PROFILES IN BREWING by Bobby Bush, author of "Beer & Loafing" John Stuart of Park Tavern Brewery & Restaurant in Atlanta GA After a short flirtation with homebrewing while a senior in high school, John Stuart started brewing again four years later at the insistence of his roommate who had discovered the dusty brewing equipment in a closet. A little more serious about the hobby this time, John entered the Bluebonnet Homebrewers Competition, a statewide judging sponsored by the North Texas Homebrewers Club, in May 1987. Shortly thereafter, the blue-ribbon winning homebrewer was approached by the assistant brewmaster from Reinheitgesbot Brewing Company. The Plano TX microbrewery, also known as Collin County Brewery, was looking for help. Working mostly as a volunteer, this opportunity started the ball rolling, turning hobby into occupation for the young brewer. Interested in learning more about brewing than the bottling line would reveal, John soon looked elsewhere for full-time employment. He found Addison Brewing Company in the early stages of formation. He signed on with the new company in August, 1988. Fourteen months of installation and preparation later, Double Eagle Lager, hit the marketplace. Unfortunately, the under-funded brewery soon succumbed to the typical financial and family ownership problems. A chance meeting with Paul Smith, who was in Dallas for Triathlon competition, was fortuitous. Smith was founder and principal owner of The Mill Bakery Eatery Brewery, which at that time had two locations, Gainesville and Tallahassee FL. Stuart signed on in 1990, taking what would become a long, long ride on a booming brewpub chain. The Mill had chain-aspirations. John moved to Tallahassee to become the corporate brewer. He was intimately involved with the design, training and start-up of each new Mill brewery, traveling to Orlando, Charleston, Baton Rouge, Charlotte, Knoxville, Nashville and where Mill business took him. There would be 17 Mills, though not all brewed their own beer. To avoid regulatory problems, 30-barrel micro Beach Brewing Company was founded by The Mill owners to supply the restaurants. Due to the fragmented ownership of each location, every Mill was vastly different. Some were more successful with beer than others. When Smith purchased a building in Atlanta in late 1995, John jumped at the brewing job. With a smile on his face, he moved to the Peach State in 1996. Situated in midtown, bordering historic Piedmont Park with a beautiful view of the downtown skyline, this Mill opened on July 8, 1996 at the height of the Olympic craze. As The Mill chain spiraled toward disenfranchisement in 1999, Smith purchased the Atlanta store outright. He was anxious to develop a more localized identity for his newly independent establishment. Capitalizing on the popularity of grassy Piedmont Park, Park Tavern was selected as the brewpub's name. Stuart keeps five or six Park Tavern beers on tap at all times. Named for a nearby neighborhood, Druid Hills, another Olmstead creation, Druid Pils is mild in hoppiness, as far as pilsners go. John's two other "got to have" beers are Park Trail Ale and Olmstead Amber. Usually the fourth beer on tap, Piedmont Porter was first brewed as a bridal ale for Paul Smith's wedding back in Florida. Though it never fit in at the Florida brewpubs, Atlanta has become a perfect home for the Porter. Other rotating Park Tavern beers include Irish Stout. Bavarian in style, John's Hefeweizen is 50% German Pils malt (Scarlet) and 50% Pale Wheat malt. Winter Brew is usually a Scottish Ale, though in 2001 John experimented with a Belgian Abbey Dubbel. Given time and tank space, Oktoberfest greets the autumn season with a sweetish combination of Vienna and Munich malts, German Hallertau hops and a requisite lager yeast. John's philosophy in offering such a spectrum of products is somewhat defiant: "I don't necessarily go for a beer that offends no one. I go for beers that are aggressive within their style." Too often, he's been disappointed in a bar's of brewpub's line-up of similar tasting beers. Fate introduced John Stuart to homebrewing and professional brewing. Now one of the South's most seasoned brewers, he's made the best of the experience. With over 15 years in the business, he still takes pride and pleasure with every pint sold. 500 10th St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309-4272 (404) 249-0001, Fax: (404) 249-0017 Read more by nationally recognized beer writer Bobby Bush at: |
CALENDAR Regarding several inquiries we've had regarding a couple of events: The Governor's Crossing Wing Fling Brewfest in Sevierville TN has been discontinued. The Bluegrass Brewing Company Festival in Louisville KY remains on hiatus while the brewery copes with the absorption of Pipkin Brewing Company. 5/31 - Suds Fest 2002 - Memphis TN 6/1 - 6th Knoxville Brewers' Jam - Knoxville TN The event continues to grow with 25 craft brewers and four national alt-country bands. http://www.BrewersJam.com 6/1 - Old Dominion Beer Fest Series continues - Ashburn VA Old Dominion has altered its festival format to a series of smaller festivals on the first Saturday of each month. 6/8 WYES 19th International Beer Tasting - New Orleans LA A benefit for the Big Easy's public television station featuring local craft brewers. 6/15 Mid-Atlantic Craft Beer Fest 2002 - Richmond VA 7/26-28 - Oregon Beer Festival - Portland OR Do you need really need a description of this event? After you've done the GABF, this is the next one to check out. And, like Denver, Portland is a craft beer mecca. 7/27 - Music City Brewers Festival - Nashville TN Details are sketchy but we've learned a new festival is blossoming in the hometown of Tammy, Merle and Johnny under the direction of Clear Channel Radio. More info next issue. You'll find a complete listing of the region's beer events in detail on the Beer South calendar. |
