check out this great wood design! it’s outside the entrance to superica from inside the krog street market. it looks like the restaurant was designed by the same people behind the optimist.

the food at superica is also really awesome, check out their menu. they have an avocado salsa verde, which could be the best salsa i’ve tasted. they also have these puffy tacos that were extremely tasty and unlike any tacos i’ve had before!!! the chef is ford fry, who also runs the optimist, No 246 and king and duke.

– ryan

superica

99 krog street ne
atlanta, georgia 30307
678-791-1310

down, down, down.

– ryan

one of the latest rye whiskies i tried was redemption high rye bourbon. redemption came highly recommended from both employees and random patrons at green’s beverage and also from caskers. i’ve had their straight rye whiskey and quite enjoyed it, so i decided to try their rye/bourbon hybrid.

the high rye bourbon is 38.2% rye, 1.8% barley malt and 60% corn, which gives it have the spiciness of the rye with the sweetness of the corn. it was quite smooth and tasty! it’s 92 proof, so it packs a punch and goes great in old fashioneds or on the rocks. it’s not quite the bite i got used to with rittenhouse, but it’s still nice and strong.

redemption is a great choice for an affordable small-batch whiskey. i will probably go with the straight rye whiskey next time i get some redemption, however the high rye bourbon is still a great liquor and worth trying.

– ryan

grey had a blast looking at all of the dinosaurs at fernbank museum of natural history with his papa!

– ryan

fernbank museum of natural history

767 clifton rd ne
atlanta, ga 30307
404-929-6300

a buddy recently gave me a bottle of templeton rye. it’s a very tasty rye whiskey that comes in a class bottle you’ll want to keep on the front of your bar! the design is not quite as cool as 13th colony bottle design, but it’s on par.

legend has it, templeton rye was al capone’s drink of choice and popular at speakeasies during prohibition. although the legitimacy of their story has recently been called into question. besides all of that, the rye was very smooth and enjoyable. it has a dark amber color and a good bit of spiciness.

the only drawback to templeton is it’s only 80 proof, which is similar to a vodka. i’ve gotten used to drinking 100 proof rittenhouse and 92 proof redemption, so 80 proof doesn’t quite pack the punch in an old fashioned for me. it does make it smooth and easier to drink on the rocks though, so if that’s your thing you’ll totally love it.

the other drawback it it’s price. templeton is a good $10-$15 more per bottle than rittenhouse, redemption and bulleit. with that being said, i don’t know if i will restock when the bottle runs out.

– ryan

we used some of our garage sale loot to renew our membership at fernbank museum of natural history! we are big fans of fernbank and were excited to become members again. i’ve always loved the architecture of the museum and the circular cutouts in the brick upstairs. i was able to take this great photo!

– ryan

fernbank museum of natural history

767 clifton rd ne
atlanta, ga 30307
404-929-6300

i recently went on a trip with the kids to tuscaloosa, alabama. grey and clementine were able to visit their cousins and i was able to attend a university of alabama college football game with my brother. it was a ton of fun indeed!

the game was a blast. i felt like i appreciated the experience more than when i was in college, which is the last time i would have been. i’m surprised it took so long to make it back to a game, especially with the amount of college football i watch.

the only downside was not being able to have a beer at the game. although being in an open-aired stadium on a cool evening was a fair tradeoff. the georgia dome gets quite stuffy for football events.

roll tide!

– ryan

i was recently given a bottle of knob creek rye. as you can imagine, i was quite excited! in my journey of trying different rye whiskies, this was my first knob creek experience.

let’s start out with the bottle design. it’s sort of a classic meets modern style with cool big block letters on the label. the bottle features a cork cap and pours very nicely out of the narrow curved glass. i have to say i definitely did not like the wax sealing on the cap though. it looks classy while sealed, however just becomes clunky after opening. all in all, i give them high grades on the design.

knob creek rye is 100 proof, so it’s nice and strong like rittenhouse. it’s on the darker side and is both spicy and smooth. although it does have a bite, it’s still tasty over the rocks.

the only downside to knob creek it it’s price. it is a good $10-$15 more per bottle than rittenhouse, redemption and bulleit. so as much as i liked it, i don’t know if i will grab it again except for special occasions.

– ryan

i enjoyed some old fashioned cocktails this evening! i would say it came from the combination of being on both a rye whiskey kick on top of a mad men kick!

for those interested, i went with bulleit rye and angostura bitters.

– ryan

old fashioned:

1 tsp sugar or 2 sugar cubes
2-4 dashes angostura bitters
2 oz rye whiskey
1 large ice cube or ice cubes
splash club soda
2 orange wheel
1 orange wheel rind
2 maraschino cherry

directions:
• rub an orange wheel rind around the rim of a highball glass
• muddle sugar, orange wheel, cherry and bitters in glass
• add a splash of club soda and swirl around
• remove orange rind and add ice
• pour in rye and stir
• garnish with a fresh maraschino cherry and an orange slice

– ryan

i’ve been sampling different rye whiskies as of late. after trying bulleit and 13th colony, i went with redemption rye whiskey. off the bat, i wasn’t impressed with the design of the bottle. the hand-numbered batch was a nice touch, but the metal screw cap was a big turn off. i was, however, recommended their rye by both employees and random patrons on five consecutive trips to green’s beverage, so i decided it was time to try it out.

like bulleit, redemption straight rye is distilled from 95% premium rye mash and aged for 2 years in new charred oak barrels. at 92 proof, it has a little more bite than bulleit, but it is still super smooth. for only $23.99, it definitely gives bulleit a run for it’s money for best value.

back to the bottle design. if i were headed to a party or giving this as a gift (ie. cared about a nice presentation), i would probably go with bulleit or 13th colony. those bottle designs are much more fun and have better counter appeal.

on the other hand, if you are looking to get a gift for a big rye fan, redemption is a great choice they may not have tried. it’s very tasty, and for the price, i know i will be going back to this brand.

– ryan