Dig This: Georgia Organics Gardening Workshop -- Irrigated with Beer, March 27

Because “the ultimate local food is the food you grow yourself,” Georgia Organics is planting an organic gardening workshop smack dab center in a well-irrigated urban setting, 5 Season’s Brewing on Atlanta’s Westside. On Tuesday, March 27, rub elbows over beer, enjoy local farm tastes then glean seeds of knowledge -- seven steps to creating your own organic garden, what to plant and when, controlling bugs and diseases organically and more -- from Mike and Judy Cunningham of Country Gardens Family Farm in Newnan. The 6-8 p.m. event is free for Georgia Organics members and $25 per person for everyone else. Plant your registration here. See you at the watering hole! Bib overalls and gardening gloves not required.

Peachtree Pint Provides Tap Happiness for Lenox Square Shoppers and Food Court Diners

Lenox Square shoppers immersed in retail therapy can now enjoy hops between shops while they grab a quick lunch or dinner -- thanks to the opening of Peachtree Pint in the Fashion Café Food Court and a new policy designating the food court as an open-container area. The walk-up draft beer dispensary kiosk pulls 40 taps highlighting the best brews from around Georgia and the Southeast, including Creature Comforts, SweetWater Brewery, Monday Night Brewing, Scofflaw Brewing Co., Three Taverns Craft Brewery, Orpheus Brewing, Terrapin Beer Co., Cherry Street Brewing and Jekyll Brewing, plus standards including Guinness, Budweiser, Heineken and Michelob Ultra. Peachtree Pint showcases Georgia’s burgeoning microbreweries, a boon for out-of-towners eager to sip a “new” Southern brew and please locals with hometown craft brew sweethearts. The carryout bar, which offers 35 beers, one cider and four wine selections on tap, faces an array of tables, chairs and televised sports on flat screens leading some to sit and sip a spell while their other half shops for “just one more thing.” Longtime Lenox Square retailer Farshad Arshid, a Peachtree Pint owner along with Ruel Chambers and Kaan Ergun, explains, “We’re always trying to anticipate the changing needs of our shoppers…we want to further enhance the Lenox Square shopping experience.” A testimony to the mission to please, Peachtree Pint offers the extremely popular yet elusive Tropicalia IPA from Athens-based Creature Comforts brewery. Sweet tea, meet your match. Open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday hours vary.

Hoppy Holidays! Taco Mac Beer of the Month Spotlights Two Top U.S. Breweries -- Founders and Lagunitas Brewing Co.

Taco Mac ups the cheer quotient for beer lovers by featuring two of the most highly recognized breweries in the U.S., Founders Brewing Company and Lagunitas Brewing Company, as December’s Beer of the Month honorees. Raise a glass of Founders All Day 4.7% ABV, a well-balanced and aromatic IPA; the seasonal Founders Azacca IPA 7% ABV; the well-rounded and “ruthlessly delicious” Lagunitas IPA 6.2% ABV; and Lagunitas 12th of Never 5.5% ABV, a tropically hoppy, bright and citrusy ale. On Thursday’s Pint Night, beginning at 5 p.m., enjoy a pint of the evening’s featured beer and take home a different glass each week. Santa takes flight Christmas Eve, but you can enjoy a flight of these beers all month long.

Live it Up over Taco Mac Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Beer Specials Oct. 18-Nov. 1

Want to say “pay homage to your homies” but thinking that’s too much slang? Pay homage to friends and loved ones who have passed by raising a bottle or draft of celebratory Mexican beer at Taco Mac. Traditionally, Mexican cultures offer food and thirst-quenching drink at the altar for their loved ones’ spiritual journeys on Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Taco Mac leads the way, unearthing two weeks of Mexican beer specials beginning Wednesday, Oct. 18 and culminating on Wednesday, Nov. 1 -- Dia de los Muertos. Circle around buckets corralling four 12-ounce bottles of Mexican beers for $12.95 per pail. Mix and match your choice of Corona, Corona Light, Modelo, Modelo Negra and Pacifico. The spirit is moving Taco Mac locations to feature two draft beers -- Modelo and Modelo Negra -- over the same dates. Keep the party going by digging into Taco Mac’s famed wings or grilled chicken nachos with fresh guac.