RESOURCES As you'll see in the calendar section below, the Spring welcomes a wealth of festival across the region. While the Beer South calendar is arguable the best source for southern festival information, there are times when a beer traveler needs information on other parts of the country. Here are a trio of sites we recommend: The Real Beer Calendar - Pretty much the first place anybody starts looking - and several other calendars overtly use this site's information as the basis of their calendars. All About Beer Events Calendar - This resource has been much improved of late. Nicely concise with web links. Pubcrawler Events Calendar - Long a top resource for digging up brewpub and micros in every nook of the country, Pubcrawler recently introduced an events section. Given that much of the information on the site is from user input, this should become another helpful aspect of the site. |
The material presented on this site is based on information believed to be correct, but is subject to change at anytime. If you have an update, correction, suggestion or any other contribution, please send it to us at: beersouth@mindspring.com. We welcome your input. (c) 1999 - 2002 by Beer South. All Rights Reserved. |
The material presented on this site is based on information believed to be correct, but is subject to change at anytime. If you have an update, correction, suggestion or any other contribution, please send it to us at: beersouth@mindspring.com. We welcome your input. (c) 1999 - 2002 by Beer South. All Rights Reserved. |
April - May 2002 Newsletter |
Greetings all, Most of us love to try new beers so we're betting you have you map in hand and your eyes set on discovering some new brews and brewers this spring and summer. With the festival season in high gear, there's probably a beer event somewhere near you and in our Resources sections, we have listed some sites that might help you find beer fests through out the country. If you go, have a great time, and don't forget to write. We are currently working on a new print version of the Beer South Guide, so if you've ordered a copy recently, hang in there while we finish editing it and we'll send you the newest edition. - The Beer Bwana |
NEWS Congratulations to the following southern brewers who are among the U.S. contenders advancing to final round of judging in the World Beer Cup. Winners will be announced in New York City on June 12. We wish them well. GA / Atlanta - Sweetwater Brewing GA / Stockbridge - The Buckhead Brewery & Grill FL / The Villages at Lady Lake - Spanish Springs Brewing TN / Chattanooga - Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group VA / Charlottesville - Starr Hill Restaurant & Brewery VA / Centreville - Sweetwater Tavern & Brewery VA / Hampton Roads - St. George Brewing Source: World Beer Cup website |
BREWING CHANGES Openings GA / Athens - Terrapin Brewing Company - A new micro using Dogwood Brewery in Atlanta until such time as they can open their own facility. Founders Brian Buckowski and John Cochran introduced its flagship product, Terrapin Rye P.A, at the Athens GA Classic City Beer Festival April 6. VA / Sterling - Sweetwater Tavern - This is the third location for this growing brewpub concern which is reportedly already is scouting for a fourth site. Nick Funnel continues as the brewmaster for all three facilities. Closings AR / Little Rock - Castaways Island Grill & Brewery Personnel VA / Ashburn - Favio Garcia to brewer for Old Dominion, from Richbrau Brewing in Richmond VA VA / Richmond - Mike Banks to head brewer for Richbrau Brewing Company |
RESOURCES As you'll see in the calendar section below, the Spring welcomes a wealth of festival across the region. While the Beer South calendar is arguable the best source for southern festival information, there are times when a beer traveler needs information on other parts of the country. Here are a trio of sites we recommend: The Real Beer Calendar - Pretty much the first place anybody starts looking - and several other calendars overtly use this site's information as the basis of their calendars. All About Beer Events Calendar - This resource has been much improved of late. Nicely concise with web links. Pubcrawler Events Calendar - Long a top resource for digging up brewpub and micros in every nook of the country, Pubcrawler recently introduced an events section. Given that much of the information on the site is from user input, this should become another helpful aspect of the site. |
