This is a guest post by Brandie Williams. Brandie believes that drinking your feelings should be a delicious endeavor! She’ll never say “no” to more hops or a free shot.
Jackie O’s Brew Pub isn’t in Columbus, so it might not be on your radar yet. However, this Athens-based brewery is causing quite a stir among craft beer enthusiasts.
Jackie O’s typically doesn’t bottle its beer. If you want to try their new concoctions, you usually have to make the journey to Athens and get the beer straight from the taps. While they are happy to fill growlers for you, this may not be terribly convenient for out-of-towners.
Every few months, Jackie O’s takes pity on their non-local fans and has a bottle release. The releases have evolved into exciting events that allow craft beer fans from across the region (and even across the country) to congregate, buy some precious bottles, and even share some favorites they’ve brought from other brewers.
If you want to get in on a bottle release, be prepared to lose a little sleep. People usually head down to the brew pub on Friday night, where you can get a preview of the beers on tap. This is also when the bottle trading and sharing begins. When the bar closes at 2, the most dedicated fans step outside and get in line for the bottle release. Fortunately, you don’t have to fight the sleepies all night long. Around 4am, Jackie O’s hands out calendar pages that let you keep your place in line while you grab a few winks. When the sale starts at 11am, they work through the calendar year until everyone has made their purchase.
To help ensure that everyone gets a shot at their beer of choice, quantites are limited. Here’s what’s on tap for the sale this weekend:
- Brandy Barrel Superfly ($16) – 2 bottle limit
- Oil of Aphrodite ($14) – 2 bottle limit
- Rum Barrel Oil of Aphrodite ($18) – 1 bottle limit
- Dynamo Hum ($18) -1 bottle limit
- Funky South Paw ($14) – 1 bottle limit
I had heard awesome things about the Rum Barrel Oil of Aphrodite. Even though I’m not a fan of stouts, I got to try it a few weeks ago, and OMG YUM!!!
If you’re planning on heading down, leave a comment or come say hi to me! I’ll be the sleepy girl waiting patiently for her buzzworthy beer.
