Brookhaven Beer Fest - Brookhaven - Atlanta Georgia

You can find the Brookhaven Beer Fest in Brookhaven Park, right in the heart of the new city of Brookhaven north of Atlanta but still inside the perimeter and part of the Atlanta Metropolitan area. This annual event has run for the past 8 years starting in 2000 (prior to 2017 it was held in a different location) - I first attended in 2016 and volunteered to pour for the event organizers in 2018. My review will reflect both years. The park is only a few blocks from the Brookhaven MARTA station - I would recommend taking the train, especially with alcohol involved.

The event is organized by Spiral Entertainment, which also does Oysterfest in February and Luckyfest in June (St Paddy's Day) at the Park Tavern. The Brookhaven Beer Fest is held in June. I found the organization as a volunteer to be fairly well done - these are nice people trying to create fun adult events with a variety of food, drink and entertainment. For 2018 the event had 150 beers from nearly 50 vendors (this number is mixed between beer, wine and food providers - there was also a Vendor Expo that showcased items that don't fit into the food/drink category). There's also music and a food truck or two.

When I attended in 2016 the crowd was quite thick and a bit rowdy - it was extremely hot and I probably drank too much. For 2018 the scheduling was a bit different with the hours a bit later in the day but still extremely hot - the park setting is also much more spacious so you aren't stepping all over people. As a volunteer I worked the first shift for Left Nut Brewing up in Suwanee - we had four different beers (all in cans) available for a good mix of styles: The Lappland Blonde (Blonde Ale), American Obsession (Pale Ale), The Bridge to Nowhere (IPA and the Mighty Banyan (DIPA) - all are quite good.

 

 At the end of my volunteer shift I was allowed to wonder the remainder of the event with a sample cup (this is a perk of volunteering) - I enjoyed Green Man, Southern, Southern Tier, Wild Leap, Catawba, Gate City, Southbound, Cedar Creek, Session, and Blue Point - basically the end where I was working - that's when the beer started to run out. I think the event was a bit under-provided when it comes to beer as there was still a couple of hours worth of event schedule left. In 2016 I tasted about three times as much beer (I basically was incapacitated before I could finish trying everything). For drinking events I recommend that you only do about an inch of beer (or less) and taste what looks interesting before committing to any more - you get pretty messed up before you realize it and then start forgetting what you had.

In all the crowd was better managed than when I attended in 2016 but I don't believe there were as many beer vendors - it troubles me that it started running out so early. If you're thinking about going make sure you get there early or you may not have the greatest variety available to you (this is a good general-rule for all beer festivals but this one in particular). I hope to attend as a volunteer again in 2019 as I had a great time - always good to meet the distributors and staff that are on hand from each of the regional breweries.

(also posted to Yelp)

2018 Atlanta Food and Wine Festival

Attended the 2018 Atlanta Food and Wine Festival yesterday evening - this was the single day "Tasting Tent" event at Piedmont Park's Greensward/Promenade (1065 Peachtree St
Atlanta, GA 30307)  - this is an area right outside the parking deck shared by Piedmont park and the Atlanta Botanical Garden - quite convenient. Full disclosure, I received the tickets (usually $100 per person) for free, but after visiting the event I would have no problems in thinking that it wasn't worth the price of admission - there's much more here than you can take in during the 3 hours you're provided.

For 2018, there was quite a bit of rain leading to the event and a continuing light drizzle as we lined up - the event was supposed to start at 7:30 and continue to 10:30 but was delayed, both the opening time and the extended closing time. Trust me though, there's no way you can get through everything. The rain was both a good thing and bad thing - good because I'm sure the turnout was lighter than usual so you didn't feel like you were bumping sweaty elbows and abandoning long lines but bad in that the grounds became a mess - I had thought about wearing rubber boots and should have - mud got into my Keens.  I tried to prepare a bit by looking at maps, a list of chefs, etc provided by an excellent Eater Atlanta article - but we decided to basically wing it once we arrived. Apparently in previous years the booze and food were separated, but this year they were intermingled which I think made things much better.

