Come Raise Some Coldies for a Cause: River Revival 5/4

We know you’ll be sippin’ on some margs Saturday to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, but throw back some coldies for a cause with us on cuatro de mayo at this year’s River Revival to benefit the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper®.

On Friday, May 4, Park Tavern’s Big Tent will be rockin’ with more music and more honorees than before. The party will officially kick off our 7th annual Save the Hooch campaign, bringin’ together beer guzzlers, party animals and residents of metro Atlanta this May through July 4 weekend to patrol, protect and preserve the river and keep the water drinkable for more than four million Atlantans.

This isn’t only a good party, but a great deal, folks! Tickets start at $45 but include food, wine, beer and a one-year membership to UCR. VIP tickets are also available. Party with some of the UCR and SweetWater boys and girls and jam with a stacked lineup of musicians, including modern-rock cellist Ben Sollee, soulful singer-songwriter Julia Haltigan, and Atlanta natives Burnt Bacon and Ruby Velle & the Soulphonics.

By asking our faithfuls fans to‚ “Give of their Liver to Save the River,” we’ve raised more than $300,000 for UCR’s mission thus far. With your help, Atlantans, our success spread to other local communities and their Waterkeepers and now features our SweetWater Presents Railroad Earth concert series, hittin’ the road mid-June to spread some love to our Southeastern neighbors.

For information on River Revival tickets, musicians and honorees, visit the River Revival website. Hope to punish our livers for the river with you this Friday!

Sunday Funday: 420 Fest Photos & Recap

We don’t know about you, but we knew Mother Earth was ready to party on her day, ’cause the sun was shinin’, the breeze was blowin’ and the brews were flowin’ on Earth Day, the final day of our 420 Fest shindig.

We all partied our casks off, kickin’ off with a cask ale tasting featuring a special brew created by our head brewer Nick Nock along with the winning casks from this year’s Brew Your Cask Off:

• 1st Place Winner: “Nuttin’ Butter” from Charleston Beer Exchange, a brown ale reminiscent of peanut butter and jelly in glass.
• 2nd Place Winner: “Fred Juice” from The Fred Bar, a hoppy pale ale with citrus fruits, apricots that’s was aggressively dry-hopped.
• 3rd Place Winner: “The Chubby Chocolate Bunny” from Taco Mac, a rich porter with chocolate and marshmallow notes.
• People’s Choice Winner: “The Elvis Peanut Butter Banana Porter” from Cypress Street Pint and Plate, their tribute to the King, a peanut butter banana porter.

Smokey’s Farmland Band, Floodwood, Sol Driven Train and Donna the Buffalo took us out with some great shows. Hope ya got a chance to make it over to the Relapse 420 Comedy Tent, cause the stand-up comics, including the  folks from Laughing Skull Lounge, kept us rolling.

From hula-hoops to heady brews, there was no shortage of good times this 420 Fest. Although we’re bummed to see it all end, we’ve got some pretty crazy photos to remember the weekend. Check ’em all out here with updates from Sunday’s shenanigans: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150723632864219.412560.8313399218&type=3

Again, thanks to © Chris Rank, Rank Studios and Michael Podrid Photography for the kick-ass shots.

Even though it’s Monday, we’re raising some coldies to one epic weekend and lookin’ forward to doin’ it all over again with y’all next year. Cheers!

Heady Highlights and Photos: Day Two, 420 Fest

For those who weren’t too hungover from Friday’s festivities, we’re glad you rocked out ’til you clocked out with us  for Saturday’s 420 Fest party. Atlanta natives Like a Locomotive and Cadillac Jones joined our sisters and brothers from another mother including Treble Jay, Music Matters – The TAASK, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, Mickey Hart Band, Anders Osborne and Maceo Parker, who rounded out the night. The blues and brews were hoppin’, and we learned you’re never too young for a cold one…popsicle, that is.

Check out some of the headiest highlights from Saturday, courtesy of Michael Podrid Photography: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150723632864219.412560.8313399218&type=3

Get ready to go out with a bang as we officially throw down for Mother Earth today on Earth Day. Cheers to yo mama!

