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Day one — Saturday, September 23 — was electric for more than 1,500 attendees, largely due to the live, outdoor performance of the Grammy-nominated and native Atlanta hip-hop group Nappy Roots. A sea of hands waved in synchronization to the thumping beats and infectious hooks, and their mouths followed word for word whatever lyrics the rappers recited. And, of course, everyone carefully held onto one of the seemingly countless brews of choice offered throughout the evening. Justly, Nappy Roots’ favorite brew was the Front Porch Pale Ale because they actually made it, alongside Monday Night’s brewmaster Peter Kiley, at the original West Midtown location.

I have exchanged head nods and daps with the Nappy Roots over the years at different Atlanta functions, but we truly solidified a friendship when I was invited to document them brewing the Front Porch in April 2017. Members Skinny Deville, Fish Scales, and 808 Blake were literally hands on, shoveling the grains, adding hops and carefully following Kiley’s instructions while their cameraman filmed the process. The artists’ excitement and willingness to learn from a revered brewer on Monday Night’s pilot system was evident, but the Roots members were not complete novices to the world of craft beer.

(MORE: Inside Atlanta’s New Beer Hangout: Monday Night Brewing’s Garage)

“They were undoubtedly brew heads,” Kiley says as we have a few beers at the world-renowned Brick Store beer bar in Decatur, Georgia. A mutual friend had connected Kiley with the group, and they got together at the original Monday Night Brewery location. “After three hours of drinking [with them], I said, ‘Let’s make a beer! Actually, hell, let’s do it tomorrow!’”

And that’s how the Front Porch Pale Ale came to be. “It was just in time for their album release of ‘Another 40Akerz’ — that’s why we made it 40 IBUs [International Bitterness Units],” Kiley says. “This led to the album release party we hosted at the brewery, which was awesome. I mean, you have to remember they are Grammy-nominated, so they’ve got hits and a serious following.”

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Kiley is not only a talented brewer; he has extensive experience as a winemaker, serves also as Monday Night’s lab director, and knows how to utilize the complex notes a wine or spirit’s barrel can produce. The latter skill was ideal for the next collaboration.

“Following the Porch, we made the Humdinger, an imperial stout that pays respects to Nappy’s Kentucky roots by aging it in bourbon barrels.” Kiley says. “That was totally different for them because of the amount of time it took. Aging is so important to me. They all couldn’t wait to try it, but Scales was so eager to taste it! He was like how we were as kids asking our parents ‘Are we there yet?’ constantly. [Laughing] Then they finally got a chance to when we added three pounds of Ugandan vanilla beans about seven months in. The end result was a phenomenal imperial stout we were all proud of.”

(MORE: The New England Style IPA is The Anti-IPA)

To further prove how much Kiley and the Monday Night team cared for Nappy Roots’ development of brewing expertise, they passed on their SABCO pilot brewhouse, which became the Roots’ homebrewing setup for their Atlantucky beers.

Soon after, I met up with Nappy Roots to try a few of those homebrews along with a sneak peek of their first canned collaboration with Against The Grain at their Atlantucky headquarters; it was a garage-turned-man cave of Fish Scales’ Hapeville, Georgia, home. Besides the record plaques, seats and the aforementioned brewing system, the setup was adorned by a suspended 50-inch high-definition television playing videos of legendary hip-hop artists from the “Golden Era” of the ‘90s on shuffle. Our conversation sparked off when Fish Scales and Skinny Deville started sharing memories crossing paths with virtually every artist who appeared on the screen.

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Our palates were lubricated with their impressively brewed concoctions, including the Strawberry Shawtcake Cream Ale and Mr. White White IPA poured directly from chilled Cornelius kegs. Both were well-balanced, perfectly carbonated and ideal for the early summer climate. And then it was time to taste their Watermelon, Chiquen and Gritz Golden Ale, brewed with watermelon. Following the formula of naming it after one of their albums, this one was their first canned concoction set for retail. It’s a collaboration with Louisville-based microbrewery Against The Grain, and further solidifies the Roots’ mission to connect the Peach State with the Bluegrass State. The label’s artwork is mostly pink with a green ring along the 16-ounce can’s base to replicate its refreshing adjunct; the name is printed as if it were tagged with a marker on a wall. The ale’s balance and subtle sweetness did not disappoint, with an easy-drinking quality that made it a sneaky 6.15% ABV.

Like a truly cohesive band, the two members assumed their roles; Scales was more laid back and reminisced about their early days getting into the music game and one of his evident passions — sports — while Skinny played the historian on how Atlantucky came to be. The time was insightful and unforgettable. I left with the heightened confidence Atlantucky was no gimmick; it was for real.

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In a formal follow up interview, both Skinny and producer 808 Blake — the self-described handler of public and business relations within the group — provided a detailed account of how Nappy Roots discovered their newfound love for craft beer, and their plans to keep the relationship long term.

Ale Sharpton: How did you all get into craft beer? Include the first beer you ever had.

Skinny Deville: Red Stripe might’ve been my first craft beer if you would actually call it ‘craft.’ I think it is, but it’s been over well ten years since I first had one. I didn’t know I was even drinking a ‘craft beer’ then. I remember our manager Chris Weeks mentioning the ‘craft’ word back in or around 2010-ish, then we started to take brew tours as we hit different markets back in 2014; I would say the evolution has been happening over the past eight years or so.

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808 Blake: [Regarding craft beers] it really started with Scales leading the charge while we were touring. He would seek out local beers in whatever town we were performing in. I became his road partner in going to new bars and breweries, but all credit goes to him.

AS: When did it become a serious idea to actually brew beer?

Skinny Deville: For me, it came when I walked into Hop City [Craft Beer & Wine] and purchased our first homebrew kit. Once we had the basic equipment to make a small 5-gallon batch, it was on and poppin’. Of course, it was much harder than the purchase of basic equipment to make the beer drinkable, and that’s where the actual learning and respecting of the process became more important than I originally thought.

808 Blake: After our first beer, the Front Porch Pale Ale with Monday Night, Skinny — who is our official inventor — decided to learn the business, and one thing about him is when he commits to something, he jumps in with both feet. Within a week, he’s buying burners and brewing setups and just decided to nerd out.

