Back in July of 2021, Irene and I had the good fortune of meeting Kelly Sauber at his West End distillery. We were staying in a cabin at Lake Hope for a few days, scoping out the area. After living in NYC for a decade, it was time for a change—and we were curious about Athens.
I had picked up a four-pack of Kelly’s Dry cider at Kindred that week and it blew me away. I was so impressed I wanted to bring some back to share with family. So on our way out of town, we stopped by the distillery—which was closed—but Kelly was there and invited us in.
We ended up spending two hours with him, talking about life in Athens. By the time we left, Irene and I had made up our minds: we were moving to Athens.
Fast forward a couple of years—we joined the Athens Farmers Market, and as luck would have it, our booth was placed right next to Kelly’s. So every Saturday morning, I got to hang out with Kelly and of course sample his various ferments. Very serendipitous indeed.
I bring this up because on the first weekend of Brew Week—Sunday, July 13, noon to 3pm—everything is coming full circle at our Hei Hei Pop-Up at the Ciderhouse.
Irene has created a delicious menu: an Appalachian take on the classic Korean plate lunch popular in the Hawaiian islands. Kelly has brewed a special batch of makgeolli, the traditional unfiltered Korean rice wine for the event.
The menu features:
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MoSo Farm pork belly sandwich (fresh-baked bun, or no bun for gluten free friends). Vegetarian option: Korean-style marinated grilled tofu
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Irene’s famous mac salad
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Green bean & corn salad
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Kimchi & rice
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Melona ice cream bars for dessert
Tickets are $25, which includes food and makgeolli. If you prefer a non-alcoholic option, we’ll have Korean plum or cinnamon soda available.
Tickets can be purchased here. There will also be limited tickets available day of the event.