s Retailers and Lucky Customers the opportunity to “Brew Their Cask Off”

ATLANTA (December 17th, 2009) – SweetWater Brewing Company is putting a personal touch on cask ale festivals by inviting some lucky ducks to come down to the brewery and create their own version of a cask ale. The “Brew Your Cask Off” Cask Ale Festival on March 20th, 2010 will feature 70+ cask entries all made on site at SweetWater Brewery by the fortunate folks who are invited or won the chance to brew their own recipe.

“We are creating a couple of base beers for them to start with and then letting their wild creative side take over from there!” said Mark Medlin, SweetWater’s Brewmaster. He will be overseeing all of the casks to make sure the final products are as tasty as the inspired recipes these amateur brewers had intended them to be. “Of course, we’ll have a few casks of our own for the festival as well.”

Those invited will be given a Cask recipe form and work directly with Hop City, a local package store and home brew shop, to pull together their master list of ingredients to go in their casks. They will have access to a diverse amount of yeast strains, spices, fruits, dozens of varieties of hops, and a plethora of offbeat adjuncts and additions. The only limits for this will be their creativity! All entries will be professionally judged prior to the tasting with awards for the Best Brews being given out during the Festival. Folks attending will also have their voices and votes heard as well with the People’s Choice award for the top cask.

The diverse list of guest brewers will include retailers of SweetWater brews, National and local beer media, home brewing societies, a few nonprofit organizations, and a some celebrities who will be stepping up to the plate to show off their skills. The non-profits will have the ability to not only have a cask entered into the festival, but also to raise some money for their organizations by auctioning off that privilege as well. Once on board, the guest brewers will work with Hop City package and home brew supply store to acquire all the necessary ingredients to create their masterpiece.

Kraig Torres, owner of Hop City says "We are so excited to be a part of Sweetwater's upcoming ‘Brew Your Cask-Off’ Pro-Am. We are huge fans of the beer and highly passionate home-brewers; frankly we aren't surprised Sweetwater has found a way to tap into both of these outlets! Our entire team - including our experts in beer, wine and home brewing - have contributed ideas for ingredients that will make each entrant's beer truly unique. Considering we stock more than 1,500 beers here at Hop City, we had plenty of resources for inspiration. We know it's going to be one heck of a contest. As always, Sweetwater has found a novel way to grab the attention of the beer world here in Atlanta and beyond."

For more information on SweetWater’s “Brew Your Cask Off” Cask Ale Festival, to see the full list of guest brewers, and to order your tickets for this one-of-a-kind event visit www.brewyourcaskoff.com

January 31st - SweetWater's Annual "Better Later than Never" Christmas Party

2009-12-08T07:33:00.000-08:00

SweetWater's Better Late Than Never Christmas Party

Always nice to do this a bit after the madness of the holidays, and 2010 brings a lot to celebrate. Join us at the Brewery, Jan 31st from 2-6pm - wear those ugly sweaters your aunt from Philly sent you and send her a photo from the party to show how much her thoughfulness means to you.

Lineup for the Day will be a live tunes from Rollin in the Hay, Our full year round line up, our Winter Seasonal Catch & Release "Happy Ending" a few kegs of SweetWater stash from the vault, and some Cask Ales which are not to be missed.All our year round brews plus the Happy Ending Catch and Release seasonal Imperial Stout
Plus
Big Medlin Barrel Double IPA - 100+ IBUs Barrel aged for 6 mo. in a French Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel
Wet Dream - Imperial Wet Hopped Red
BOBBB - High Gravity Wheat/Rye Belgian with 800 lbs. of Organic Blueberries
Sour Puss - Creeper (Belgian Triple IPA) aged for 6 mo. in a French Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel with natural souring agents
Donkey Punch - High Gravity Barley Wine
IPA Centennial Cask - Sweetwater IPA with an additional Dry Hop of Centennial Hops

No RSVP necessary for this sucker $8 for the souvenier pint glass, come as you are because this once a year Sunday afternoon at the brewery takes a little time to bounce back from!

SweetWater's Tackle Box Variety Pack

2009-11-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

SweetWater Brewery offers up a “Tackle Box” of tasty brews
SweetWater opens their Tackle Box just in time for the holidays

ATLANTA (November 15th, 2009) – SweetWater Brewery has released the newest addition to their award winning lineup. The SweetWater Tackle Box variety pack is a hefty collection of year round brews along with a “Secret Stash” brew in each box. This new package will be released in short runs, and therefore only available for a limited time as they tease the taste buds of craft beer lovers throughout the southeast beginning in Atlanta mid November. Sure to be the crowd pleaser when this gets laid out on the bar at your next holiday party.