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AS: So who’s officially brewing?

Skinny Deville: Actually, it’s just me and Scales behind the pots and paddles for now, but it’s a team effort as we have a lot of our Nappy Roots team getting involved into different roles and responsibilities at Atlantucky Brewing.

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808 Blake: Yeah, one thing about Nappy Roots is, as a group, we all focus on our strengths and from there [roles] are assigned. Me personally, I focus more on the business of what we’re doing. I set up the meetings and PR of the beers, where Scales and Skinny focus on the actual brewing. [Laughing] I’m a great taster though, so whenever it’s finished, I’m right there to judge.

AS: Once you decided on brewing, what made you decide to work with Monday Night brewing?

Skinny Deville: The decision to work with Monday Night Brewing was a no brainer. We both have a mutual friend, Robbie Hart, who introduced us to the MNB family, but we’ve had the collaboration idea brewing (pun intended) for a while. We have been to so many breweries around the country that, when we had the opportunity introduced to us in Atlanta, we jumped at the chance. Peter listened to our story when we met with them and pulled the fact that we were calling the album ‘Another 40 Akerz. It had a yellow pig for the cover and decided we should call it “Front Porch.” We wanted it to be a nice, crushable springtime beer, which is why it was semi-hazy and yellowish in color, plus 40 IBUs, like the title and 6.5% ABV for the party that comes with every sip.

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AS: Talk about that first experience brewing with someone of such expertise like Peter?

Skinny Deville: Man! It took longer than I had expected on the actual brew day. I didn’t take into consideration how big the pilot system was and how long it took to get the water to the desired temperature. The entire process took most of the afternoon, but between all the beers and pizza, it took the sting out of the time spent. We had a blast nonetheless, learning the actual process and flow of how a successful microbrewery operates and handles the day-to-day business of brewing amazing beer. Jonathan Baker [Monday Night co-owner] and Peter are some of the coolest guys you could ever meet and they have been nothing less than amazing for all that they have done for Atlantucky.

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808 Blake: It was a damn good day. We showed up at 10 a.m. and we’re there shoveling grains, sweating it out, but also laughing and talking shop with Peter and the whole staff. We were there pretty much until 5 p.m., but it was a dope experience because we were there during the whole process. A real shout to both Jonathan and Peter for everything; those are our bros for life.

AS: Let’s talk about the second collaboration with Monday Night, the gangster Humdinger joint.

Skinny Deville: The Humdinger was an imperial rye stout aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels for 10 months with Ugandan vanilla beans. I say “was” because it’s officially sold out. The process for this beer was kind of similar to that of Front Porch. We sat with Monday Night and discussed doing something opposite of our previous collaboration, and we came up with a stout. We set up a brew date and went through the steps that come with brewing a stout, but on this one, we had to age the brew in bourbon barrels for 10 months, so this process was more drawn out — unlike Front Porch, which took about three weeks from brew to keg. I think it came in at 12% on the ABV and it’s as smooth as the third release from Nappy Roots, which is why it has the title “The Humdinger,” our best indie effort released to this day in my opinion.

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808 Blake: The Humdinger was something we wanted to represent our Kentucky roots, which is why the bourbon barrel was so important to us. We initially wanted mint chocolate to rep the Kentucky derby, but after consulting with Peter, the mint was kind of overkill, so we changed to Ugandan vanilla beans. It was poured to commemorate the opening of the Garage, which is why we performed there that night, which was a good time.

AS: So now you’re well on your way with producing beer professionally on a larger scale. How did you connect with Against the Grain with your Watermelon, Chiquen, & Gritz Golden Ale?

Skinny Deville: Our third collaboration came through the assistance of Ron Clutch [another Nappy Roots member] to make the initial connection. He did the due diligence of finding the perfect brewery in Louisville — where three of us are from — and met up with Sam from Against The Grain. We presented the idea of a collaboration and they loved it. A few months later, me and Scales drove up the highway and sat down with their team over lunch at their brewpub. The food was amazing and the brewery down the street is just as dope. The love the city has for Nappy Roots and beer is equivalent, so what better way to collaborate [than] with the best in the city to do it? They have the best cans in the game and we loved the fact that we could get our brew in a can this time. We went with a 30-bbl brew and yielded 9,900 cans to distribute in Chicago, Kentucky and Georgia, which was another big move for us as crafty rappers and clever brewers.

808 Blake: Yes, credit goes to our brother Ron Clutch, who reached out to Against the Grain. They offered the chance to have our beer canned and in stores, which was first for us. It’s currently sold out in all the stores [where] it was picked up, so we’re happy about the reception.

(STYLE SPOTLIGHT: Blonde Ale)

AS: How have you been received by the beer community, especially in Atlanta?

808 Blake: The Atlanta beer scene has been awesome. People have really taken us seriously in our pursuits, which has been dope. Big thanks to Beer Guys Radio and you, Ale, for showing us love and taking us seriously. Each party has been better than the last, which is really a blessing. I think it’s only the beginning as people get acclimated to the thought of rappers brewing beers, the more the events will grow.

Skinny Deville: The love we have received from the beer community has been overwhelming. I think it’s because we decided to learn how to make beer and respect the process versus just putting our name and brand on a can without even caring about all the effort that’s put into brewing. I believe that puts us in a different category than those who just want to capitalize on the opportunities that are in front of the craft brew industry. We have decided to start a brewery from the ground up so we can learn and grow into becoming great brewers ourselves as our rap career matures into a 20-year career.

AS: Let’s build on that more. Where do you think the relationship between hip-hop and beer will go?

Skinny Deville: It’s hard to predict the future, but as long as people listen to hip-hop and go out to have a good time, beer has a great chance of becoming the drink of choice. You don’t have to leave the house to have a good time with a six-pack and a dope album that just dropped. If you tried to do that with a fifth of liquor, the results would not be the same. We really want to be a driving force in bringing craft beers to the black community, and hip-hop is the best way for it on our opinion; I think it’s a universal art form. No matter who you are, you heard something in hip-hop, and beer is the same way, so I see the relationship between the two only growing and hopefully we can help bridge the gap.

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AS: Why do you think there aren’t many minorities or people who look like you imbibing craft beer?

