Vote for Sweetwater Creek

One of Georgia’s State Parks, Sweetwater Creek, is vying to be named “America’s Favorite Park” and win a $100,000 grant for outdoor recreation. The national contest is part of Coca-Cola’s America Is Your Park campaign which encourages families to get active outdoors. Anyone can vote online at LivePositively.com through July 15.

Last year, three of Georgia’s State Parks ranked high in the voting, but ultimately did not win the top grants. This year, state park officials hope that rallying all of Georgia behind a single park will create a better chance for winning. Just after Memorial Day, Sweetwater Creek State Park was already in the top 5 nationally, so it was chosen for statewide support.

“If everyone in Georgia votes for Sweetwater Creek and asks their friends and family to do the same, we have an excellent chance of winning,” said State Parks Director Becky Kelley. “The money could be used for hiking trails improvements, fishing docks, picnic areas or any number of projects that our visitors could enjoy for years to come.”

The Coca-Cola America Is Your Park campaign will award $100,000, $50,000 and $25,000 grants to the top three ranking parks. A fourth park will be chosen at random from the remaining top 25 to win a $15,000 grant. Georgians can vote as often as they wish on LivePositively.com until July 15, and checking in with Foursquare earns 100 votes.

“We are asking everyone to help spread the word about this contest that could benefit all Georgians,” said Kelley. “E-mail your friends, post links on Facebook, and send out Tweets. Better yet, use Foursquare because it earns 100 times more votes every time you check in. A little support from a lot of people can help Georgia win.”

While the contest is open to any national, state or local park, it was little Oak Park in North Dakota that captured the top prize in 2011. Community members, dignitaries and celebrities organized to support the park through social media, park events, word-of-mouth and voting drives. Oak Park used the money to help restore areas destroyed earlier in the year by a historic flood.

“Oak Park is the perfect example of what grassroots support can do,” said Kelley. “We’re hoping to do the same in Georgia this year.”

 

Sweetwater Creek State Park is located west of Atlanta, near Lithia Springs. It’s best known for hiking trails, textile mill ruins, fishing and picnicking. Maps and photos are available at GeorgiaStateParks.org/SweetwaterCreek.

The America Is Your Park initiative was developed by Coca-Cola in collaboration with the National Park Foundation, America’s State Parks, and the National Recreation and Park Association.

--Press Release

Sweet House BBQ

Located in the parking lot at Jaemor Farms in Alto, Georgia, is this little BBQ shack.

In Georgia, barbecue meat is typically smoked over a proprietary combo of hickory and other woods then slathered with tangy tomato-based sauce. And pork is king, whether pulled, chopped or sliced, served on its own or atop a bun. The food served at this humble joint does not disappoint.

At Sweet House BBQ, pork sandwiches are $4.99, pork plates $8.99. (Chicken, ribs and sausage also available for slightly more.)

Bottom Line: Good food at a good deal.

2007 Dr. K. Frank Dry Riesling

If I won a contest where the prize was a free case of wine, and I had to choose between either Napa Valley, California or Finger Lakes, New York as the region from which this wine would be sourced, I'd choose the Finger Lakes.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate California wines. I'm especially fond of Sonoma County wines such as those from Rodney Strong Vineyards. California wines are a staple at my house and I'd hate to give them up. But Finger Lakes wines never fail to surprise and impress dinner guests in ways that more commonly famed regions don't.

The first time I visited the Finger Lakes, I was on assignment for Wine Report magazine. So naturally I stopped at many wineries for tastings as part of the research. What most impressed me was the sheer number of different wines and varietals that a winery typically had in its portfolio. To taste 30 wines, all made by one winemaker at one winery, and discover that each one was not just good but great, well, it made an impression. In other wine regions around the world that I've visited, that just doesn't happen. And in the Finger Lakes that sort of thing didn't just happen once. It happened over and over again. The winemakers in that region are blessed with great weather for grape growing and wonderful terroir, but perhaps most importantly they work cooperatively. Finger Lakes winemakers believe that they will succeed or fail together since if a visitor tastes one yucky wine may not be inclined to sample another. It's a model of how winemakers should work together. And, yes, I'm looking at you, Georgia vintners.

I was so impressed by the wines of the Finger Lakes region, the people making them, and the sheer breathtaking beauty of the place that I returned with my husband as quickly as I possibly could arrange. That time, maybe not every wine I tasted was perfectly pleasing to my palate. But I was exploring on my own rather than following the advice of a host. And it didn't matter. I'd still have been happy to drink a majority of the wines that I sampled.

