New On Sales at Ticket Alternative!

If you’re struggling to get some last minute holiday presents, why not have a look at our great events? Tickets make a thoughtful, fun present, and we have them by the barrelful! Here’s a few of the events that recently went on sale:

Atlantic Station (Atlanta, GA)
- Winter Beer Carnival (Saturday, February 11, 2012)

The 40 Watt Club (Athens, GA)
- The Head and The Heart (Friday, March 23, 2012)

Drunken Unicorn (Atlanta, GA)
- Youth Lagoon (Thursday, March 22, 2012)

The EARL (Atlanta, GA)
- Mike Cooley (of Drive-By Truckers) (Wednesday, February 22, 2012)
- Mike Cooley (of Drive-By Truckers) (Thursday, February 23, 2012)
- Shearwater (Wednesday, February 29, 2012)
- Craig Finn (of The Hold Steady) (Monday, March 5, 2012)
- Bear In Heaven (Friday, April 27, 2012)

Eddie’s Attic (Decatur, GA)
- Abigail Washburn (Friday, January 13, 2012)
- Jack Williams (Sunday, January 22, 2012)
- Eric Taylor (Saturday, January 28, 2012)
- Meika Pauley & Erick Backer (Wednesday, February 1, 2012)
- Drew and Ellie Holcomb (of Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors) (Tuesday, February 14, 2012)
- Michelle Malone, Dede Vogt, and Caroline Aiken (in the round) (Saturday, February 25, 2012)
- Roxie Watson (Saturday, March 3, 2012)

Jannus Live (St. Petersburg, FL)
- Blue October (Saturday, March 24, 2012)

Rock and Roll Hotel (Washington, D.C.)
- The Electric 11s (Saturday, January 21, 2012)
- ScarsOn45 (Friday, February 10, 2012)
- The Wanted (Friday, January 20, 2012)
- The Jealous Sound (Sunday, February 12, 2012)
- The Twilight Sad (Thursday, February 23, 2012)
- Craig Finn (of The Hold Steady) (Friday, March 2, 2012)
- Youth Lagoon (Saturday, March 24, 2012)
- Wu-Lyf (Monday, April 23, 2012)

Smith’s Olde Bar (Atlanta, GA)
- The Stooges Brass Band (Tuesday, January 3, 2012)
- Jeffrey Gaines (Sunday, January 15, 2012)
- Black ‘N’ Blue: AC/DC Tribute (Friday, February 3, 2012)
- Head For The Hills [in The Atlanta Room] (Friday, February 3, 2012)
- Mishka (Friday, February 17, 2012)
- Nathan Angelo (Friday, March 16, 2012)
- The Gourds (Thursday, March 22, 2012)
- The Elvis Show (Friday, November 30, 2012)

Black Cat (Washington, D.C.)
- The Chariots (Wednesday, January 11, 2012
- Screen Vinyl Image (Wednesday, January 18, 2012)
- Jucifer (Friday, January 20, 2012)
- Beach Week (Sunday, January 29, 2012)
- Mothertongue Anti-Valentine’s Day Slam (Monday, February 13, 2012)
- Mittenfields (Monday, February 20, 2012)

DC9 (Washington, D.C.)
- Cate Le Bon (Sunday, February 12, 2012)
- Slow Club (Tuesday, February 14, 2012)
- O’Brother (Thursday, February 16, 2012)

The Loft (Atlanta, GA)
- D.R.U.G.S. (Saturday, January 28, 2012)

Red Palace (Washington, D.C.)
- Howlin’ Rain (Friday, February 10, 2012)
- This Will Destroy You (Sunday, February 12, 2012)
- Javelin (Saturday, February 25, 2012)
- Polica (Friday, March 23, 2012)
- Howler (Friday, April 13, 2012)

Revolution Music Room (Little Rock, AR)
- Billy Joe Shaver (Sunday, January 22, 2012)

All tickets are available at www.ticketalternative.com or at our outlets.

New On Sales for Friday, October 14

Happy Friday everyone! Here’s what’s going on sale today at Ticket Alternative. Remember, all tickets are available at www.ticketalternative.com!

On sale today at 9:00 a.m.

