Greetings, Rolka Nationites! Graybs here with another guest post on tap. As the resident social media expert, I joined 400+ other Atlantans last night at the Westside 5 Seasons Brewery to take part in the world’s 4th largest Social Media Day celebration. The event was organized and sponsored by the Atlanta Journal Constitution so as a former newspaper reporter I had to attend. But the real draw was FREE BEER. And not just the crappy watered down mainstream piss-water that giant corporations spend millions on clever marketing to sell off as “beer” to a gullible mass audience (aka the type of beer that Rolka’s ol pal Schiller loves to drink). No, my friends, I’m talking about good beer from one of Atlanta’s finest brewpubs. Let me tell you a bit about the glorious, glorious beer.
I arrived at 5 Seasons about 45 minutes before the Social Media Day event for dinner and drinks beforehand. I sat at the bar, where a knowledgable and friendly bartender named Gini greeted me with a menu and a smile and offered to answer any questions I may have about their original beers. Gini said the lines run directly from the tanks in the brewery below to the tap so the beer is fresh. You won’t find Bud Light or Miller Light here. The beer, like the food, is all about what is in season. I opted for a sampler of six of their beers. I tried (pictured in order from left to right) the Spring Bock Lager, the Mighty Leprechaun Ale, the Venus, the Big Ben Oatmeal Porter, and the Provence and Stepchild saisons.
The Spring Bock is a traditional German style lager made with German malts, hops and yeast, while the Leprechaun is a standard light ale (far better than beers with names you would call your friend or beers with the same last name as that former star Indiana Pacers guard whose sister is an announcer or Steve’s Band that sang about The Joker). The Venus is a Belgian white beer brewed with coriander and orange as well as wheat, barley and oats. Think 5 Season’s version of a Blue Moon. I’m not a big fan of dark Porter beers, especially in the summer, but as porters go the Big Ben Oatmeal is quite drinkable. This paired nicely with the Fish’n'Chips I ate for dinner which were also quite delicious.
My favorite beers by far were the saisons. Of course, saison is French for “season” so it should come as no surprise that 5 Seasons excels at making “Season” beers. The Provence Saison was my favorite. This refreshing golden-colored beer had notes of tropical fruits, berries, apples, exotic spices and an earthiness, but it is the fresh lavender that gives the beer its unique and beautiful aroma and flavor. Drinking this beer tasted like drinking a flower, but in a good way. Drinking this beer took me back to the summer several years ago where I spent six weeks living in Juan- les-Pins in the Provence region of France. During that trip, I went to Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, where lavendar and other flowers lining the Fragonard perfumerie grounds overwhelm your smell with sweet flowery goodness. The 5 Seasons Provence Saison is a wonderful liquid re-creation of that experience.
The Stepchild Saison has similar flavor notes, but a higher alcohol volume. This beer is a red color, very smooth, and dry and was created with the thought, “What would a pinot noir taste like if it was a beer?” To find out the answer to that question, you’ll have to order a Stepchild yourself.
The beers are constantly changing. Much to my chagrin, 5 Seasons had just run out of a Peach beer, but a Watermelon Wheat beer is in the works and should be at the breweries soon (there are three 5 Seasons locations in the Atlanta area). The brewery also taps a new cask every Thursday at 5:55 p.m. (going with the 5 theme from 5 Seasons). They also have some specialty barrel-aged bottle beers available.
5 Seasons is definitely worth checking out. Thanks to the AJC f or buying the first round and sponsoring the Social Media Day gathering at such a great local establishment.