I tried a total of 37 vendors and skipped over much including the wine, focusing on the bourbons, beer and food. You're give a plastic stemless wine glass for tasting - initially, the very light pours made me think "Wow, how stingy" but as I progressed I realized what a good idea this was. My wife became quite full before we hit the Lower Oval Tents (there's a cascade of two tent groupings, and upper and lower separated by stairs). Before I run out of space, my favorite things in no particular order:

1. Beef Brisket by 4 Rivers Smokehouse (GA) - melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
2. Pork Rib from Grand Champion BBQ (GA)
3. Larceny Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey - best I tried
4. Caroline's Cakes - assortment of bites
5. Hattie B's Hot Chicken (TN) Hot Chicken Bite
6. Tequila Fortaleza - blanco was so smooth
7. Restaurant 356 (GA) Lobster Roll - one of the best bites I had
8. Chef Shay Lavi's delicious lamb-filled pita (at Creature Comforts booth).

The state of Mississippi had a fantastic group represented - loved the entire setup and way they coordinated. Complete list from my notes:

* Woodford Reserve - Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey - Spice mix @WoodfordReserve
* Heaven Hill Brands - Larceny Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey @heavenhill
* Wicked Moon Foods (GA) - Wicked Pimina Cheese #WickedPiminaCheese
* Caroline's Cakes - these were delicious and garnered my wood token (best of vote)
* Southbound Brewing Belgian Witbier @SouthboundBrews
* Hope Springs Distillery Absinthe #HopeSpringsDistillery
* Todd Richards Soul: A Chef's Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes (GA) @ChefToddRichards
* Rivulet Artisan Pecan Liquer (KY) - delicious pecan @RivuletLiqueur
* Myrtle's Chicken + Beer (TN) - Chick and Peas @MyrtlesChickenandBeer
* Ralph Taylor - City Grocery Restaurant Group (MS) Shrimp bites @CityGrocery
* Meridith Pittman - CAET Winebar - Pickled Melon Salad @MerePittman
* Taylor Bowen-Ricketts - Fan and Johnny's (MS) @TravelGreenwood
* Cole Ellis - Delta Meat Market (MS) Delta Style Tamales @DeltaMeatMarket @VisitMS
* Ty Thames Restaurant Tyler (MS) @RestaurantTyler
* Tony Chachere's (LA) Bloody Mary Mix and Red Beans @tonychacheres
* Fudgy Flourless Chocolate Pecan Cookies
* John Rivers - 4 Rivers Smokehouse (GA) - amazing melt-in-your-mouth beef brisket @4Riverssmokehouse
* Grand Champion BBQ (GA) @gcbbq - awesome pork rib
* Ian Winslade Mission + Market (GA) @missionandmkt - refreshing goat cheese and fruit puree
* Gentry Bourbon Whiskey - veterans benefit
* Foothills Brewing (NC) Jade IPA and People's Porter @FoothillsBeer
* Good People Brewing (AL) IPA and Coffee Stout @gpbrewing - loved the Coffee Stout
* Revelator Coffee (AL) Ice Cream Floats @revelatorcoffee - very refreshing
* John Lasater - Hattie B's Hot Chicken (TN) Hot Chicken Bite @HattieB's - these were delicious - the spicy (medium) and pickle were the bomb!
* Frankly by the Spotted Trotter @trotterretail
* Second Self Triforce IPA @secondselfbeer
* Tequila Fortaleza @drinkfortaleza - loved the blanco
* El Buho Mezcal - @elbuhomezcal - very distinctive flavor and aroma
* Springer Mountain Farms Chicken - Knox Mason, Chef Matt Gallaher -Pate @KnoxMason
* Hendrick's Gin - wacky steampunk drinkerizer @HendricksGin
* Glenfiddich Whisky @GlenfiddichSMW
* Red Eye Rye (TN) Old Fashioned and neat @drinkredeyerye
* Restaurant 356 (GA) Lobster Roll - one of the best bites I had @restaurant356
* Trim Tab Brewing (AL) IPA and Paradise Now @trimtabbrewing
* Urban Mason Atlanta National Golf Club - Shrimp and Grits
* Ghost Coast Distilling - Savannah's first operational distillery since prohibition - sampling Vodka 261 @GhostCoastDist
* Creature Comforts - Chef Shay Lavi discussed plans for his new beltline restaurant while munching on delicious lamb-filled pita

