The Beer Traveller

Park Tavern definitely takes the prize for prime location & prime atmosphere; it’s located  right on Piedmont Park overlooking the park with an outside patio & a two story facility inside. Our timing was perfect as we arrived shortly before sundown & enjoyed an outside table watching the sunset over the Atlanta skyline.  They apparently had one (maybe two) weddings going on inside & this will always up the entertainment factor. It’s also backs my earlier comment that this place has a prime atmosphere.  The hostess was delightful while the waitress gave the impression that it was time for her to go home.
Entertainment for the night included a 3rd wheel at the table behind ours.  We were there for over an hour & this guy’s mouth never quit.  He wasn’t just that he talked a lot, but it was a it about things nobody (including his tablemates) cared about.  There could also be argument made to the accuracy of his information.  Everything from killer dolphins to why Best Buy is the place to shop. When he started on the Olympics, I knew it was time to go.  I think it was his commentary on Michel Phelp’s hand position during his stroke that was my invitation for me to leave.
In regards to beer, this place can hardly consider themselves craft brewers; guess you can’t have everything.  It’s obvious that their beer is not their money maker & not a priority for them…almost an afterthought.  They only had three on tap & I gave them all a Drinkable.  Druid Hills Pilsner, Park Trail Pale Ale, & Olmsted Amber all tasted watered down & flavorless.  If you guys don’t want to brew beer than don’t; half-assing is a waste for everybody!
If you’re looking for a nice people watching spot on a gorgeous day, than this is your place.  Just don’t go for their beer.

Max Lager’s was located right in the heart of downtown Atlanta, right off one of the 55 Peachtree streets. I say this because anyone who has ever been to Atlanta soon realizes that every other street in this city is named Peachtree something or other.
Max’s is uneventful from the outside, but the interior is that of a historic building with lots of character & sparse decoration.  Sometimes the building will speak for itself.  Both the hostess & waitress were very friendly & wiling to meet our needs.  It appeared that the establishment was doing quite well as they had several freshly installed fermentation vessels upstairs. The mash tun & brew kettle were downstairs.
Gwen & myself both ordered one of their beer samplers while Zach got a Max Black.  Food wise I got one of their well-known brick oven pizzas.  With the exception of them giving me chicken instead of artichokes, the pizza was delicious.
As for the brews, they overall ranked a little above average.  The Hefeweizen was at the bottom of the list, with a Drinkable, b/c it didn’t taste like a Hefe & it did taste a little skunky.  Max Red was also down there due to too mild of a flavor.  Everything else including the German Kolsch, Max Pils, & Max Black all received a Likable. The Max APA (American Pale Ale) may have received an Exceptional on a different day, but I rated a very Likable.
If you’re in Atlanta looking for some quality pie & a cold one, than this just might be your spot!

Zach is one of my best friends & I don’t get to see him nearly as much as I would like.  I went to his wedding (the one I blogged about) a couple of weeks back.  I decided since I had to skip Atlanta to make it to the wedding in Alabama, I would now back-track East to visit Zach & Gwen in their new home in Canton, GA.
I arrived right around dinner (perfect) & Gwen wasn’t getting in (still working in AL) till later.  Zach & I hit Jock & Jill’s (sports bar chain) for dinner.  It wasn’t our 1st choice, but the BBQ joint was closed for the night & this looked like it may have some nice eye candy.  We got a table outside on the patio to partake in some sub-par beer & fried food.
Turns out it was trivia night & we figured why not…we’re both fairly smart guys.  So what do 2 Yankees decide to call themselves for the big event…how about ‘Civil War Winners’.  Well you can just imagine that that went over about as well as a fart in a Baptist church.  I believe we took 10th place out of 18 teams.  Not too bad considering we were an Engineer & an Ecologist taking on tables of 10 with numerous questions on movies, music, & TV.  We nailed the science & geography questions!
We than headed home to enjoy some brews & swigs of wedding sake with the new wife.  I was glad I had decided to make the journey.

