Brewtopia,
www.ClassicCityBrew.com, the
Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting and Classic City Brew Fest are operated by
Owen Ogletree
of Athens, GA. Owen is a BJCP National Beer Judge,
beer traveler, award-winning homebrewer, and beer columnist for Southern Brew News and Athens Magazine.
Since 1994 our events have raised thousands of dollars for Georgia
charities and educated multitudes of people in regard to responsible
appreciation of flavorful craft beers. No
guarantees are made regarding the accuracy of information
on our webpages, and details are always subject to change without
notice. Unless noted, all text, photos and video on this web
collection are by Owen Ogletree. Owen
always welcomes youre-mail and
input.
"Here's to a long life, and a merry one;
a quick death, and an easy one; a pretty girl, and an honest one; a
'craft beer' - and another one!" - Inspired
by an Old
Irish Toast
Owen Ogletree strolls
through Terrapin's Seventh Anniversary Celebration on April 11, 2009 at
the brewery in Athens, Georgia. A special cask ale tent is featured,
along with comments from Terrapin owners John Cochran and Spike
Buckowski. Terrapin premiered its famous Rye Pale Ale back in 2002 at
the Classic City Brew Fest.
Owen's Real Ale Report from Batemans Brewery
Owen has been a big fan of the great
English ales from Batemans Brewery in Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, UK since
bottled versions were first imported to the USA back in the
1990s. In October of 2008, Owen was able to visit the brewery and
conduct an interview with Jaclyn Bateman (Marketing Director and
daughter of the grandson of the founder). Jaclyn discussed plans
to once again import beers to the USA - beginning in early 2009 with
bottled versions of Batemans XXXB Premium Ale and Combined Harvest
(made with malted barley, oats, rye and wheat). Click here to see the video and photos and
read all about this wonderful, traditional brewery.
Jaclyn Bateman
stands among relatively new equipment in the Batemans brewhouse that
was renovated in 2002.
Owen Takes Friends and Terrapin Beer Company Crew to
Belgium
After years of anticipation, the crew of
Athens, Georgia's Terrapin Beer Company (along with other friends)
finally talked Owen Ogletree into taking them on an amazing, week-long
tour of some the best beer bars and breweries of Belgium. This webpage chronicles the journey and
includes photos and videos from the excursion.
If your group would like to experience a special beer journey, email Owen to discuss the
possibilities.
Owen's Archived
Beer Videos from 2008
Click here to
access informative and entertaining beer videos taken during Owen's
travels in 2008. These videos are also available by searching
"Owen Ogletree" on YouTube. 2008 videos include...
Belgian Beer Cuisine Restaurant
Savannah's Moon River Brewing Company
A Tour of an Authentic English Pub's Cask Ale Cellar
In January of 2008 Owen Ogletree and Don Beistle flew
into Bavaria and
Franconia for a quick visit in search of the best beers in the
regions. Don Beistle writes the Ask Dr. Brewski Q&A column
for Southern Brew News, knows most everything about Bavaria and
Germany, speaks quite a bit of German, but had never been to Europe
until this trip. It was a fantastic visit filled with scrumptious
German beers. Old Town Bamberg is very walkable and is a
beautiful bit of medieval Germany that was spared during the wars of
the last century. The beer specialty of the town is the famed
Rauchbier that includes malt dried over a smoky beechwood fire.
The smoke soaks into the malt and gives the Rauchbier its predominate
flavor - one that you will either love or hate after the first
sip. Don and I both think the Rauchbiers are wonderful works of
brewing art.
Matthias Trum - 6th Generation Owner / Brewmaster of
Heller-Trum/Schlenkerla Brewery in Bamberg.
UK Real Ale Journey:
Hobsons, Thwaites, Traquair, York, & Peak District Pub Walk 1
Join Southern Brew News' Owen
Ogletree and Don "Dr. Brewski" Beistle on a fascinating journey to some
of the UK's best breweries and pubs. We travel to the tiny, award-winning Hobsons
Brewery; the large, but family-run Thwaites; scenic and classic
Traquair House in Scotland; and do a walk from the CAMRA book Peak District Pub Walks. To see
Owen's pub photos & videos, read his notes, and
find out more, click here.
