A Beer-y Good Time: Terrapin Brewery Tour and Tasting

Honestly, I have never been able to truly appreciate a cold glass of beer. I find this unfortunate, since Athens has a variety of great breweries, bars, and pubs - all of which serve quality beer - and I feel like I have been missing out on a refreshing way to kick back and relax on a beautiful day.

I've resisted many of my friends' efforts to take me to breweries, mainly because I simply could not believe my taste

buds would ever be able to handle what I thought was a bitter beverage. So I was a bit hesitant about agreeing to my friend's proposal that we go to the Terrapin Brewery Tour and Tasting -- ultimately, I said yes because she was visiting from Atlanta and the price of the tour was only $10. Also, I've heard from friends, as well as through the Athens, GA website, that Terrapin beer is really good and the tour and tasting was a must-do while in Athens.

I'm so glad that I decided to go. Not only have I found a couple of beers that I actually like, but I was able to see what all the hype is about.

You begin by paying your entrance fee for the tour and receiving a stamp on your hand if you are

of drinking age. I wasn't aware of this earlier, but the $10 you pay includes a choice of glass cup that you can take home afterwards; pay an extra $2 and you receive a nice jar instead of cup. They also give you a handful of tickets to be used towards the tasting of the numerous beers they have on tap that day. In the same room, they have a lot of Terrapin paraphernalia and souvenirs, perfect as gifts for any beer-loving friends; you can opt to spend some time in there shopping around or you can go straight into the brewery.

Once you step inside the brewery, the smell of beer, both being made and being served, hits you. Now, if you aren't familiar with this smell, I don't want you to think that it is something gross or unwelcome; in fact, I was surprised at how pleasant I found it to be. Your senses are quickly overtaken; you hear the beats of the live music outside and see the groups of people coming in from outdoors to quickly get another taste of the beverage that is the center of attention here. And then, suddenly, your taste buds are telling you (yes, even me, who doesn't even like beer) to go up to that bar and start using your tasting tickets.

4 Tickets will get you a full glass, while 1 ticket will get you a small taste. My friend got 1 ticket worth of the peach beer, while I decided upon the pumpkin beer. Both flavors were absolutely delicious, and the perfect accompaniment to a fun and informative tour. The tour guide, like the rest of the guides and bartenders, are there purely for a love of beer. She enthusiastically shows us the inner workings of the brewery and lets us in on some fun facts -- if you thought the Terrapin Brewery was named after a turtle, you're wrong!

When the tour is over, you are free to get more beer (I went to get a full glass of the peach beer. It's my favorite!) and roam outside to enjoy the music and atmosphere. People bring their dogs and children to this exciting and social environment. The music is good, and the people are lively. My friend and I stayed for about an hour, pleased to have found such a great way to spend our Saturday late afternoon.

So, if you feel like you just can't enjoy beer, I would encourage you to head over to Terrapin and try it out. If you do enjoy beer and have already been, go again! It's a great price for a great time and great beer.

Now, for those of you that have had awesome beer experiences in Athens, I'd love to know about them! Where is the best place to go, and what is the best beer to try?

- Debbie

Athens this Football Weekend!

The Dawgs hope to continue last week's offensive surge versus the Auburn Tigers while the rest of Athens comes alive with its usual game day energy.

Friday, November 13th:

• The Rialto Room at Hotel Indigo continues its "Rialto Bridge" series with recording artist Shawn Mullins. Mullins became an overnight success with his radio hit "Lullaby" after ten years playing in and around his native Atlanta. The Rialto Room will host two shows Friday evening at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Visit their website for more on Mullins and to buy tickets.
• No need to wait until Saturday for some inter-SEC action, Auburn rolls into town on Friday afternoon for its first match up against the Dawgs at the UGA Equestrian Center. The meet begins at 3 p.m. UGA volleyball takes on Kentucky at 7 p.m. at the Ramsey, with a second SEC match on Sunday afternoon versus the Tennessee Volunteers.

Saturday, November 14th:

• Fresh off their homecoming win, the Dawgs look to defeat the rival Auburn Tigers. Be between the Hedges for the 7 p.m. kickoff or catch the game on ESPN2!

