Dedicated to all things drinking well in the South
Part two of Thirsty South’s “Great Southern X” series features one of the most revered names in bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle. Rare. Cherished. Distinctive. Amazing. Those are but a few of the descriptors for the bourbon that carries the “Pappy” name. Old Rip Van Winkle is a standout among the many great Kentucky bourbon brands, true to a long heritage of great whiskey in the South. Read the full story here.
Some interesting beer developments going on these days in Atlanta (and Georgia more broadly):
First, the legality of selling growlers (a large bottle that may be filled from the tap on site) in Georgia may come to be. From AtlantaBeerMaster.com, a letter from the Georgia Department of Revenue was quoted: âThe Department [Of Revenue] has determined that, persuant to the Georgia Alcoholic Beverage Code, âgrowlersâ or similar containers may be appropriately used so long as it is at a licensed retail off premise location that does not deal in distilled spirits by the package.â At a state level, things look good, but local laws also come into play. A store called âThe Beer Growlerâ is set to open in Athens in roughly a week according to the owners (UPDATE, 12/11/2010: They opened today!), and as AtlantaBeerMaster.com reported, Kraig Torres, owner of Hop City Craft Beer & Wine here in Atlanta, has said that they are staying on top of developments as well: âAtlanta, and surrounding jurisdictions have not allowed the sale of growlers specifically, despite the revised opinion of the State of Georgia. I am looking into the matter deeply. The DAY growlers are green lighted by the City of Atlanta is the day Hop City will sell itâs first growler.â It’s worth pointing out that you can buy (or sell) pre-filled growler size bottles anywhere – the interesting development is the potential to buy a growler filled fresh from a keg at your local store. Frankly, it’s a bit of a novelty for consumers since it won’t significantly improve the selection of beer available, though some will argue that the freshness of taking it from the keg to the bottle to your home the same day is a strong enough reason to choose a growler over a traditional beer bottled at the brewery.
Second, a new shop dedicated to craft brews will be opening soon on College Avenue in Decatur, Georgia: Ale Yeah! “We will showcase an abundance of American craft beer as well as varieties from around the world that exemplify liquid perfection. We will carry bombers and also give people the opportunity to âbuild-your-ownâ 6-pack. We will also offer fine cheeses, cured meats and chocolates that compliment the experience of a perfect pint.  Ale Yeah! will also carry a selection of fine brewing supplies in case youâre looking to create your own perfect pint.” Sounds good, yes? (UPDATE, 12/1/2010: Ale Yeah! opened this past week!)
Third, the Brick Store Pub has opened their upstairs “cellar” featuring a tremendous collection of vintage bottled beers. This is a gold mine for beer lovers, with selections spanning the globe and dating back as much as a decade in some cases, with each bottle labeled by vintage. Like wine, some beers (especially the ones you will find in the Brick Store cellar) benefit from time in the bottle, as opposed to the dominant theme of “drinking beer fresh.” This is your chance to try multiple vintages side by side and experience for yourself the impact of bottle aging, not to mention the ability to find some beers that you won’t find anywhere else. We stopped by for a quick tour from Dave Blanchard, one of the owners of the Brick Store:
Fourth!, 5 Seasons Prado, the original location of 5 Seasons, is now Lucky Devil Brewing. Kevin McNerney remains the brewmaster for Lucky Devil – no change to the beer, or menu for that matter. This should actually help differentiate Lucky Devil from the other 5 Seasons locations, as they had been on divergent paths due to different ownership and management over the past several years.
For extensive coverage of the Atlanta beer scene, check out www.AtlantaBeerMaster.com.
When you walk into American Haircuts in midtown Atlanta or their outpost in Roswell, Georgia, you immediately get a sense that this is a contemporary take on the traditional (nearly forgotten) barbershop, and all the Norman Rockwell imagery that comes with it. There’s the old red, white and blue barber pole, the bright Barbicide disinfectant glass jars, the “official hairstyles for men and boys” poster, the… oh, wait – is that Jack Daniels? Maker’s Mark? I don’t remember that in any Norman Rockwell painting. Indeed, if Thirsty South were to endorse a shave and a haircut, it would certainly be at American Haircuts. For the Jack, for the hot lather shaves, for the barbershop-era hospitality. They even have their own guide to food and drink in Atlanta! Just don’t confuse the hair tonic for tonic when you’re having that drink…
By the way, in working on this post, we discovered that Norman Rockwell did indeed produce a few whiskey advertisements in his day. Schenley’s Cream of Kentucky Bourbon was a frequent Norman Rockwell subject from 1937 into the 1940’s.