The Tackle box will be stocked up with three of SweetWater’s most popular year round favorites plus a style that is a little something special. The box will always feature a few bottles each of the 420 Extra Pale Ale, SweetWater’s flagship west coast style pale ale, the SweetWater Blue, a lighter bodied wheat ale with hints of fresh blueberries, and SweetWater’s IPA, an unfiltered dry hopped to the gills India Pale Ale. The “Secret Stash” will change each time the package is produced and will vary based on the season. The “Secret Stash” could be the newest Catch & Release seasonal, an offering from the Dank Tank experimental series or a sneak peak at a style SweetWater is looking at for the future. You’ll have to crack open a case to find out.

The process of putting something like this together was a labor intensive and logistical challenge for SweetWater. Steve Farace, SweetWater’s Minister of Propaganda, remembered “We had this package designed 7 years ago when we were still cranking out brews in our original brewery out off of Fulton Industrial Blvd., but we just couldn’t pull together all the pieces to put it into motion.” With the brewery’s passion for the freshness of their beer, as their unpasteurized beer is best within 90 days, SweetWater had to look to outside help to make sure these cases got put together quickly, and into their wholesalers hands within hours of the beer being ready.
To make that pipe dream a reality, SweetWater Brewery has partnered with EnAble of Georgia, whose mission is “Enabling individuals with developmental disabilities to live full and independent lives in the community”. EnAble of Georgia has hand packed all of these cases. According to Amy Hines, EnAble’s Coordinator of Day & Employment Services, “our staff feels so good about being part of the community and also takes great pride in working with SweetWater directly to exceed their expectations”.

Also featured on the new Tackle Box variety pack is SweetWater’s partnership with the Atlanta Humane Society. With the tagline of “Adopt your next drinking buddy” the top panel of the Tackle Box features a unique web address encouraging people who are looking for their next dog to go to www.atlantahumane.org/sweetwaterbuddy.asp to find that lucky little guy or gal. Farace said “the relationship with the Atlanta Humane Society has been in our blood for years. The majority of the folks who work for SweetWater have dogs, and we always encourage folks looking for their next drinking buddy to look 1st at the Humane Society. They do amazing work down there, but there are still so many dogs that need a home, and hopefully the info and reminder on our packaging will get a few more four legged friends into some loving homes.”

SweetWater Donkey Punch Voted "Best Barley Wine"

2009-11-10T11:22:00.000-08:00

There are several hundred brands of barleywine ale brewed throughout the world. Many are made by America’s 1,500+ small brewers. Recently a poll was open for 11 days where Examiner.com/beer readers nominated their favorite barley wine ales.
See the full results of the Donkey Punch Domination here

Pat Forde from ESPN sampling the IPA and some sights in the South

2009-10-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

When thirsty in bedrock football territory of Birmingham, The Dash recommends a visit to the Tilted Kilt (39). Yeah, it's a chain, but this is one of its better locales. The TV setup is excellent, the beer list is tremendous, the food is good, and the wait staff is Dashette-intensive. Have the bartender pour you a Sweetwater IPA (40), watch some football and thank The Dash later.
read the rest here

Big Ol Belgian Blue Balls Pinata Party

2009-10-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

So we said goodbye to the Dank Tank's Big Ol Belgian Blue Balls and welcomed in the Wet Dream, but not without a proper send off - time to destroy those balls! we loaded them up with some nice adult treats and let some buddies at the tour take a few good wacks at em - good times indeed on a Wednesday Afternoon!

Festive Ale Liter Bottling Today

2009-10-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

Just in time for the cold weather in the South and the Holidays on the horizon Festive Ale is hitting the streets with a strut once again. This strong spiced ale is brewed with cinnamon and mace to keep you warm and toasty all season long. You can find it on draft in some choice locations around Atlanta, in six packs and hand filled and numbered liter bottles.

SweetWater and Whole Foods Bakehouse create 420 Extra Pale Ale Bread

2009-10-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

SweetWater Brewery Partners with Whole Foods Market® to Bake Beer Bread
SweetWater 420 Extra Pale Ale Bread Makes the Most of Local Flavor for Fall

photo credits - Dwayne Bass
ATLANTA (October 19th, 2009) – SweetWater Brewery has partnered with Whole Foods Market to create a beer bread baked at Whole Foods Market’s Bakehouse in Alpharetta. SweetWater 420 Extra Pale Ale bread is made from spent grains (barley) from the SweetWater 420 Extra Pale Ale brewing process. This new bread will be offered in all stores throughout the Southeast beginning October 23rd and sells for $3.49 per loaf.

