The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Twain’s brewer uses pandemic as chance to experiment
In the fall of 2016, Mike Castagno took over as the head brewer at Twain’s Brewpub in Decatur.
Previous Twain’s head brewers include David Stein, who developed Tropicalia IPA at the brewpub, before founding Creature Comforts Brewing in Athens, and Chase Medlin, who opened Locomotion Brewing in Chamblee.
But over the past four years, Castagno has made a name for himself in the Atlanta beer community, using his experience as a research chemist and award-winning homebrewer to create a range of styles — including lambic and wild beers, lagers and IPAs.
Since the pandemic, though, Castagno’s work life has changed in several ways, as Twain’s closed and reopened, and currently offers takeout and patio dining only — plus canned beer to go.
“A brewpub is sometimes a double-edged sword, and sometimes a blessing in disguise,” Castagno said in a recent phone call. “You have two different businesses, a restaurant and brewery, running simultaneously under one roof. And when they work together, it’s fantastic. But when you’re in certain circumstances, like this coronavirus, you’re kind of doubly hurt.
“We’re not making beer nearly as frequently as we used to do, which has allowed us to focus a bit more on our core brands and focus on quality and consistency. But the system that we have is primarily set up for producing a wide variety of beers on draft to serve in the brewpub. So if you to try to pivot your model into a kegging or canning operation, there’s equipment that you need that requires a big upfront capital investment.”
Right now, Germantown Pils is one of Twain’s biggest sellers, both on the patio and for takeout. The German-style “house Pilsner” is crisp and refreshing, and perfect for the summer heat.
“German Pilsner is one of the hardest beers in the world to make,” Castagno said, adding that he enjoys the challenge.
Another favorite is Mad Happy IPA, a hoppy brew that has gone through a series of experimental iterations, starting with a previous beer of the same name that was originally a pale ale.
“We wanted to bring back that name, because it’s a quote from Mark Twain that’s kind of an interesting observation on society,” Castagno said. “Of course, the beer palate of the average consumer has moved away from pale ales and toward IPAs. It’s a mixed recipe between what used to be considered a West Coast IPA and is now considered a contemporary IPA. And it’s made with five different hops from four different continents.
“The fun thing about a brewpub is that you can use it as a platform to test out new beers. My background was recipe development in chemistry, so understanding how to start from nothing, and to build something with a certain profile was something I spent 15 years learning how to do.”
Looking to the future, Castagno said Twain’s will offer two mixed fourpacks for takeout, with either four different lagers or four different IPAs. And in the coming weeks, the dining room is scheduled to reopen with limited seating. But right now, the patio is the place to be.
“We’ve extended the patio out into the parking lot so there’s additional seating with good social distancing, and added a rain barrier and sun shades, so there’s a lot better protection from the elements,” he said. “It should be a fantastic place to sit and drink a beer this fall.”