2009 Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting Summary
The 2009 Atlanta Cask
Ale Tasting showcased 21 traditional and specialty cask-conditioned
ales. After
a morning judging panel, the free public sampling session was held 4-7
PM. Everyone was impressed with the flavors and excellent quality
of these sample cask homebrews. The energetic Celtic music from
Mickle-a-Do was also a hit. It was a special evening
centered around unique, flavorful beer. Thanks to Atlanta Brewing
Company and all our attendees and volunteers for making this special
event possible!
Click here to read about the beers
and see the photos and videos.
The Beer Wench's Kitchen
Click here to access all the past Southern Brew News articles from
Kerri "Beer Wench" Allen on beer and food. Delicious pairings and
recipes are featured. The Beer Wench says "Remember to always eat
well and drink good beer!" Delicious articles include:
German Pizza
Belgian Witbier & Citrus Tilapia
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Wake-N-Bake Imperial
Stout
Highland Tandoori Chicken
Spring Pea and Lobster Risotto
Belgian Delights
Blackstone Cheese Soup
Onion Soup with Hard Cider
Raspberry Chili BBQ Chicken
London Broil Stewed in Black Forest Stout
Beer and Wine from the 2007 GABF
Kerri Allen is a
beer traveler, BJCP Certified Beer Judge and Food & Beer Columnist
for Southern Brew News.
Hops grace almost every beer made today, and 98% of
all hops are grown
in five countries – England, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic and the
United States. These nations produce hops with characteristic
sets of notable flavors and aromas. Hops from the U.K. impart a
woody, tea-like note to English ales. Belgian, German and Czech
varieties bless their brews with delicate flavors and aromas of
flowers. Most American hops are raised in the states of Oregon
and Washington and confer distinctive overtones of pine and citrus to
American ales. Click here to
read more of Owen's hop information that every beer drinker should know.
Owen's Dusseldorf Altbier Report
Altbier commands an almost maniacal
devotion among citizens of Düsseldorf. While lagers and German
Pilsners reign supreme in most areas of the country, Altbier accounts
for almost half the beer consumed in Düsseldorf, and local Altbier
breweries and quaint brewpubs churn out surprising volumes of the
antique beer style. Usually served by gravity taps from wooden casks,
Düsseldorfer Alt is consumed from small 0.2 or 0.3 liter
cylindrical glasses. Click here to see the
photos and full report.
Wooden serving barrels at Uerige brewpub in
Dusseldorf
Trappeze
is Athens' New Gourmet Beer Pub
Business partners
Eric Johnson and Mike Vernelson were told over and over by Athens bar
owners that any Athens pub not offering light beer and trendy shot
specials would lose money. Eric and Mike held fast to their
vision of a gourmet beer bar in the university town of Athens,
Georgia. Late last December they opened Trappeze Pub at 269 W.
Washington Street in downtown Athens, and the response has been
tremendous. Click here to read Owen's
article.
Trappeze's Mike Vernelson and Eric Johnson
Beer
& Cheese Combinations!
Owen
Ogletree (director of Brewtopia Events LLC)
gathered together fellow beer lovers Radi Nabulsi, Martha DeHart, Jeff
Rapp, Dean Graves, Thel Melton, and Lari Cowgill on March 21, 2004 to
sample and comment on several pairings of beers
and cheeses from around the world. The carbonation and elegant
maltiness of a fine beer go well with the creamy texture and thick
mouthfeel of cheese. Beer nurtures the flavors of the cheese in
the mouth, thus producing quite an interesting array of remarkable
combinations. Click here to read
about all the beers and cheeses!
Cabrales
cheese and Bigfoot Barleywine
make for an intense combination!
Not for the faint of heart!
