Lions and Tigers and Blueberries, Oh My!

There aren't lions and tigers on the menu, of course, but there are blueberries.

And pumpkin, and pear and . . .  various other adjuncts to yeast, hops, barley and water.

Have you tried Sweetwater Blue? A Georgia-made IPA with a distinct but not cloying hint of blueberry. Or Pumpking Ale, an Oktoberfest with a festive spike of pumpkin flavor.

Maybe bourbon's more your style and you'd enjoy a strong ale like the Kentucky Bourbon?

While certain meats aren't on the Taco Mac Sports Grill menu (for those of you not familiar, TMac is an Alpharetta-based company whose original location is in Atlanta's VaHi neighborhood, and with which my Atlanta friends are no doubt familiar; Chattanooga is the only TN outpost so far) - of course we do have plenty of chicken in the form of all kinds of tasty wings, and cow in the American classic form of burgers - we also have over 150 beers, between tap and bottle, at any given time. We have a list updated daily of the "new, gone and running out" options, monthly specials (this month it's a quartet of  three Sweetwater picks and a Road Trip IPA; for Final Four fun we had four Oktoberfests reserved for a thematic occasion).

We've got your lambics, pilsners (did you know they are Czech in origin?), and stouts; your ciders, saisons and bocks.

And I had to learn all about it. Got a 100 on that particular bar test, too.

Menus have typically been easy for me when I've started at a new restaurant. I like food, pay attention to detail and have a focused, borderline didactic approach to mastering the good stuff I'm going to sell and serve to you.

Beer, not so much! Never something I really drank, or cared for - certainly not something I ever thought I'd have to learn so much about. Do you know that the ancient Egyptians had gods of beer? Indeed, the Romans weren't the only ones with gods of adult beverages. In the present day, Belgians are the only ones that use wild yeast (spontaneously fermented in the air) in their beer making. And on and on the knowledge goes . . .

I am now a student at Brewniversity (yes, this is a real thing), TMac's branded beer program. It's free to join and you can check it out online if you're a beer aficionado, or just a frequent beer drinker (see www.tacomac.com/brewniversity) for details, to join and for the online app that tells you what's new daily and weekly; perks like a running kept list of your choices and a free extra 25% pour (20oz vs. 16oz) for life once you sample 125 beers, and more.

I have been impressed and, frankly, a little amazed at how many people love this program. And come in, particularly on Thursday nights, with phones loaded to the app and eager for the newest selection - and the keeper stein qualifying students get from 5pm on . . .

So, if you're in Chattanooga, come check it out - all TMac's have extensive beer choices, but thanks to different state laws, we can offer some choices unlike those in our home state. Michigan picks and other local-to-new-states brews coming soon!

I may not be a beer drinker, but I'll tell you all about it!

Yours,
Love Bites,
Carrie Neal