Beer!

[Stu K]

Hi everyone.

 

Heading stateside in 10 sleeps my route is set park wise.But any tips for local Beers of Awesome brews I may find along the way.

 

Starting Atlanta then New Orleans Via Alabama splash , Up to Memphis , Nashville/ beach bend , dolly wood , Carrowinds and back to Atlanta.

 

Thanks in advance for any beer related tips.

 

Stu K

[robbalvey]

Going to move this into the general theme park board and I'm sure you can get some good answers there!

[TheJewelOfJool]

Paging coasterbill...

[Stu K]

Thanks Robb I did not want to hijack the theme park. It lol! Roller coasters , cruise ships , donkey and beer lol.

 

Stu

[boldikus]

I love this thread already.

 

[SharkTums]

Not my area of expertise, but we've had a few good meals (and beers) at Smoky Mountain Brewery, both the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge locations.

[PKI Jizzman]

Well if you're near Carowinds, pay a visit to:

http://www.carolinabeertemple.net/

 

Carolina Beer Temple

131-1C Matthews Station St.

Matthews, NC 28105

 

Phone: (704) 847-BEER (2337)

 

Inventory of North Carolina Beers

 

Our inventory constantly changes, and new breweries are frequently introduced to our selection. Here is a list of beer brands you can usually find at Carolina Beer Temple, with new ones being added frequently:

 

The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery (Charlotte)

NoDa Brewing Co. (Charlotte)

Birdsong Brewing Co. (Charlotte)

Triple C Brewing Co. (Charlotte)

D9 Brewing Co. (Cornelius)

Highland Brewing Co. (Asheville)

Green Man Brewing Co. (Asheville)

Hi-Wire Brewing Co. (Asheville)

French Broad Brewing Co. (Asheville)

Olde Hickory Brewing Co. (Hickory)

Catawba Brewing Co. (Morganton)

Howard Brewing Co. (Lenoir)

Foothills Brewing Co. (Winston-Salem)

Natty Greene’s Brewing Co. (Greensboro)

Lonerider Brewing Co. (Raleigh)

Big Boss Brewing Co. (Raleigh)

Aviator Brewing Co. (Fuquay-Varina)

Rail House Brewing Co. (Aberdeen)

Mystery Brewing Co. (Hillsborough)

Fullsteam Brewing Co. (Durham)

Oskar Blues Brewing Co. (Brevard)

Carolina Brewery (Chapel Hill)

Mother Earth Brewing Co. (Kinston)

The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery (Farmville)

Nantahala Brewing Co (Bryson City)

Beer, Army, Combat Brewing (Trenton)

Double Barley (Smithfield)

Blowing Rock (Blowing Rock)

[Hilltopper39]

For Beech Bend in Bowling Green, KY there are a few newer places.

 

White Squirrel Brewery

White Squirrel is in downtown Bowling Green near WKU's campus (Go Hilltoppers) and not far from Beech Bend. I haven't actually been to this location since it opened after I left town but I've heard good things from people I know in the area.

 

 

Corsair Artisan Distillery

Corsairs Artisan Distillery has locations in Nashville and Bowling Green. It's a distillery not a brewery, but it's Kentucky so distilling and bourbon is kind of our thing. Looks like the Nashville location has a tap room so there might be beer after all (but why waste your time with beer when there is bourbon?).

[michaellynn4]

Not my area of expertise, but we've had a few good meals (and beers) at Smoky Mountain Brewery, both the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge locations.

 

Just be careful your visit is timed to a not-so-touristy time period. I went to the Pigeon Forge location last year when it happened to be Spring Break, and they were so understaffed that it took forever to get food - several tables around me either got up and left or complained vociferously to the manager, who was clearly your standard "good ol' boy" and was out of his depth. No real complaints about the food, aside from the fact that it took so long. The waitress was really good and hustled as much as she could, but there's only so much you can do when you're one of three covering an entire dining room. I may be willing to give them another shot the next time I'm down there, but I'm hesitant to do so when there are so many other options in the area, chain or not.

[Stu K]

Thanks for tips guys I knew there would be some brews I had never had out there . Good ol boys made me think of the good ol boys brew house we found just south of Michigans Adventure !

 

Stu k

[Jcoaster]

Flying Dog Dead Rising, Dogfishhead 90 Min IPA, Sweetwater 420, Founders All Day IPA are just some of my favorites.

 

If you guys are real beer enthusiast I suggest you download the "Untapped" app to track and share your beers with others. Don't forget to add me!!! Im approaching the 300 different beer mark.

[coasterbill]

Paging coasterbill...

 

I've got to be honest, while I love beer I really don't consider myself an expert on the subject. The reason for that is that (while I have my preferences) I'll pretty much drink anything. I usually like every single beer I try right away and in the event that I don't it usually grows on me by the end of my first or second glass / bottle.

 

If I go somewhere and there's a local craft beer then I almost always get it, but as far as making recommendations I'm really not the person to ask. I enjoy pretty much every beer from pure sh*t like Natty Boh and Miller Light to beer that costs $20 a bottle like Dogfish Head 120 IPA. The only beer I refuse to drink is anything with apple in it because that's literally the dumbest sh*t in the history of the world.

