Autumn, for many people, is the best season there is. Sure, summer might hold the claim of being “school-free” for the kiddos and a time for vacations and outdoor enjoyment, but there’s just something special about fall – the crunching leaves, the cooling temperatures, terrific sports events and, of course, seasonal fall beers.

Whether it be easy-drinking amber or brown ales or adjunct-heavy pastry stouts that emulate various sweet desserts, the fall has plenty of options for craft beer fans in Georgia. There are an immense number of breweries out there to explore, and for each of them, myriad beers are available for thirsty patrons to imbibe. Read on to explore What We’re Drinking Now during the fall months of 2022!

Spaten Oktoberfest – Rated 87

Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu

Munich, Germany

Welcome back, dear readers, to The Beer Connoisseur’s Fall 2022, Issue 62. As the calendar flips over to September, many people are already pondering some of the most important questions that the season produces: How many leaves will I have to rake? Will my football succeed this year? What will my child’s Halloween costume be? What will my Halloween costume be?

While we might not be able to aid you with any of those questions per se, this edition promises to bring you a bevy of fascinating stories on a variety of topics – including bevvies themselves.

Our cover story focuses on the booming film industry in Georgia and elucidates how Georgia has coaxed film companies to produce their films here. In the story, Kurt Spurlock lists notable past and future productions in the state – as well as memorable beer appearances in Georgia films.

Just like last issue, we detail some high-scoring beers that are perfect for the fall season. Then, we feature a selection of “What We’re Drinking Now,” which highlights some wonderful brews that we’ve reviewed in years past.

We highlight Pontoon Brewing’s fun Halloween-themed Nightmare Fuel fruited sour via a conversation with head Brewer Chris Baratz. This blood-red brew is sure to be a treat for spooky holiday parties.

There is always something newsworthy taking place in the beer industry. That's why we dedicate Monday of each week to publishing the top stories from the previous week in our Industry News e-newsletter. Here you'll find a compilation of all the news we've covered since the last issue, with links to the full stories.

Industry & People

The Beer Connoisseur Announces Hard Seltzer Style Definitions and Judging Guidelines

We saddled up with the masterminds behind the highest rated brews and asked them about the inspiration behind the recipes. Follow the links below to the individual Q & A's, or you may access Q & A's from all editions here.

Fall 2022, Issue 62

Miel Brewery & Taproom Owner and Head Brewer Alex Peyroux Talks Apple Crumble

Judging Process
Our reviews are conducted in a single-blind tasting format. This method provides the best opportunity to rely on facts and to avoid favoritism, insuring a level playing field for all brewers. It serves both the industry and the consumer to have unbiased and objective scores from qualified experts. To best implement this approach, the Judges Review is open to those with established experience as a Master Cicerone® from the Cicerone® Certification Program or as a judge that has accomplished the rank of National or higher from the Beer Judge Certification Program. In the single-blind tasting format, judges are presented with a chilled, properly poured beer and given its style category. Scoring is then done on the following basis using a 100-point scale:

Score Breakdown:
100 to 96: World Class – You need this beer in your life.
95 to 91: Exceptional – Don’t hesitate.
90 to 86: Very Good – A brew to savor.
85 to 75: Average – Somewhat unimpressive.
74 and below: Not Recommended – Just walk away.

Exceptional (95 to 91)