Overall, I had a fantastic time. I've attended similar events in the past but none this extensive (in fact I usually don't bother with these types of events because of the long lines and Georgia heat, but this night was awesome due to the rain). I managed to get through the upper Oval Tents but hardly hit the Lower - and by then many of the purveyors had begun to run out of samples - probably a good thing as I was buzzed enough that things were starting to mix together and my note taking is really light. The highlight of the evening was a short discussion with Chef Shay Lavi - we discussed his plans to open a new restaurant along the beltline - that will be one to keep your eye on. Thanks to all the contributors to a fantastic event.

(shorter version posted on Yelp)

Georgia Renaissance Festival 2014

(review in a much shorter form also posted on Yelp)
It's been over 20 years since I've visited the Georgia Renaissance Festival - I had actually forgotten how much fun this long-lasting venue is to visit. For those of you who don't know, the Renaissance Festival (also Renaissance Faire and collectively called "RenFest" or "RenFaire") is typically a temporary or in this case permanent exhibit of Renaissance period life, with participants in costume and the accompanying food, drink and good times. Some of these festivals are rather restrictive prohibiting the use of any modern convenience (I think that all of those are gone now) - this one in Fairburn Georgia is a bit looser on the letter-of-the-law, so to speak, allowing even fantasy themes (I saw some fairies prancing around) along with those post-Medieval period examples of armored lords and dowdy peasants. Here's you'll meet the likes of those Game of Thrones characters you've learned to love and despise, along with some historic figures, like Leonardo Di Vinci discussing Vitruvian Man. I love the feeling of permanence that the Georgia faire has - the buildings have been here long enough to feel like they've been there for hundreds of years instead of decades. Also, the staff in general are very good - the venue has had time to work out many of the kinks you typically see in temporary setups.

A word of advice - try to arrive at RenFest an hour or so before it opens. The line of cars of parking becomes extensive. The faire does a great job in coordinating what would otherwise be chaos, filling out long lines in an open field. There's plenty of parking and the rows are well-marked so you can find where you've lost your car. Arriving earlier will prevent you from making the "long walk" - after trampling about the faire all day you will be less inclined to carry all your stuff that extra distance. Plan accordingly.

 

 

So what to do - well, in my opinion the faire is all about kids. The venue is extremely safe and the issue of child safety is obviously on everyone's mind. The idea here is the experience - I'd recommend leaving all electronic devices at home (or locked in the car), with the exception of cameras. This isn't the place to be texting or playing the DS. Rather this is an interactive experience that allows you to spend quality time with your kids. I arrived as the only childless stand-out with two couples and three kids. I had the best time just watching the reactions on the children's faces as they experience all the weirdness. The venue ranges from mild-and-safe (the petting zoo) to thrilling (the joust and tourney). You basically lead the kids around and let them explore - there are many distractions to keep them busy while you drink your ale and maintain a slight buzz.

 

 

The food options are plentiful, especially in snacks and sweets. There are many "meat-on-a-stick" options but my favorite, hand's down is the smoked turkey leg. These are, in a word, awesome.

You will want to pick up a map at the entrance and see if there are some things that you'll want to catch. Try to view one of the jousts, those are a hoot and something your kids will enjoy - the drama is part Pro-Wrestling and part "Knights Tale" - very well done.

This fishing game was very popular with the kids (even the big kids)...

 

Before the Joust....

 
 

You'll also want to try-out some of the primitive rides - my favorite was the swinging barrel (that I affectionately dubbed the "vomit comet") - as the kids are howling, you will be too.

 

The day ended (actually it was mid-afternoon) with a lament played by Scottish bagpipers. Actually there was a whole platoon of them marching through the park earlier - quite a site to see (seems the group had a special meet at the park that day).

Good times people - try it!

-- John