Around 5:30pm every Wednesday at Octane Coffee the rather mixed group of patrons shift their attention from the hustle and bustle of the tasks before them to the awe and excitement of the lineup of beers presented at the small lounge’s bar.  An ensemble of fermented beverages is about to unfold in front of the enchanted spectators with the same ebb and flow of a symphony orchestra.  Your conductor, a brewery representative, cues in each beer one by one with a crescendo of how the product goes from raw grains to the good stuff in your cup.  Intermezzos of the particular brewery’s history are shared along the way with splashes of tasting notes thrown in at will.

The weekly beer tasting, is an engaging experience for newcomers to the craft beer scene allowing them to dabble with a variety of styles.  Likewise, the tasting provides excitement for veteran beer geeks get to a taste of special rarities that they have been eagerly awaiting.  Best part: did we mention that it’s free?!  Pints of the featured offerings are often sold for around $5, keep the glass to boot!

Patrons gather around to sample Brooklyn’s Sorachi Ace, a golden farmhouse ale brewed with the rare Sorachi Ace hop only grown by a small single farm in Oregon.  The Sorachi Ace hop gives the beer a distinct citrusy lemon zest aroma and taste.  Other beers sampled in the June 2nd lineup: Brooklyn Lager, Local 1 and Brewmaster’s Reserve: Buzz Bomb Ale, a draft only offering brewed just once(only 5 kegs made it into the state of Georgia.)

Check Back for Volume 2: Hop City.  Uncover another corner of West Side’s craft beer scene and see why so many are getting lost in this Beermuda Triangle.