Sunday, November 15th:

• The Athens Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 32nd year of free concerts with its Winter showcase. Enjoy the talents of these Athens musicians at the Classic Center this Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. Admission is free with the possession of a ticket, which are available at the Classic Center box office. Visit the Symphony's website for more information about the musicians and past performances.
• UGA Women's basketball hosts Oklahoma at Stegeman Coliseum at 2:30 p.m.
• Aromas, the Five Points pub and wine bar, hosts its first Aromas Cask Ale Festival. The restaurant's front parking lot will be filled with tents featuring firkins ( a keg in the British sense of the word) from 10-12 of America's best craft breweries. Enjoy brews from Terrapin, Sweetwater, Bell's, Copper Creek, and more. Food items and live music will accompany the beer. The festival begins at 1 p.m. and lasts until every firkin is drained! Tickets are $30 and are available at the Aromas website.

Remember to keep an eye out for CVB staff members for a chance to participate in our fabulous giveaway mentioned below.

Enjoy the weekend and GO DAWGS!

Summer in Athens: Video Post

This weekend I hit the streets of AthFest with my marker board and a flipcam to find out what makes Athens, GA special during the summer. Check out the video below!

Weekly Freebie: Terrapin Brewery

Terrapin Brewery is an Athens, GA staple. Looking back on Kaitlyn's post, Terrapin has obviously gained a following! Similar to going to The Grill or a football game, if you live in Athens, you must go to Terrapin at least once.

Terrapin Rye Pale Ale was released in Athens in April 2002 at the Classic City Brew Fest. Six months later, this beer, which was sold only in Athens, was awarded the American Pale Ale Gold Medal at the 2002 Great American Beer Festival, the most prestigious competition in North America. Founded by two brewers who share a commitment to creating world class beers unsurpassed in character and flavor, Terrapin brews its Golden Ale, Rye Squared, All-American Imperial Pilsner and several others.

For this week's freebie, I am cheating just a little bit. You can take a free tour of the Terrapin Brewery every Thursday, Friday, & Saturday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. However, if you want to taste the beers, it will cost you an $8 glass. But throw in the fact that there is live music, the tour is free, and that $8 also secures you tasting tickets for up to 32 oz. and I think it more than qualifies!

For more information on Terrapin, check out this latest video from Here for the Beer!

St. Patrick's Day in Athens

Looking for ways to bring out the Irish in yourself tomorrow night while enyoing the Classic City? Here are some pretty lucky ideas:

Terrapin Tuesday St. Patrick's Day celebration with Short Road Home and Green Flag

Enjoy live music, performances and great food at the Melting Point. Entertainment includes Short Road Home, a six-piece Athens-based ensemble inspired by the music of Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and Appalachia; Green flag, a quartet focusing on traditional Irish music; and Irish Riverdance performances.

This event starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are avalible online for $5 or $8 at the door.

St. Patrick's Day at Harry Bissetts' on the Westside

"We may be Cajun, but there is a bit of Irish in us all."
Enjoy Irish Bayou food and drink specials, plus a live Bagpiper on the patio from 4:30-7:30 p.m.

Terrapin Round 2

Last Thursday, I went back to Terrapin to get some videos of the brewery tour. If you haven't been yet, I would highly recommend heading over there one afternoon - they're open to the public Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 5:30 - 7:30. In the meantime though, you can check out the videos I took to find out a little more about how Terrapin Beer is made.





Cheers!

Terrapin Brewery

Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 5:30 - 7:30 pm, Athens' own Terrapin Brewery gives tours and tastings. For $8, you get a pint glass (which you can keep), you can take a guided tour to see how Terrapin is made, you get 8 drink tickets to taste the different beers they have on tap, and there's live music. They usually have 6 beers on tap at once and they change seasonally.

I went last night, and took this short video just so yall could see what the atmosphere is like.

Overall, it's a really cool experience. It's neat to learn a little bit about one of Athens' most famous local products, and it's a fun social gathering - I ran into so many people I knew!

It's also a great price for everything you get - the tour, glass, beer, AND music! Doing all that downtown could easily run you $50, and Terrapin offers it all for $8. Next time you have a few hours to kill on a weekend afternoon, or if you're visiting and are looking for an alternative to the typical bar scene, definitely check out the brewery! Click here for directions.