The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
FRESH LEMON SYRUP
This simple lemon syrup made from the lemon juice, zest, sugar and water takes minutes to put together and is great to have on hand whenever you want to fix a lemony recipes. It’s great in lemonade, cocktails or to drizzle over fruit salad. To make a pitcher of lemonade, combine a cup of lemon syrup with 3 cups cold water, still or sparkling. Stir and serve, with ice, if desired. If you want a single glass, combine 1/4 cup of lemon syrup with 3/4 cup of cold water.
Storage Notes: The syrup can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.
4 medium lemons (12 ounces/350 grams total), preferably organic, or more as needed
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces/100 grams)
granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
Wash the lemons well. Using a Microplane zester, zest 2 lemons into a small saucepan, being careful not to scrape off any of the bitter white pith just beneath the yellow zest.
Juice the zested and unzested lemons, and strain their juice into a liquid measuring cup. You should get about 1/2 cup of lemon juice. (If you have too much, reserve it for another use; if you have too little, juice another lemon.)
Add the sugar and water to the lemon zest. Set the saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Do not let the syrup come to a boil. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve set over the lemon juice and stir to combine. (Discard the lemon zest.) Makes 1 cup syrup (enough for 4 glasses of lemonade).
Per serving:
In mid-April, I asked: With dropping sales, how will Atlanta breweries survive?
The question was prompted by Bart Watson, the chief economist for the Brewers Association, who had some alarming news to share under the headline: “Brewery Sales Dropping Sharply, Many Set to Close.”
But a little over a month later, many of Atlanta’s brewery taprooms are officially reopening, as Georgia eases restrictions, and local government officials try to make sense of the often confusing coronavirus data.
SweetWater Brewing, which recently celebrated its 23rd anniversary, and ranks among the top breweries in the U.S., reopened its taproom some two weeks ago, after reconfiguring the space to meet state-mandated guidelines for dinein service.
“The first weekend was sort of a soft opening,” said SweetWater’s VP of Branding and Culture, Steve Farace. “We’re really trying to promote the patio. People like that outdoor space with the fresh air, and this past weekend was a really good one. But we’re following all the protocols, just as every other restaurant in the city is.”
The taproom is full-service, now, with both beer and food delivered to tables by a team of servers wearing masks and gloves. And there’s still beer and food to go, as well.
“We switched to a fullservice model because it keeps people from moving around,” Farace said. “It keeps people away from the bar and those common touch points. I tell people, ‘The only reason you need to get up is if you need to go recycle a beer.’ The process here, I feel, is as good as it can be. I’ve been here every day and I’m happy to see how it’s gotten organized.”
At Scofflaw Brewing on the Westside, founder Matt Shirah decided to reopen by creating a new outdoor space with picnic tables spread out around the parking lot, and social distancing in the beer lines enforced by a cop.
“It took me awhile to figure out the table puzzle, but we got it set up, and we opened up,” Shirah said. “I got an APD officer on duty the entire time we’re open, so he can deal with anybody who’s acting up. We have hand sanitizer everywhere, we’re using disposable cups, and our staff is wearing masks and gloves. But, so far, most people are still just coming to get beer to go.”
Monday Night Brewing’s Garage in the West End reopened with a similar model. The public is welcome on its patio and deck, while indoor areas, except the service bar and restrooms, remain closed. But situated steps from the Beltline, there are plenty of places you can wander after grabbing a beer.
“We’ve been talking to restaurant owners and other brewery owners, and for us to dip our toe in the water, this feels like about the bestcase scenario,” co-founder and CMO Jonathan Baker said. “We have this big rollup door, people can come in and buy a pint in a disposable plastic cup, then they have 22 acres to walk around on. And we have a host to remind people of the rules.”
Burnt Hickory Brewery in Kennesaw has always been inspired by the DIY ethos of punk rock. So it’s no surprise that founder Scott Hedeen has taken a rather irreverent approach to reopening his tiny taproom.
“We’re Burnt Hickory. We’ve been going out of business since we opened,” Hedeen said. “So COVID, is that all you got? Or how about social distancing has never been the problem at Burnt Hickory? But we’re following the rules. We just basically rolled up our sleeves and got to work. We’re doing plastic cups. There’s hand sanitizer. I told my staff, ‘Treat the taproom like it’s a hospital.’ It’s not party time with corn hole here.”
Atlanta’s Fire Maker Brewing had only been operating in soft opening mode for a few weeks in early March before it was suddenly closed by the pandemic. Now it’s slowly reopening using its patio and outdoor areas.
“We had on-premise and taproom sales going in March, and that just changed overnight,” owner Elliott Hall said. “But we got our canning line up and running in May. Now we can sell our six-packs in the taproom, and we’re gearing up with our distributor to have our four core brands in the market in early June.
“In the taproom, we have a host seating people on the patio and explaining the rules. I think building up consumer confidence, not only in breweries but in on premise in general, is going to be good for everyone. And I see that people appreciate that we are taking action, and sanitizing, and setting up social distancing, and limiting table space.”