I thought this article from Creative Loafing was worth sharing for all those beer guzzling betties

Talking Head: Free (and cheap) Beer!  by Jeff Holland

With all the new breweries that have come to Georgia in the last two to three years, the trip to the beer cooler at your local package store can be somewhat intimidating. Add to that the increased price of craft beers, and it can be difficult to plop down $8-10 on a 6-pack of an unknown quantity. That’s where beer tastings and beer dinners come in. For little or no money, you can sample new beers and get a sense of both the styles and brands that are worth your hard-earned money. There is no shortage of opportunities to sample beers in Atlanta. Here are a few regular or semi-regular tastings that are going on around town, along with a few upcoming beer dinners.

Hop City Craft Beer & Wine store hosts free beer tastings most every Wednesday at Octane Coffee Bar & Lounge across the street from their retail store. Th wee k of July 29, sample beers from Sierra Nevada. Hop City has also teamed up with neighborhood caterer Figs & Honey, who operate Tiny Bistro, to host wine and beer events. Sign up for Hop City’s email list or become a fan on Facebook to get updates on the featured beers.

Muss and Turner’s in Smyrna has beer tastings every Thurday night, hosted by their Beer Maestro, Jessica Moss. Moss has a few surprises up her sleeve in July, with a new brewery tasting this Thurday (July 16), followed by a special guest on July 23. A tasting of the unique wild ales from Jolly Pumpkin rounds out the month on July 30. August and September will feature a series of tasting battles pitting regional and national beers against each other in one-on-one competition. A tasting of 6 beers is $15 and runs from 6:30-8 p.m. Shoot an email to reservations@mussandturner.com to hold your place, or call 770-434-1114 for more information.

Palate Wine Bar in Oakhurst also hosts a Thursday night beer tasting. The remainder of this month features some of America’s best craft breweries, starting with Smuttynose Brewing Company on Thursday (July 16), Avery Brewing Comapany on July 23, and Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery on July 30. Call 404-373-4702 for more information.

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