420 Fest Photos from 4/20: Kickin’ off the Funk

We kicked off this year’s 8th annual SweetWater 420 Festival yesterday and brought the house…errr park…down! Fest got funky to the tunes of Cherry Royale, Soulive, The Lee Boys, and we closed the night out with Perpetual Groove. The Relapse 420 Comedy Tent had folks rollin’ with some of the best stand-up acts in the Southeast. The weather gods played nice, and we swear the sun started shining a minute after 4:19. With no shortage of food or tasty tasty brews, we had one hellova start to this Earth Day celebration.

For those who were there, you know what we’re talkin’ about. For those who missed it, check out some recaps from photographer Chris Rank below – and hope to see you all for some coldies today. Cheers!

Flickr album: http://www.flickr.com//photos/sweetwaterbrew/sets/72157629863832561/show/

Presenting Our First-Ever Summer Concert Series With Railroad Earth Benefiting Waterkeeper® Alliance Members

As we’re gearing up for our summer waterway campaigns, we got to thinkin’…what better way to give back and celebrate the cause  than to jam out with our band out? We decided to put together our first-ever summer concert series benefiting Waterkeepers® featuring one of our favorite bluegrass bands – Railroad Earth.

The concert will hit the road this June 20 – 24 touring the Southeast and tickets will go on sale this Friday, 4/20 (shocking right?). Tickets range from $20-25 depending on the venue and you can get ’em directly on the venues’ websites. Tour dates and cities include:

• Wednesday, June 20 – Raleigh, NC at Lincoln Theatre
• Thursday, June 21 – Charlotte, NC at The Fillmore
• Friday, June 22 – Charleston, SC at The Music Farm
• Sunday, June 24 – Jacksonville, FL at Freebird Live

Of course all proceeds and sales will go back to the local Waterkeepers® in each city including: The Catawba Riverkeeper®, The Neuse Riverkeeper®, The Charleston Waterkeeper® and The St. John’s Riverkeeper®.

Make sure you like the event on Facebook to keep up with concert details, and also ’cause we’re giving y’all a chance to win VIP tickets and meet-and-greet opportunities with the band leading up to the shows.

Our conservation efforts began nearly a decade ago through our partnership with the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper® in Atlanta, and have since grown to include work with nine Waterkeeper® organizations throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Alabama. To date, we’ve helped raise more than $500,000 to help protect and preserve these waterways and we look forward to blowing it out again this year.

Hope to see y’all there!

Nationally acclaimed bluegrass band Railroad Earth

A Bump in the Rankings, a LowRYEder Booty Hop & a Waterkeeper Brew

It’s been a hell of a Tuesday, and we’ve got lots of updates for ya!

Top 25:

The Brewer’s Association just released the 2012 numbers and it looks like we’ve been bumped on up from #27 to #24 making the Top 25 craft breweries in the U.S. Now, that’s certainly somethin’ to raise a pint (or 10) to. Check out the rest of the stats and the full lineup here: http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/media/press-releases/show?title=brewers-association-releases-top-50-breweries-in-2011

We’ve also got some mouth-waterin’ libations in the pipeline for this summer (tell us that doesn’t sound dirty) and we’re excited to share some of the details with y’all:

LowRYEder Art Debut:

Brand spankin’ new to our annual lineup of lip-smackin’ brews is our LowRYEder Rye IPA. This one will be making that booty hop. It’ll make its debut this summer in the Tacklebox, hit draft taps in June and be on shelves in six-packs at your local bodega in July. Take a look at the never-before-seen artwork from Totem.

Waterkeeper Hefeweizen:

It’s also about that time again to “Give of your Liver to Save the River!”  We’re excited to bring back our Waterkeeper Hefeweizen which will slip into the Catch and Release lineup just in time for summer. The brews will be featured across the Southeast in conjunction with our Save the Waterways campaigns with local Waterkeepers®. You can get your hands on ’em this May on draft and in 22-oz bottles.

The 411 on 420 Fest

We’ve got four days to ’til we get our fest on! As we get closer to the big bash, we wanted to give you the rundown on what shakin’ this year. See below for some updates on the 2012 deetz, along with a copy of our 2012 festival map (below) showcasing the lay of the land so you can mark your watering holes, grub stations and jam sessions ahead of time.

