FoodieBuddha.com

A: The Battle of the Burgers

Q: What is the meat slapping, gut busting, massive attack set to take place at John Howell Park in Virginia-Highland on Saturday, October 2nd (from 12-4p)?

To elaborate: some might say we’re in a burger renaissance.  I might say we’re in a burger infestation.  Regardless of your perspective, it isn’t a stretch to say that Atlanta’s cityscape has become a bastion of meat-eating fornication.  Spurned on by the dizzying selections our city has to offer, Embraced Atlanta is putting on a charitable contest of epic proportions … appropriately slugged as The Battle of the Burgers (web).  Read on for all the information!

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Grant Park’s Young Augustine’s rose from the ashes of The Standard early this year.  This neighborhood take on the gastro pub is the brainchild of Chris Johnson, owner of The Standard, Andy Gonzales, a well traveled chef, and Kyle Faucher, the manager who I know little about.  While the fate of the Standard seemed set by a series of tragic circumstances, these three gents set out to infuse the space with a bit of life.

Frequenters of 327 Memorial’s previous tenant will remember the joint for its dive bar atmosphere and low-brow bar food.  That’s all a distant memory.  The one notable holdover is the bocce ball court out back.  On the other hand, the interior has been blown open, leaving a community table in the middle and a long, polished wood bar against the back wall.  Taking it all in one Saturday afternoon, and on the heels of some rather flattering reviews, I had high hopes for YA’s.  Unfortunately, the interior was the first thing, and just about the last thing, that I actually enjoyed during my one meal there.

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I love learning … and I love it when there are lots of pictures to make the reading more enjoyable.  Thanks to some very crafty folk over at the Oatmeal, we now have a picture-book-like lesson on all things beer! It’s really one big long comic, so keep on clicking to see it!

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Okay, so this doesn’t really involved kicking ass … but freezing beer is a kick ass thing to do … details as follows:

So this just in, apparently – it’s a good thing to drink beer after you exercise.  Yeah, sounds screwy … I know.  According to researchers at Granada University (that’s in Spain ya’ll), a pint of beer post-exercise is better at rehydrating you than a glass of water!  Apparently, they attribute this to the high sugar and salt content in beer.  My question to the folks at GU, who the hell authorized this study?  Okay, so yeah this is serious content – but I still find it funny.

[via Cleveland Leader]

For one day only (that day being today) … get your weekend on at the East Atlanta Beer Festival and/or The Taste of Sandy Spring.  Both are charitable events, so that’s a plus.  Details as follows:

Taste Of Sandy Springs

Where: Sandy Springs Cir NE & Sandy Springs Pl NE, Atlanta, GA, 30328
When: Saturday, May 30th, 2009 / 11a-6p
Tickets: $5.00 Entrance, $1.00 per tasting
Details:
- Food from 30+ restaurants (including Alon’s Bakery, Café Sunflower, & Persepolis).
- Local Produce Market
- Silent Auction
- Live Music

http://www.tasteofsandysprings.org/

East Atlanta Beer Festival

Where: 1205 Metropolitan Ave SE, Atlanta, GA, 30316
When: Saturday, May 30th, 2009 / 1p-6p
Tickets: $35 ($15 for those not drinking)
Details:
- Beer from 170 Brewers (Full List – pdf)
- Tickets include a beer glass
- 21+ (surprised?)
- Live Music on Two Stages

*** Rumor has it that only 75 tix remained as of midnight last night

http://www.eabfonline.com/

Fat Tire roles into Atlanta … get it? HA! I kill me.  Okay, so bad humor aside, this should be of interest to you who sip the suds.  Three new Belgian beers showed up this afternoon at Hop City Beer.  Though EatItAtlanta walked out with the first picture, I managed to score the first case.  All the more infuriating for Eat It is that I have no intention of drinking any of my haul.

In addition to the Fat Tire, Hop City brought in two other flavors from New Belgium (website).  You’ll find that pale ale, some Mothership Wit, a heiferweisen, and 1554, a black Ale.  Sorry folk, no sixers here … 22oz is the only available size.  A case will run you approximately $42 (including tax). 

Hop City Beer Address & Information:
1000 Marietta St. NW Atlanta, GA 30318 // P: 404.667.0497 // Hop City Website

Here’s a list of seven alcoholic beverages that are both tasty (supposedly) and sustainable.  Thanks Fast Company!

Square One Vodka
Green because: It’s made from organically grown North Dakota rye and produced in a distillery that gets 25% of its energy from a wind farm. $33+; SquareOneVodka.com

Vodka 360
Green because: Bottles are made from 85% recycled glass, and labels are made from 100% recycled paper. For every bottle sold, its producer, Earth Friendly Distilling Co. (a division of McCormick Distilling Co.), donates $1 to an environmental organization.  $29+, vodka360.com

Prairie Vodka
Green because: It’s packaged in an unfrosted, recyclable glass bottle, and produced from organic corn grown by a Minnesota farmers’ co-op. Leftover cobs are converted on-site to biogas energy that powers distillation. $25+; prairievodka.com

Rhum Clément White Rum
Green because: After it’s made from sugarcane, the spent canes are used to fuel the production process. $30+; rhumclement.net

Veev Vodka
Green because: For every bottle sold, Veev’s certified carbon-neutral producers donate $1 to rainforest preservation and sustainable açaí farming (through Sambazon’s Sustainable Acai Project). $35; veevlife.com

Bruichladdich Whiskey
Green because: Bruichladdich CEO, Mark Reynier, revealed plans to revamp its Port Charlotte Distillery to create a "genuinely zero carbon footprint." Prices vary; bruichladdich.com

New Belgium Beer
Its brewed using wind power, and its maker, New Belgium Brewing Co., is a member of 1% For the Planet, which means that 1% of its revenue helps fund environmental non-profits. $8 (per six-pack), newbelgium.com

Hot on the tails of the newest 5 Seasons location, Hop City Beer is opening in the Brickworks, that new complex over on the West End of the city.  Though I’m not a beer fan by any stretch of the imagination (the other day, I had my first one in 5 years), I can’t wait to see what this place packs.

On Thursday, April 2 (that’s tomorrow), there is a grand opening celebration.  The store touts itself as “Atlanta’s first craft beer specialty store.”  Basically, this is a liquor store without the liquor … and a WHOLE HECK of a lot more beer.  According to the email they sent out, they will stock over 1,000 flavors of beer and more than 600 types of wine.  For those who like to get adventurous, they also carry home brewing equipment.

As for the party itself – there will be a plethora of free beer samples, live music, and some grub.  It runs from 6-9 and is free to everyone.  CL ran a more in depth preview on the 30th. As of this writing, their website is not up.

Hop City Beer Address & Information:
1000 Marietta St. NW Atlanta, GA 30318 // P: 404.667.0497 // Hop City Website

There are tons of websites out there dedicated to home brewing.  A few days ago, SimpleDollar.com posted an in depth Walkthrough and Cost Breakdown of Brewing Your Own Beer.  I’ve never ventured down this road, but the post is certainly worth a read if you are into that sort of thing.