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Spring in the air and beer on the mind
There may be no more enjoyable time to drink beer than right now. Which is something of a truism, but by now, I mean the spring, when the sun shines but doesn’t bake your brain, and there is the perfume of flowers and leaves in the air. Perhaps it’s because the senses are stimulated by all the beauty and rebirth, but beer just seems to taste that much better this time of year. Perhaps that’s why there are so many great beer events going on in the next few weeks. Here are some of them:
Get a Jump on Summer Beers: Jessica Moss, the beer maestro at Muss & Turner’s conducts her weekly beer tastings Thurs., May 15, this week featuring six wheat and rye beers that will be a nice way to check out what you might like to be enjoying on Atlanta’s patios this summer. The cost is $15 per person, and attendees get 10 percent off dinner or store purchases that night. For details, wgo here.
Dinner with St. Bernie: The 5th Earl Market in Decatur is hosting a St. Bernardus Beer Dinner Sat., May 17. Besides five amazing abbey-style ales from Belgium’s much lauded brewery, the menu features, among other things: spiced lamb sausage; citrus cured tuna with plantain salsa and cilantro aioli; grilled lobster and lobster club with avocado, bacon and garlic aioli: roasted Long Island duck breast; and a bread pudding with caramelized bananas, toffee and Abt 12 ice cream. Cost is $85 per person. Call the store at 404-377-5477 for reservations.
B-I-N-G-O: Owen Ogletree and Kerri “The Beer Wench” Allen are hosting two Beer Bingo nights, one in Atlanta and one in Athens. Participants learn about beer styles by sampling nine beers and guessing the style from the humorous limericks provided. Prizes are awarded to the top scorers. The cost is $15 and proceeds benefit Project Safe Women’s Shelter in Athens. The Atlanta event is Sun., May 18, 4-6 p.m. at 5 Seasons Brewing at the Prado in Sandy Springs. The Athens event is Sun., June 1, 4-6 p.m. at Aromas on Milledge Avenue in Five Points. To purchase tickets, go to the Brewtopia Events website. Hurry, there are only 20 seats available for each night.
Drink Beer, Do Good: After Owen’s and Kerri’s style lesson at 5 Seasons on Sunday, you can stick around for a beer dinner to benefit the family of chef Dan Gordon, who recently passed away at the much-too-young age of 32. Billed as Dapper Dan’s Dirty Dozen, the dinner celebrating Dan’s life and culinary vision will feature a whopping 13 courses and 13 beers. The cost is $85.55. If you attend both events, I suggest you at least arrange for a ride home, if not for a personal paramedic on call. For more information, contact the restaurant at 404-255-5911.
Start Training Now with Some 12 oz. Curls: Tickets are on sale now for Creative Loafing’s Third Annual Beer Festival Beer’lympics, Sat., June 14, in Woodruff Park downtown. Purchase your tickets online before Wed., May 21, and for just $25 you’ll be able to sample more than 100 different beers, as well as participate in a variety of backyard games guaranteed not to cramp your muscles or your drinking style. Live music, food and interactive booths just further fuel the fun. Plus, you get to see your favorite CL staffers acting silly. Tickets go to $30 on May 21, so get yours now.