Taste enough Finger Lakes wines and you'll pick up a specific minerality that is particular to that terroir. It's an enjoyable taste that gives the wines a pleasant backbone.

Best news of all, Finger Lakes wines are much more affordably priced than California wines--so no need to wait to win a contest. The only trouble is that not many wines from that region are available in Georgia. Then again, that's not much of a problem. I'm happy to visit the Finger Lakes any chance I get.

The 2007 Dry Riesling from Dr. Konstantin Frank was rated 93 points by Wine & Spirits magazine. Light and refreshing, it offers up notes of green apple, lime, honeydew and honey with, of course, that regional minerality. Thumbs up.

Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask Scottish Stout

In March 2012, Innis & Gunn, a Scottish craft beer maker, announced the U.S. release of its limited edition Irish Whiskey Cask beer. Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask is the first brewed Scottish stout to join the Innis & Gunn portfolio, plus it's the world’s first beer to be aged in barrels that were previously used to mature triple‐distilled Irish Whiskey.

“We have never brewed a stout before, but when we learned that we could get hold of these Irish barrels we got very excited at the prospect of maturing a Scottish stout in former Irish whiskey barrels,” said Dougal Sharp, Innis & Gunn’s Master Brewer and Owner, in a press release. “Of course Ireland is famous for making stout, and Scotland famous for making whisky, so we were fascinated to see how this beer turned out. We have ended up with a celebratory beer that is memorable and robust in character, much like the peoples of Scotland and Ireland.”

The beer is made with chocolate and roast barley malts and fuggles hops. A total of 400 oak barrels that had previously held Irish Whiskey were filled with the beer; after aging for 60 days and completing the three-step maturation process, the beer was released.

The beer is complex and smooth. It offers intense aromas and flavors of coffee, dark chocolate and molasses with a hint of the Irish Whiskey lingering among the oaky vanilla notes.

Bottom Line: Thumbs up.

A 4-pack retails for approx. $13.

Georgia Brewpub Bill

Think Georgia's legislation related to alcohol is too conservative? Agreed. But the situation continues to improve, incrementally.

On May 2, 2012, Governor Nathan Deal signed HB 472 into law. The "Brewpub Bill" benefits independent brewpubs as the new law increases the number of barrels a brewpub can produce from 5,000 to 10,000 and allows brewpubs to resell their product to wholesale distributors.

This new law expands the product brewed in Georgia, opens up new channels for brewpubs and keeps tax revenue in Georgia.

So, cheers!

Yard House

Now open in Atlantic Station, Yard House is really all about the beer. At the center of the dining room sits an island bar with 130 taps, which fill glasses via tubes that weave across the ceiling from the glass-enclosed keg room to the bar. The keg room houses up to 500 kegs and about 7,000 gallons of beer. The beer menu is organized by style -- more than a dozen different beer styles are offered -- and features local breweries, leading brands, craft brews and seasonal beers from around the world.

The food menu offers 100 items, mostly standard pub fare like burgers, tacos and pizza. Skip the salad, go for pizza. It's a better beer pairing anyway.

Bottom Line: Great beer selection. Loud sports bar ambiance.

Purity Vodka

Billed as "the world's most awarded ultra premium vodka," Purity Vodka is made in south Sweden from a blend of organic wheat and barley.

If you think you know Swedish vodka, think again.

"Our still design combines traditional pot still distillation with a completely new technology," Thomas Kuuttanen (one of only three Swedish Master Blenders) is quoted as saying in the press materials. The still is made of copper and gold and the vodka is produced in small batches. During the distillation process it's common to toss out some liquid, typically the "heads" (initial flow) and "tails" (last flow) of the run which the producer deems as undesirable (e.g., too bitter). But Kuuttanen disposes of 90% of the raw spirit.

"The final spirit is so pure that no filtration is necessary," boast the press materials. Purity Vodka is 70% distillate and 30% water from an artesian well in Sweden.

Since 2002, Purity Vodka has won Gold Medals and Master titles in spirit competitions such as The International Wine & Spirit Competition in England, The San Francisco World Spirits Competition in the U.S.A., and The Sommelier's Trophy in Sweden.

My tasting notes read, "astonishingly smooth." Hints of minerals, liquorice, bread, and vanilla slip across the palate. It has a slightly oily mouthfeel and a pleasant lingering finish. Thumbs up.

Bottom Line: Put down Absolut. Drink this instead.

Purity Vodka retails for approx. $40 for a 750ml bottle.