 

Otherwise though, I'll drink whatever. I'm terrible at picking favorites when it comes to craft beer. A lot of it honestly blends together for me.

[Stu K]

I'm a bit like that try any thing once lol fruit normally puts me off but had a killer blood orang IPA and a lime and coconut one lol.

 

Some tio names on these list some I have had and some I have not lol. Beer to get untapped I did have a play with it.

 

300 pretty good lost count but would be a good way to keep track. Keep an eye for PuNk IPA a scotish company set up in Ohio with beer hotel coming soon!

 

Stu

[thedlr]

This is definitely my kind of thread. I just hit unique beer #777 with Shandy Shores at Melt inside Cedar Point, but I'm really not familiar with the east coast breweries.

 

Thanks for the Carolina Beer Temple info. We'll be at Carowinds in August so I'll have to keep that bookmarked.

EDIT: Looks like they've opened a location much closer to Carowinds, so that works out perfectly.

 

Not sure how helpful I can be. On our two trips to Dollywood last year (that damn/awesome LR), looks like we got our craft beer fix in Knoxville. We visited a brewery called Crafty Bastard and a restaurant called Tomato Head had some good food and tap selection.

[Jcoaster]

The crazy thing out of all the crazy flavored beers I've tried (Old Bay, Smores, Peanut Butter) throw me a damn Miller Lite or Bud Heavy any day and I'll be happy.

[coasterbill]

The crazy thing out of all the crazy flavored beers I've tried (Old Bay, Smores, Peanut Butter) throw me a damn Miller Lite or Bud Heavy any day and I'll be happy.

 

That Flying Dog Old Bay beer was better than it had any right to be. I wouldn't exactly recommend it but it exceeded my non-existent expectations.

[Jcoaster]

The crazy thing out of all the crazy flavored beers I've tried (Old Bay, Smores, Peanut Butter) throw me a damn Miller Lite or Bud Heavy any day and I'll be happy.

 

That Flying Dog Old Bay beer was better than it had any right to be. I wouldn't exactly recommend it but it exceeded my non-existent expectations.

 

Dead Rising is one of my favorite beers ever. Every year when I head down to Camden Yards I get the Chesapeake Fries with some Flying Dog Old Bay.

[coasterbill]

Previously I would have considered it sacrilege to drink anything other than Natty Boh at Camden Yards (though an Old Bay beer is quite fitting), but since they no longer serve it there I guess I can't give you crap for it.

 

Seriously, what were they thinking ending that Boh contract? It's Baltimore.

Edited May 19, 2017 by coasterbill

[Jcoaster]

Previously I would have considered it sacrilege to drink anything other than Natty Boh at Camden Yards (though an Old Bay beer is quite fitting), but since they no longer serve it there I guess I can't give you crap for it.

[shivtim]

There are several really good options in Atlanta, since you're starting and ending there. Your best bet is Hop City, which has two locations - Westside, and inside the Krog Street Market. It's basically a local beer store that also has a bar. They both have about 60 beers on tap and a huge selection of cans and bottles, many of which are local or regional. They're focused on beer, so the bartenders can give you good advice on what to try. You can get growlers or bottles/cans to go.

http://www.hopcitybeer.com/krog-street-market/

http://www.hopcitybeer.com/west-midtown/

Another good Atlanta option if you have time is the Georgia Beer Garden, which is a bar that only serves Georgia beers. It has a great outside area if the weather is nice. But you have to drink there, no beer to go.

Look for beers from Wild Heaven, Three Taverns, Orpheus, Monday Night, Second Self, Burnt Hickory, and Scofflaw. Those are the best Atlanta-area breweries.

 

In Birmingham, J Clyde's is probably the best restaurant for beer, and Good People is the local brewery you should try.

 

While in North Carolina, keep an eye out for Wicked Weed beers. It sounds like you'll be driving through Asheville on the way from Dollywood to Carowinds. You should try to stop here - there are a number of amazing breweries, including several in walking distance from each other in downtown:

http://ashevillealetrail.com/trail-map/

 

Unfortunately the Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg area is devoid of good beer. I'm not super familiar with Memphis/Nashville beer.

[defrocker]

I don't know if you will end up north of Charlotte during your trip, but Primal Brewing off I-77 Exit 25(?) has some really good brews and is a pretty cool place in general. Their red ale, Lucille, is one of the best reds I've had in a while.

[thepoint4life23]

Try out Sweet water in Atlanta.

[Jcoaster]

Try out Sweet water in Atlanta.

 

Greaaaaaat Beer.

[Stu K]

Just another BIG thank you to every one I'm getting thirsty just reading the thread will see what close to where we are staying bar wise and now have some beers to look out for.

 

Not sure if its allowed but if its (admin please confirm) I will share my face book page so you can follow the beer trip lol.

 

Thanks again

 

Stu

[Philrad71]

Try out Sweet water in Atlanta.

 

You mean Sweetwater 420, of course!