I arrived in Auburn a little after lunch expecting the Ale House to be open…my bad, they don’t open till 3:30PM.  Guess I was just going to have to get myself a cold drink & watch the southern college belles.  It appeared that school was starting soon & the kids were moving in & walking the town w/ their parents. 
A little note to those thinking of stopping by, the establishment is not actually located on the street of the address.  You have to go around back to a parking lot to gain entry.  It’s a little tricky, but if I can figure it out…you surely can.
The building itself is nice as most brewpubs in AL are.  You see some of the stipulations of their wonderful government is that a brewpub must be in a building on the National Register of Historic Places & in a county where beer was legally brewed prior to Prohibition. Where the hell do they come up with this shit?
The building itself was brick & decorated w/ both a Union Jack & an Auburn University flag.  It, like the last place, also had signage of a macro (i.e. crap) brew nature.  The beer too was similar to the last place.  catch Her in the Rye, Plainsman IPA, & Peachy Wheat all received a Drinkable.  Full Monty Stout, Hop Dragon, & Tiger Tail were a step up receiving a Likable. 
My recommendation is to stick w/ Hurricane Brewing if your looking for great beer in the Great State of Alabama!

Upon my arrival to Montgomery Brewing Co, I was initially excited for 2 reasons.  First & foremost I scored a no pay parking spot directly in front of the establishment.  I’m not used to that in a city of this size. Secondly, there were a large number of business professionals leaving the building; usually that’s a good sign that the food is good.  Not necessarily the beer considering it was lunch time during a week day.
I was soon proven wrong.  The menu could not have been any more basic; typical burgers, salads, chx, fried this, & fried that.  I chose the shrimp po-boy (i.e. heavily breaded shrimp on a where’s the beef bun) w/ a side of fries.  Combined w/ the beer I guess this could have also been called Atkin’s nightmare.  The fries were excellent, but this isn’t surprising as the South has kind of mastered the art of deep fat frying.
The beer also left much to be desired.  It wasn’t horrible, but it definitely wasn’t inspiring.  I probably could have guessed this as the room was decorated with Miller Lite, Sharps, & Michelob Ultra signage.  I hate to make generalizations (yea right), but it was obvious that this was a southern bar that catered to true southerners (bud & miller drinkers).  This was further supported by the fact that they had what looked like a mini-fridge, that was stocked w/ cigarettes, behind the bar. The Goat Hill Pale Ale, Montgomery Blonde, & Wipe Oat Stout all scored a Likable although they were very low on the Likable scale.  The Lightening Route Light was barely Drinkable while the Riverboat Red was Drinkable.
Although rather trivial in nature, the one thing that would keep me from coming back here or recommending it was that they charged me $0.75 for an extra side of sauce.  It’s a matter of principal!  I don’t get charged for using a sprinkle of salt or an extra squirt of ketchup/catsup.  If your balance sheet is that close where you need to charge for a side of sauce & can’t figure out how to roll that additional cost (maybe $0.05) into the overall picture, you shouldn’t be in business!

Next stop was to be Spanish Fort, AL to visit an old college buddy that I haven’t seen since college.  Bill is a great guy w/ a great/sarcastic sense of humor (my favorite).  Since we last hung out, he has travelled Europe & Asia, married a beautiful Thai woman, & had a beautiful baby girl.  Unfortunately there has also been a tremendous amount of tragedy.  My timing was impeccable per usual as Bill had just taken a new job in Mobile & they had been in their house for all of about a week.  Just what everybody wants…a beer-guzzling guest when they have a new house, piles of things that need to be unpacked, a new job, & a 17 month (I think) old little girl.
Needless to say both Bill & his wife were amazing.  We went out for a fabulous seafood dinner overlooking Mobile Bay.  It was great catching up & getting to know the new family.
Highlights for the night included Bill recommending to his wife that they leave little Elizabeth in the car overnight b/c she’ll be fine & the man-eating spider.  Bill & I were on the couch drinking beer when Soi called him in to the bedroom.  Bill quickly summoned me & I went in to find he had cornered a spidered that was about the size of my open hand.  He wanted me to keep an eye on it while he went to get a broom…I was thinking he should have grabbed the .357 instead.  He than came back & wanted me to get ready to open the front door to let him & the spider out.  I was shouting for him to just “kill the monster” as I didn’t want to risk losing that thing in the house that I would soon be trying to fall asleep in.  As he gracefully captured the beast, between the broom & dustpan, I realized he wasn’t kidding.  I wish he would have given me time to at least slip on my snake-proof gaiters.  After we got outside, he informed me that due to Soi’s religious beliefs, he couldn’t kill it.  Another smooth move on my part.
Surprisingly, Soi still invited me back & offered to cook me an authentic Thai dinner.  I can assure you, I’ll be cashing in on that offer.