808 Blake: I think minorities have never been given the option of trying craft beers in a lot of the venues we frequent and that makes the idea foreign, but if we can start to push more clubs to have a local beer option, you would see that minorities enjoy craft beers as well.

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Skinny Deville: Right! They just don’t know about it yet. It’s coming, mark my words. Once you see a few larger-than-life celebrities endorse it, there will be a windfall of support and artists jumping in on the opportunities in the craft beer industry. It’s wide open right now and that’s why we are in on the reindeer games. Y’all ain’t leaving us behind! Y’all go to the moon, we go to the moon! [Laughing]

AS: What are your future plans?

808 Blake: We’re in talks to develop a docu-style TV show about our love for craft beers in some of the small towns we visit while touring. It will showcase how beer can act as a common ground for people who may not normally agree on things to come together and at least speak to one another over good craft beers. It will also showcase the growth of Atlantucky as well. We’ll be announcing some major updates hopefully by fall 2018, so stay tuned!

Skinny Deville: The sky is the limit. The future is unwritten. Time and gravity are the only things that are constant. If we have the opportunity, Lord willing, then we will take everything that comes with hard work, patience, determination, ingenuity, relationship building and straight-up American grinding to make the best beers, rock the best shows and help anyway we can to bridge the gap between hip-hop and craft beer.

Be sure to follow Nappy Roots on their website and entertaining “Nappy Hour” podcast.

The post Lovibond & Hip Hop: Nappy Roots Talks Brewing appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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The word “enterprising” in New Realm’s four-month span would be an understatement; even their beer garden along Atlanta’s burgeoning Eastside Beltline has yet to be completed, but they still couldn’t pass on the Virginia deal. But to put their growing local fan base at ease regarding the recent acquisition, New Realm isn’t going anywhere.

“This equipment presents an incredible opportunity to expand our capacity in a meaningful way while staying committed to our roots,” says CEO Falcone in New Realm’s official press release. “New Realm is proud to be part of the Atlanta community and we are enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve more New Realm fans.”

(READ: 50 Fastest Growing Craft Breweries)

Steele adds, “We continue to invest in our Beltline brewery and restaurant with additional team members and new 60-barrel expansion tanks. But the reality is that, thanks to the incredible support of New Realm’s patrons and fans in Atlanta, we are capacity-and-space constrained in our current location. We are excited about the ways this new equipment and capacity will enable us to deliver the same high-quality beers while increasing our ability to innovate and create new beers for local fans.”

To gain a little more in-depth information about what the New Realm team has in store, Falcone provided CraftBeer.com with an exclusive interview to address their current status and future endeavors.

Ale Sharpton: With all the moves New Realm has been making, talk about your status in terms of meeting projections so far.

Carey Falcone: We are very fortunate that fans of New Realm are asking for more and we have significantly exceeded our expected beer volume. We ordered 60-barrel expansion tanks for our Atlanta facility and hired additional brewers, but the reality is we are both constrained regarding space and capacity. We needed a plan to brew locally in the Southeast; this new equipment presents an incredible opportunity to expand our capacity in a meaningful way while staying committed to our roots.

“It will remain in the Southeast. We have no aspirations to be a national–or even regional–brand.” Carey Falcone, New Realm Brewing

AS: Where do you plan to set up the newly purchased equipment?

CF: We’re still in the process of exploring our options, but it will remain in the Southeast. We have no aspirations to be a national–or even regional–brand. Importantly, we are committed to only selling our beers in states where we both brew and are an active member of the community.

AS: What beers have been the most popular so far and what styles do you want to brew more of?

CF: Our two most popular beers have been our classic American IPA, Hoplandia, and our German-style Pilsner, Euphonia, which have both recently been released into cans. Quickly gaining popularity is our latest IPA, Hoptropolis, which is an extremely well-balanced, fruit-forward IPA that finishes with a soft bitterness.

The new equipment will enable us to increase our ability to innovate and create new beers. We have a list of innovative brands and styles scheduled for our pilot system including a whiskey barrel-aged stout and Belgium triple, gose, Berliner Weisse and a Mexican lager.

(VISIT: Find a U.S. Brewery)

New Realm Beer Availability

New Realm’s beers can be found at its current brewing headquarters at 550 Somerset Terrace NE #101, Atlanta, GA 30306. You’ll also find New Realm beers pulled from taps at nearby bars and restaurants and in cans for retail throughout Georgia.

The post Atlanta’s New Realm Brewing Buys Equipment from Green Flash appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Partnering with culinary giant Jackmont Hospitality, “Luda” wanted Chicken + Beer to provide the bustling crowd of flying globetrotters with a dining experience respective to the South’s down-home cuisine paired with brews solely sourced from Georgia’s independent craft breweries. In December of 2016, its doors opened to a 90-seat operation based specifically at Gate D5. The concept has been well received by both gourmands and especially craft beer advocates.

(READ: How to Host a Bottle Share)

Chicken + Beer Beverage Director Ramsey Kashlan says, “It’s important to me that we keep everything Georgia local. Our main goal behind the bar is to engage all our guests. To do this, we needed to understand what they would typically drink at home and have them try something new brewed in our state. For instance, Wild Heaven‘s Emergency Drinking Beer has successfully swayed your typical Bud Light drinker waiting on their flight to depart.” He adds, “Since updating the menu last month, we have seen a large demand for Scofflaw Brewing‘s POG Basement and Arches‘ Unseasonal lager.”

“It’s important to me that we keep everything Georgia local. Our main goal behind the bar is to engage all our guests.” Ramsey Kashlan, Chicken + Beer

To further distance themselves from other liquid offerings throughout Hartsfield-Jackson, Chicken + Beer recently collaborated with the aforementioned Arches Brewing Company located just five miles away from the airport in Hapeville, Georgia, to create the “Paths Across Bridges” Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout exclusively for the restaurant. Cutting no corners, the “Paths” was aged for eight weeks in cabernet barrels, resulting in a silky, complex stout boasting notes of coffee and dark chocolate pouring at a potent 10.8% ABV. Extremely limited, its keg was empty within a week.

Ludacris undoubtedly knows how to command the camera and is a master lyricist, but where does he stand on beer? “Luda is a huge fan of beer,” Kashlan informs. “He doesn’t limit himself to just one style. Typically, whether he’s dining in here at Chicken + Beer or out to dinner elsewhere, he will pair his beer with the entrée, so he makes sure he is familiar with as many flavor profiles as possible.”

