Drinks

 Most people, it is safe to assume, do not go to New Orleans to relax. But when days of trolleys and po’ boys are followed by nights of jazz clubs and Sazeracs, relaxation is...

Last Saturday I pulled back the creaky wooden doors to Woodfire Grill and walked inside with a package wrapped in a brown paper bag under my arm. I had come to talk with Patrick Guilfoil, the sommelier since January, about wines to pair with backyard cookouts.

The story of how Frozen Pints came to be is so simple it’s almost hard to believe, but co-founder Aly Moler says it’s true: There was a house party, someone brought an ice cream machine, and during the festivities a bottle of brew tipped over. An idea—craft beer ice cream—was born. Really. Moler and Ari Fleischer, fellow co-founder and business partner, had just stumbled upon possibly the most amazing “oops” moment ever. By June 2012, Frozen Pints was on the market.

Alex West is many things to a lot of people. Most Atlantans recognize him as the young and vibrant co-founder of WonderRoot, one of the city’s most inspired arts and service nonprofits, where he now chairs the board of directors. Others recall the Georgia Tech alum known for helping feed the homeless and filling potholes throughout intown streets. West is also a savvy businessman, who launched Ontologic Solutions in 2008, a software company with a host of products that automate processes for various industries.

As 30A continues to grow, so does its culinary scene. We explored the 12 Florida Panhandle neighborhoods linked by 24-mile County Road 30A, where we discovered ample options for each meal of the day—plus plenty of happy-hour hideaways.

On Wednesday night, Greg Best and Regan Smith announced to their staff that they are moving on from Holeman and Finch Public House. It’s no overstatement to say that Best and Smith, along with partners Gina and Linton Hopkins and Andy Minchow (the latter moved on from the business last year), were the catalysts for Atlanta’s now-booming cocktail culture. When Holeman and Finch opened in 2008, it brought Atlanta up to speed on the booze renaissance happening in cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.

Should you awaken on New Year’s Day with a splitting headache, a strong drink is a surefire cure. We canvassed the South for some of the best hair-of-the-dog pours.

Johnny Baker’s hillbilly accent is as authentic as the moonshine his family has been making for generations, and he uses it to marked effect as he entertains tourists at their Gatlinburg distillery. “We are making coooorn liquor—moonshine,” Baker says, stretching out the vowel to emphasize the appeal of a distillate with a shady, complicated past.

This week marks the release of SweetWater Brewery’s Danktoberfest, the latest in the Dank Tank series of rare yet popular limited-release brews. The Dank is indeed a tank at the brewery, set aside for specific pet projects — high alcohol, big flavor, and big-bodied beers that reflect whatever itch the brewers want to scratch. Last year we saw a double red ale in Fresh Sticky Nugs, as well as Ghoulash, whose undefined style is still being debated.

On a chilly night in the middle of November, I was sitting at a table of four in the middle of a wine shop for a Burgundy tasting. We were talking about the wines that move us. Then one man quipped, “If somebody gives me a California Pinot, I always re-gift it. Yuck.”