SweetWater 420 Extra Pale Ale is SweetWater’s most popular local brew and is a tasty West Coast style pale ale with a stimulating hop character and a crisp finish. After brewing this award-winning beer at the Midtown Atlanta brewery, the grains used in the brew are delivered to the Whole Foods Market Bakehouse and used exclusively for the 420 Extra Pale Ale Bread. Pumpkin seeds and a rustic, nutty texture and crust round out the flavor profile.

Steve Schulte, South Region Bakery Coordinator for Whole Foods Market, said, “This is a great new bread for us and our bakers had a lot of fun developing a new recipe using SweetWater’s grains. Partnering with a local brewery is something we’ve talked about doing for some time now, and the result is a hearty, delicious, local bread that’s perfect for fall dinners and tailgating parties.”

Steve Farace, Minister of Propaganda for SweetWater Brewing, said, “It seemed like a natural partnership – we make fantastic beer but we have leftover grains, so why not work with Whole Foods Market and see what we can come up with to make sure this tasty stuff finds a good home. The result is delicious, and it’s all produced right here in Georgia!”

Beer and Cheese Fondue featuring 420 Extra Pale Ale Bread
Ingredients
• 3 cups, shredded sharp Cheddar
• 1/4 pound Gruyere shredded
• 1 rounded tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup SweetWater 420 Pale Ale
• 1 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• A few drops hot sauce or horseradish (optional)
• A few drops Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• 1 420 Extra Pale Ale Bread – bake at 350 for 7-9 minutes.
Directions
• Combine cheeses in a bowl with flour. Add beer to a small pot and bring up to a bubble over medium heat. Reduce the heat to simmer and add cheese in handfuls. Stir constantly, melting the cheese in batches. Stir in a figure-eight pattern with wooden spoon. When the cheese has been incorporated fully, stir in the mustard, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
• Hollow out the 420 Extra Pale Ale Bread to form a bread bowl. Pour the fondue into the bowl.
• Make cubes from the leftover bread that was hollowed, dip cubes into the fondue and enjoy.

Motorboat takes home a Silver at GABF for the 2nd year in a row

2009-09-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this while you can because our limited stash of this Catch and Release seasonal will be gone by early October. For now help us celebrate the 2nd consecutive Silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival and the fantastic success of this brew. you can see SweetWater Motorboat and the full list of winners here

"Local" love with a pint of 420 in the mix

2009-09-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

where, the bride and groom greeted well-wishers Monday night as they toasted with a Sweetwater 420 Pale Ale draft and a glass of white wine. The newlyweds ordered wings for supper since the groom’s parents had never partaken of The Local’s signature spicy poultry parts previously. Rest of the Story is Here

400 pounds of Fresh Chinook hops arrived this morning

2009-09-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

The next edition of the Dank Tank - the "Wet Dream" is being brewed today

Big Ol Belgian Blue Balls

2009-08-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

The official Press Release

SWEETWATER BREWERY SUPPORTS LOCAL, ORGANIC FARMERS WITH NEWEST RELEASE
Partnership with Serenbe Farms Launches “Farm-to-Bottle” Initiative

(ATLANTA, GA — 9.26.09) -- SweetWater Brewery is excited to release Big Ol Belgian Blue Balls, (BOBBB) a 9% alcohol/volume Belgian wheat and rye brew made with local, organic blueberries from Serenbe Farms. This is the first in a series of brews using local, seasonal organic ingredients, which SweetWater and Serenbe have dubbed a “farm-to-bottle” initiative.

BOBBB uses a Trappist Style yeast for this high gravity ale which SweetWater’s Head brewer Nick Nock chose to best complement the subtle blueberry undertones. The blueberries are certified organic and biodynamically grown from Serenbe Farms, and 750 lbs were picked by Serenbe farmers and a group of volunteers/beer lovers at their peak. BOBBB is part of SweetWater’s Dank Tank — a series of small-batch, experimental brews. The release is available as of Wednesday, August 26 for tasting at the brewery, and will be available on draft at selected restaurants and in 22oz bottles in selected retailers the first week of September, and will likely sell out before the end of October.

