About Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (May 11, 2011)
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The University of Georgia iHHHHHMj BUY P SMALL COFFEE GET INE FREE WITH THRU 5/17 VJT HAPPY LOCAL. FRESH BEER CONTINUES COMING Before prohibition took effect, many cit ies and towns—even in the South—had their own small, local breweries. In Georgia, Atlanta always had at least one, and Savannah, Augusta, Macon, Columbus, Brunswick and maybe even Athens had their own local plants circa 1900. After repeal in 1933 (Georgia took a while longer than many states: we instituted legal control in 1937, although some areas sold 3.2 percent beer beforehand... Athens included), the only city in Georgia whose pre-prohibition brewery reopened was Atlanta, where the old Factory run by the Steiner family morphed into Atlantic Brewing. Other Atlantic plants existed in Charlotte and Orlando, with yet more at various times that opened and closed rather confusingly. Atlantic made Atlantic Beer— "The Beer of the South"—and Atlantic Ale—"The Ale of the South"—packaged in brake-fluid-style cone-topped cans, in longneck bottles and on draught. (These folks also had another product named Steinerbrau.) I know of one remaining old Atlantic sign that is nailed up on the wall of a garage in Dalton, well under its eaves and out of the weather. It's remarkably well-preserved (or was when I last saw it), and I hope to get a photo of it eventually. But my point is: this was local beer. It might not have been the best obtainable, but it was fresh and cheap. Atlantic closed down in 1954, and its old Courtland Street plant is long gone, as are its two earlier ones on Means Street and Baker Street. But old-timers still remember it, with varying fondness. "I only drank it when I was broke," a friend's grandfa ther told me. "It wasn't much of a treat, but it sure went down nice on a blistering hot day." This octogenarian is now very pleased to have SweetWater and Red Brick as his locals. "Son, I never drank that stuff," my aad told me. "It... ahem... wasn't the best. I think it had a plethora of corn grit in it and not much barley." My stepfather put it more bluntly: "Atlantic Beer? That was swill" he recalled, a pained look crossing his face. "But you could find it in downtown Atlanta for 20 cents a glass when everything else was a quarter or 30 cents. You got what you paid for." Fortunately, things have run full cycle. There still is second-rate, get-you-drunker- than-a-skunk stuff out there (and plenty of it, often in humongous cans), but we are evolv ing a new local beer network of quality stuff. I foresaw this evolution coming 35 or so years ago, but nobody believed me. They began to in the late 1970s when the first microbrewer ies came (and went, but they made an impact on the market!) in locales like Sonoma, CA; Portland, OR; Albany, NY; Chelsea, MI; and (believe it or not) Little Rock, AR! (I'll write more on these pioneer breweries on another occasion. There is much to tell.) I lead to something. Not only has a brew ery (Jailhouse) opened in Hampton, GA, selling its products mostly in South Metro Atlanta, but I just caught wind of two new brewpubs, one in Rome and the other in Flowery Branch! For those of you who are lost on the whereabouts of the latter town, it's off 1-985 between Gainesville and the Mall of Georgia, in the westernmost reaches of Hall County. The Rome brewpub is Paul's Oyster Bar at 2901 Shorter Ave., west of town a ways on GA-20 and out by Garden Lakes. It's in an existing seafood restaurant. Their brew ery apparently opened on or just after April first—no foolin'! I have friends from Rome who will be gladdened to learn about this oasis. The restaurant has been open only from Wednesday through Saturday, but longer hours are in the offing. Their website (www. paul- soysterbar.com) isn't really up-to-date, but take a look anyhow. Flowery Branch's contribution to Georgia beer culture is Toasted & Tapped at 5603 Main St., just off Buford Highway downtown. The place is open seven days a week and has a full food menu. (It doesn't have a web site but is on Facebook.) The brewery is a one- barrel Brew Magic system. Folks, this is necessary roadwork. I'll try to get at least to Flowery Branch before next column to fill y'all in. I hear rumblings of a new brewery opening in Georgia, not in Atlanta, but the rumor mill hasn't ground enough for me to be able to say more. And Dahlonega Brewing Co., which is cur rently in Caruso's Italian Restaurant, is soon to obtain its own premises so it can expand. Brewer Bob Carlton (we're very distantly related) is hunting a new space as I write, so I gotta get up there before they close to move and review the place in its current digs. At least there I can take a room in The Smith House down the street, and barring overzeal- ous law enforcement, will be able to walk to my sleeping quarters—a none-too-often found blessing in brewpubbing. (A brewpub in Hickory, NC is next door to a mom-and-pop motel which offers a copious discount to brew- pub-referred customers: an ideal situation. And in Aiken, SC, an old hotel is right up on the next corner from Aiken Brewing Co.) I've heard good things about Mother Earth Brewing in Kinston, NC. Their brews (eight of which are mentioned on their website) aren't sold in Georgia, but you can traipse up to Franklin or Highlands or Gastonia or Faison to find them. I'll let you investigate this for yourselves: www.motherearthbrewing.com will do the trick. And I've said what I wanted to say in a thousand words or so. More Beer Notes when they sound (LA!). And thanks for /all's input. (30.) William Often Carlton = ORT. 8 FLAGPOLE.COM -MAY 11,2011