Celebrate National Doughnut Day with Hometown Sweeties Sublime Doughnuts and SweetWater Brewing Company at Tasting Event and at Both Locations

Sweet treats and toasting beverages are a dynamic duo for a holiday celebration. Sublime Doughnuts, Atlanta’s specialty bakeshop selling high-quality, chef-inspired doughnuts, is partnering with SweetWater Brewing Company to ensure National Doughnut Day will be the happiest, hoppy-est holiday around town for beer and doughnut lovers. On Friday, June 2, these two Atlanta darlings are treating SweetWater tour-goers to four perfectly paired beer and doughnut tastings when they purchase the $12 brewery tour between 5:30-7:30 p.m. Flavors include Dulce de Leche (yeast doughnut ring topped with caramel sauce), Dirty D (yeast doughnut ring topped with milk chocolate and Oreo and Nestle crumbs), B-Day (yeast doughnut ring topped with a vanilla glaze and sprinkles) and Glazed Ring (yeast doughnut topped with a signature vanilla glaze). Completing Friday’s out-of-the-bakery-box experience, Sublime and SweetWater have dreamed up an exclusive co-branded cask of beer to be tapped at the event.

Since it is National Doughnut DAY, you may want to celebrate all day long. Good thing Sublime Doughnuts shops in West Midtown and North Druid Hills are open 24 hours daily. Additionally, the North Druid Hills store is kosher certified. As Sublime Doughnuts founder and creative director Kamal Grant insists, “eat one that’s worth it.” Sublime creates more than 30 chef-inspired doughnuts, plus a weekly “Will It Doughnut” featuring wild ingredients from Kamal’s flavor wheel. Trust us, each one is oh, so worth it.

Grape News! Two Ways to Celebrate National Wine Day in Sandy Springs on May 25

Food 101 to Pour Wine Flights

This week, Food 101 will offer their Wine Down Wednesdays wine flight special on Wednesday – and Thursday. Think they’re flighty? Not at all! Thursday, May 25 is National Wine Day, one of our favorite varietals of foodie holidays. To mark the wine-some day, the Sandy Springs restaurant will pour May’s wine flight selections during Thursday night dinner service. Explore an Atalon from Napa Valley, a Kendall-Jackson from the Central Coast of California and a Carmel Road from Monterey, California. Flights are offered for $15, and glasses are available for $10. Free samples of several other wines will be available, and a wine distributor will be on hand that evening to answer wine questions. Complete the experience with selections from executive chef Ryan Smith’s delectable menu of Southern fare, garden delights, charcuterie and artisanal cheeses.

Wine, Brews and Moos Fuel Celebration at Taco Mac-The Prado

Wine. Check. Cheese. Check. Brews. Huh? Leave it to Taco Mac to spin National Wine Day toward a stout and hearty celebration dubbed “Wine, Brews, and Moos” at the restaurant’s Sandy Springs Prado location. From 6:30-9 p.m. on Thursday, May 25, relish all you care to eat and drink beer, wine and cheese. Brewniversity members earn three Brewniversity credits for participation. Buy tickets online, $30 each.

Oktoberfest Fun Brewing at Communion

When you’re munchin’ in the ATL area instead of München for Oktoberfest, oompah over to Communion, the outdoor beer garden at Kevin Gillespie’s Decatur restaurant Revival. Communion is well stocked for Oktoberfest “bier” imbibers, offering seasonal brews like Wild Heaven Craft Beers’ Autumn Defense and Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest, European-style draft and bottled beers, Old World-style wine, punches and batch-made cocktails. Hit the bright red food truck for some of the German-inspired snacks on chef Andreas Müeller’s menu then settle in at communal picnic tables or exercise your playful side over horseshoes, darts, Giant Jenga and cornhole. Euros? Dollars? Nein. Pay for drinks and snacks with tokens, $5 each, including tax and gratuity. Inside Revival, the buzz is about Southern fare, family recipes and the cornbread, recipient of Creative Loafing’s Best of Atlanta 2016 “Best Cornbread” designation. Outside, take a walk on the Oktoberfest side. Communion opens at 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday evenings, weather permitting. Check the day’s status here. 