“This ‘farm-to-bottle’ initiative gets people thinking about what they’re drinking,” says Steve Farace, Minister of Propaganda for SweetWater “And as we have been brewing local beers for local folks for the last 12 years we know how important it is to support local, organic farmers. We expect this to be the first of several creative brews using farm-fresh ingredients.”

“Serenbe is known for its ‘farm-to-table’ initiative, with our three restaurants making dishes from local, organic produce grown in their backyards on Serenbe Farms. It’s a natural fit that we would extend that to beverages, so we were thrilled when SweetWater approached us about creating a beer using Serenbe Farms ingredients,” says Tucker Berta, director of communications for Serenbe. “Plus, SweetWater’s commitment to water conservation and protecting the Chattahoochee River is very much aligned with our philosophy and mission — we’re proud to be associated with them.”

SweetWater Brewery is a 65,000-barrel regional brewery located in midtown Atlanta specializing in producing aggressive West Coast-style beers for the Southeastern U.S. After six years of brewing, the brewery gained national attention when it was crowned “Small Brewery of the Year” at the Great American Beer Festival; SweetWater is the first and only brewery east of the Mississippi River to win this coveted 28-year-old “Super Bowl of brewing” award. The brewery is also a major sponsor of Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeepers (www.ucriverkeeper.org), whose mission is to advocate and secure the protection and stewardship of the Chattahoochee River, its tributaries and watershed. Tours of the brewery on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 5:30 – 7:30pm and Saturday from 2:30 – 4:30. For more information, visit www.sweetwaterbrew.com

Serenbe is a 1,000 acre community located just 30 minutes from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, with a focus on balanced growth, sustainability, green building, organic farming, and smart environmental practices. It was the first hamlet built in Chattahoochee Hills, a 40,000 acre city with an overlay plan that calls for preservation of a minimum of 70% of the acreage. Serenbe has private residential homes, commercial space, art galleries, original shops, stables, a 20-room inn with conference facilities, and Serenbe Organic Farms with CSA program and Saturday markets. The community is home to three restaurants, all practicing the farm-to-table concept—Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop (the nation’s smallest Silver LEED certified building), The Farmhouse (which has received national critical acclaim in Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines, and is consistently featured in local publications), and The Hil (owned by executive chef Hilary White, and has received national critical acclaim in Food and Wine magazine, and was named a Best New Restaurant by Atlanta Magazine and the Atlanta Journal Constitution). In 2008, the Urban Land Institute awarded Serenbe its inaugural Sustainability Award, the Atlanta Regional Commission honored Serenbe as a “Development of Excellence” with special merit in conservation, and EarthCraft named Serenbe the EarthCraft Development of the Year. For more information, visit www.serenbe.com .

Also a huge thanks to the volunteers who helped us pick all those fine Blueberries down at Serenbe
check out the whole photo set from the picking, photos courtesy of Dwayne Bass.

2009 "Save the Hooch" campaign raises $55,420

2009-08-22T05:06:00.000-07:00

SweetWater Brewery will present a check for $55,420–proceeds raised through its fourth annual Save the Hooch campaign–to Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (UCR) during the Brewery’s tour and tasting on Friday, August 14, at 6:00 pm. The Save the Hooch campaign runs from Memorial Day through the middle of July each year and engages beer drinkers, bar patrons, and restaurants throughout metro Atlanta in efforts to raise awareness and funds to support UCR’s river patrol and water quality monitoring programs.
Read the rest of the story Here

All American Rejects - inspired by SweetWater tours

2009-07-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

Sold-out crowd welcomes All-American Rejects back to ATL
From Access Atlanta
2:49 pm July 20, 2009, by Richard Eldredge
The All-American Rejects

A free concert by rockers All-American Rejects (along with a guest stint by the New York Mets), packed Turner Field Saturday for a second-consecutive sold-out home game for the Atlanta Braves over the weekend.

And in between hits at their post-game concert, Rejects frontman Tyson Ritter reminisced about the band’s field trips around Atlanta while recording their second album, “Move Along” here in 2004.

According to Ritter, the hits-laden record was partially inspired by repeat trips to Atlanta’s own Sweetwater Brewery on Ottley Drive.

Outkast’s Andre 3000 and his son Seven, meanwhile, took in Sunday’s 7 to 1 win against the Mets at the stadium. Alas, we’re told the pop star was not wearing his trademark 1970s era Braves cap.