Rogue Ales - Newport, Oregon
Located in the scenic coastal town of Newport,
Oregon, Rogue Ales is a pioneering northwestern craft brewery loaded
with personality, vitality and great beer recipes. I've enjoyed the
wide variety of Rogue beers since the early 1990s and wanted to visit
the brewery since my first sip, but it took me until 2008 to finally
make the pilgrimage. I gathered together a group of six beer
aficionados from Athens, Georgia, made the flight to Portland, loaded
up a mini-van, and trekked down the lovely Oregon coastline toward
Newport. Rogue President (and son of the founder), Brett Joyce met us
at the brewery and gave us a quick walk through.
The allure of flavorful craft brewed beer is finally
casting its seductive influence on a large contingent of suitors in the
southeastern states. New breweries, brewpubs and beer-focused
bars and restaurants are dotting the landscape in cities that 10 to 15
years ago only offered standard American lagers. It's finally
cool in the South to come out of the closet and admit undying love and
devotion to craft beer. Click here to
read the article.
Sweetwater's Kevin McNerney
Oskar Blues - Mayberry Meets the Rockies
Oskar Blues Brewery opened in 1997
in the small, sleepy town of Lyons, Colorado (population: 1500) and
evolved into a brewpub in 1999. Today the popular spot plays host
to some of the nation's best beers, live Blues, and southern and
Cajun-inspired foods that reflect owner Dale Katechis' southern
roots. The owners and almost every department head of the brewery
hail from the South. Dale Katechis, his brother Chris and their
office manager (and mother) Ya Ya are all from Alabama. Sales manager
Wayne Anderson grew up in LaGrange, Georgia. Publicity director,
idea man and lead singer, Marty Jones comes from Virginia. Click here to read the entire article.
Oskar Blues Canning Line - Lyons, CO
Blind
Beer Evaluations
Check
out the comments
from our recent blind tasting of some outstanding Barleywines, Meads, Strong Beers (including Old Ales,
Strong Scotch Ales, Imperial Stouts, and Barleywines), Herb, Spice,
Fruit, Experimentals, Hard Ciders and Strong
Belgian Ales. A popular feature of this website is
our series of blind tastings of some commercial beers. Read
useful comments and unbiased reviews of all types of beer/cider/mead
before you buy them!
See the full
list
of links to all our blind tastings of commercial beers!
Recent Ale & Lager
Tasting!
Above: Jared Bailey, John Gayer, Christian Hampton,
Brad Fowler and Owen Ogletree.
Brewpub of
the Month!
Pelican Pub & Brewery 33180 Cape Kiwanda Drive
Pacific City, OR
ph: 503-965-7007
If you are making the drive from Portland down to
the Rogue brewery in Newport, be certain to plan a lunch stop at the
Pelican brewpub. The owners purchased an old brick building on the
Pacific City oceanfront back in 1995 and decided to open a
microbrewery. They attended the Craft Brewers conference in Portland to
learn more about the beer business and opened their brewpub in May of
1996. Since this time, Pelican has won numerous awards for their
flavorful beers and has even been awarded "Small Brewpub of the Year"
by the Brewers Association. Top awards have gone to Pelican's Tsunami
Stout, Doryman's Dark Ale, Kiwanda Cream Ale, India Pelican Ale, and
Surfer's Summer Ale. In 2005 the Pelican Pub was expanded to double the
size of the brewery and kitchen and add a banquet room on the
oceanfront. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily.
Jason Schoneman - Pelican's Asst. Head Brewer
Real
Ale Pub Photo Album - Herefordshire, UK
"Herefordshire is God's own country - really the last bit of
England that is still England." - Tim Webb, author of
CAMRA's Good Beer Guide to Belgium
Click here to see
Owen's photos and read about his Herefordshire pub picks.
Pictured above is Steve Dunn, brewer and
owner of the wonderful Dunn Plowman Brewery.
Owen's 2007
Great American Beer Festival Report
Kerri "The Beer
Wench" Allen and I were honored to be included in the panel of judges
at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado.
Held October 11-13, the 2007 GABF was the first time that all four
public sessions sold out (in advance, no less). More than 46,000
people attended, and this magnificent event really demonstrates the
popularity of craft beers in today's market.
Cabrales
cheese and Bigfoot Barleywine 
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