John Frank at SAVOR in Washington, D.C.
This is the fifth installment in this year’s series of previews of breweries pouring at the 2014 Great American Beer Festival, which opens Thursday in Denver. We’ve invited beer writers from across the country to weigh in on the GABF 2014 regions. We’ve also asked everyone to throw in a few wild cards – breweries from anywhere in the country they want to check out.
We didn’t have to look far for a Southeast craft beer expert. John Frank, a political writer and First Drafts contributor at The Denver Post, is the resident expert. He recently joined the Post after working for The News & Observer in Raleigh, where on North Carolina’s burgeoning craft beer scene. He also travels the country drinking craft beer and has contributed to All About Beer magazine. Follow him on Twitter .
Here’s his write up on the Southeast beers at GABF 2014:
Often overlooked, the Southeast beer scene is starting to get the recognition it deserves for innovative and well-crafted beers.
The must-visit list for GABF is growing longer each year and this time includes North Carolina’s , , and ; Georgia’s and ; Florida’s and ; Tennessee’s and ; Louisiana’s ; and South Carolina’s . Their reputations are , so go try them.
Wicked Weed Brewing
Asheville’s Wicked Weed in its first year. Since then, a second brewery with more barrels than you can count to sour and age its fine liquids. The funk room beers even get their own booth this year. Don’t miss the smooth Freak Double IPA and Black Angel, a sour aged in bourbon barrels.
NoDa Brewing
Also in North Carolina, , Charlotte’s NoDa Brewing is for its Hop Drop ‘n Roll IPA. The brew won top honors at this year’s World Beer Cup and quickly become a hot (and increasingly hard to find) commodity. The Jam Session pale ale and NoDaRyez’d double rye IPA round out the brewery’s hop-trifecta.
Bayou Teche Brewing
Further south, down in Louisiana, Bayou Teche Brewing is making some of the most regionally inspired beers. The brewer’s Creole and Cajun inspiration pulls on French influences for its farmhouse ales, a style that is emerging as a defining one for the South. Bayou Teche’s Tripel IPA, Cocodrie (French for alligator), is made with French and Belgian yeasts and European hops to give it a citrusy and spicy impression. And the brewery’s barrel-aged beers Miel Sauvage, a honey ale, and Loup Garou, an imperial stout, are highly coveted and rare.
More can’t miss brews
Here’s some more intel to plot your course: A good place to start with Yazoo, which is bringing its Sue, an imperial smoked porter. From there, beer is as special as the North Carolina mountain water it uses; first-timer , from Charleston, S.C., is bringing a jalapeno cilantro pale ale; Atlanta’s is worth the trip to the Brewpub Pavilion for its intriguing beers that will stand out in the crowd; ձ辱’s festbier CuckooFest takes a Southern twist on the style with the addition of grits; and award-winning crisp Kolsch-style ale is a refreshing break.
Outside the Southeast, I’m excited to try again pours from Michigan and Virginia, both places whose beer I know well.
— From Michigan, will get all the attention, thanks in part to its , but more importantly, because of its great IPAs and dark beers. And outside Detroit makes a long list of special brews that I hope they trek across the country, including the can’t-get-enough-of Double Rice IPA.
–From Virginia, makes devine barrel-aged beers and , an up-and-coming talent, is producing some special limited edition bottles. And if you want boundary-pushing experimental beer, put on your list.
–A brewery I discovered earlier this year at SAVOR event in Washington is Minnesota’s . I camped out for more than a couple sips of its mind-blowing Halucidation beer-wine hybrid.
–And lastly, as a homebrewer and groupie, I can’t wait to finally try Jamil Zainasheff’s .