(VISIT: Find a U.S. Brewery)

Concluding the interview, Kashlan shares one of his favorite Chicken + Beer pairings. “I have worked with my executive chef Deandre Kitchen to determine which beers I think pair best with each meal,” he says. “After extensive research — and days of food comas — one of my favorites is [Creature] Comforts’ Reclaimed Rye with our chicken and waffles. This amber pairs flawlessly with the light, buttery waffles and perfectly fried chicken. This, along with the sweet bourbon maple syrup, is the way this popular southern duo should be eaten.”

The post Ludacris’ New Atlanta Restaurant Focuses on Independent Beer appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

(READ: Brewers Pour Over Heritage to Honor Cultural Traditions)

As an African-American woman who proudly labels herself as queer, L.A. embraced being extraordinary in a white-dominant, conservative-leaning community. A self-taught brewer originally from Bel Air, Maryland, with a dream, L.A. gathered a team of like-minded individuals who believed in her mission, found funding any way she could obtain it, and received overwhelming support and tutelage from nearby Sanctuary Brewing Co. She named the brewery after the historical Black Star Line of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, which was a way for Blacks of the African diaspora to connect with their roots and heritage.

“We chose to name the brewery Black Star Line due to our social mission and wanting to connect to the historical narrative of liberation and mobility,” she explains.

“Black Star Line Brewing is breaking new ground as a Black, family, & woman-owned brewery that has made welcoming everyone an explicit part of their reason for being.” North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild

But L.A. recounts stories of upsetting pushback including stolen equipment, home invasions, and being called derogatory epithets during daily errands. Since early November, she tells us the brewery has been the victim of hate speech and death threats.

“We received the first set of hate messages from our website that called us “ni—–” and saying they were ‘coming.'” L.A. tells CraftBeer.com. “We received the most incendiary of messages, which include threats of death.”

The North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild has voiced strong support for Black Star Line.

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“Hate has no place in our community. As members of the craft brewing community, we feel compelled to speak up and to stand in solidarity with our friends and colleagues at Black Star Line Brewing,” the organization writes on Facebook. “Beer brings people together. Black Star Line Brewing is breaking new ground as a Black, family, & woman-owned brewery that has made welcoming everyone an explicit part of their reason for being. We applaud their vision and their courage.”

In an in-depth interview where she answers in third-person and plural by choice, L.A. talks about Black Star Line’s mission as well as the recent threats her brewery family endures, how they fear for their lives, yet persevere.

Black Star Line’s L.A. McCrae on Recent Threats

Q: What made you open in Hendersonville, North Carolina?

L.A.: We are proud to be a part of the ‘#blacktuary team’ which is a collaborative effort between Black Star Line Brewing Co. and Sanctuary Brewing Co. Joe [Dinan] and Lisa [McDonald] of Sanctuary Brewing Co. have served as our mentors, guides, and teachers, but most of all, our friends. They have incubated our business and spent countless hours with us troubleshooting, visioning, and helping us grow. As we looked all around the region for a place to call home, we wanted to be as close to the Sanctuary family as possible. We were blessed beyond belief at the amazing opportunity to be located less than two blocks away from our homies at Sanctuary so that we could solidify our plans to collaborate on great beers and our social justice outreach.

Q: Talk about the unfortunate resistance you have received since opening.

L.A.: L.A. has been very transparent about their various social identities as a Black, queer, and woman. They imagined receiving pushback in the community and industry due to their social identities.

Over the course of the last two weeks, Black Star Line Brewing Co. has been experiencing pushback on some scheduled events and threats due to the makeup of the workforce. For instance, multiple people messaged the team about not wanting the film “I Am Not Your Negro,” a movie about race in America, shown in their town. We later received messages from the folks that hold the media license to let us know there have been complaints and concerns about us showing the movie. On Thursday, we received the first set of hate messages from our website that called us “ni–ers” and saying they were “coming.” On Friday, we received the most incendiary of messages, which include threats of death.

(LEARN: CraftBeer.com Beer 101 Online Course)

Q: How have you and your staff been persevering through this?

L.A.: The team is truly a family of individuals who are passionate about their work, determined, and resilient. We work, live and eat together. We support each other through all of life’s challenges, including the threats over the last week. We’ve taken time to recharge, ground in with each other, and hold space for each other while we process our feelings and emotions with what is happening. The outpouring of love from the community and the industry have kept our souls and spirits up. People really showed up and took a stand.

Q: Who and how have others provided support for you?

L.A.: The community response has been amazing. #blacktuary–via Lisa–hosted a keg swap and party for us two days after the last death threat. Joe and Lisa continue to roll out collaborations with us and send people down this way to show love. People have been donating to our crowdfunding site, which is helping us achieve our goals and get on our feet due to the challenges we’ve had securing the necessary startup capital. People have sent encouraging messages and posts. The most touching was certainly a local high school class sending us handwritten letters of support, encouragement and affirmations.

(VISIT: Find a U.S. Brewery)

“Ultimately, what happened with the messages is part of a bigger problem.” L.A. McCrae, Black Star Line

Q: What do you wish for especially the readers and craft brewing community to do for Black Star?

L.A.: Black Star Line Brewing Co. is a brewery that makes great beer and has a committed social mission. At the root, what we are doing is building community. We would, of course, love people to come in and drink our beers. If folks are able, we would love for them to donate to our crowdfunding campaign. Ultimately, what happened with the messages is part of a bigger problem. In local communities, we would invite people to have conversations about intersectionality, social entrepreneurship, healing and liberation. One tangible action folks can take is asking others “How goes it with your soul?” and truly stopping to listen, witness, and hold space for their response.

A Show of Resilience

McCrae has reported the incidents to the police. They are investigating.

Despite the harassment, L.A. and her team refuse to give into the negativity; the smiles on the @blackstarlinebrewing Instagram are proof. Their resilience is fueled by the support of others in the community, Sanctuary Brewing, and ultimately, the love of brewing craft beer.

