I’ve made the startling discovery that I can’t drink beer like I used to. These days, at the ripe, old age of 24, I politely sip glasses of pinot grigio and make no apologies for doing so. However, my recent inability to kill a six-pack in record time didn’t keep me away from Magic City Brewfest this weekend.

We arrived at 9 p.m., two hours into Saturday night’s festivities. My fiance and I gladly grabbed our tiny glasses and sampled about 15 of the 250 beers at the festival. We avoided beers we’ve tried before and booths with ridiculously long lines - which, unfortunately, prevented us from sampling what Birmingham’s Good People Brewing Co. had to offer. (I’d love to hear what other people thought about it, though.) And, since we came to the festival hungry, we wasted little time getting over to the food tents.

With that said, I am prepared to name my picks for the best food and beer from this year’s Magic City Brewfest.

The J. Clyde’s fried green tomatoes beat out tough competition from the other food vendors, but ultimately won me over with a semi-spicy breading and thinly-sliced, fresh tomato. I’m usually not a fan of tomatoes, but will definitely eat these again soon.

And now for the beer. Keep in mind that I came nowhere near sampling everything the festival had to offer, but of the 15 or so I was able to get my hands on, this one suited my taste perfectly. Blue Moon’s Honey Moon Summer Ale was by far my favorite. The beer from Golden, Colo. is brewed in small batches and available only May through August. It’s made with orange peel and Madhava clover honey, melted at low temperatures to preserve flavor and nutrients absent from most commercial honeys. Blue Moon delivers on its promise for a dry taste with a sweet finish. It’s easy to see why this beer took away gold medals at both the 2006 and 2007 Great American Beer Festival.

Blue Moon, a brewing company that’s been around since 1995, also offers spring, winter and pumpkin ales, in addition to its Belgian White wheat ale. You can visit their brewery online at www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Good news: After several weeks of warehouse renovations, Red Mountain Market is once again up and running with more products than before - about 400 more of them, to be exact. Plus, they’ve expanded their delivery area to include 12 new zip codes and added a downloadable weekly flier to their website indicating weekly specials and new products. More good news: Wine and beer are now available online. And if all that wasn’t enough, owners Thad and Jennifer Hodges say customers can look forward to an affordable selection of gourmet, oven-ready casseroles prepared by a local chef coming soon to the aisles of Red Mountain Market. To start shopping or to see if you are in the delivery area, visit www.redmountainmarket.com. And remember, even if you aren’t in the delivery area, you can still order online and pick up your groceries at the warehouse located at 1229 First Ave. South.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Get ready to kiss a few cooks. The Magic City Art Connection presents the 11th Annual Corks and Chefs event this Saturday and Sunday at Linn Park, located at 710 20th St. North. The event is part of the annual juried art festival featuring hundreds of works of art in a variety of mediums. From 1-5 p.m., guests can taste food from the 17 Birmingham-area restaurants and caterers listed below, as well as wine, beer and other beverages provided by local and national vendors. Tickets are $25 in advance; $30 at the door. Learn more by calling 595-6306 or visit www.magiccityart.com, where you’ll find information about each chef, including some of their exclusive culinary secrets.

Saturday Chef Lineup

HOT AND HOT FISH CLUB
Chris Hastings will prepare Hot and Hot shrimp and grits with country ham, tomatoes, fresh thyme and ver jus.

JOHN’S CITY DINER
Shannon Gober presents South Pacific chicken salad with peanut ginger vinaigrette.

NABEEL’S CAFE & MARKET
Alan Nelson features Greek chicken skewers with Greek baked village potatoes.

ROCK HOUSE RESTAURANT
Owner and chef Paul Casey serves marinated basil shrimp with pine nuts and herbs, Asiago and Parmesan cheese on a bed of wild herb rice with feta cheese & dun-dried tomatoes.

TABLE
Owner Brian Lewis and Chef Michael Brandon prepare braised beef short ribs, roasted garlic horseradish Yukons and Cabernet jus.

THE J. CLYDE
Owner Jerry Hartley serves up local hickory roasted pork tenderloin on soft rolls with cilantro mango salsa.

THE VERANDA
Executive Chef Thomas Robey of Commander’s Palace fame prepares smoked Muscovy duck and braised greens gumbo.

V.RICHARDS
Chef Rickey Little III features his Mediterranean seafood salad.

Sunday Chef Lineup

BELLINI
Chefs Benard Tamburello and Doug Hovanec will prepare wild mushroom risotto.

CATERING BY LA’NETTA
Chef Joannetta Jarman & Chef Levi present Moroccan lamb and steamed veggies with couscous.

CHEF CLAYTON’S FOOD SYSTEMS, INC.
Chef Clayton Sherrod plates bacon wrapped stuffed chicken breast with wilted spinach.

CONTINENTAL BAKERY & CHEZ LULU
Carol Griffin features baked French breakfast doughnuts and almond bread pudding.

FRANKLIN’S HOMEWOOD GOURMET
Chef Franklin Biggs serves tortilla Espanola accompanied by romaine salad with roasted red peppers, tapenade, croutons and Asiago cheese.

ICON RESTAURANT & BAR
Chef Ben Leingang will prepare shellfish ceviche.

OCEAN and 26
Chef George Reis will serve Ocean-Dungeness crab salad and Mussels Diable.

SOL Y LUNA/CANTINA
Chef Guillermo Castro presents pork carnitas tamal with roasted tomatilla salsa.

STANDARD BISTRO
Chef Alan Martin will prepare slow roasted pork with aioli and spicy slaw.

Popularity: 12% [?]