Medal in Ping-Pong, Putting or Giant Jenga during Atkins Park Summer Olympic Games

Even if you came in short on making Team U.S.A. and heading to Rio, there’s still a place for you to rev team spirit and show off your amazing prowess right here in the ATL. Summer Olympics competitions are underway at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland. Highlight your sport date so you don’t miss out: Golden Tee golf, August 9; cornhole, August 10; ladder toss, August 11; putting challenge, August 15; Giant Jenga, August 16; Kan Jam, August 17; and Ping-Pong, August 18. Games begin at 10 p.m. Champs win prize packs from Boulevard Brewing Company, Brewery Ommegang, Orpheus Brewing, Terrapin Brewing Company, SweetWater Brewing Company, Sierra Nevada and Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits.

“Burgers & Brews” Stars, Grilling Contest Wins Stripes (and a Big Green Egg) at Marlow’s Tavern

Salute summer at Marlow’s Tavern’s “Burgers & Brews” celebration, going on through August 1. Chomp into Marlow’s signature gourmet burgers, chill over craft beers and vie to win a coveted Big Green Egg (BGE) or Marlow’s gift cards.

Grill thrill seekers, share that recipe (the one friends rave about) in the seventh annual Marlow’s Tavern Grilling Recipe Contest for a chance to win a BGE, a $200 Marlow’s Tavern gift card or a $100 gift card. Can’t win if you don’t try; submit at www.marlowstavern.com through July 31. No purchase necessary; one entry per person or email address. Marlow’s Tavern co-founder and executive chef John C. Metz will judge all recipes and announce winners on September 10 with a taste-testing party at the Dunwoody location.

Contemplate your recipe while relishing signature gourmet, all-natural and perfectly seasoned burgers on Marlow’s “Burgers & Brews” menu. Suggestions include the Classic Burger Dip, piling on thinly sliced prime rib, Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, romaine lettuce and a Roma tomato or the bruiser of a Black & Blue Burger sporting creamy Gorgonzola and Applewood-smoked bacon. Bypassing beef? Opt for the Naked Chicken Burger of all-natural Joyce Farms ground chicken, mozzarella, provolone, baby arugula, Roma tomato and red onion. Look for rotating burger du jour specials such as the “Chicken Fried” Steak Burger, the Colorado Lamb Burger or the wagyu beef Royale with Cheese Burger. Other specials include Beer & Cheese Soup; Red Devils house-made deviled eggs with spicy horseradish, fresh herbs, Dijonnaise and toasty Parmesan; and Loaded Burbank (potato) “Skins.” Celebratory craft beers abound to buddy up with burgers: Oskar Blues Pinner Throwback IPA, Sierra Nevada Otra Vez, Eventide Kölsch Ale, Wild Heaven Emergency Drinking Beer, Red Hare Radler SPF and Westbrook One Claw Rye.

While at Marlow’s, prep to enter the Big Burger Bite Contest by snapping a picture of yourself biting into a Marlow’s burger then posting it to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #MarlowsBurgerBite. A $100 gift card awaits the media-savvy winner so snap to it.  

Get to Know Some Rogues and Experience Reformation over Dinner and Spirits at The Southern Gentleman

Add Providence, Cadence, Declaration and Stark to your local-brew friend list after meeting these Reformation Brewery beers over a four-course dinner with pairings at The Southern Gentleman on Thursday, January 28. Beginning at 7 p.m., executive chef Matthew Ridgway teams the Old World-style beers from Woodstock, Georgia, with dishes like smoked trout rillettes, frisée with Scotch egg and bacon lardons, and braised beef cheeks with dumplings, shaved Brussels sprouts and apple salad. Dessert? Count on it. $55 per person.

