as previously mentioned, i’ve been on a big rye kick recently. after moving beyond bulleit, the next rye i tried was southern rye whiskey by 13th colony. i’ll say up front that it definitely had the best designed bottle i’ve come across! i’m keeping this one around for future uses.

i was intrigued that 13th colony was from americus, georgia. to many, including the employee at green’s, the fact that this whiskey came from georgia was a deterrent. i was excited though to see what was being distilled in my own state and was impressed! it was a little darker in color and had more bite (95 proof) than bulleit, but it was still smooth. pouring drinks out of the bottle was an added bonus. the old-fashioned design made it feel like it’s own decanter.

the only downside to the 13th colony rye was it’s price. at $28.99, it’s not the most expensive around, however i don’t know if i enjoyed it that much more than cheaper options like redemption or bulleit.

– ryan

i’ve been on a big rye whiskey kick recently. it’s become fairly popular over the last few years. liquor store shelves are now loaded with small batch options in atlanta. i’m by no means a connoisseur, but i do enjoy drinking some rye on the rocks with a little lime, and i also appreciate a well designed bottle for the full experience.

the first rye i remember trying was from bulleit, which is actually still one of my go-to brands. i was working at a food & wine festival and bulleit had a booth giving away samples of their new rye. they were promoting that it was made from 95% rye-mash, which was the highest on the market at the time. i was told to picture rye bread while drinking it and then to picture corn bread while sampling their bourbon. i was definitely able to taste the spicy versus sweet distinction.

to some, bulleit rye is not aged long enough and lacks some bite, but i really enjoy it. it’s very smooth (90 proof), comes in a classy bottle, but most importantly, it’s also affordable. you can find it for $24.99 at green’s beverage in atlanta, which makes it an easy bottle to restock.

in general, american whiskeys are classified by the type of grain being distilled. rye is distilled from at least 51% rye grain, while bourbon is distilled from at least 51% corn. check out my post from a few years ago for more information on bourbons.

– ryan

i recently went curling with a couple of friends at the atlanta curling club. they host open sessions at the marietta ice center where you can learn to curl or play full games if you are experienced.

i went for a basic learning session and had a blast! i learned how to keep score, how to balance and deliver a stone with a curl, and how to sweep a stone into the house. they also went over the basic rules & terms, as well as the positions of a curling team. i can’t wait to head back and play an actual game!

– ryan

atlanta curling club

4880 lower roswell road
marietta, ga 30068
404-483-1545

spring is almost here!

– ryan

sunrise at the gates of netherworld.

– ryan

the new washed out album paracosm came out today via sub pop records. for those interested, you can find a super limited loser edition on green vinyl with a free bonus 7″ at your local independent record store (ie. criminal records & decatur cd). the LP & 7″ also include digital downloads, so it’s quite the deal!

– ryan

i recently tried out starbucks new line of handcrafted sodas. i had a buy-one-get-one free coupon, so i sampled both the spiced root beer and the golden ginger ale.

i would have to say i was unimpressed. the sodas were light on carbonation, so they tasted a little flat from the get go. more carbonation would definitely have helped. the spiced root beer was a little too spicy and not enough root beer tasting and the golden ginger ale was a little bland.

i like the idea of a handcrafted soda made without corn syrup, however i doubt i’d order one from starbucks again.

– ryan

last time we were in north carolina i was able to find yuengling bbq sauce. food lion carried a few varieties made with different yuengling brews. there was regular (lager), honey (black & tan) and hickory smoked (porter).

unfortunately, i only grabbed one bottle of the regular sauce to use while on vacation. it was quite tasty, but i have yet to find any more since being back in atlanta. i guess the line of sauces is pretty new and only available in certain markets. next time i’ll get more than one bottle!

– ryan

i drove by this mural the other day and thought it looked like an old disney animation cell!

– ryan

there is a new crepe & coffee shop in inman park called julianna’s. it’s in the basement of a 110+ year old home and features a quant little setting for some caffeine and sweets. besides crepes, julianna’s also serves dancing goats coffee and sells local goodies, including handmade soaps from mama and local jams & jellies!

i wouldn’t say it was the best crepe i’ve ever had, but julianna’s has a super cute atmosphere and is a great option if you are craving some sweets!

– ryan

julianna’s coffee & crepes

775 lake avenue ne,
atlanta, ga 30307
404-436-1825