Rivers Casino (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Brad Garrett (Friday, November 11)

Sevier Park (Nashville, TN)
- 12 South Winter Warmer (Saturday, December 10)

On sale today at 10:00 a.m.

Smith’s Olde Bar (Atlanta, GA)
- Hurt (Tuesday, November 8 )
- Nathan Angelo (Thursday, November 10)
- Pokey Lafarge & The South City Three (Tuesday, November 15) [in The Atlanta Room]
- Winter Soulstice (Sunday, December 18)

On sale today at 12:00 p.m.

Black Cat (Washington, D.C.)
- No Second Troy (Friday, November 4)
- I Fight Dragons (Monday, November 14)
- The Mousetrap (Saturday, November 26)
- Social Response (Sunday, November 27)
- Oh Land (Friday, December 9)
- Cobra Collective (Thursday, December 22)
- Black Cat New Year’s Eve Ball (Saturday, December 31)

The Loft (Atlanta, GA)
- Parachute (Friday, November 18)
- Kaki King (Saturday, November 19)

Stickyz Rock ‘N’ Roll Chicken Shack (Little Rock, AR)
- The Blaze Foley Movie featuring Gurf Morlix and Kevin Triplett (Thursday, November 3)

We Celebrate Atlanta Beer Week with a Beer Quiz!

This week is Atlanta Beer Week. The Great Decatur Craft Beer Festival at The Old Courthouse Square in Decatur, Ga., for which Ticket Alternative handled the tickets, and which sold out in record time, takes place this Saturday from 12:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. In honor of these things, all of the employees of Ticket Alternative took a beer quiz at our Tuesday morning meeting. Gift cards to Hop City were given out the person with the most correct answers, and to the person with the funniest answers. See how well you can do below!

1. Name the four basic ingredients in beer.

2. All beers can generally be classified into one of these two categories.

3. From which single ingredient does the dominant flavor of an IPA stem?

4. Name a Belgian style (not brand) of beer.

5. True or False: The darker a beer is, the more alcoholic it is.

6. Name four well known American craft breweries.

7. What is a Traopist beer?

8. Which ingredient gives beer its bitterness?

9. What happens during fermentation?

10. Why is beer traditionally bottled in brown glass bottles?

11. Mainstream American beers, such as Budweiser, Miller, and Coors, are loosely based on what classic European style?

12. What is a Hefeweizen?

13. What makes a dark beer dark?

14. Name a style (not brand) of beer that is typically over 8% alcohol.

Check the answers after the jump, as well as some of the more amusing (though far less correct) replies… … Continue Reading

More Tickets Opened Up for Vermont Brewers Festival’s Friday Session! – UPDATE: SOLD OUT!

For those who didn’t get a chance to buy tickets to the Vermont Brewers Festival before it sold out earlier this week, you still have a chance to go! We just released a few tickets for the session on Friday, July 15. But get them fast – they’re already flying off the shelves!

UPDATE: These tickets are SOLD OUT again. Hope you got yours!

Our Street Food Happy Hour Returns for July!

It’s about that time again….

Ticket Alternative and the HUB Atlanta are bringing you another Street Food Happy Hour! Every fourth Wednesday of every month, we’ll be bringing you the tastiest street treats Atlanta has to offer, along with good music and local brew from Atlanta’s very own, Wild Heaven.

We had a heck of a time getting things rounded out and situated last month with the rain, but our lesson has been learned and this time we’ll be ready to tackle whatever mishap that might happen, so be it rain or shine, this happy hour will go on! And we can thank The HUB Atlanta, who have kindly offered to provide us all with shelter just in case that rain decides to pour itself down on us this month.

And as we’ve promised, we’ll have live music to keep you entertained! Known for blending an eclectic mix of genres from rock, pop, folk, jazz and country, we’re sure that Dave Daniels and the PTA will have you tapping your toes.

So head over to our Facebook event page to RSVP and be sure to invite your buds!

Get the Details on Atlanta Food & Wine Festival’s Tasting Tents!