Transpo and Parking: 

Let’s remember this party is all about being green, so we encourage you to choose options that get you to the fest with a minimal carbon footprint: Carpool, take MARTA (dropping off just blocks away from the festivities at Edgewood/Candler Park) or cycle! Cyclists can use our complimentary bike valet – thanks toAtlanta Bike Coalition, Young Survival Coaltion’s Tour de Pink and Camp Twin Lakes.

Should you choose to brave the traffic and find a spot, please do not park in “no parking zones” ’cause towing will be strictly enforced this year. There are a few first-come-first-serve lots (The Epworth Church and Springdale Elementary School) available in which fees apply.

And always remember to keep it safe – drinkin’ and driving is for dummies. SafeRide America will again be onsite and will take you and your car home! Should you need the service, call 404.888.0887 or make reservations with felicia@saferideamerica.org.

  General info and updates:

• 420 Fest is a free event open to the general public. Guests who are 21+ with a valid ID and would like to enjoy SweetWater’s brews can purchase a $5 wrist band per day. Proceeds from the wrist band go toward Park Pride for Candler Park improvements.
• For the convenience and safety of all attendees, no outside food or beverages, coolers, chairs, umbrellas, glass bottles, pets, illegal substances, weapons, fireworks,or on-site soliciting will be permitted on the festival grounds.
• Due to the size of the festival, we now fall under a city ordinance/law that no longer allows dogs at the event. Please note: NO DOGS WILL BE ALLOWED.
• Please note: No professional photogrpahy or videography of any kind will be allowed without media credentials. Should you be interested in covering the event for your media outlet, please contact Francesca Zeifman with SweetWater Communications & Libations at francesca@sweetwaterbrew.com to be added to the media list.
• The festival will provide potable water, restrooms, trash and recycling stations (a chance for everyone to do their part!), lost and found, ATM’s as well as medical, police and security services.
• Entry gates can be located at the following locations: Main gate off McClendon, Gate 2 at the tennis court pathway and Gate 3 at the corner of Clifton Terrace and Marlbrook Drive by the playground. The handicap entrance is located at Gate 3 with easy paved access to the event.
• For more up-to-the-minute updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and our website.

Interested in volunteering? Sign up here: http://sweetwater420fest.com/contact-us/

Looking forward to kickin’ back a few cold ones with ya. See you this weekend!

420 Fest Video & Volunteers:

Hey fest fans, we’re still in need of volunteers for this year’s SweetWater 420 Festival in Candler Park. More details on what you’d be doing, volunteer perks and how to sign up below.

To wet your whistle in the meantime, check out our latest and greatest video featuring the sights, smells and sounds of our 8th annual 420 Festival (thanks to the boys at Lords of Sapelo):

Happy Ending Productions is looking for SweetWater 420 Festival volunteers who enjoy a good party…and especially being part of throwing a great event.

Event Details:

WHAT: Sweetwater 420 Fest

WHERE: Candler Park

WHEN: April 20-22

Volunteer Requirements:

• This opportunity is for those 21 and up only, sorry, no exceptions.
• Volunteers are needed for four hours shifts (must commit to at least two shifts).

What will you do?

Volunteers may sign up for a variety of different shifts and roles, including: Assistance with box office activities such as passing out programs, checking IDs, counting attendees, educating patrons on event details, etc. Assistance with site, food, craft vendor, VIP and artist management. Facilitation of event load in and load out activities.

What do you get?

Beyond the experience of being part of one of Atlanta’s best spring festivals, volunteers will receive a free commemorative volunteer T-shirt, an event access wristband (following the shift), commemorative 420 Fest event poster and coffee mug.

How to sign up?

Visit the 420 Fest website at: http://sweetwater420fest.com/contact-us/

Fill out the volunteer form and someone from the Happy Endings Productions team will get in touch to talk to you about shifts and how you can help! Then, we’ll get you signed up for our volunteer orientation the week of the event for further details.

Know a professional group, non-profit, or community organization that wants to get involved? 

We welcome group volunteers!  Please email: Volunteer@sweetwater420fest.com to get your group involved today.