This month, instead of giving you valuable insight on only one beer every week, I'll be giving you insight on entire lines of beer via craft brewery sampler packs. American craft breweries are all the rage right now, so jump on the bandwagon with me and get drinking!
This week I took my research on the road and went to tour and taste at the source. The brewery in question: Atlanta based Sweetwater Brewing Company.
Freddy Bensch, the founder of Sweetwater, spent most of his time at Colorado University obsessing over beer, and after graduation he threw himself into the brewing industry with a passion. With several breweries already well established in Colorado, he decided to set up shop in Atlanta, GA in 1997, where residents had nothing to drink but Large-American-Beer-Company.
Since that time, business has been good; Sweetwater outputs about 50,000 barrels (100,000 kegs worth) of beer every year. Their slogan reads, “Don't Float the Mainstream,” and you'll be glad to heed their advice.
If you get a chance to visit Atlanta, plan to spend an evening at the brewery. For $8 you'll get a five ounce taste of every beer in the Sweetwater lineup and a free guided tour of the brewery. They have a brand new tasting room which makes for a great, rustic atmosphere, and with so much beer being poured throughout the night, people get very friendly and talkative. Get there early if you want to get in.
If you can't get up to Atlanta, fear not, because Sweetwater is available all around Gainesville in four major varieties:
420 Extra Pale Ale is Sweetwater's flagship beer and is about as hoppy as a Pale Ale can be. 420 is loaded with flavor, but doesn't quite cross over into IPA territory. If you know anything about CU, you already know how the beer got its name.
Sweetwater Blue is a very light wheat beer with a tiny bit of blueberry aroma. For those accustomed to light lagers, this is your best bet, but if you want big flavor, you should probably look elsewhere.
Georgia Brown is a fairly uninspiring English Brown Ale, but still tastes good. It's overall flavor is lighter than I want it to be, but with the little boost of hoppiness it has in its finish, I think it fits perfectly into the Sweetwater lineup.
Sweetwater IPA is a fantastic example of an India Pale Ale. It has a very nice citrus aroma, with a smooth body and surprising drinkability. Careful though, because you're looking at a little over 6.5% alcohol. This was my personal favorite, but I'm a sucker for a good IPA.
Final Word
Nothing beats drinking a beer on tap at the brewery, and visiting Sweetwater Brewing Company was as much fun as I should be allowed to have in a single night. But even from home, Sweetwater's entire lineup is worth a try.
Sweetwater is available is most major bottle shops in Gainesville. Rember: If they don't have it, just ask!
Visit Sweetwater Brewing Company at 195 Ottley Drive, Atlanta GA 30324
The tasting room is open Wed-Fri 5:30-7:30 and Sat 2:30-4:30