The post North Carolina Brewery Reports Death Threats and Hate Speech appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

It’s the second addition to Monday Night’s family; its original brewing headquarters opened in West Midtown six years prior. Compared to its grandiose kickoff two Saturdays ago hosting more than 1,500 people gawking at the complex’s 22,000 square feet unveiling three stainless tanks, two foeders, a koelschip called the Crunkship, chandelier lighting, three taprooms, and beloved native ATL rap group The Nappy Roots rocking the crowd outdoors, the Garage’s current lunchtime serenity would’ve been virtually unimaginable.

Visitors mostly in their 20s are sitting at tables scattered throughout the building’s expansive foyer. They are either splitting a pizza from a nearby shop, in a group playing the “Heads Up” charades game yelling clues at someone holding a smartphone to their forehead, or individually pounding away on laptops with headphones; an eclectic mix of lounge grooves, 80s hits and hip-hop from its “Golden Era” serves as the soundtrack for everyone else. The common denominator is they all have the Garage’s signature stemmed glassware containing brews of various hues and styles to help usher in the weekend.

(READ: The Sour Beer Pickle in American Brewing)

At the “Pegboard” taproom bar in the front stands Monday Night co-founder and CMO Jonathan Baker; he is lightheartedly titled “the reasonably qualified creative guy” on the company’s website who handles everything from marketing and branding to social media. Obediently sitting at his side is Eden, a black Labrador and pit bull mix who Jonathan affectionately refers to as literally his “Road Dog”; she accompanies him on constant commutes to both Monday Night locations every day.

Clad in faded jeans, vintage Nikes, and a hoodie boasting a vibrant galactic pattern, Jonathan, 34, adjusts his glasses and studies the list of brews available before making his selection. Laughing, he admits that the last two weeks have been so chaotic that he doesn’t even know what’s currently on tap. Settling on the very popular Han Brolo—an American pale ale at 4.7% ABV—because it’s “super crushable” he says, Jonathan thanks the pourer, and then heads to the next tap station called the “Sticker Taproom Bar” due to all the beer-themed adhesives decorating its base. Eden follows of course.

After making a quick glance at the popular Netflix series “Stranger Things” projected on a white wall adorned with sculpted busts of horned animals, flying predators and dinosaurs to simply “trip people out” he laughs, Jonathan is ready to field questions on Monday Night’s amazing story leading to the Garage.

Q: Let’s go back to the beginning of Monday Night Brewing. How did it get started and who did you conceptualize it with?

Jonathan: I was in a Bible study with Jeff [Heck] and Joel [Iverson] along with some other guys. It started at Joel’s house first and then Jeff’s for five years; the studies began at 6 a.m. on Fridays for an hour and half each session. Jeff and Joel had both been gifted with homebrewing kits, and the Bible study decided to fire one up on a Monday night at Joel’s house back in 2006. We loved brewing and the community of beer so much that we made our Monday night brew sessions a weekly thing. About three months in, I proposed turning it into a business and it blossomed from there.

We put in as much of our own money as we had. When that ran out—and it ran out quickly—we turned to friends and family, and also applied for an SBA [Small Business] loan.

(BEER TRAVEL: Plan Your Next Beercation)

Q: What were the most difficult obstacles for opening the brewery and why did you pick Atlanta’s Westside?

Jonathan: Understanding the legalities of making and selling beer was one of the biggest obstacles we faced opening a brewery. We knew nothing about the three-tier system, the politics of getting your beer on draft, and how many layers of red tape there are. We spent 18 months simply interviewing and choosing a wholesaler partner for our home market. We opened up our original location on the Westside, a part of town where all three of us had recently moved. This area of town has become a great cultural boon to the city with amazing art, music, and food options. Our brewery is right in the thick of it with ample parking and an amazing patio as well.

Q: Name the first beers you came out with at the original brewery and why those?

Jonathan: We launched with Eye Patch Ale and Drafty Kilt. Eye Patch was a labor of love for us; it’s an English-style IPA that we brewed 24 different ways over the course of five years tweaking and perfecting.

Drafty Kilt was our wild card. There weren’t any breweries in the Southeast brewing a year-round Scotch ale, and very few in the U.S. Drafty Kilt is a toasty Scotch ale with a little Cherrywood-smoked malt and it really helped define us as a brewery in those early days. It’s also won some awards, including a medal at the World Beer Cup. [Monday Night recently won the Silver Medal in the Chocolate Beer category for Tears of My Enemies and a Bronze Medal in the Other Strong Beers category at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival as well.]

(LEARN: How to Choose the Right Glass for Your Beer)

Q: Discuss how the barrel aging began at the original brewery and how that led to the talks about opening the Garage.

Jonathan: Our barrel-aging program began with a bourbon barrel version of Drafty Kilt, which actually won a gold at the Great American Beer Festival. It was then that we realized we were on to something. Our barrel program director, Peter Kiley, is a total artist when it comes to barrel aging. He came from winemaking, so he has a knack for working with barrels through that experience. We won a Silver at the World Beer Cup for another barrel-aged creation, Laissez-Faire, a Cabernet barrel-aged wheat wine; from there we decided we needed to expand our barrel program. We really wanted to start getting into sours, which spurred us to start looking off-site for room. Once we toured what is now the Garage, we knew we had something special for our second location. It had such a cool vibe, the potential to be an integral part of the community surrounding it, and frontage to the BeltLine. [The BeltLine is a developing multi-use trail replacing a former rail line going through Atlanta.]

Q: Talk more about the Garage’s concept? Also, why did you pick the West End and how did you get the support from the surrounding community?

Jonathan: It took us about a year from touring the Garage the first time to opening its doors; it was pretty quick, honestly. The name, just like Monday Night, is a reflection of who we are. Peter came up with the ‘Garage’ name over a brainstorming session and some brews one night and it made perfect sense since we homebrewed out of the garage for years.

As for the location, we opened the Garage in the West End to build on these two ideas: community and experimentation. Southwest Atlanta is home to so many vibrant and growing neighborhoods, but it has been a craft beer desert for a while. We wanted to help change that and give these neighborhoods a physical space for them to hang out in. This is an underserved part of the city and part of our mission is to also deepen human relationships. We wanted to have a building and a beverage that pulls people together. That is meaningful to us.

