Drinks

If all goes according to plan, Atlanta’s first distillery since Prohibition will open next May. Brothers Jeff and Craig Moore—who own a technology company, as well as several real estate properties—have secured a twenty-year lease on a 2,500-square-foot building, 487 Edgewood Avenue, in the Old Fourth Ward. There, they plan to distill vodka, gin, and, eventually, whiskey.

Eight Atlanta bartenders competed in G’Vine Gin de France’s cocktail competition at Empire State South last night, but only one won a ticket to Cognac, France to test their skills on an international stage.

Ten years have passed since Millie De Chirico first started at Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Atlanta readers might know her as the Queen of TCM Underground, but at work she's the newly-promoted manager of programming, making viewers' classic dreams come true. The Georgia State grad who once DJ-ed at WRAS Album 88 has returned to her alma mater in pursuit of a masters in moving image studies, where she's boning up on the theoretical side of the movies we all love to watch.

The dramatic cocktail, made with the property's private, single-barrel bourbon, is a favorite among staff and guests alike.

Since opening in April of this year, the Lawrence has been quietly evolving in their dimly lit corner of Midtown. At first, the restaurant was open just a few days a week, now they're open every day but Monday, including brunch service on Sunday. The menu has continually changed, bringing seasonal dishes in and out and adding a bit more emphasis on chef Shane Devereux's affinity for French cooking. And now bartender Eric Simpkins, who initially served a very abbreviated selection of classic drinks, is rewriting their drink list to include a lengthy, inventive array of cocktails.

I was happy when I walked into the bar at Livingston last week and couldn’t find a seat right away. Granted, it was around 7 p.m. during a show night at the Fox, but it pleased me to see the place full. What a makeover this space in the Georgian Terrace hotel has been given: all glittery, silvery, clean-lined deco and celestial ceilings. A little bit LA, a little bit Grand Central Terminal. (Forgive the limited shot: I was trying not to be too obvious.)

When the Atlanta Hawks host the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, March 21, game attendees of drinking age are in for a perk. Hawktoberfest, the basketball brand’s take on a Philips Arena craft beer competition, starts at 6 p.m. and goes through the third quarter. For the second year in a row, Hawktoberfest offers fans of professional sports and local craft beer what so often seems like a red herring—the chance to drink the kind of beer you buy for yourself at home, at a major sports venue. And the church said, Amen.

It was the pairing I had been waiting for. In recent months I had explored pairing wine with juicy steaks, cheeses, Latin food, and Thanksgiving spreads, but Nick Windler, Local Three’s beverage director, was about to answer one question I’ve had all along: What goes with Cheetos?

Not everybody has an opinion on wine, but even those who confess to know little about the subject have something to say about bottles from Trader Joe’s. The pinnacle of Uncle TJ’s wine collection is Two Buck Chuck (Charles Shaw Blend), which rings in at $2.99.