Four-letter word of the day: BEER

For those who are just looking for links to fun stuff without all the dry, boring explanation:
Atlanta Brewing Company




Sweetwater Brewery



Some of you reading this may know that I really like to drink beer. I may even be a bit of a snob about what I'll drink sometimes, but definitely not as snob-bly as some. I absolutely loathe Bud and Bud Light; Coors Light I can drink once in a great while, but only because I'm from Colorado and in kindergarten teachers gave us C.L. instead of milk before naps; I'd rather drink water or go thirsty than drink most other cheap beers besides PBR.

My favorite beer right now is Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA. It's hoppy and bitter enough, with some other flavorings that make it really fun to drink, without a really high alcohol content (6%). If I understand correctly there will be some of this (keg hopefully) at the wedding reception, so everyone there can try it and let me and Alyssa know if you share our tastes.

Next on the list is something local, Sweetwater IPA. It's nice and hoppy, just bitter enough, and heavier than the local favorite Sweetwater 420 (an extra pale ale). And a close third is Fat Tire from Ft. Collins. It may be on the list only because it's not sold in Georgia, so it's a big treat when I do get it.

But my tastes aren't what this blog is about, so I'll get to the point. In Atlanta there are two mid-size breweries (not just local, but not nationwide): Sweetwater and the Atlanta Brewing Company. They each give tours on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings year-round. Along with the tours comes a bit of drinking; you can try new brews, or just enjoy some of the "old" favs. I highly recommend both of their tours and parties, though if you're no longer in college you might want to try the Wednesday or Thursday tours. The Friday night can get pretty wild with college students drinking too much, being too loud, and causing trouble.

The Atlanta Brewing Company (http://www.atlantabrewing.com) has a live band most Friday nights along with lots of drinking for around $7 -- a great deal!

Sweetwater Brewery (http://www.sweetwaterbrew.com) is a lot of fun and they have an interesting website. It is quite a bit busier than ABC, but it's also bigger with a wider distribution (for now).

--Randall

Your Dekalb Farmers Market

I would like to send a quick yodel of approval out for Your (yes, Your) Dekalb Farmers Market, my constant source of inspiration, amusement and dried legumes for the last five years. If you have ever eaten at our house, you have probably tried some homemade knock-off of something on the YDFM cafeteria line (even though I think my tabbouleh is better), or snacked on some of the crazy-amazing produce I buy there every week. If you're ever in need of a quick nosh, some mysterious ingredient in that complex Indian recipe off the internet that you just have to try, or just a leisurely session of people watching, I highly recommend this place. Just bring a jacket - it's cold in there!



(Please note that photography of any kind is not actually permitted in the market, so don't try it, 'cause they might catch you and make you leave before it's your turn ordering at the pastry counter, and I will eat your orange cream tart for you without a shiver of remorse.)

My colleague Meseret has instructed me that "thank you" in Amharic is ahm-eh-seg-NAH-lew. If your cashier's tag lists this language as one that he/she speaks, please try this out and let me know how they respond. (I'm a dork, and have been too bashful to try it.)

--- Alyssa

The Clermont Lounge!!!

Okay, how do I begin to describe The Clermont Lounge??? It's unique. It's a bar. It's a strip club. Umm, until I can think of more ways to describe it, check out this video (note: brief nudity, some foul language, may not be safe for work):



There will definitely be more posts about The Clermont in the very near future, so keep checking back...

-Randall

Creative Loafing

When searching for something to do in Atlanta, one should start here: Creative Loafing (atlanta.creativeloafing.com). Creative Loafing is a weekly guide to all the happenings in and around Atlanta.

It's sometimes useful, sometimes funny, sometimes annoying, and sometimes annoyingly useless. Use Creative Loafing to find venues where local bands might play, see what's up with the local art scene, find cool places to eat, etc. Just remember it's not the beginning and end of everything in Atlanta...just a place to start.

It's also kind of a crazy site that's hard to navigate. Chances are you'll experience a lot of dead links and things you know should be there but aren't.

--Randall

Welcome to Wild Wedding Wanderings!!

Alyssa and Randall plan to use this blog to showcase all the fun, wild, weird, and wonderful things there are to do in Atlanta.

It's mostly for family and friends coming to visit us and help us celebrate our wild and wonderful wedding, but our in-town could learn something as well. We'll tell you all about the wild, weird, and crazy things we've done, things we're not crazy about doing, and things we think everyone can and should do during their stay.

If you have any suggestions, or if we get something completely wrong, well...let us know somehow, Smart Guy/Gal.

We'll be adding new links, pictures, videos, and stories periodically so don't forget to check back often.