2016 HOGS AND HOPS

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 4/23/16

 

When the weather turns warmer, and the flowers bloom, festivals pop-up and fill our weekends with food, something usually fried, and local art and music. As the years go on, it seems like more festivals flood our city, which isn’t a bad thing! With more to do, it’s nice to have a go-to, tried-and-true, festival that never disappoints, that’s Hogs and Hops. This year, we enjoyed a BLT, beers, and of course, a big couple pieces of brisket.

Starting with our favorite foods, there was a lot to choose from so it was a hard decision. First, Venkman’s BLT was divine with pork belly, bacon jam, and slaw all on a bun. The pork belly was very meaty with a slight smoke while the bacon jam added to the savor. Then, when you add in sweet slaw and a sweeter bun and there is a mix of sweet and salty. I’ve never had a BLT that was pork belly centered, but it was worth it. We also loved DBA Barbecue’s brisket. First off, it is one large piece of meat, with a good rich brisket flavor. It was slightly smoky, but fall off the bone tender, with a delicious caramelized skin. We also heard that the Mac The Cheese’s mac-n-cheese with pimento cheese and pork was so good, it was the best thing they ever put in their mouth. One thing was for sure, the food at Hogs and Hops this year was top notch, like always.

Let’s not forget about the Hops part of Hogs and Hops. This year Hogs and Hops went undercover and was one heck of a beer festival underneath that Hogs exterior. They had so many local brews, which is all the rage and really want the people want right now. There were also a few new breweries that just came on the Atlanta brewery scene, Dry County to name one. Some of our favorite beers were also on tap: including Monday Night’s Drafty Kilt, their Cinnamon Cocoa Drafty Kilt, and IPA, as well as Reformation Stark and Red Hare’s Sticky Stout. One beer that we hadn’t had yet was Blue Tarp’s Last Place Imperial Stout. It was slightly smoky with a smooth finish, as well as had dark chocolate and coffee notes. We enjoyed it!

Enjoying some pork, sipping on a beer is one of the best ways to spend a beautiful spring day. We’re looking forward to our next Atlanta Beer Festivals event, Atlanta Summer Beer Fest in June. Bummed you missed Hogs and Hops? Here’s a link to Atlanta Beer Festival’s list of upcoming events: http://atlantabeerfestivals.com/.  Until then, enjoy the spring weather and we’ll see you next time!