From Florida I than made my way to Gulf Shores, AL.  The state synonymous with wacky & irrational beer laws.  Things like dry counties, no beer sales on Sundays, & all brewed beer must be kept below 6% ABV.  What I can say is that Gulf Shores is miles ahead of Panama City Beach in regards to quality of beaches, restaurants, & people. 
I hit the beach for a couple of hours before looking for a place to camp.  I found a local state park & proceeded to pay $24 to set my tent up next to an alligator infested lake.   It was than off to find some beer & a spot on the beach.  Surprisingly I was able to find some non-bud & picked myself up a 6’er of Sierra Nevada’s Summerfest.  I emptied a couple in to my water bottle & it was off to the beach to watch the remaining surfers & remaining sun.  On my way home I decided to stop by one of the local establishments, which advertised live music, for a couple more brewskis  I ended up meeting 2 ‘Bama boys from northern AL.  In typical bama fashion there were stories of ‘ol ladies & guys named “booger”.  Before the night was up, I found myself dragged to the front of the house by the lead singer of this R&B/funk band.  He sat me down in a chair next to a beautiful blond & forced us to have a sing-off.  For those that know me, this was not pretty.  After a while, I knew my time was up & was looking forward to hittn’ the tent.
By this point I had some liquid courage built up & decided to seek out some gators.  Armed w/ a flashlight &….well nothing else now that I think of it, I started probing the shoreline to see if I could find anything.  Unsure if it was the beer googles or the fog, but I didn’t see shit.  What a disappointment! 
The next morning I was awoken by the hot Alabama sun & a 90 degree tent.  Just what everybody wants after a long night drinking.  Guess the good news is the gators didn’t get me.

I was not planning on going to McGuire’s in Destin as I had already hit the one in Pensacola w/ Rick & was told the beer is the same in both places.  However a crappy day in Panama City Beach calls for a road trip.  Both Kevin (host) & Jen had the day off & the three of us decided to go to Destin as it had slightly more going on than Panama City Beach.  After a afternoon on the miniature golf coarse it was time to go find a 19th hole.
We just happened to be by McGuire’s.  I already knew the quality of the other establishment & figured this would be a sure bet for a great beer & some great apps.  Inside was very similar to the Pensacola location with the exception of a lot smaller & a lot less money.  We happened to meet the brewer, Tom, & were given a tour of the facilities.  Although most brewers love their craft, Tom takes it to a new level.  I have yet to meet anyone that has as much energy & enthusiasm for brewing (& beer in general).  Not only was he enthusiastic, but he also was a wealth of knowledge.
He was in the process of brewing a double hefe & allowed me a pint even though it had yet to hit the menu.  He was a little disappointed as he had treated the staff to a sampling a couple nights back & they ended up polishing off 15 gallons.  Guess that’s a testament to his skills.  Keep up the great work Tom!