Return to The Shops Buckhead Atlanta gastropub for a mix of distilled spirits and brews from the “Rogue Nation” of Rogue Ales & Spirits at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 3. Contrast Fresh Roast Ale and Marionberry Braggot (using Rogue Farms’ own Marionberries and Hopyard Honey) with Oregon Rye Whiskey and Hazelnut Spice Rum while dining on four courses. Listen up as Newport, Oregon, Rogue reps chat about the spirited journey from ground to grain to glass. $55 per person. Call for reservations: 404-939-9845. Prices exclude tax and gratuity. 

Smokebelly BBQ Kicks Off Pigskin Season at Buds, Burgers & Bellies Party September 5

Smokebelly BBQ in Buckhead tackles football season opening day in a pig way, lining up a Buds, Burgers & Bellies party with live music, games, prizes and food and drink specials from noon until closing time Saturday, September 5. Jot a playbook note that this Buckhead barbecue joint is loaded with 16 screens for game-day viewing from the first kickoff to the last bowl game. Buds, Burgers & Bellies scores a full day of football action, live music and DJ spins beginning with Jacob & the Good People performing on the patio from 3-5 p.m. followed by a DJ from 5-6 p.m. and the Dean Dollar Band from 6-9 p.m. Meanwhile, inside, the Auburn game takes the stage from 3:30-6:30 p.m., and The Park Band parties from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Loosen up that throwing arm over cornhole, ladder ball, darts and a Bud Light table basketball hoops game. The Bud Light Rita sampling team cheers on fun times with prizes and samples for adults. Pound down a bucket of 20 wings for $15 or a bucket of Bud or Bud Light for $15; a Budweiser or Bud Light with Smokebelly’s 50/50 burger of ground bacon and pork with ghost pepper cheese and onion strings on a Holeman and Finch bun plus a side for $9.99; Jack and Coke for $6 or Goose Island IPA Tall Boys or Shock Top Aluminums for $5.

Der Biergarten Hosts Schlager Party August 15

Put on your best German attire and head on over to Der Biergarten in the Luckie Marietta District this Saturday, August 15, for Atlanta’s 8th Schlager Party! Beer specials include Sapten Marzen and Weihenstephan Hefe for $9 per liter. Prizes will be given out for best costume, so throw on the lederhosen!

Three's a Charmer at The Blind Pig and Three Taverns’ "A Night in the Parlour" Beer Dinner July 29

Only 33 guests will be able to sit down to "A Night in the Parlour" beer dinner featuring a trio of courses and beers at The Blind Pig Parlour Bar on Wednesday, July 29 at 7 p.m. Chef Nagib Sued of The Blind Pig and Smokebelly BBQ will be joined by Brian Purcell of Three Taverns Craft Brewery to guide guests through three courses paired with three different Three Taverns brews. Buy tickets in advance online, $33 per guest. The Blind Pig is located behind Smokebelly BBQ in Buckhead.

Loosen Those Ties, Tin Lizzy’s Cantina Opens in Downtown Atlanta

Tin Lizzy’s Cantina is open in The Mall at Peachtree Center, just a quick salsa away from the College Football Hall of Fame, the Georgia World Congress Center, convention hotels, marts and offices. Now downtown visitors can easily enjoy FlexMex favorites at the 10th location of Atlanta’s hometown cantina, and the extensive margarita list gives the starched shirt set an incentive to loosen up a bit. A menu boasting shareable dips, signature tacos, salads and sensational cast-iron skillets, as well as multiple TVs for sports viewing, keep everyone happy. The over-21 crowd will find clever cocktails and more than 30 beer selections to temper the heat of summer’s city streets. Tin Lizzy’s downtown is open daily for lunch, dinner and late-night dining. For information, call 404-671-9450 or visit the downtown cantina’s Facebook page.   