(VISIT: Find a Georgia Brewery)

Q: Talk about what you plan to brew here, the Crunkship, and your future plans.

Jonathan: The Garage is home to Georgia’s first koelschip affectionally named the Crunkship. It is vented to the outside where we have planted an urban orchard replete with fruits like apples, pears, persimmons, grapes, pineapple guava, cherries, blueberries, strawberries, and others. We’ll be able to pipe in all the air congregating around these plants to ferment. We’ll also be able to use these fruits in the production of our beers.

We have three barrel-aging rooms with different climate controls so that we can operate their humidity and temperature levels independently. We have a primary fermentation room, a souring room and a clean barrel room. In the main production area, we’ve installed some new stainless-steel tanks in addition to two foeders with more to come. We also moved our bottling line down from our original brewery and are in the process of installing a lab.

We have some pretty crazy stuff planned for the future, but what we’re doing here at the Garage is what we call “slow beer.” We want to combine traditional methods of brewing and aging with new ideas and processes. Some of these beers will take years to complete, so I think you’ll really see us hit our stride around 2020. That’s not to say we won’t be putting out good beers until then; we already have some pretty fun stuff in barrels over there, with more on the way.

The post Inside Atlanta’s New Beer Hangout: Monday Night Brewing’s Garage appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Local Icon Hospitality owner Jon Seelbinder has worked in the hospitality business for almost two decades and has become an enterprising restaurateur while living in Raleigh, North Carolina. However, he admits that owning a brewery is on an entirely different level.

(READ: 5 Epic Craft Beer Road Trips)

After opening the doors of Little City Brewing + Provisions Co. last October—a stylish brewpub based in Raleigh’s burgeoning Glenwood South neighborhood complete with a cocktail program, seven-barrel system and minimalist-meets-chic décor—Seelbinder, 38, shares his experience in this CraftBeer.com Full Pour. Get your notepad out.

Q: Starting with the basics, where are you from originally, where did you go to school and what brought you to Raleigh?

Jon Seelbinder: I’m North Carolina born and raised. I moved to Colorado for school and spent four years there, where I fell in love with beer and skiing. I went to North Carolina State University, majoring in Industrial Engineering and minoring in Business Management. I moved back to North Carolina in 1999, putting roots in Raleigh.

Q: And now you are a successful entrepreneur with Little City becoming your latest project. Discuss the transition to the brewing side and the differences.

Jon: I have worked in and around the hospitality industry for almost 20 years—from restaurants, bars and nightclubs, to managing music artists and producing events. In addition to Little City Brewing, I own three restaurants, a speakeasy and a DJ bar. Opening Little City was certainly a shift. The biggest challenge was being blindsided by the timeline. Time became very stressful and very expensive. If a beer gets stuck in tanks, you are taking a hit monetarily every day that beer continues to sit. Not only are you losing out on revenue from selling that beer, but you are also losing time on the next batch, too. It’s a tricky game. Tweaking and learning our system is super important.

Another curve for us was learning to write down and record everything. Recipes, processes, hiccups, successes … record it all! There’s a saying that brewing and distilling is an ‘exact art and a vague science.’ We have worked very hard to get our recipes and processes dialed in, and we have learned that we will need to continue doing so.

(READ: 7 Breweries Worth a Detour)

Q: You also had some work experience outside of the hospitality industry. How has this helped you with operating Little City?

Jon: Outside of the hospitality industry, I also sold medical devices for a bit and worked as an engineer. The manufacturing side of my engineering degree helps me understand the process and logistics very well in a way that feels completely natural. My brief sales experience has allowed for a very comfortable placement of beer into our local marketplace. While our distribution is very limited at the moment, I hope that sales experience will help when we expand our footprint. I have a ton of fun putting on the beer salesman hat!

Q: To stand out from the other breweries throughout Raleigh, what was your strategy to create some individuality regarding the concept, décor and menu?

Jon: Our aesthetic is a bit different than some breweries. We set out to provide a polished space that evokes a certain feeling to our guests. We are setting up Little City as a brewpub right out of the gate. We will be finishing a kitchen and introducing a chef-inspired food program very soon.

At the end of the day though, our number one goal is to make great beer. We want our beer to possess a delicious drinkability while still being dynamic in our development. With so many options in Raleigh, we must be dedicated to the craft and be willing to take the necessary steps toward holding ourselves to a high standard.

(LEARN: CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Course)

Q: You were a homebrewer prior to making the jump to Little City. What is like working with commercial equipment?

Jon: I started homebrewing in 1999. I have made a very close connection between cooking, making cocktails and brewing beer throughout the years. Delicious flavors, quality ingredients, preparation directions and recipes all play into all of those things. Good food, good beer and good cocktails all require an understanding of flavor combinations.

With that, scaling up to a big system makes some parts of the brewing process a lot easier, and it’s exciting to work on a bigger system. Scaling recipes and trying to nail them can be stressful. If something goes wrong, we are dumping a lot of money down the drain. As far as brewing on a smaller scale, I do miss the ease and comfort of simply brewing for fun, but I don’t miss catching grief from my girlfriend for taking up half the garage to conduct my magical operations. [Laughing.]

Q: Now you will be celebrating Little City’s first anniversary in October. What other challenges have you endured and what are some of the lessons you will be taking into year two? 

Jon: There have been so many challenges and learning curves that we are still figuring out. Having our own beer on tap is a big deal and time can be such a hard thing to overcome. Between the time it takes to actually brew the beer to then keg the beer, we find ourselves in a time crunch to do the process all over again before we sell out of product.

The biggest lesson is to be disciplined in the way of patience, consistency and the message we send to our guests. We have to baseline some standard beer selections before we start rotating new stuff in and out. We have to tweak and perfect those things and have a consistent product that people keep coming back for.

We have also decided to keep our distribution as close to home as possible for now. We don’t need to stretch across the state quite yet. We want to serve as much beer as possible in our four walls. If we get caught up in the shuffle of a turn-and-burn operation, our brand could get lost. We will hold for now and play that game once we are a bit more established.

(BEER TRAVEL: Beercation Destination: Charleston)

Q: What are some other challenges internally?

