My cousin comes out this weekend, and I want some local stouts I CAN NOT get here in chicago. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Cheers, ERRL
One of the disappointing things about Georgia is the lack of great stouts (at least available now/year round). I think the best bets are O'Dempsey's Your Black Heart and Jailhouse Breakout Stout. Red Brick just released their 20th Anniversary imperial, but I haven't tried it yet.
Depending on where in GA he might be able to find some Happy ending from sweetwater or WnB, MooHoo from terrapin. Sweetwater puts out a decent IPA IMO
It is probably going to be a problem finding Happy Ending or WNB now. Jailhouse Breakout Stout is pretty good. For IPA's SW, Red Hare (cans) and Monday Night DIPA.
I like Duck rabbit and I used to get it in Savannah all the time. I think I seen it sold in Atlanta, but I do not live in GA anymore.
My wife just got back from Atlanta this past weekend. She was able to get me Jailhouse Breakout Stout and Terrapin Dos Cocoas. I was told Wake-n-Bake and Moo-Hoo are gone. Oh ya, Red Brick just had a release party on Sat for Brick Mason Series #7; which is a BA Imp Stout. Not sure if that will be available in stores yet or if a brewery only release.
Jailhouse Breakout is great. O'Dempsey's is good. Definitely have him pick up some Red Brick 20th Anniversary (10% Barrel-aged Imp. Stout), it should be hitting stores as we speak. Wake 'n' Bake comes out in mid-winter, so it's long gone. Although there might be some lurking around a dark corner in a little-visited store. Monday Night is a relatively new brewery with a very solid regular IPA (Eye Patch) and a new DIPA (Blind Pirate). Regular Sweetwater IPA, Jailhouse Mugshot and Red Brick Hoplanta are quite nice. Red Hare Gangway comes in cans. If you want outside of GA, the Westbrook IPA from SC is delicious and it's in cans too. So, there are options.
+1 to Duck Rabbit and Red Hare Also Westbrook IPA, Mother Earth Sisters of the Moon IPA, Weyerbacher Heresy, Weyerbacher Double Simcoe. There might be some Full Sail Bourbon Imperial Stout floating around too....highly recommend that one.
I dont know how widely Westbrook distributes but if he can score anything from them, its worth a try honestly. Some of their stuff is average, but they do some truly amazing brews. As for IPAs from them, see if he can locate some White Thai IPA (cans). Its different for sure but damn good on a hot day. Edit: I forgot to name White Thai
As someone who lives and works in the northern suburbs, it can be hard to find SW IPA that is a decent date. You need to tell him not to buy it unless the date on the bottles is at least 2 months out. It will be like finding Waldo to come across that out here though. I called a growler store who also sold bottles who opened a week before a recent trip in hopes of finding fresh SW IPA for a trade partner. On 7/19 they told me the date on theirs were 7/15. That is a best before date. In other words they got beer in its last week of a 3 month date span when they opened the store. That is what we typically have to deal with out here. Ale Yeah in Roswell is probably your best bet for a wide selection of stuff in the northern burbs.
I know issues like that are on the distributor, as SW has little to do with the product once it leaves their facility... that said, in the suburbs of Atlanta there's no excuse for having "expired" Sweetwater on the shelves.
I agree with all of that except the part of SW having little to do with it. They try to make sure their product is fresh. https://twitter.com/SWHopCop Granted that is tough to do with their footprint, but unlike a lot of breweries, at least they try. Just disappointing it is an issue in the metro area.
I know a spot where WnB and Moohoo is still avil. BM me and ill give ya the place.. Its not to far from Norcross or cumming