Have you bought your tickets for the first Atlanta Food & Wine Festival? It starts next Thursday! And we think the Tasting Tents are a great way to start if you’re looking for something a little low-key. The Tasting Tents and Street Carts Pavilion Pass is only $75 for each session, and there are some great ones to choose from. You can pick from Friday, Saturday (12 p.m. or 4 p.m.) or Sunday. We have the details of who will be at each session below:

Dogwood Restaurant – ALL SESSIONS
The Hungry Peach – ALL SESSIONS
The Four Season’s Atlanta – ALL SESSIONS

LOW COUNTRY
The Grape – ALL SESSIONS
Ruth’s Chris Steak House – ALL SESSIONS
MARKET – ALL SESSIONS

FRIED CHICKEN TRAIL
The Feed Store Restaurant w/ Cooper Miller – FRIDAY
Asha Gomez at Spice Route Supper Club – FRIDAY & SUNDAY
Poole’s Downtown Diner w/ Ashely Christensen – SATURDAY
Magnolias uptown / downsouth w/ Donald Drake – SATURDAY & SUNDAY
JCT Kitchen & Bar w/ Ford Fry – SATURDAY & SUNDAY
Rosebud w/ Ron Eyester – FRIDAY

CAJUN
Ray’s Killer Creek w/ Tracy Bloom – ALL SESSIONS
Goin’ Coastal – ALL SESSIONS

BARBECUE
Black Tie Catering – ALL SESSIONS
Rolling Bones Premium Pit BBQ – ALL SESSIONS
LowCountry Barbecue Catering – ALL SESSIONS
Jim ‘N Nick’s – ALL SESSIONS

SOUTHERN SNACKS
Concentrics Restaurants (different restaurant each session)
Muir Glen – ALL SESSIONS
National Peanut Board featuring Hugh Acheson (SATURDAY & SUNDAY) & Suvir Saran (FRIDAY)
Bourbon Barrell Foods – ALL SESSIONS

SOUTHERN SWEETS
French Broad Chocolates – ALL SESSIONS
Sugaree’s Bakery – ALL SESSIONS
Morelli’s Gourmet Ice Cream & Desserts – ALL SESSIONS
High Road Craft Ice Cream & Sorbet – ALL SESSIONS
Cutie Pies – ALL SESSIONS
Alon’s Bakery and Market – ALL SESSIONS

WHOLE PIG TRAIL
table w/ Jacob Sessoms – ALL SESSIONS
Jonathan’s at Gratz Park w/ Jonathan Lundy – FRIDAY & SATURDAY
Crook’s Corner w/ Bill Smith – SATURDAY
610 Magnolia w/ Edward Lee – SATURDAY
Bistro AIX w/ Tom Gray – SATURDAY & SUNDAY
comfort. w/ Jason Alley – FRIDAY & SUNDAY
Piedmont Restaurant w/ Marco Shaw – SATURDAY
Farm Burger w/ Terry Koval – FRIDAY & SUNDAY

LAMB TRAIL
Ritz Carlton / Westend Bistro w/ Joe Palma – FRIDAY
No. 246 w/ Drew Belline – SATURDAY
YEAH! BURGER – w/ Shaun Doty – SUNDAY

Today Only: Atlanta Food & Wine Festival’s Friday and Sunday Tasting Tent Tickets $50

It’s Tasty Tuesday! What does that mean? It means that for one day only, Tasting Tent tickets (Friday or Sunday ONLY) for the first Atlanta Food & Wine Festival are only $50! The Tasting Tents & Street Cart Pavilion tickets allow individual access to Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

The Tasting Tents feature a collection of award-winning chefs, leading regional purveyors, a Whole Pig Tent curated by Kevin Gillespie and a Bourbon Tent curated by Julian Van Winkle, all offering guests a culinary journey through the South.

These are not your average tasting tents and street carts! An Atlanta Food & Wine Festival Tasting Tent & Street Cart Pass guarantees you’ll eat, drink and mix and mingle with the best of the culinary South. Star Chefs. Bourbon and Craft Beer. Southern sweets and snacks. Barbecue, Fried Chicken and Crawfish. Wines and spirits from other Southern regions around the globe. The best in Southern street food … and much more. Think of this experience as the ultimate all you can eat and drink Southern buffet.

The Street Cart Pavilion, curated by Dan Latham and Eli Kirshtein, features more than a dozen leading street food trucks from across the region.

Get your tickets now!