Jon: Attention to detail and consistent quality. Environments and factors can change all the time. We want to continue to improve our quality every day and make sure that the tanks work correctly, the humidity is just right, the water is the same and that yeast works like it is supposed to. All of these factors can be extremely challenging.

Q: Let’s talk about your beer. How do you come up with the names, what styles do you craft, and what are the most popular?

Jon: Naming beers can be tough! At first, we wanted to have some very approachable and recognizable styles. This includes ambers, stouts, IPAs, hefeweizens and kölschs. After establishing those styles, we started getting creative with blending flavors like lavender, grapefruit, lemon, coffee, strawberry, vanilla and basil to name a few. All of our beers are ales due to the size of our fermentation space. Ales carry the best timeline for our model. We have done some barrel-aging, which was dynamite, and will be moving into a sour program soon.

As far as the most popular, our coffee kölsch has been a huge hit. We take a generous amount of coffee that we source locally from Larry’s Coffee and brew it with our already dynamite kölsch recipe. The result is a beer that is lighter in color and not nearly as heavy as your typical dark coffee beers. Folks are super surprised once they taste it, and it seems to please a very broad demographic of beer drinkers. We can’t keep it on tap – it moves!

Q: Discuss Raleigh’s craft beer scene.

Jon: Growing, hip, delicious, supportive, quality focused and relevant. There are approximately 40 breweries in Wake County alone with so many great players in the game. We admire our brewing community. Everyone has been super helpful. We have brewed together. They have helped us with lending keg washer time and provided advice when we needed it the most.

While the community is supportive, the approach is still very competitive. The top breweries are striving every day to make really good beer while creating dynamite brands. The game is strong and I think the majority of us believe that you can never have too much good beer! I believe Raleigh breweries will continue to be major players in the beer game.

(READ: Great American Beer Bars 2017)

“We know we are creating something special and that’s what we want to focus on — keeping it special and hoping that people fall in love with us.” Jon Seelbinder

Q: What are your future plans for the brewery?

Jon: Taking our time and really getting our beer right—I mean very right—focusing on quality and consistency. We want to focus on drinkability and not be afraid to blaze into the unknown to create really epic stuff. From there, we will start to implement an awesome food program and figure out how we want to expand our beer brand. We know we are creating something special and that’s what we want to focus on — keeping it special and hoping that people fall in love with us.

Q: Last, what American craft and independent breweries do you have a lot of respect for and why?

Jon: There are so many great breweries locally and around the country that I could mention. 3 Floyds Brewing Co. is undoubtedly an amazing brewery that does some really special beers year after year. Sierra Nevada has paved such a major path for all craft breweries. Some others include Trophy Brewing, Deep River Brewing, Bond Brothers Beer Company, Brewery Bhavana, Lonerider Brewing Company, and on and on and on. There is a serious amount of great beer currently being brewed in North Carolina.

The post Little City Brewing Approaches 1 Year Anniversary in Raleigh appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

That morning, the frenzied exchange of emails, Facebook messages, phone conversations and word of mouth announced the legendary pub would make their second-floor Belgian Beer Bar private for the evening starting at 5 p.m. It was reserved for an impromptu bottle share to honor the tragic passing of a beloved local beer advocate, and co-founder of Georgia’s MAZURT Brewing, the morning before.

(VISIT: Find a U.S. Brewery)

His name was Dan Rosen, a globetrotting, humorous and award-winning brewer of especially imperial stouts; he was adored by everyone. The Brick Store was undoubtedly one of Rosen’s favorite destinations not only in Georgia, but worldwide, so it was ideal to commemorate him there.

One of the BSP’s three co-owners, Dave Blanchard, was the facilitator on site to make sure there was glassware, complimentary small bites and a microphone to amplify the often tear-jerking stories attendees had with Rosen. It was the perfect sendoff.

“Although that just happened a couple days ago, I will never forget that day,” Blanchard says. “It was like we lost a member of the family, but that evening proved just that: Everyone there was a family.”

A Co-Founder Recalls Memorable Moments

Sitting on a stool nestled between the right side of Brick Store’s first-floor bar and the exposed-brick wall, Blanchard, 48, was fielding this question: With Brick Store’s 20th anniversary approaching, what are three of your most memorable moments? It was a loaded inquiry for sure. The Dan Rosen memorial was his first selection.

After taking a taste from a tulip glass filled with the recently tapped Hops-De-Leon IPA crafted by Torched Hop, a new brewpub just a few miles away, Blanchard nods in satisfaction on how good the beer is and then becomes pensive so he could deliver the second instance. There were so many to choose from.

An Atlanta native, Blanchard could have easily told the story of how he and his two other business partners — Tom Moore, 48, and Michael Gallagher, 46 — started the Brick Store on June 29, 1997. It was the first true craft beer bar in Georgia’s capital. Respected beer authorities now label it a world-class beer bar.

He even has a piece of art suspended six feet above his head to serve as a storyboard. It exhibits a striking chalk portrait of Blanchard, Moore and Gallagher laughing with a chalice, snifter and Kölsch glass containing beers. The artist, Josh Jameson of Jameson Studios, brilliantly captures the consistently jovial personalities of the trio. There’s the bald, thin, yet chiseled Blanchard wearing a fitted t-shirt and horn-rimmed glasses on the left. In the middle is Moore with a full mane, beard, rectangular glasses, and a plaid shirt who could easily pass for that hippie professor of philosophy you loved in college. On the right is the brawny yet always approachable Gallagher laughing the hardest out of the three.

(PLAN A TRIP: Beer Travel Destination Ideas)

Although the Pub’s airy, main floor is seasoned with English pub influences, local art for sale, and an eclectic assortment of collectibles from world travels serving as décor, that large chalkboard is arguably the most captivating.

Brick Store Pub’s Recent Decision to Solely Support Craft Brewers

Blanchard does tell some amusing anecdotes about how all three owners met and founded the Brick Store, but doesn’t make any of them his second official memory for the interview. He wants to disclose something that is not easily accessible on the Brick Store’s website, through internet searches, or past articles.

And then it hits Blanchard. His tone gives the impression of a sour breakup with a longtime girlfriend that resulted in simply a cordial hello when in passing.

“It was the day we said goodbye to Wicked Weed,” Blanchard recalls, regarding the morning Anheuser-Busch InBev announced their purchase of the formerly independent Asheville, North Carolina-based brewery. That was almost two weeks prior on May 3.