Header on Over to STATS and Der Biergarten for FIFA Women’s World Cup Soccer Semifinals and Finals Viewing through July 5

Cheer on Team USA as they play Germany in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Semifinals June 30! STATS and Der Biergarten in the Luckie Marietta District offer specials to keep you fueled up and ready to cheer on the home team. Liters of Kӧnig Ludwig Hefeweizen are $9 at Der Biergarten, while STATS has an All American Combo for $15: personal premium jumbo wings appetizer with a choice of sauce (Buffalo, BBQ, Kung Fu) and choice of dressing with celery, plus a Messi Double Stack Burger with American cheese, lettuce, onion, pickle and, of course, Budweiser. Be sure to catch the rest of the Women’s World Cup action at STATS and Der Biergarten through July 5. Details about specials aren’t in a playbook, but you will find them on our blog. 

Rush In for an Hour of Half-Off Appetizers Monday-Thursday at Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub in Brookhaven

Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub in Village Place Brookhaven is defining its own “rush hour” of sorts by offering half-price appetizers from 5-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday evenings. Who wouldn’t want to rush in for addicting bites like these: house pimento cheese with Tillamook, piquillo peppers, local apples and crostini; Berkshire pork potsticker with ginger, toasted sesame and chili soy; ahi tuna tartare with avocado, tomato, coriander, feta and yuzu; Indian curry chicken spring rolls with garam masala, tamarind and cilantro-yogurt dip; and duck fat pub fries to dab in bacon mayonnaise. Appetizer prices are regularly $4-$12. Summer’s scorchers are no match for Kaleidoscope’s array of cold beer, cocktails and global wine list.

Appetizing Aperture

“Zigeuner schnitzel!” is not something you say when someone sneezes. “Zigeuner schnitzel, please” is what to say when ordering the June schnitzel of the month at Der Biergarten. The lightly breaded pork cutlet, crisp yet tender, wears a red sauce chock full of mushrooms, onions and bell peppers and sports spätzle alongside ($23). Light enough for summer, hearty enough to take on high-powered FIFA Women’s World Cup Soccer viewing. Add König Ludwig Hefeweizen ($9/liter), Der Biergarten’s beer of the month, for an authentic beer garden meal.

Tops for Pops -- Father’s Day is June 21

Every dad has his day, and it’s almost here. Father’s Day is Sunday, June 21. Sure you can give him a card and a kiss, but do it over brunch, lunch or clinking beer glasses. Whether your guy is king of the drill, grill, bench press or French press, you’ll find an Atlanta restaurant befitting his honor and interests on our blog. 

Smokebelly BBQ Rocks the Cure at SweetWater Brewery June 6

Smokebelly BBQ had so much fun doling out a whole hog’s worth of roasted meat at its first birthday celebration last week that the Buckhead barbecue joint is rolling its succulent smoked meats and American eats into another good-time event -- Rock the Cure at SweetWater Brewery on Saturday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m. The annual brews and blues event overflows with a continuous pour of local brews, mouthwatering eats, live music and ooh- and aah-generating raffle prizes, all to benefit the Georgia Chapter of JDRF. Rock the Cure has raised more than $400,000 for type 1 diabetes (T1D) research since holding its first event at SweetWater in 2007. Eighty-five percent of those with T1D are adults, prompting the non-profit research organization to shorten “Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation” to JDRF to better reflect its “all ages, all stages” commitment to curing T1D. Buy tickets online; general admission $50, VIP $75. Prior commitment that night? Rock those donations online anytime.

Smokebelly BBQ and Red Brick Brewing Company Craft ‘Cue and Brew Dinner May 12

‘Cue and brew. Have two rhyming words ever been so delightfully compatible? Smokebelly BBQ and Atlanta’s own Red Brick Brewing Company join forces for a harmonious evening of chef-crafted barbecue and craft beers at the Buckhead barbecue joint on Tuesday, May 12 at 7 p.m. Smokebelly chef Nagib Sued and Red Brick lead brewer Steve Anderson navigate attendees through five courses and five Red Brick beer pairings. Plans are to tap into a special cask created specifically for this event! Seats are $50 each and are available to purchase online.