A “Wild Heaven” Brewery in Decatur By Next Year? It Could Happen.
Decatur Metro | January 4, 2011 | 9:29 pmBack when Nick Purdy launched his “Wild Heaven” craft beers in September, it was pretty well known that while the beers were brewed by a contract brewer in South Carolina, Purdy’s long-term goal was to open a craft brewery right here in Decatur.
Apparently that dream might not be as far off.
In a recent article on Patch, Purdy says he’s already in the process of executing plans to open a permanent brewery in Decatur “as soon as 2012”. He won’t give up the specific location, but says it’s near the old Paste offices at East Decatur Station and that he’s already “deep into the process” of making it a reality.
In terms of what he’d like Wild Heaven to most be like, Purdy cites breweries like Dogfish Head, Allagash, Avery, Russian River and Stone.
A “Brew Masters“-type establishment in Decatur?
Even a casual beer-geek such as myself knows that could be pretty awesome.
Well, actually, the recipes aren’t mine, but Eric Johnson’s. Eric is the proprietor of Trappeze Pub out in Athens. I’d love to take the credit for it, but he’s the creative genius.
Ah…sorry about that Nick. Made the change in the original post.
I was just thinking how nice it would be if Ale Yeah! could sell growlers of Twain’s beers and Wild Heaven beers. Whole Foods is now selling growlers. Maybe soon.
Growlers at Ale Yeah! would be wonderful! Are there Decatur laws on growlers?
The word on the street is that growlers are technically legal at the state level but must be accommodated by local ordinance:
http://atlantabeermaster.com/?p=4791
If ever there was a Political Action project perfect for DM, this is it! Start with determining the wording of our applicable code (Steve!) and confirming it fails to allow growlers, then put DM’s organizational mettle to the test, seeing if enough momentum can be generated to get it before the commission.
I’m in.
The issue is the open container law, no? But for the life of me I can’t find it in Section 6 of the City Code.
Don’t forget that the city changed it’s ordinance on open bottles of wine from restaurants in 2008, so I’d think they might be amenable to this.
Wait…is this it?
Sec. 6-22. Drinking in public; open area and patio sales.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to drink any alcoholic beverages or any other intoxicating beverage at any public place within the city, or for any person to have in his possession any unsealed or opened container with such intoxicating beverage in it at any public place within the city, except as provided under the terms and conditions of special permits issued by the city commission.
That ordinance is already ignored at many public events. I’ve purchased carry-out plastic cups of beer from Raging Burrito many times at the fireworks display and other events on the square. Plus, in the case of a growler, I think there’s a good case to make that it is not an open container. Surely a “sealed” growler can be sold, no?
I’m pretty sure that ordinance can be waved at certain public events with permission. I’d be surprised if it was “ignored”.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t think growlers aren’t generally sealed when sold.
The ones I’ve seen at a SC beer store did not have a factory-type seal. I’m pretty sure it was just a screw-on, or maybe a stopper of some type. Since they’re filled from a tap, I don’t think they could have a factory seal.
The bottles were sturdy and re-usable – you brought your used ones back when you returned to the store to get more.
The Growlers Store in Hilton Head, SC seals the cap with a heat-shrink plastic seal on the spot. You would be able to tell if it had been opened or not.
I had actually been meaning to ask the Ale Yeah! folks about the possibility of growlers. That would be so sweet! Anyone know the laws/regulations?
My brother-in-law’s neighborhood beer store in South Carolina offers a rotating selection of premium beers on tap for sale in growlers, and it’s always a highlight of our trip there to walk up and get a few. I thought maybe they were illegal in GA, but that’s obviously not true if Whole Foods is selling them.
That would indeed be super-cool, and I would gladly stop by Ale Yeah weekly to fill a growler. Another idea, ironically borrowed from Kroger — they have a section of the beer isle where you can make your own 6-pack from loose single bottles. Of course, most of the Kroger beers are bad (Bud and such), so sampling 6 different Kroger beers is not too exciting. Apply that concept to Ale Yeah, on the other hand, and you’ve got something.
They have an isle of beer at Kroger? There’s an island that I wouldn’t mind being stranded on. 😉
Just picked up a mixed six-pack at Ale Yeah last week. It’s not cheap, but good selection and a nice way to sample some new beverages.
D’oh!
“not cheap” is an understatement. I like the owners and they did a good job with the place, but they are ridiculously expensive. Green’s and Hop City are four to five dollars cheaper per six pack. The GAS STATION on the corner by my house sells Sweetwater IPA cheaper than Ale Yeah.