“They finally forced our hand into making a definitive decision regarding solely supporting craft beer,” he continues. “We had not drawn a line in the sand until then. Unfortunately, because of the Wicked Weed purchase, we knew we had to make a stand. It was sad because we had to part ways with some of our closest friends ever in Terrapin [Brewing Co.] as well. We have also said goodbye to Guinness after 19 and a half years. Essentially, we decided to go by the Brewers Association guidelines for craft breweries. We figured they are the ones championing this industry and so we will abide by their decision on who is deemed a ‘craft brewery’ and who is not. This allows us to sell who is craft and to not be hypocritical in any way.”

(READ: What is a Craft Brewery?)

The official Brewers Association qualification Blanchard almost repeated word for word, states on its website, “Less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcohol industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.”

“Saying goodbye to those breweries have sucky points for sure,” Blanchard tells us. “They have been good people and they make fantastic beer. I do not begrudge them for the decisions they make, but we as a company have decided that where our money was going ultimately does not favor craft breweries. And more importantly, we as the Brick Store Pub need to be the ones waving that flag. It is too fantastic of an industry to have the big boys come in and squash it all.”

“Because of the Wicked Weed purchase, we knew we had to make a stand.” Dave Blanchard, Brick Store Pub Co-Founder

With Blanchard subtly aggravated, it’s surprising he stays with the subject of departing ways for his last of three memorable Brick Store moments. And this time, he is saying goodbye to two members of his family.

“My last one is when it actually occurred to me Ryan and Todd were not going to be here anymore,” Blanchard says.

He’s referring to longtime employees — general manager Todd DiMatteo and beer manager Ryan Skinner. They are ending their tenure with the Brick Store to open Good Word Brew Pub in Duluth, Georgia.

“Ryan has been here for six years and has done a phenomenal job running our beer program,” Blanchard says. “And, man, we had Todd for 12 years. Twelve. And once he became the general manager, things changed for the better. He took on the responsibility as a central figure and has awesome decision-making ability. He really helped us make things easier and smoother at the Brick Store. They are both just really good guys.”

However, the duo’s transition is more bittersweet than entirely sour. Blanchard, Moore and Gallagher are also managing partners of Good Word.

Brick Store Serves as a Launch Pad

Besides having a menu of biblical proportions boasting hundreds of craft brew varieties and a talented culinary staff popularly recognized as the Kitchen Killaz, the Brick Store is also renowned for being a launchpad for successful ventures initiated by its owners, their relatives and former staff.

By parlaying their years of work experience and education, Blanchard, Moore and Gallagher opened Leon’s Full Service gastropub directly around the corner in early 2009. Then in 2013, they opened the highly acclaimed restaurant Kimball House a few blocks away.

“Mike, Tom and I started and own the Brick Store and Leon’s,” Blanchard explains. “We made Mike’s brother Ryan a partner about four years ago in Leon’s. Mike, Tom and I partnered with our employees at Leon’s–Miles [Macquarrie], Bryan [Rackley], Jesse [Smith] and Matt [Christison] — to open Kimble House. Those guys own and operate it. The setup will be very similar with Todd and Ryan with Good Word.”

Leon’s and Kimball House are more cocktail forward with an emphasis on the culinary experience; purposely, they flaunt thematic independences in comparison to their oldest sibling.

But the Good Word will be a different animal altogether.

Employees and Co-Founders Partner to Create Good Word Brewing

Besides its location outside of Atlanta’s perimeter, they will be building the approximately 7,500-square-foot property from scratch in the emerging Parsons Alley retail district and actually brewing beer on site. Those are all firsts for Blanchard and his partners.

“We initially were going to open Good Word nearby in Grant Park, but that didn’t work out,” Blanchard says. “Todd and Ryan really wanted it to be in Duluth because there’s nothing really out there on the beer side. Well, I’m a city guy and love how Leon’s and Kimball House are close by. That commute more than 20 miles away didn’t excite me, but when Todd said he would move his family out there and live near the pub, that changed things dramatically in a good way.”

Blanchard says he’s confident there will be a smooth transition at the Brick Store.

(READ: 5 Habits of Highly Successful Beer Bars)

“Longtime manager Erin Sargent has assumed the reins as the general manager. Our new beer manager Dan Fontaine is taking over for Ryan. The beauty of this lag between Brick Store and Good Word is Erin and Dan have been able to spend ample time with them learning all they need to know. I have the utmost confidence in the level in which they will perform. Brick Store will continue to stay as strong as ever with these two guys doing their thing.”

Following Blanchard’s interview, I pulled aside Skinner and DiMatteo to get a little more perspective of what Good Word will be like when it opens sometime in October.

“Good Word will be community driven with great food that will inspire conversation, plus balanced, drinkable beers,” DiMatteo says. “We’ll have something for the beer geeks and something for the beer geek’s dad or uncle who’s just getting his craft beak wet.”

Skinner adds, “The Good Word is the natural progression of the Brick Store; honest, hard-working people who want to contribute to their community. Our goal is to provide a place where we treat people the right way and serve them the best beer and food we can possibly make.”

(READ: 6 Craft Beer Bars That Changed Their City’s Beer Scene)

Passing the Torch

Thursday, June 15 was officially DiMatteo and Skinner’s last day working at the Brick Store. They excitedly pulled the taps of six different Good Word beers. American sours dominated the sextet; the sole IPA was a 6.2% ABV collaboration with a burgeoning local brewer named Jon Shari of Little Cottage Brewery. All of them were impressive and lived up to the hype.

At one point, the turnout was almost identical to the late Dan Rosen gathering, but it was a celebration of a passing in a different sense. Blanchard, Moore and Gallagher were passing a torch to two enterprising friends on a mission to fill a void in a neighborhood that needed a communal place to dine, converse, and enjoy an extensive selection of strictly craft beer. Sound familiar?

The Brick Store Pub collaborated with 20 different craft breweries to make 20 different beers to pour during two sold out sessions to celebrate their 20th anniversary in June.

Happy Birthday, Brick Store Pub.

The post Atlanta’s Brick Store Pub: Looking Back at 20 Years appeared first on CraftBeer.com.