Quick Bites: SweetWater Brewing Company’s latest brew, Tropical Lover, is easy drinking with island flavors, downtown Decatur gets a new brunch spot, and more.

Food news roundup

Tropical Lover Preview
Photo credit: Courtesy of Sweetwater Brewery
TROPICAL LOVER: Take me away to paradise, please?
 

We are grateful to the Cobb County Fire Department for putting out a blaze this past Friday at beloved Heirloom Market BBQ. The fire was contained to the smokehouse area and did not spread to the rest of the restaurant. Although the smoker was destroyed, Chefs/owners Jiyeon Lee and Cody Taylor continue serving non-smoked items.

Beer lovers in Gwinnett will soon have a new brewery to visit. Beer Republic Brewery plans to open a second location in downtown Lawrenceville at 394 N. Clayton St.

Missing Chef Zeb Stevenson’s cooking while he is between gigs? He and Chef Zach Meloy are collaborating on a dinner Thurs., April 26 at Better Half (349 14th St. N.W.). After cocktails and snacks at 6:30 pm, each chef takes turns preparing six courses with pairings. Reservations here.

Kennesaw’s Mountain Biscuits is relocating to Dallas, GA at 210 Merchants Square. Last biscuit serving is April 28 for the restaurant, which opened in 2009.

There’s a new brunch option on Decatur’s Square. White Bull begins service on Sun., April 22 from 11:30am -2:30 pm. Chef Pat Pascarella’s brunch options include a Scotch egg and ricotta blintzes with oyster mushrooms. The bar will remain open throughout the day until dinner service at 5 pm.

Pop in to Westside’s Better Half…for pops. Like a strawberry margarita, their Georgia Strawberry Popsicle comes with lime-chile dipping salt. Those little outdoor tables + a Popsicle + sunshine sounds mighty fine.

Krog Street Market’s Bar Mercado starts a new cocktail class series next Wed., April 25 at 7 pm. The theme of this first class is Bitters & Tinctures, providing students the opportunity to learn how to make (and sip) on three cocktails with accompanying snacks.

There’s a kickass lawn party happening at Roswell’s The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill Sun., April 22 at the Canton location (1105 Canton St.). The family friendly celebration of spring begins at 2 p.m. with an all-you-can-eat low country boil, live music, and lawn games. Specials include $5 wine and $3 beer for adults.

We’re getting excited for the opening of Cultured South, “Atlanta’s first marketplace for healthy, living foods made in the South.” The taproom and market from Golda Kombucha creator Melanie Wade opens to the public on May 20 in West End (1020 White St. S.W.). This is also the day of the 2nd Annual Atlanta Fermentation Festival (Noon-6 pm).

This is a perfect Hooch shootin’ beer. The new SweetWater Brewing Company Catch & Release Seasonal is called Tropical Lover. It’s easy drinking with island flavors and aromas including passion fruit, mango, and guava, and it’s flowing in cans, bottles, and on tap through August. Give it a taste it in the special “Protect Natural Habitats” 12-pack (with 420, Goin Coastal IPA, TripleTail Tropical IPA) and a portion of sales goes to Save Our Water, the campaign SweetWater founded in 2006 with Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. It’s mission is to conserve and protect natural habitats like the Chattahoochee, and clean water initiatives.

Look for a new addition to Ponce City Market’s Central Food Hall next month. From the folks behind 18.21 Bitters, Drafts + Dogs opens May 15. Using locally sourced ingredients, Drafts + Dogs will have clever takes on hot dogs and original cocktails, including frozen and non-alcoholic versions. A cool thing to look out for: from opening day through June 6 they will offer one hotdog and one cocktail per day with 100 percent of profits going to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.

How are you celebrating Earth Day (April 22)? Fifth Group Restaurants ditched the plastic straws at all of its eight restaurants (Ecco, South City Kitchen. Vinings, Buckhead and Avalon, Lure, La Tavola Trattoria, The Original El Taco, And Alma Cocina) and now exclusively offers compostable straws. They estimate it replaces 500,000 plastic straws annually.


 






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