E57: ACAT with New Realm, Variant Brewing, and Good Word Brewing

Send us Fan MailWhat an amazing event!  If you haven't been to one of the 13 iterations of the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting, then you're missing out. Owen Ogletree, owner of Brewtopia.com, puts on the event every year at the Prado in Sandy Springs. This year's version featured more than 60 casks of unique and creative beers from Georgia, national and international brewers!  We took advantage of our attendance at ACAT to drink some amazing beers (of course), but also to get updates on a few breweries and brewpubs in planning.  First on the list was Mitch Steele. The former brewmaster for Stone Brewing is working with his partners to open up a brewpub on the Atlanta beltline sometime late in 2017. We spoke with him about the plans, and the reason why they picked Atlanta.  Next, Owen took some time out of his busy day to talk about casks. What they are, the history involved, and why they are so much more nuanced than "normal" tapped beers.  In our third segment, we speak to Matt and Lauren Curling, the husband and wife team behind Roswell's Variant Brewing Company. Also planning a 2017 launch, we talk about how they got started in craft beer (hint: it wasn't Matt at first!) and the trials and tribulations of starting up a new brewery.  We also talk with our great sponsors, Your Pie Perimeter, about their upcoming Second Anniversary party.  Ryan Skinner and Todd DeMatteo joined us in the fourth segment. Ryan and Todd are planning a new brewpub, Good Word, in craft beer starved Gwinnett County. We talked about starting up a new brewpub in downtown Duluth, as well as their idea for bringing the comforts of home to a brewpub. Finally, we were lucky enough to grab two of the world's foremost experts on cask ales.  Des de Moor is a London-based beer judge and writer; and Steve Hamburg is a Chicago-area writer and beer judge. Both are cask experts, and we talk about the cask movement in the United States and what makes a great cask ale. Next week, we'll be cidering it up with the folks behind Mercier Orchards. Thanks for listening, and don't forget...drink local!   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio!  Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.Subscribe to Beer Guys Radio on your favorite app: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher  | RSSFollow Beer Guys Radio: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube If you enjoy the show we'd appreciate your support on Patreon.  Patrons get cool perks like early, commercial-free episodes, swag, access to our exclusive Discord server, and more!