Atlanta Beer book
Ron Smith and Mary O. Boyle are authors of two books about Atlanta’s alcohol history, and they joined us in studio this week.

A little Atlanta history for you this week. 


Ron Smith and Mary O. Boyle are with us this week.

Not only are they craft beer fans, they are the authors of “Atlanta Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the South” as well as “Prohibition in Atlanta: Temperance, Tiger Kings and White Lightning.”

Atlanta and the south have had a love/hate relationship with alcohol over the past 250 or so years.

From the Whitehall Tavern opening on the West End in 1835 (back when Atlanta was called Terminus), to the mayoral election of Moses Frumwalt Formwalt (of the awesomely named “Free and Rowdy” party) over Jonathan Norcross (of the “Moral Party), the early years of the region were quite…interesting.

Then, with the Civil War, reconstruction, and the abolitionist movement, the region underwent many, many changes.

Atlanta Beer Book
Ron Smith and Mary O. Boyle joined us in the studio this week. Check out their website here (photo courtesy Atlantabeerbook.com)

The opening of Atlantic Brewing in 1935 (it was located on the current site of the downtown Hilton) marked a turn in Atlanta’s brewing history. After its closing in the 50s, Atlanta’s only brewery was a branch of Canadian beer maker Carling (now made by Molson/Coors). And when it closed in 1973, Atlanta went nearly 4 decades without a brewery until Atlanta Brewing Company (now Red Brick) opened its doors in 1993.

We really needed 3 hours to get in-depth with this topic, and we definitely plan on having Mary and Ron on the show in the future. In the meantime, we highly recommend picking up their two books:

Check out their events, talks and more at Atlantabeerbook.com. If you’re looking for some autographed copies (Makes a great Christmas gift!) check out their online store.

Truck and Tap’s Beers of the week: 

In keeping with the historical theme, we went with a few from the vault, including:

  • Red Brick 20th anniversary (2013)
  • SweetWater 17th anniversary (2014)
  • Terrapin Tiramisu Hoo (2015)
  • And a newer one, Monday Night Brewing Blood Orange Blind Pirate IPA

Headlines (sponsored by Your Pie Perimeter)

Next week? We’ll be talking water chemistry, German beers and more with Hapeville’s Arches Brewing! Have a great week, and don’t forget to drink local. Cheers!

https://beerguysradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/atlanta-beer-book.jpghttps://beerguysradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/atlanta-beer-book-150x150.jpgAaron WilliamsOn DemandRadioShowsAtlanta,Beer,brewery,brewing,Craft Beer,Creature Comforts,History,Monday Night,Podcast,radio,SweetwaterA little Atlanta history for you this week.  Ron Smith and Mary O. Boyle are with us this week. Not only are they craft beer fans, they are the authors of “Atlanta Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the South” as well as “Prohibition in Atlanta: Temperance, Tiger Kings...Cold beer, hot conversations, stupid jokes.