SweetWater takes home 4 medals and 10th overall

2009-07-06T06:01:00.000-07:00

SweetWater took home a nice haul in the 1st annual US Open Beer Championship10th Overall

Gold - 420 Extra Pale Ale

Silver - Georgia Brown

Silver - Road Trip

Bronze - Dank Tank DP Balreywine

WXIA's coverage of SweetWater's Save the Hooch campaign

2009-06-30T08:48:00.001-07:00

AJC article on our new brew master and the Dank Tank

2009-06-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

The Dank Tank beers keep it interesting for the brewers,” Medlin says. “I really try to keep them involved. The first one we made back in December was the Creeper, a Belgian triple IPA that was [head brewer] Nick Nock’s creation, and we’ve been going strong from there. The next one will feature 500 pounds of locally grown blueberries -
Read the Rest

Vote for UCR for the $15,000 Grant

2009-06-24T07:36:00.000-07:00

Constantly in motion, constantly changing, a river gives voice to the rhythm of the natural world and reminds us of things that don’t change—our basic dependence on water for our very survival and our connection to a larger community. Our river is the Chattahoochee River, and we support, Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (UCR), as an Eco-Champion. UCR is the only nonprofit whose sole purpose is to protect the Chattahoochee, which 3.5 million Georgians rely on for water for drinking, business and recreation, and SweetWater relies on it for the water used to brew our beers.
http://tinyurl.com/lbgr4n

2009-06-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

Dank Tank 22oz on the way - Starting with the DP Barley wine

2009-06-03T15:36:00.000-07:00

SweetWater’s Dank Tank experimental beer series now available in 22oz bottles!

Emerging from the dark side of our brewers souls SweetWater’s Dank Tank is ready to unleash round 4 from this series of one-hitters off the dedicated Dank 50 barrel Tank. On June 25^th DP Barley Wine will also have the honor to fill the first ever 22oz bottles to roll off the line in SweetWater’s 12 years of heady brewery.

The Dank Tank is a series of Rarely Released Randomness and each offering will most likely never be seen again. Nick Nock, head brewer at SweetWater “There are so many styles that we are itching to brew. To have a tank at the brewery that is a toy for the brewers of SweetWater has been a blast.” So when the itch gets so bad and we just need to scratch it, the next in the series will flow.

The DP Barley Wine is the biggest farm animal to come out of the SweetWater barn. We bucked up and threw everything, including the kitchen sink, into this jackass concoction. This donkey will take you for a ride at 10.2% alc. vol. and hee haws over 142.0 IBU’s. Pucker Up!

Next in the line from the Dank Tank will be a huge wheat loaded with 500 pounds of locally grown Blueberries this summer, a Wet Hop Ale brewed with fresh hops this fall, and we are looking to round out the year with a tasty Milk Stout.

SweetWater Flowing in Mobile

2009-05-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

SweetWater 420 Extra Pale Ale draft rolling out May 11th
Atlanta, GA – May 6th, 2009 – SweetWater Brewery, the 2nd largest craft brewery in the Southeast, today announced that SweetWater 420 Extra Pale Ale will be available throughout Mobile beginning May 11. The roll-out will begin with draft only for approximately 30 days, to be followed by bottles of 420 Extra Pale Ale, as well as SweetWater Blue and SweetWater IPA.

“Mobile is a natural extension for us, it a beautiful place to visit, the locals know and support world class beer and the fishing is good to boot,” said Steve Farace, Minister of Propaganda from SweetWater Brewery. “We’re really looking forward to the visits so we can sample the local charm.”

SweetWater Brewery is recognized regionally as an environmental advocate, and champion for clean water throughout the southeast. By supporting and enjoying regionally produced products, consumers can enjoy their new favorite beers even more. SweetWater Brewery is founded on the principle that “We’re not here for long time, we’re here for a good time”, so we can all take steps make the world and our own back yards a better place by what we do, how we do it.
Folks in and around Mobile can learn more about SweetWater Brewery by checking out the SweetWater Brewery site: www.sweetwaterbrew.com.

Here are the beers SweetWater is bringing to Mobile:

420 Extra Pale Ale – Draft and bottles in early June
The 420 Extra Pale Ale is a tasty west coast style pale ale which has a good hop feel to it, and a nice crisp finish. First brewery on April 20th, 1997 this beer has developed quite the following in the southeast. 420 is extremely well balanced which make is our perfect introduction to a new town. Big enough for the craft beer geek to enjoy, but not so challenging of a taste profile that someone looking to sample the newest offering in town would need to be weary – That why we say “Drink em if you got em!”