As anyone who keeps up on my blog knows, the places I stay are even more entertaining than the brewpubs I make it to.  Rick too had attended Geekapolooza back in NY, but I had never met his wife or kids.  I had arrived, in Pace, FL late Sunday after driving from the wedding in Bama.  I felt bad about arriving rather late, but Rick & Sheila are about as laid back as they come.
The next morning I found that their kids (a 3 & 7 yr old) are about as extroverted as they come.  Two adorable little girls that will (& did) provide a week’s worth of entertainment.  The youngest (Chloa) is anti-apparel & the oldest (Maggie) always has something to show ya.  My background is sales & I have no prior experience in kids 101.  Admittedly I was a little ‘deer in the headlights’ when Maggie was at the table filling me in on everything & Chloa was in the living room doing the same at the same time.  My experience has taught me to always make eye contact when listening to someone…it is physically impossible w/ 2 people talking at the same time in 2 different places.  Sheila may be able to confirm this but I believe I had the bobble-head look going on.
The kids don’t know it yet, but they have the coolest mom ever.  Everything from launching bouncy balls throughout the house, throwing the inflatable ball into the running ceiling fan, & turning the tiled kitchen floor into a slip & slide made me want to be a kid again.  Yea that’s right, the little ones are allowed to dump glasses of water onto the kitchen floor & than spin & slide until their hearts content.  Other activities included swimming, drumming, & tie dying (kitchen floor again).  Thanks to digital cameras, photography also took place; the pics were interesting…lot’s of out-of-focus butt shots!
The kids are smart beyond believe & Rick will surely have his hands full.  My 1st morning was me @ the kitchen table on my computer; I looked up to see Chloa, the 3 yr old, standing on the kitchen counter reaching for a glass glass up in the cupboard.  I was unsure of where the boundaries lied, but my time in the paper industry told me that OSHA probably wouldn’t approve.  I asked if she was suppose to be up there & she said…”mommy said I could be up here as long as an adult is watching me…and your an adult & you’re watching me!”  Who was I to argue…everything she said was correct; I just didn’t know that I now had responsibilities.
It was one of the more enjoyable weeks I’ve had even though I looked forward to Rick getting home every night.

For my last night in the Pensacola area Rick wanted to try out Hurricane Brewing in Mobile, AL.  After spending most of the day updating my ‘Beer Library’, a few accidental key strokes deleted all of my work from the past 5 hrs. You can probably imagine I was more than ready to head the bottle once Rick got home.  He temporarily eased my pain w/ an Old Chub until he was ready to leave.
An hour in the car gave us some time to catch up on stories like Rick watching a cement  truck rear-end a logging truck & decapitating the driver.  We arrived in Mobile after a minor wrong turn only to find us in a sketchy area of town.  No worries, the brewery was better than expected.  Clean, choices, & Southern hospitality.
The menu gave several good options, including southern specialities pulled pork & catfish.  Rick & I both settled on the brick oven pizza; he b/c of a co-workers recommendation & me b/c of the waitress’s (Sarah’s) recommendation.
I was unsure what to expect in regards to beer as the South (land of the almighty bud & miller drinkers) doesn’t exactly scream quality.  To our surprise, the beer was phenomenal.  The Satsuma wheat was Undrinkable, but I’m told it’s either a love it or hate it beer.  Everything else was better after that.  Floating Car Blonde Ale led to an issue b/c of the menu advertising it as such, but the placemat stating it was a Golden Lager.  This provided me the opp to question & educate Ms. Sarah on the differences between ales & lagers.  She commented on her wish for the brewmaster to be around…he arrived & clarified later in the night.  Although the Pilsner was stated as using some leftover raws, I found that it was one of the better Pilsner’s I’ve had.  It & the Projected Path Amber Ale both received a Likable even though they tend to be two of my lesser liked styles.  Both the Insurance Adjustor Pale & Storm Surge Stout received an Exceptional.
We later met both with Manager Joe & Brewer Todd.  Todd was not as expected & was an endless supply of brewing knowledge.  Not only does he do all the brewing, but he also makes the wine at a local winery & appears to have several other projects going on as well.  Rick & I both commented on how this was the first time we had heard anything about Esters since college. Usually I get an ear full of the different barley, hop, & yeast varies used in brewing, but Todd provided a chemistry course on the subtleties.  Easily could ace a course on the said material, but he is actually self-taught.
Hats off to Hurricane for making some killer food & even better beer.  I always appreciate brewers than know quality even though local competition is non-existent.