CALENDAR Regarding several inquiries we've had regarding a couple of events: The Governor's Crossing Wing Fling Brewfest in Sevierville TN has been discontinued. The Bluegrass Brewing Company Festival in Louisville KY remains on hiatus while the brewery copes with the absorption of Pipkin Brewing Company. 5/31 - Suds Fest 2002 - Memphis TN 6/1 - 6th Knoxville Brewers' Jam - Knoxville TN The event continues to grow with 25 craft brewers and four national alt-country bands. http://www.BrewersJam.com 6/1 - Old Dominion Beer Fest Series continues - Ashburn VA Old Dominion has altered its festival format to a series of smaller festivals on the first Saturday of each month. 6/8 WYES 19th International Beer Tasting - New Orleans LA A benefit for the Big Easy's public television station featuring local craft brewers. 6/15 Mid-Atlantic Craft Beer Fest 2002 - Richmond VA 7/26-28 - Oregon Beer Festival - Portland OR Do you need really need a description of this event? After you've done the GABF, this is the next one to check out. And, like Denver, Portland is a craft beer mecca. 7/27 - Music City Brewers Festival - Nashville TN Details are sketchy but we've learned a new festival is blossoming in the hometown of Tammy, Merle and Johnny under the direction of Clear Channel Radio. More info next issue. You'll find a complete listing of the region's beer events in detail on the Beer South calendar. |
PROFILES IN BREWING by Bobby Bush, author of "Beer & Loafing" John Stuart of Park Tavern Brewery & Restaurant in Atlanta GA After a short flirtation with homebrewing while a senior in high school, John Stuart started brewing again four years later at the insistence of his roommate who had discovered the dusty brewing equipment in a closet. A little more serious about the hobby this time, John entered the Bluebonnet Homebrewers Competition, a statewide judging sponsored by the North Texas Homebrewers Club, in May 1987. Shortly thereafter, the blue-ribbon winning homebrewer was approached by the assistant brewmaster from Reinheitgesbot Brewing Company. The Plano TX microbrewery, also known as Collin County Brewery, was looking for help. Working mostly as a volunteer, this opportunity started the ball rolling, turning hobby into occupation for the young brewer. Interested in learning more about brewing than the bottling line would reveal, John soon looked elsewhere for full-time employment. He found Addison Brewing Company in the early stages of formation. He signed on with the new company in August, 1988. Fourteen months of installation and preparation later, Double Eagle Lager, hit the marketplace. Unfortunately, the under-funded brewery soon succumbed to the typical financial and family ownership problems. A chance meeting with Paul Smith, who was in Dallas for Triathlon competition, was fortuitous. Smith was founder and principal owner of The Mill Bakery Eatery Brewery, which at that time had two locations, Gainesville and Tallahassee FL. Stuart signed on in 1990, taking what would become a long, long ride on a booming brewpub chain. The Mill had chain-aspirations. John moved to Tallahassee to become the corporate brewer. He was intimately involved with the design, training and start-up of each new Mill brewery, traveling to Orlando, Charleston, Baton Rouge, Charlotte, Knoxville, Nashville and where Mill business took him. There would be 17 Mills, though not all brewed their own beer. To avoid regulatory problems, 30-barrel micro Beach Brewing Company was founded by The Mill owners to supply the restaurants. Due to the fragmented ownership of each location, every Mill was vastly different. Some were more successful with beer than others. When Smith purchased a building in Atlanta in late 1995, John jumped at the brewing job. With a smile on his face, he moved to the Peach State in 1996. Situated in midtown, bordering historic Piedmont Park with a beautiful view of the downtown skyline, this Mill opened on July 8, 1996 at the height of the Olympic craze. As The Mill chain spiraled toward disenfranchisement in 1999, Smith purchased the Atlanta store outright. He was anxious to develop a more localized identity for his newly independent establishment. Capitalizing on the popularity of grassy Piedmont Park, Park Tavern was selected as the brewpub's name. Stuart keeps five or six Park Tavern beers on tap at all times. Named for a nearby neighborhood, Druid Hills, another Olmstead creation, Druid Pils is mild in hoppiness, as far as pilsners go. John's two other "got to have" beers are Park Trail Ale and Olmstead Amber. Usually the fourth beer on tap, Piedmont Porter was first brewed as a bridal ale for Paul Smith's wedding back in Florida. Though it never fit in at the Florida brewpubs, Atlanta has become a perfect home for the Porter. Other rotating Park Tavern beers include Irish Stout. Bavarian in style, John's Hefeweizen is 50% German Pils malt (Scarlet) and 50% Pale Wheat malt. Winter Brew is usually a Scottish Ale, though in 2001 John experimented with a Belgian Abbey Dubbel. Given time and tank space, Oktoberfest greets the autumn season with a sweetish combination of Vienna and Munich malts, German Hallertau hops and a requisite lager yeast. John's philosophy in offering such a spectrum of products is somewhat defiant: "I don't necessarily go for a beer that offends no one. I go for beers that are aggressive within their style." Too often, he's been disappointed in a bar's of brewpub's line-up of similar tasting beers. Fate introduced John Stuart to homebrewing and professional brewing. Now one of the South's most seasoned brewers, he's made the best of the experience. With over 15 years in the business, he still takes pride and pleasure with every pint sold. 500 10th St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309-4272 (404) 249-0001, Fax: (404) 249-0017 Read more by nationally recognized beer writer Bobby Bush at: |
======================================================================= Thanks to: Ryan Kurflink, Bob Gordon, Deitra McClenic, Ronald Snell, Chris Foster, John Cochran until next time, cheers! The Beer Bwana |
