Entries by Liz Attaway

8TH ANNUAL GREAT ATLANTA BEER FEST

The 8th annual Great Atlanta Beer Fest will be held on Saturday, October 13th from 1-5 pm. We will have over 150 beers as well as a selection of 25+ wines and cider to choose from. There will be live music, DJ Q-tip, plenty of fun and games, and food will be available for purchase. The beer list will be added to the website soon. Tickets are $40 in advance, $45 after October 4th and $50 the day of at the gate.

DULUTH BEER AND WINE FESTIVAL 2018

The City of Duluth is hosting a celebration of Beer and Wine on the Duluth Town Green. Join us on Saturday, October 6th from 12:00pm-5:00pm to sample 75+ craft beers and 25+ wines. The day will feature live local music, beer and wine samples, a variety of local food trucks, an adult game zone, plus community vendors and artists. Tickets include: admission to the event, complimentary beer and wine samples for the duration of the festival, souvenir tasting glass. Tickets are $43 for general admission, while they’ll be $55 at the door if available.

SECOND SELF BEER COMPANY TO CELEBRATE 4TH ANNIVERSARY

The anniversary celebration on Saturday, October 6, is from noon to 9pm, and guests may try new beers and sip old favorites at drink stations throughout the brewery. In limited quantity for the occasion, Second Self will also serve a pre-release version of Red Hop Rye, brewed to be bigger and hoppier than ever. Food will be available for purchase from The Real Mexican Vittles taco stand, and local pop-up Illegal Food will prepare a whole hog roast and sides. Second Self will also serve a collection of beers made with coffee, such as Coffee Mole, as well as freshly roasted Nitro Cold Brew cups from Slow Wave Coffee, roasted at Second Self’s brewery. On Sunday, October 7, from 1 to 6pm, the celebration continues as tasting room guests may enjoy biscuit sandwiches for purchase from Deep South Biscuits.

4TH ANNUAL BEST SOMMELIER COMPETITION AND 10TH ANNUAL BARCRAFT CELEBRATION

Taste of Atlanta, the city’s award-winning food, craft beer, wine and spirits festival showcasing the local restaurant scene, announces details for the 4th Annual Best Sommelier Competition and 10th Annual Taste of Atlanta Barcraft Celebration. Coordinated by Taste of Atlanta in association with the Southeastern Sommelier Society, this year’s Best Sommelier Competition is in full swing. Through September 18, sommeliers from across Georgia can test their knowledge in a preliminary online test, answering 100 wine-related questions within 30 minutes. Sommeliers of any level of certification are welcome to compete, and the top four scoring participants will advance to the final round held on Monday, September 24 at City Winery at Ponce City Market from 6:30-9pm. The finalists will be challenged throughout several rounds of interactive tests on wine service, blind tasting and theory in front of a live crowd. Ultimately, one will be named the 2018 Best Sommelier by a panel of judges including Phillip Burrus, Southeastern Sommelier Society; Jacob Gragg, Banfi Vintners; Gil Kulers, Piedmont Driving Club; 2017 Winner Adam Pucillo, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle; Clarke Anderson, Ford Fry Restaurant Group; and Kacey Jane Ivey, Quality Wine & Spirits. The emcee for the event will be Eric Crane of Empire Distributors.

TASTE OF ATLANTA 2018

Taste of Atlanta, the city’s award-winning food, craft beer, wine and spirits festival showcasing the local restaurant scene, will take place for three days from Friday, October 19th to Sunday, October 21st. Now in its 17th year, the festival will return to Historic Fourth Ward Park (680 Dallas Street), adjacent to the Atlanta BeltLine. Taste of Atlanta is proud to feature craveable bites and bevs from more than 100 of Atlanta’s favorite restaurants for the three-day festival. Bringing together food lovers and chefs from neighborhoods across Atlanta, the event welcomes attendees of all ages. Local chefs and hospitality pros will lead on-stage cooking demos and hands-on cooking classes, while guests sample food from restaurants plus craft beer, wine and cocktails. The annual event also marks the culmination of the 10th annual barcraft competition where one mixologist is crowned the winner.