SweetWater Blue – Bottles in early June

SweetWater Blue is a unique lighter bodied wheat ale that is enhanced with a hint of fresh blueberries. When you first try this beer take a good whiff and you’ll smell the blueberry influence, but on the taste it is extremely subtle and the finish is extra clean. Aint no fruit beer, but it is our breakfast beer and perfect for after mowing the lawn. This brew was one of the original two to go through the tanks at SweetWater back in 1997

SweetWater IPA – Bottles in early June

This mammoth India Pale Ale is defined by obscene quantities of hops and balanced with a premium selection of English malts. An extensive dry hopping process contributes to its very intense floral hop aroma. This IPA is unfiltered and as will all our beer always unpasteurized to leave all the natural flavors intact. If you are at the brewery you’ll know what every brewery working there has in their hand, that’s why we call it “The Beer You’ve Been Training For” SweetWater IPA recently won a blind tasting against 15 of the best IPA’s in the country by the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. Things we narrowed down March Madness style to a final four and SweetWater beat out the likes of Victory, Sierra Nevada, Dogfish, Stone, Brooklyn and many others to be crowned the “Best IPA in the Country.

By mid-2009, SweetWater beers will be available in 6 states across the Southeastern United States. 420 Extra Pale Ale is the brewery’s flagship brew, and with its other year-round and seasonal Catch and Release beers recognized for their brewing passion and commitment to “Don’t Float the Mainstream”

Falcons New Man Already a Fan of SweetWater

2009-04-29T04:56:00.000-07:00

http://blogs.ajc.com/peachbuzz/2009/04/27/newly-hatched-falcon-gonzalez-feted-at-chops/ The Atlanta Falcons’ latest pricey acquisition, Tony Gonzalez and his wife October were warmly initiated into the city’s sports elite during a dinner at Chops in Buckhead over the weekend.

For starters, the posh eatery’s owner, Pano Karatassos Sr. treated the transplants to a complimentary batter-fried lobster tail (one of his Buckhead Life Restaurant Group’s signature dishes).

Then, NFL Hall of Famer and Chops regular Fran Tarkenton introduced himself and greeted Gonzalez with a hearty handshake. NBA legend Charles Barkley, who was watching the NBA playoffs in The Club at Chops, came upstairs and bought the couple a round of drinks.

According to dime-dropping diners, Gonzalez has already taken a liking to the local microbrew, SweetWater Beer.

Sweetwater 420 fest

2009-04-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

Check out Sweetwater's 420 festival

Who we is

2009-04-10T15:55:00.001-07:00

SweetWater Brewing Company is a brewery located in Atlanta, Georgia.

The company was founded in 1997 by friends from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Kevin McNerney and Freddy Bensch. Originally on the west side of Atlanta near Charlie Brown Airport, as of 2004 it is located in Midtown Atlanta at 195 Ottley Drive, Atlanta GA 30324 in the Armor industrial district close to Ansley Park.

In 2002 it was voted Small Brewery of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival and Kevin McNerney was voted Brewmaster of the Year. SweetWater brews have won numerous nationally recognized awards at both the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival. Distribution is limited due to the fact that the beer is unpastuerized and meant to be consumed fresh; the primary market for SweetWater is Atlanta and the surrounding area. However, SweetWater is distributed to other areas of the Southeastern United States, including Nashville, TN, Asheville, Charlotte & Greensboro, NC, Greenville, Columbia & Charleston, SC, Birmingham, AL, and the Florida panhandle including Tallahassee extending westward into Pensacola and as far south as Gainesville. In all markets SweetWater is available on tap as well as in a bottle.

Best known for their SweetWater 420 pale ale, they also make the popular SweetWater Blue, a wheat ale with hints of fresh blueberries. Other brews include the Sweetwater IPA, Georgia Brown, Happy Ending Imperial Stout, Hummer (a wheat beer), and the Festive Ale. Discontinued brews include the SweetWater ESB, originally known as the SweetWater Ale, SweetWater Dubble D's, and the SweetWater Exodus Porter. SweetWater also feature it's Catch and Release series of beers available on a limited basis throughout the year. Early in the Year is Happy Ending, A Dry Hopped Stout - Road Trip, a Pilsner Style Ale is available spring through Summer, Motor Boat, a modified version of the ESB is out in the fall, and Festive Ale is the strong spiced ale.

On August 28th 2007 SweetWater Draft House opened its doors on the B Concourse of Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. The SweetWater Draft House features 4 of SweetWater's Beers on Draft and SweetWater's look and culture throughout the space.