We previously mentioned the opening of H. Harper Station in Atlanta, a “modern watering stop” with an impressive spirits selection and what looks to be an excellent cocktail program led by Jerry Slater. Barely a week old now, the bar and restaurant in a converted old train station is attracting a quick following, especially for their whiskey-based cocktails. One such cocktail is the “Daisy Buchanan” – inspired by the traditional “Great Gatsby.” Here, the cocktail’s name changes to that of the leading lady in the F. Scott Fitzgerald book that inspired the “Great Gatsby” cocktail (got that?), and the cocktail itself changes from vodka/gin/vermouth to bourbon/Chartreuse/grenadine, with the bright acidity of the lemon juice being the primary constant. (Literary side note: The Great Gatsby involves a train ride and is set during Prohibition, how apropos!). Slater chose to use Basil Hayden’s 8yo Bourbon in this drink for its “feminine” qualities, and the Basil Hayden does indeed work nicely with the Chartreuse and lemon juice, an egg white thrown in for a lush and frothy texture. See the cocktail recipe at the end of this post, and enjoy this little video to give you a better feel for H. Harper Station and their “Daisy Buchanan:”
H. Harper Station: A Scenic Ride from Thirsty South on Vimeo.
Of course, there’s much more to the bar menu at H. Harper Station. The cocktail list is grouped by primary ingredient, from Champagne, to beer and cider, to brandy to rye. There’s another section dedicated to punch bowls, including the “Buford Highway Artillery Punch” (with white whiskey, sochu, green tea, lychees, ginger syrup and mint), which are served in beautiful vintage crystal bowls and can keep a group of four happy for the evening. And, of course, the bar can serve up any classic cocktail as well. If you’ve ever enjoyed a Vieux Carre cocktail in New Orleans (or better yet, if you NEVER have), you should seek out Tiffany behind the bar. She hails from Lafayette, Louisiana, and is a master of this hallowed drink, made with Sazerac Rye, Benedictine, Cognac, vermouth and bitters. Â The bar staff is already clicking one week in, and they are gearing up to do even more in-house, from their house-made pickled eggs and infused syrups, to ginger beer, cream soda, and tonic. Beer and wine selections are well chosen if not overly numerous (the wine list includes Brewer-Clifton pinot noir, La Spinetta barbaresco, and Domaine Weinbach riesling; and the sixteen beers on tap include Wild Heaven Invocation, Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale and Hitachino White). Climb aboard for a scenic ride at H. Harper Station (and be sure to stay for the cocktail recipe at the end of this post…)
The “Daisy Buchanan” Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Basil Hayden’s 8yo Bourbon (or similar)
.5oz Chartreuse
.5oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
.25oz grenadine, preferably homemade
1 egg white
Preparation:
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into glass.
Enjoy! And thanks to Jerry Slater and team at H. Harper Station.
Moonshine. What images come to mind when you hear that word? Old Chevys racing down dirt roads? Hidden shacks in the woods? Long beard hillbillies in overalls? A mason jar full of kick-your-butt in liquid form? Moonshine is basically its own brand – authentic, slightly exotic, filled with risk, worth seeking out – so it’s no wonder that distilleries, legal ones, are popping up and trying to leverage the “Moonshine brand.”
Anyone who has ever heard of Popcorn Sutton knows something of the magic of moonshine (and if you haven’t heard of Popcorn and his brilliant but tragic life, do some research and check this out and this and definitely buy a copy of Chasing the White Dog
Despite our quibbles with the pre-empting of the moonshine brand by legal distilleries, we don’t want to disparage the products of these new distilleries that are marketing “legal moonshine.” For example, there’s no doubt that the folks behind Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine have a true reverence for the history of moonshine in Tennessee and will do their best to do that legacy justice. From their website…”When Tennessee state law recently changed to allow the distillation of spirits, we saw an opportunity to showcase the art of superior mountain-made moonshine. The Ole Smoky recipes are the product of the hard work and experience of local families who have made moonshine in the mountains for the last two hundred years.” They are simply working hard to take that brand, the “Moonshine brand,” and commercialize it. And it looks like they are on their way to success. The esteemed (and very expensive) Blackberry Farm in Tennessee has featured Ole Smoky’s “Moonshine” and “Moonshine Cherries” in a cocktail recipe (called The Hillbilly & Tonic) sent out to their many fans. Ole Smoky’s products are popping up in stores across the South. They may even convince some of the folks who have experienced the “real thing” to try the “legal moonshine.” Hey, we even look forward to trying them. But, in our minds, “legal moonshine” is simply an oxymoron. Call it unaged whiskey, call it white lightnin’, call it “kick ass stuff,” but, in our book, it’s not Moonshine.
Update: check out our visit to Ole Smoky and tasting notes on their moonshine.