By Osayi Endolyn
This past Saturday afternoon, Atlanta craft beer lovers braved the freezing cold and cruel wind to attend the 3rd Annual Winter Beer Carnival at Atlantic Station. Set up in the events section behind the shopping center parking lot, bundled-up drinkers huddled closely together under large white tents, sipping on brews like Bell’s Hop Slam, Leffe Brune and O’Dempsey’s Inukshuk IPA.
All the accoutrements of such occasions were in full form — plush Viking hats, pretzel necklaces and an assortment of games that brought out the inner child of players and bystanders alike. Only on this day, with the temperature hovering between 30 and 40 degrees, it seemed most conversations centered around various ways to combat the cold rather than on the brew in hand.
Some tried to warm themselves up by playing games like the strength test, or trying to stand up an empty beer bottle using just a string attached to a plastic circle. They’re not afraid to admit it — craft beer fans are easily amused by carnival fare. What’s not to love about losing a modified version of table corn hole and drowning your losses in a tasting glass of Terrapin’s Moo Hoo?
In addition to more than 100 brews, food vendors included Hair of the Dog, Meehan’s, Ri Ra, The Barrelhouse and Ormsby’s. Some brave souls exited the main tent to enjoy a corn dog or funnel cake. But the weather commanded attention no matter how you spent your time. One food staffer risked burning herself in an attempt to keep her frigid hands near the hot cooking oil. A few heaters could be found, but were quickly surrounded by throngs of attendees, not nearly enough to keep everyone warm and toasty. One woman commented that if the carnival had been her event, she would have been at The Home Depot at first thing that morning, hauling off at least 10 large patio heaters. Alas, most had to warm themselves the old-fashioned way — by drinking up.
And perhaps that’s why despite the cold, the mood was so upbeat and positive — even after several volunteer pourers went home early, and after some of the beer ran out — if you’re surrounded by craft goodness, fun friends and a half-eaten pretzel necklace, you probably don’t have much to complain about.