Publix also has the build-a-six-pack option and some of their beers are actually good!
Sherlock’s could offer them too if the only requirements were that you didn’t serve alcohol for on-premises consumption and you didn’t serve “spirits”.
“Spirits” so much more superior a word than “liquor”. I wonder why it fell out of fashion. Speaking of etymology, what has become of Parker Cross as of late?
The Edgewood shopping center Kroger tends to have a decent beer selection for the stand-bys that are better than Bud. They seem to be interested in expanding their selection too…
I vote yes to everything mentioned above.
+1.
Nick, I read a while back you have no plans of releasing an APA/IPA… is this still true?
FM Fats, Whole Foods is now selling growlers?? All metro locations?
Growlers at the Ponce location, for sure. They were out of them on New Year’s Eve, the bustards.
There’s a new growler shop in Athens, as well. Check this out: http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/010211/bus_764273376.shtml
Very happy about this, especially if they have tours and a tasting room!
Nick, I’ll probably be a loyal buyer of your beers no matter what, but I’d ask that you not become too much like Dogfish. This will be unpopular with some of the beer afficianados, I’m sure, but I think many Dogfish beers border on unpleasant with flavors/alcolhol content so strong, it is hard to drink more than one of them. (Think Palo Santo, for example.)
Don’t get me wrong — they’re not all bad. The 60 minute IPA is one of the best beers in the world, IMO. (The 90 minute on the other hand . . . bleh.) So go ahead and make some crazy beers if you like them, just please make a few really good traditional brews for the rest of us! And best of luck with the venture.
The Wild Heaven beers I’ve had are in no way to be considered “session” beers. Pretty high gravity, if I remember correctly.
I had one Wild Heaven beer and liked it. I’m not saying they all need to be session beers. Just asking that they are brewed to taste good first and be weird, unusual, or “off-centered” second. IMO Dogfish usually gets this backwards. Palo Santo (for example) is certainly unusual. It also doesn’t taste very good and bears but a slight relationship to traditional beer. As a contrary example, I wouldn’t call Sweetwater Festive a session beer, but it is excellent.
I realize this is more of a rant against Dogfish than anything, and is a matter of personal taste of course, so it’s at least partially off-topic.
Well yes and no. I got a kegorator for Christmas, and being a proper Decaturite I decided to “locally source” my first keg. I got a pony of Wild Heaven Invocation, which is a Belgian golden ale clocking in at about 8.5%. I proceeded to session the heck out of that beer throughout the bowl season, and plan to continue through the NFL playoffs.
It is an awesome, wonderful, awesome beer.
I have a question that I’m sure more than a few Decaturites know the answer…
What’s a growler?
No smart aleck answers, such as “a growler is a Decatur coyote fighting with a raccoon over a cat.”
DTR – I had never heard of them until I read this in the NYT last year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/dining/27growl.html?scp=1&sq=growler&st=cse
Taking a brief vacation last week, I was again reminded how spoiled I am drinking in Decatur. I was in fairly nice establishments without a single interesting choice of beer. It would be super if I could take a growler into BSP or Mac McGees. Fresh tap beer at home. Mmmmmmm!
I have heard that under the present state law you won’t be able to go into a bar and have a growler filled. It would have to be a retail store like Ale Yeah! I visited the great restaurant at Stone Brewery in Escondido, CA last year and was able to take a full growler back to my hotel room. the empty made a nice souvenir, and I’d love to actually be able to use it. Typically your growler is exchanged for a sanitized one, though.
A Growler is essentially a reusable beer bottle. You buy the beer (and often pay a deposit / purchase for the Growler) at your local brew-stablishment, and take it home to enjoy as a “fresh” beer. You return the Growler to your establishment, they swap it for a fresh one, and you fill again. The circle continues.
For the “sealed” part, the places I’ve been that sell Growlers close the top (a flip top) and then seal it with a label after filling. Viola, a sealed container.
If you can jam the cork into a wine bottle at a restaurant, and put that in a bag to go, it seems this can’t be far off?
Oh, and PLEASE, think of the Session Beer Drinker, local brew-types. Would you rather sell me several beers several times, or a couple beers occasionally?
I agree- ale yeah, take prices down a bit- we want you to stay in business!
I stopped by the Marlay House Wednesday night because they
had just tapped a keg of Dogfish Head Bitches Brew. Nummy
nums.