2018 FROG TOSS FESTIVAL

Sweetwater Mission has partnered with CHEENGZ and West Georgia Cornhole to create the first annual Frog Toss Festival in lovely downtown Austell on September 15th, 2018. Debbie Ginocchio states “the City of Austell has really stepped up to prepare the site for the festival. We will be hosting a Disc Golf Tournament, Cornhole Tournament, Chili Cookoff, Tiny Home Expo, Kids Zone, Live Music, Beer Garden and Chain Saw Carving Exhibition at the Frog Rock Disc Golf Course in Louise Suggs Memorial Park in Downtown Austell” Disc Golf Sportswear company CHEENGZ VP of Marketing, Troy Burns states “When we learned Sweetwater Mission wanted to put together a Disc Golf Tournament at Frog rock we were all in. As we sat in on the meetings we realized we were becoming part of something very unique. Disc Golf tends to stay in its own little universe, growing exponentially, but not garnering much attention in mainstream sports coverage. This festival introduces the sport and this incredible course to the Austell community and region in general. With little to no elevation changes it is a great disc golf course for those who may have difficulty walking or may be bound to a wheel chair. It is the most accessible course I have ever played that has such a fun and challenging layout.

Viva Tequila Festival Atlanta 2018

On Saturday, September 15th Viva Tequila Festival hits Atlanta! Foodies, friends, and anyone who loves a fiesta won’t want to miss this exclusive, one-of-a-kind tequila tasting experience. Come sip and savor hand-crafted, small-batch tequilas from Mexico paired with small plates from Atlanta’s top restaurants. It’s an all-day celebration of Mexican culture like no other. It’s ¡Viva Tequila! The all-day festival ticket is from 11 am to 5 pm and includes 6 sips and 6 plates, live music, DJ, art, and culture. There are additional tasting tickets are available on site for purchase. Beyond that is the Viva Noche After Party that is from 6 pm to 9 pm and is all-inclusive includes tequila, local craft beers, wine, food by The Real Mexican Vittles, DJ, and more. Why not go all in for VIP? VIP expands on the all-day ticket and the after party and includes all day sips and bites, exclusive VIP tequilas, and a full VIP experience and lounge. Tickets run from $54 to $135.

East Pole Coffee Co One-Year Anniversary Party Weekend

Local Atlanta coffee company East Pole is hosting a one-year anniversary party at their roastery and shop at Armour Yards (255 Ottley Drive, Ste. 105) on Friday, September 14 from 7-11 p.m. During the weekend, East Pole will also join local restaurant and bar Whiskey Bird for a pop-up brunch event and launch their new “Sunday School” series of weekly coffee classes designed for home brewers. In honor of their brick-and-mortar coffee shop’s first full year in business, East Pole is kicking off the weekend with a special, ticketed anniversary bash on Friday, September 14 from 7-11 p.m. At the event, guests can enjoy complimentary coffee alongside light bites and sips from sponsors Creature Comforts, ASW Distillery, BOCADO and Happy Camper, with live music from local musician David Mason Gentry and folk-pop duo Wendlo. Tickets are available online for $15 in advance or $20 at the door, and all proceeds from sales will be donated to local non-profit Giving Kitchen, which provides emergency assistance to restaurant workers through financial support and a network of community resources. On Saturday, September 15 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., East Pole will join neighborhood spot and wholesale partner Whiskey Bird (1409 North Highland Ave. NE) to host a coffee pop-up. Throughout the morning, their team will be serving up a handful of espresso-based drinks. Patrons can also find East Pole brewed on drip daily at Whiskey Bird. The anniversary weekend will also mark the first installment of “Sunday School,” East Pole’s new series of ticketed coffee training classes that are open to the public and held quarterly at their roastery on Sundays. Led by East Pole’s team, the ongoing classes are designed to equip coffee novices and experts alike with the know-how, tools and tricks needed to brew exceptional, barista-level coffee at home. On Sunday, September 16, the inaugural, 90-minute class will cover how to brew coffee using a Kalita Wave and include samples, hands-on training and a 12 oz. bag of East Pole’s freshly roasted coffee to take home and enjoy. Tickets ($20) are available for purchase online. To close out their weekend-long anniversary celebrations, East Pole will also be offering free drip and iced coffee beverages at their shop throughout the day on Monday, September 17.