The Ultimate Excuse to Enjoy a Beer: National Beer Day 2011

Today we celebrate a great day in American history: National Beer Day. 78 years ago on this day the ban on alcohol sales known as Prohibition was lifted. People waited in lines on April 6 until midnight when they could legally buy beer for the first time in 13 years. Today is a day to honor those men and women who fought hard for our right to enjoy an ice cold beer. Image courtesy of Beer Advocate.

Can you even imagine what a world without beer would be like? None of these upcoming events would have been possible!

The East Nashville Beer Festival
April 9 in Nashville, Tenn.
Takes place at the East Bank Greenway and the festival will play host to 35-40 craft breweries.

SOLD OUT! More info HERE.

Stoudts’ Battle of the Brewery Bands
April 30 in Adamstown, Penn.
Brewery bands compete for the Golden Keg and the charity of their choice with delicious food and drinks by Stoudts Brewery.

American Craft Beer Fest
June 3 and 4 in Boston, Mass.
The East Coast’s largest craft beer festival. The festival features over 100 different breweries and 400 different beers. There are a total of three sessions.

2nd Annual Boulder SourFest
June 11 in Boulder, Colo.
If you enjoy the taste of sour beer then this festival is for you. The second installment of this festival will feature 80 different sours for you to taste.

SOLD OUT! More info HERE.

20th Annual Microfest at Stoudts Brewery
June 11, August 27 and October 15 in Adamstown, Penn.
Three different dates to check out this great annual beer festival put on by Stoudts. Great beer sampling, food and entertainment.

Ticket Alternative Sponsors Atlanta Foursquare Day

We’re happy to be a part of the second annual Atlanta Foursquare Day, happening on Saturday, April 16. We’re joining sponsors like Engauge, Fifth Group Restaurants, Sweetwater Brewery and others in celebrating some great deals and a fabulous party at W Atlanta Downtown.

This year there will be more special deals all day from the likes of Rita’s (free Italian ice), Dancing Goats Coffee Bar (BOGO on all coffee/espresso drinks) and more (check out the full list and details HERE).

There will also be a party held at W Atlanta Downtown on the hotels rooftop bar. There is no need for an invite, folks just have to check-in “2011 Atlanta Foursquare Day Party” venue at the hotel to get entry. Party-goers will be treated to a complimentary “Foursquare Cocktail,” as well as Foursquare buttons, coozies, stickers and, for the first 100 entrants, a free Foursquare T-shirt. The W will also be bringing in bites from their well-known restaurants, and a cash bar will feature drink specials.

Local charities Atlanta Community Food Bank and Atlanta Humane Society are also involved and will be benefiting from this event. Attendees can bring non-perishable food for ACFB, and at check-in there will an opportunity to make a pledge to Atlanta Humane Society. That pledge will be multiplied by the number of check-ins (capped at 250) to give the final pledge. So if a person pledges 10 cents and the number of check-ins is 250, their final pledge would be $25. More information about this event is available HERE.

Tickets for 2nd Annual Boulder SourFest on Sale Wednesday, April 6 at Noon! – SOLD OUT!

UPDATE: This event is SOLD OUT! We hope you got your tickets, they went fast!

10 years ago if you were to ask your local bartender for a sour or wild ale he/she would have probably looked at you with a puzzled face and responded “What is that?” If you were to ask that same bartender today there is a very good chance you would be greeted a “What kind would you like?”

Sour/wild ale has become a very popular choice for avid beer drinkers in the past 10 years. This style of beer is definitely an acquired taste due to its pungent smell and tart taste. For those that enjoy it there is no better place to taste different kinds than The 2nd Annual Boulder SourFest at Avery Brewery. There will be over 80 different sour/wild ales on hand for tasting. A nice feature about the festival is that it caps off at 450 people to ensure that everyone gets ample tasting of all of the offered beers.

A lot more care goes into these beers than just letting them go sour in a barrel. The process is very tedious and requires a trained brew-master to produce these lip-puckering ales. Whether you are an avid sour ale drinker or you had your first today, The 2nd Annual Boulder SourFest is not to be missed.

2nd Annual Boulder SourFest

Saturday, June 11 at Avery Brewing Company in Boulder, Colo.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, April 6 at noon.